"The disciple is like a lotus. The spiritual master is like the water around the lotus, just as in a pond or a lake. And Krishna is like the sun. As long as the lotus is floating on the water, the sun will nourish the lotus. But if the water vanishes, that very sun will burn the lotus. Without water, the Krishna sun will burn the lotus. Without the help of the guru, the disciple is nowhere."
Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaj, Sri Guru and His Grace