Prabhupada: Liberated soul never says that “I am liberated.” As soon as he says “liberated,” he’s a rascal. A liberated soul will never say that “I am liberated.” That is liberation. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is God — [Cc. Adi 7.71]: “My Guru Maharaja saw Me fool number one, and he has chastised Me.” He’s God. This is the example. If one remains always a servant ever-lastingly of guru, then he is liberated. And as soon as he thinks that he is liberated, he’s a rascal. That is the teaching of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Why He’s posing Himself that “I am fool number one”? That means that is liberation. You must be ready always to be chastised by guru. Then he’s liberated. And as soon as he thinks that “I am beyond this chastisement. I am liberated,” he’s a rascal. This is sahajiya-vada. He is thinking, “Oh I have become liberated. I don’t require any direction of my guru. I’m liberated.” Then he’s rascal. Why this Gaudiya Matha failed? Because they tried to become more than guru. He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that “This man should be the next acarya.” But these people, just after his passing away, they began to fight, who shall be acarya. That is the failure. They never thought, “Why Guru Maharaja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man should be acarya?” They wanted to create artificially somebody acarya, and everything failed. They did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Maharaja wanted to appoint somebody as acarya, why did he not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insisted on it. They declared some unfit person to become acarya. Then another man came, then another acarya, another acarya. So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection. And as soon as he learns the Guru Maharaja is dead, “Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become.” Then he’s finished.
(Room Conversation — August 16, 1976, Bombay)
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That is the failure. They never thought, “Why Guru Maharaja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man (woman) should be acarya?” They wanted to create artificially somebody acarya, and everything failed. They did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Maharaja wanted to appoint somebody as acarya, why did he not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insisted on it. They declared some unfit person to become acarya. Then another came, then another acarya, another acarya. So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection.