(from the "Caitanya Bhagavata" by Srila Vrindavana Dasa Thakura)
"The Vaisnava devotees of the Lord are eternally pure and realized souls. Sometimes there are differences of opinion amongst them which might appear like an argument, but in fact, it is an amazing relationship between devotees. Foolish rascals who do not understand this exchange, praise one Vaisnava and denounce the other. Such a mentality will lead to destruction
of faith and knowledge." (M 5)
"Any person who sides with a Vaisnava against another Vaisnava and criticizes him is destined to be destroyed." (MI 3:160)
"If Vaisnavas are offended even by an assembly of renunciates, sannyasis, such an assembly is more irreligious than a group of drunkards. For the drunkards there is still a chance of salvation, but for those who are critical of Vaisnavas there is no hope of liberation." (MI 3:41-43)
"Lord Caitanya absorbed the sin of Jagai and Madhai into His own body. He then said, "Begin kirtana, then this black shroud of sin will lift from My body and enter the bodies of those who criticize the devotees of the Lord." (MI 3:302-303)
"One never advances in spiritual life by finding faults in other Vaisnavas,in fact only sinful reactions are increased, so give up all your faultfindings." (MI 3:313)
"To criticize and find faults in pure devotees of the Lord is the most grievous offence against the holy name. O holy name! How can you bear the criticism agaisnt your pure devotees through whom your glories have been propagated? (You can never tolerate criticism against those who have dedicated their lives in propagating the holy name of the Lord.) Such offenders are annihilated." (M 13:393)
"Therefore the conclusion is that having devotion is the foremost of all rules, regulations, and rituals. Rules and regulations are meant to be subservient and secondary to devotional service; those who are dissatisfied with this arrangement fall down from the path of self-realization." (M 16:143-144)
"Those devotees who are narrow-minded and bigoted start fighting over petty matters, this is a serious deviation from the path of spiritual realization, and so a really knowledgeable devotee will refrain from taking sides in such disputes." (M 17:109-110)
"The offence or criticizing the Lord or His devotees even once steals a man's proper intelligence." (M 19)
"Lord Gaurasundara has advented specifically to deliver all the fallen souls with the exception of those who find fault in Vaisnava devotees of the Lord." (M 19)
"The Vedas clearly describe that if one hears criticism of a Vaisnava devotee of the Lord then he loses all of his accumulated piety and is cast into abominable conditions of life birth after birth." (M 20)
"Everything, from the highest to the lowest living entity, is a manifestation of Lord Krishna's energy, hence Krishna cannot tolerate violence or offences perpetrated against anyone. And if anyone offenselessly chants Krishna's name then Krishna will certainly very soon liberate him from material bondage. A person may be well versed in all the four Vedas, but if he still maintains an offensive attitude towards the Vaisnavas, then he is eternally doomed to the worst kind of hell." (M 20)
"Whosoever makes any differences between Me, My pure devotees, and Srimad-Bhagavatam are forever lost." (M 21)
"The spiritual master cannot even protect his own disciples against the wrath of the Lord if his disciple commits Vaisnava-aparadha. In fact the guru of such a disciple is hardpressed to protect himself from the effects of the aparadha. If the guru is in a very elevated stage of devotion, then he can protect himself alone, but if he is not so elevated, then he along
with disciple sinks down into hell." (M 22)
"The true followers of Lord Nityananda are free from fault-finding, they engage their full time in blissfully glorifying Lord Caitanya. They are always careful to avoid the pitfalls in devotional service." (M 22)
"Some persons, trying to compare Vaisnavas, calling one a bigger Vaisnava than the other, commit a grave blunder for which they will soon suffer." (M 22)
"At times one may see a certain elevated devotee quarrelling with other devotees; this is all transcendental and happening by the desire of Lord Krishna. No one should side with any party, because they are all most elevated Vaisnavas, to do so would certainly result in Vaisnava-aparadha." (M 23)
"One can become a true Vaisnava by serving Lord Krishna and by not finding faults in others." (M 23)
"One who worships Krishna's lotus feet seeing all Vaisnavas to be dear to the Lord will indeed cross over this ocean of material nescience." (M 24)
"If one does not pay heed to Lord Caitanya's warning and teachings on Vaisnava-aparadha, then he will remain completely ignorant about the offenses and thus suffer terrible consequences." (M 22)
JagadanandaPanditaDas