14 May 1996 Den Haag, Holland
If you genuinely follow a personality’s personal conduct and line of thought, then you are truly his disciple. If you have taken initiation from someone, but you are not following him, then you are not worthy of being called that personality’s disciple. Formally or externally, you will be called his disciple.
Those who are foolish, ignorant, or kaniṣṭha (novice devotees) will say, “Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is not a disciple of Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. Neither were Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī the disciples of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” You should know what constitutes real initiation. Is reciting the mantras into the ear real initiation? A person who is externally initiated, but is not heartily adopting the principles, activities, teachings, and behavior of his guru, is not really a disciple.