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American Vaiṣṇavas of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Sometimes people flatly tell the American devotees that their  sannyāsa  or title of  gosvāmī  is not bona fide. However, according to the statements of Śrila Rūpa Gosvāmī in this verse, an American  gosvāmī  and a  gosvāmī  in a family of  ācāryas  are nondifferent.
On the other hand, a devotee who has attained the title of  gosvāmī  but is not born of a  brāhmaṇa  father or of a  gosvāmī  in the family of Nityānanda or Advaita Prabhu should not be artificially puffed up by thinking that he has become a  gosvāmī . He should always remember that as soon as he becomes materially puffed up, he immediately falls down. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a transcendental science, and there is no room for jealousy. This movement is meant for the  paramahaṁsas  who are completely free from all jealousy ( paramaṁ nirmatsarāṇām ). One should not be jealous, whether he is born in a family of  gosvāmīs  or has the title of  gosvāmī  awarded to him. As soon as anyone becomes envious, he falls from the platform of  paramahaṁsa .
If we consider the bodily defects of a Vaiṣṇava, we should understand that we are committing an offense at the lotus feet of the Vaiṣṇava. An offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava is very serious. Indeed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described this offense as  hātī-mātā , the mad elephant offense. A mad elephant can create a disaster, especially when it enters into a nicely trimmed garden. One should therefore be very careful not to commit any offense against a Vaiṣṇava. Every devotee should be ready to take instructions from a superior Vaiṣṇava, and a superior Vaiṣṇava must be