A true Guru is not a parasite

[Guest guest]

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

[Guest guest]

Now that was refreshing

 

Guru Om

Markandeya Gurudas

-

Sri Janaardana Kalianandaswami Garu

RamanaMaharshi

Thursday, September 19, 2002 9:41 PM

[RamanaMaharshi] A true Guru is not a parasite

 

 

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

 

 

 

Sponsor

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I have been initiated by 4 Indian Guru's. They did not charge for

their services and only took donations. However the literature had

stories of giving all your money to the master and letting him give

you what you need. Initiates were certainly expected to make some

sort of donations.

The Guru was not allowed to accept handouts and paid their own way to

some extent. They accepted paid for tours and were treated like kings

by their followers. No one was allowed to bow down to them.

 

However most seemed to pass on the Mastership to either their next of

kin or their relatives.

No annual report was issued on how many millions or billions are in

the coffers or what was done with the money.

 

Their initiates roundly criticized those Guru's that took hand outs

or begged for food and had people bow down to them. The constant

condemnation of other Masters and spiritual paths irritated me so

much that I stopped going to their Satsang.

 

Maharshi said this when devotees objected to ashram rules.

 

" People walk up the drive to the Ashram in search of Deliverance and

then get caught up in Ashram politics and forget what they came for."

If such matter were their concern they need not have come to

Tiruvannamalai for them.

 

The same can be said to those who criticize Guru's who charge money

for their services.

Why not choose the Guru that pleases you and not attack Guru's that

charge money?

 

The Tibetans charged us $100 each for their Kalachakra initiations.

Although I would not pay for it again, it was a very trippy

experience.

 

Isn't this spiritual journey meant to look at our own attachments?

Have you forgotten to remember your Self? Where is your attention

when you criticize other people's Gurus?

 

Loving Sri Ramana

[Guest guest]

Maharshi said this when devotees objected to ashram rules.

 

" People walk up the drive to the Ashram in search of Deliverance and

then get caught up in Ashram politics and forget what they came for."

If such matter were their concern they need not have come to

Tiruvannamalai for them.

 

The same can be said to those who criticize Guru's who charge money

for their services.

Why not choose the Guru that pleases you and not attack Guru's that

charge money?

 

>>Your confusing ashram politics and a statement to such by Bhagavan himself,

with those who would charge 'freedom for a price', two entirely different

subjects. Groups like SAT and its leaders Nome charge flat rates, more like a

club than a place of spiritual respite. To mention these types of groups in the

same sentence with, say, Mahatma Gandhi falls just sort of profane. If you want

a true marker to go by, let Gandhi be your guide. He traveled third class

everywehre he went. I don't believe this group allows pics on its messages, but

I have a picture of Gandhi's worldly items on one small photograph:

 

two pairs of sandals, a spitoon, a prayer book, a diary book, a pair of glasses,

a small trio of porcelain monkeys proclaiming 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak

no evil', two wooden bowls for eating along with a wooden fork and spoon, and a

letter opener. This was all that Gandhi owned.

 

Bhagavan Nityananda owned only a loincloth. The two examples are the litmus test

we can go buy. The shastras tell us over and over that one who is One with Truth

has the whole world as his home and all his needs are provided for unbidded.

They also tell us to 'beware the false Guru's that hold out their hand'.

 

As for 'attacking Gurus', I do not speak lies. If the Truth is uncomfortable,

then I apologize for making you squirm.

 

--------------------

 

Isn't this spiritual journey meant to look at our own attachments?

Have you forgotten to remember your Self? Where is your attention

when you criticize other people's Gurus?

 

>>In this world, particularly the West, in which false Gurus are a dime a dozen,

and where materialism is slowly leaking into the pure teachings of Advaita and

Trika, it is the task of every sincere lover of Truth to speak frankly about

such matters. There are many, many people whom I have personally witnessed with

my own eyes and ears, who were sincere seekers, and who were taken advantage of

by those wanting to fatten their wallet. the result was great harm to the

seeker, causing them to wane in their spiritual fervor. I for one will always

stand in the face of the wind of greed that threatens to blow out the spark of

devotion in a young and naive seeker hungry for Truth.

 

And if you do not, then you are doing nothing more than intellectual

double-speak. How can one say that he loves Ramana, or Nityananda, or Gandhi, or

Ramakrishna, the very symbols of simplicity and God realization and yet talk in

such ways?

 

Guru Om

Markandeya Gurudas