I am Like His Dog

[Excerpt from Srila Gurudeva: Around the World, Holland 1996, the first book in a series of volumes on Srila Gurudeva’s world preaching tours.]
But, unfortunately, only a few devotees are following Svamiji. During my stay here, I wanted to visit a center of devotees, but unluckily, the door was closed for me. So, it was very painful. A mayavadi (an impersonalist) can come and enter the temple premises, so can a karmi (materialist). They will also be duly invited and honored, but the devotees are not allowed. How painful this is! I want these transgressions of etiquette to be done away with and they should learn to properly respect devotees. Though I am not a pure devotee, I consider myself to be a dog of Svamiji, so I should be treated well and honored because I have served him so much. I think no one has served Svamiji as much as I did from the beginning of his preaching. Perhaps some of you don’t know how I have served him, but Svamiji liked my service from the beginning, even before he took the renounced order. I have served Svamiji from the early days up until the last days of his manifest stay in this world. But some devotees say that I should be avoided. Such false propaganda is not harmful for me, but it is harmful for the devotees who insinuate these baseless allegations. I pray to Prabhupada, Sri Radha-Krsna, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that they should be forgiven for this and that they learn to honor each and every Vaisnava.
The Vaisnava may be a disciple of any bona fide Guru, and if he has sincerely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, and the Divine Couple—Sri Radha-Krsna; we should honor him. We should try to honor the devotee even if he is not initiated. So you should not follow the devotees who are involved in these transgressions of Vaisnava etiquette. You should try to honor all Vaisnavas who are chanting harinama, regardless of them having accepted first or second initiation. Anyone, who has served Svamiji; we can give our heads for them, our lives for them. We should always try to serve them. If a dog claims, “I am related to Svamiji, and I want to continue my service,” on listening to this dog speak, I will embrace and honor the dog. If you want to progress in the chanting of harinama, and are striving to attain pure bhakti; then you will have to learn to give respect to all Vaisnavas.
trnad api su-nicena
taror iva sahisnuna
amanina mana-dena
kirtaniyah sada harih
–Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 17.31
[“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”]