The Nathas and "the killing of the Guru"

[Guest guest]

THE ADINATH SECT

Adinatha means "Primal Lord". The name refers not only to an aspect

of the god Siva, but also the divine transcendental Self which exists

within each of us. Members of the Adinath sect attempt to manifest

this principle by means of ceremonial magick. According to legend,

the Adinaths were founded by Siva, who revealed his magickal system

to the Adept Matsyendranath at the insistence of the goddess Bhairavi

(another name of Kali, pictured above). To a Nath (literally a Lord

or Master, but used in the same sense as Adept), all means of

increasing one's comprehension are equally valid. The Naths were not

slow to develop links with Garuda Gana are particularly concerned

with the cross-over between the Nath and Golden Dawn systems, but

other branches of the Adinath Sampradaya have interests in a wide

variety of different magickal techniques.

THE LEFT HAND PATH

Some authors have identified the Tantric Varma Marga, or left-hand

path, with "Black Magic". We Naths never attempt to justify our

actions - we alone are the legitimate arbiters. If we choose, we are

sometimes prepared to offer explanations. One cannot attain

liberationform while one is still involuntarily bound by social

customs and conditioned actions. The left hand path refers to a

process of radical deconditioning, where the adept deliberately

inverts normal social codes and practices, whatever they may be, in

order to be free of them. For example the Tantric Sadhu, or seeker of

magick powers, reverses the conventions of traditional mendicants,

growing hair long instead of the usual shaven-headed renunciation of

the world, practicing sexual yoga rather than celibacy and

experimenting with drugs in place of a life of abstinence. The Varma

Marga is a way of putting sufficient distance between conditioning

and self to allow the formation of a genuine self, rather than a mere

apology for slave-like obedience to inherited behaviour patterns.

 

KILLING THE GURU

The Naths have got themselves something of a bad press on India,

amongst other things for thier long-lived tradition of killing the

Guru. Amongst the myriad mystics of the Indian sub-continent, there

is a nearly universal stress on obedience to one's Guru. The

Guru/Shishya (pupil) relationship has resulted in many rich and

powerful Gurus, and many stupid and unenlightened Shishyas. A lot of

people seem to have forgotten that obediance to Guru is merely a

means to an end, and must be disposed of when that end is no longer

being served. Adinatha, the primal consciousness, exists as a

potential within all of us, but is more manifest in a Saint.

Instruction from such a Saint is therefore useful until one has

contacted the Divine Particle within. At this point, one becomes a

Nath, and the Guru/Shishya relationship is internalized. Obedience to

an external Guru beyond this point becomes regressive, a denial of

the new inner spirituality. The Shishya therefore leaves the Guru and

becomes self-dependant, a process known as "Killing the Guru".

 

http://www.compulink.co.uk/~garuda/ganas/adinath.htm

[Guest guest]

OM Nora

 

Thanks for an interesting article.

 

The most provocative part of it was "The Guru/Shishya (pupil)

relationship has resulted in many rich and powerful Gurus, and

many stupid and unenlightened Shishyas." There is no doubt

that this is true although I question whether we can refer to those

who grow rich and powerful as Gurus. They are more properly

referred to businessmen/women.

 

The debate on Gurus always hinges on the fact that there are

selfish people who style themselves as Gurus and gullible

people who are only too willing to allow themselves to be used

and abused by these businessmen/women. These dramatic

misrepresentations of the Guru/Shishya relationship are sure to

make the news and grab our attention. But it is a mistake to

generalize from them and so question the value of all

Guru/Shishya relationships.

 

The true Guru/Shishya relationship is less overtly dramatic and a

lot more hard work. The true Guru doesn't feel the need to tell

people that he or she is a Guru. That he or she is a Guru is

obvious to the discerning aspirant. But it is not newsworthy that

a Guru helps a specific person or group of people to attain

spiritual enlightenment. How is that to be described and

photographed in time for the publication deadline? It cannot be

done, so these 'success' stories are ignored in favour of the

stories of abuse.

 

Also, I think that the idea of 'killing the Guru' is misleading. For

one thing, it is usually the Guru that tells the Shishya that there is

no longer a need for him/her to be physically near the Guru and

that it is time for the Shishya to go out into the world and help

others on their way to enlightenment. Second, the former

Shishya will always have a reverence for the Guru. To not have

such reverence means only that the Shishya has not learned

enough. The Guru will always be God-incarnate and if the

Shishya doesn't show reverence for the Guru, then he is not

showing reverence for God and has lost contact with his own

divinity. At the very least, maintaining a reverence for the Guru

after leaving the ashram, is a good way for the Shishya to keep

his/her own ego under control.

 

I'll leave for a future time, debating the merits of the "process of

radical deconditioning, where the adept deliberately inverts

normal social codes and practices, whatever they may be, in

order to be free of them. "

 

Om Namah Sivaya

 

Omprem

[Guest guest]

Thank you, omprem. Your reply as usual , always very illuminating and

heartfelt.

 

This is the passage I have been waiting to hear. "For one

thing, it

is usually the Guru that tells the Shishya that there is no longer a

need for him/her to be physically near the Guru and that it is time

for the Shishya to go out into the world and help others on their

way to enlightenment."

 

To me that is one of the trademark of a true guru.

 

Thank you once again.

 

OM ParaShaktiye Namaha

[Guest guest]

Naths are far beyond need for guru as Siva was a student of original guru

Dattatreya himself. Dattatreya tried to get rid of students by fornicating and

drinking in front of them and only the desperate and diehard would remain. They

would become students of Tripura Rahasya, Dattatreya's favorite teaching. If

Siva himself the God of pure consciousness took teachings from Dattatreya and

Datta himself tried to tell all to learn from everything rather than guru then

what would that mean for the lesser mortal ungodly like us? Learn from

everything. In unity or Brahman just one look through all of existance tells us

just exactly what we are.