Devotee: You said we should always seek the association of advanced devotees. When Srila Prabhupada left the planet, some of his disciples took shelter of one of his godbrothers.

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja: Thereby they committed a mistake. For the clarification of some philosophical doubt or to accept śikṣā, one may go to another vaiṣṇava, but why leave?

Devotee: Some people took shelter of this Maharaja, and naturally, because he was giving some instruction, they became attached to him and accepted him as śikṣā-guru. Because of this, in some cases, it seems that our society rejected them rather than they rejected our society.

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja: Let me be excused at the feet of a vaiṣṇava. This Maharaja is a great vaiṣṇava. I pay my obeisance to him. He is my guru. He is the godbrother of my guru. But he should have taught these ISKCON devotees, “Don’t leave ISKCON. Take śikṣā from me if you have some doubts. I am prepared to clarify them. But don’t leave ISKCON.” Why didn’t he teach this thing?

Devotee: So it’s alright for Srila Prabhupada disciples to accept another śikṣā-guru, but they should not leave ISKCON?

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja: Why should they leave ISKCON?

Devotee: I spoke to one devotee who had taken shelter of a Maharaja outside of ISKCON, and he said that his life was made very difficult within ISKCON and he could no longer preach. He was so restricted. Therefore, in order to preach, he left ISKCON.

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja: "What difficulty is there? Preaching the message of Gauranga Mahaprabhu? Mahaprabhu says, “I will help you. You’ll never be affected by māyā.” If you have no faith in Mahaprabhu, then you will be put into difficulties. Don’t be afraid of problems. Krishna is there. His representative, the guru, is there. They are always with you. They are always prepared to help you. These dangers, these problems, difficulties will help you to become fixed. They are welcome. Therefore Kuntidevi says, vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra jagad-guro — “I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again.” Why did she say like that?"

Devotee: Because by those troubles she was always able to remember Krishna.

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja: Yes. Difficulties, dangers, and problems help one to be more attached to Krishna. Unless there are difficulties, one will not turn his face towards Krishna. Thereby he is in fool’s paradise, thinking, “I am OK.” But he is in danger. He cannot understand it. So all of these difficulties, problems, and dangers, they are kṛpā, mercy in disguise. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada Maharaja said, “Accept all the sufferings in this material world as the mercy of the Supreme Lord.