Follow the instructions of great souls, never imitate their transcendent activities—this is the path of genuine devotion.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Morning Walk — December 4, 1975, Vṛndāvana 751204MW-VRNDAVAN [13:21 Minutes] Walk_751204MW-VRNDAVAN Bhāvānanda: Someone had mentioned that we should start up in Bihar and come down into Bengal.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Do you think if they go to Orissa it will be nice? No? The saṅkīrtana party?
Prabhupāda: So you talk with him. Bhāvānanda: Yes. [break] Akṣayānanda: ...say to me what do I think of Pagal Bābā? And I would say, "Well, our Guru Mahārāja does not approve of us smoking cigarettes." And they will say, "But he smokes cigarettes." And I would say, "That is because he is pāgal." And they would agree.
Prabhupāda: These four principles will make so many bogus bābās as useless, simply if you follow these four principles. [break] Akṣayānanda: ...they say that Rāmacandra ate meat. Some people have said to me...
Prabhupāda: Rāmacandra can eat you and the whole universe. [laughter] Can you do that? By... Even Rāmacandra used to eat meat, so you can simply imitate for meat-eating.
But why don't you imitate how to construct a bridge over the ocean? Why don't you say that "Rāmacandra constructed a bridge on the ocean; can you do that?" Akṣayānanda: No. Prabhupāda: Then you are rascal. Akṣayānanda: But in the Bhagavad-gītā it says, yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas [Bg. 3.21]. Whatever the great men do, you must follow in their footsteps. Prabhupāda: Yes. By their instruction, not by their activities.
You should follow the instruction, not the activities. Has Kṛṣṇa said anything that "You also act rāsa-līlā like Me?" Has said? Akṣayānanda: Never. Prabhupāda: Then how you can? These rascals, these Māyāvādīs, they play rāsa-līlā. [break] ...ācarati śreṣṭhas means that śreṣṭha is ordinary person, but not Bhagavān.