Guest guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 Namaste A true Guru will not charge you. They will exist on kindness of strictly voluntary donations and the sale of books etc. The charging for lessons or classes is not to be tolerated by any means. The solicitation of donations whether direct, subtle or third-party is not only frowned upon but positively attacked by genuine devotees. The basic rule is - if you are asked for money, then take a brisk walk in the opposite direction - find a genuine group or teacher instead. Jai Bhagavan Love baba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2002 Report Share Posted September 20, 2002 Namaste: Your point is well taken and it represents Vedic wisdom and tradition. Vedic tradition requires the disciple to be responsible and reward the Guru appropriately. What you have explained is only one side of the coin and the requirements for a 'true disciple' represent the other side of the coin! A true disciple will not be a liability. They will exist on total dedication and will happily voluntarily contributed to the cause of Guru. Most importantly, the bottom line of Vedic tradition is the spontaneity of service from Guru and the Disciple - just like the blooming flower without expectations. But in modern times, there are constraints in following the Vedic Tradition completely because time is an important parameter. Institutions such as Ramakrishna Mission, Chinmaya Mission, Arsha Vidya Gurukula and others are doing noble service to educate the youngsters and adults. Running such institutions on a regular basis is an immense effort and they do need to maintain their services with continuity. Such institutions are forced to deviate slighly from the Vedic traditions and request the devotees for contributions. These institutions do show compassion and offer free services to children and adults who can't afford. Ideally everything should be voluntary, but such an ideal situation is impossible and we should be prepared to bend (certainly without breaking) the Vedic tradition. Warmest regards, Ram Chandran advaitin, "Sri Janaardana Kalianandaswami Garu" <baba108@h...> wrote: > Namaste > > A true Guru will not charge you. They will exist on kindness of > strictly voluntary donations and the sale of books etc. > > The charging for lessons or classes is not to be tolerated by any > means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2002 Report Share Posted September 20, 2002 Hari Om! "SriYA dEyaM. bhiYA dEyaM ... saMvidA dEyaM... aSraddahyA adEyaM" -- taittireeya upanishad "aacAryAya priyaM dhanaM AhRUtya".. There are gurus and there are acharyas. There is a difference between them. You dont need a guru, all that you need is an Acharya. Because guru comes to you he seeks you (eg. Paramahamsa Yogananda). Where as you go to an Acharya when you have a quest, and in turn you may become a Siddhapurusha! (eg. Swamy Chinmayananda). When no guru comes to you and neither you go to an acharya, then there is a high chance that you become a Maharshi because you are already a siddhapurusha! (eg. Ramana Maharshi) Those who are really spreading the knowledge of light should be helped generously by donations. There are Ramakrishna Mission, Chinmyaya Mission and many other Missions which consists many acharyas. The Mission survives because of donations. It is our "Dharma" to give, and it is their "Dharma" to take. We have four ashramas described in our Dharma. 1. Brahmacharya 2. Gruhasta 3. Vanaprastha 4. Sanyasa It is the duty (Dharma) of the gRUhasta to sustain the other three in the society. And the Guru may be beyond these all, but an Acharya may be among any! A gRUhasta may be already a realized soul, but still he has to continue his Dharma. ("kurvannEvEha karmANi jijeevishEccatagaM samAH, EvaMtvayi nAnydhEtOsti, nakarma lipyatE narE" -- ESAvASYOpanishad) All that I wanted to say is that there is a clear difference, hence advocating against offering money to the Missions/acharyas/gurus (since we dont know the difference) may harm the system of sanatana dharma. And that is my personal opinion. Yours, Madhava advaitin, "Sri Janaardana Kalianandaswami Garu" <baba108@h...> wrote: > Namaste > > A true Guru will not charge you. They will exist on kindness of > strictly voluntary donations and the sale of books etc. > > The charging for lessons or classes is not to be tolerated by any > means. > > The solicitation of donations whether direct, subtle or third-party > is not only frowned upon but positively attacked by genuine devotees. > > The basic rule is - if you are asked for money, then take a brisk > walk in the opposite direction - find a genuine group or teacher > instead. > > > Jai Bhagavan > > Love baba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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