Guru or Spiritual Master: Qualifications of a Guru

Q. "While going through Srimad Bhagavatam, in Canto 11 Chapter 7.19-21, it is revealed that one can become his own guru and experience Krishna's full potencies.

Q. 1. How to recognize a self-realized spiritual master and how to approach for spiritual initiation? It is said in Baghavad-gita that we must approach a bonafide spiritual master who has seen the truth. Now how is it possible for a candidate to identify the person who has seen the truth?

One of the primary characteristics of a bona fide spiritual master is that such a guru himself belongs to a bona fide disciplic succession, beginning from the Supreme Lord Himself, and is authorized to perform the service of a spiritual master.

Q. Let us assume hypothetically that someone accepts the Bhagavad Gita of Srila Prabhupada, and decides to follow and accept that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then he realizes his inability to choose a guru who is a pure devotee. If he then resorts to simply following Prabhupada, but accepting that he is not a diksha disciple of Prabhupada but a siksha disciple, can he go back to Godhead by following the instructions of Prabhupada and chanting?

Q. I am coming to realize that a ship without a captain can have no direction and could get lost; in the same way I'm constantly thinking of choosing a Guru to help me understand and lead my life in the proper guided direction. How to make this difficult choice with so many great learned spiritual teachers (Gurus) out there?

Q. 1. I have a question regarding a statement I heard in the past and remembered recently:

Q. I have heard that while killing Putana, Krishna closed His eyes. On this, various spotless Vaishnava Acharyas have written commentaries which differ from each other. One Acharya writes that Krishna closed His eyes so as not to see the heinous face of the infant-killer. Some other Acharya writes that because He was killing a female, He closed His eyes...  and so on. (Krishna Book, Ch 6) So, how to understand this phenomenon?

Q. In several verses of Caitanya caritamrita it is stated that the spiritual master is a manifestation of Krishna, and that because we due to our conditioned nature cannot see Krishna directly, He appears as the spiritual master and such master is non-different from Krishna (Cc Adi 1.58).

Is the spiritual master a jiva soul? If so, can a jiva be then a manifestation of Krishna and how does that work? Are all jivas manifestations of Krishna but at different levels?

Yes, the spiritual master is a jiva soul, fixed in anukula- bhakti unto Krishna.

You said, "By this prideful and independent-minded spirit, he actually proved that Drona's assessment was correct: Ekalavya was unfit to receive ksatriya training."

Q. Please elaborate the statement" Within the instruction of the spiritual master lies the empowerment to carryout the instruction".

Q. 1. Is there a difference between a recommendation and an instruction from a spiritual master to the disciple? If so, then how does one deal with the recommendation in a manner that is conducive to the spirit of surrender to the spiritual master?