Guru in the Morning - A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR LEADERS

August 28, 2001

Guru in the Morning

By His Holiness Danavir Goswami

Looking back to 1987, I remember trying my best to counsel several weeping

ISKCON Vaisnavas when they learned that their guru had just defaulted his

position. Their guru was previously a dynamic, conquering hero who shone

like fire through preaching, making disciples, and leading the sankirtan

movement. Yet, those weeping Vaisnavas sitting in my office would have

traded all the joy they shared with him during the victories just to have

him remain their own spiritually-healthy guru. These devotees had

surrendered their young and capable lives to Lord Krishna, but now they

grieved because their guru was careless in following his own guru's

instructions.

This paper suggests one major safeguard which will definitely help to avert

future calamities.

WHAT SHOULD A GURU DO IN THE MORNING?

It is my contention that an ISKCON guru must fully participate in the temple

morning program each day lest he disqualifies himself to be a guru. Of

course there may be exceptions such as an emergency or a serious illness but

if he can walk (or be carried), talk and honor prasadam, he should be

shining like a beacon at the morning program. During his last visit to the

West in September of 1977, Srila Prabhupada personally came to the morning

program every day while he stayed at the Manor. If ever a guru had a valid

excuse for not attending the morning program it was then, yet he underwent

the inconvenience to set an example.

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A synonym for the word guru is acarya which means one who teaches by

example. Guru means preacher and preacher means acarya- acara pracara. A

devotee who executes sadhana bhakti carefully for many years may be allowed

to accept disciples. A main qualification for one's becoming a guru in the

first place was his strict adherence to the practices defined by his

spiritual master. After some time however if that devotee, now guiding

disciples, relaxes his sadhana due to "being advanced," or to "preaching,"

or some other reason, is it not a fly in the ointment? Unable to maintain

the standard after accepting disciples, he should either immediately rectify

the situation or in our humble opinion, discontinue accepting more disciples

until he is able to recover. Meticulous attendance at the morning program is

required for devotees living in an ISKCON temple, and it is a prerequisite

for receiving brahminical initiation, why then should it not apply for

gurus?

Apani acari prabhu jiveri siksaya. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement.

He teaches others by behaving Himself. "Example is better than precept." If

you cannot rise early in the morning, then how can you ask others to rise

early in the morning? What is the effect? There is no effect. We have got

business early in the morning, to attend mangala arati. And if you sleep

yourself and teach others, so who will take it? (Morning Walk -- April 23,

1974, Hyderabad)

GURU AS MADHYAMA ADHIKARI

Why must an advanced teacher clock in, so to speak, for temple services and

rudimentary classes?

1) Because our spiritual master has ordered us to attend the morning

program.

2) Because this is the standard spiritual practice since time immemorial.

3) Because gurus, i.e. acaryas, teach by their personal example.

yad yad acarati sresthas

tat tad evetaro janah

sa yat pramanam kurute

lokas tad anuvartate

"Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever

standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues." (Bhagavad-gita

3.21) 4)

Because rising early to see the Lord, hear His glories and to dance and

chant before Him are not mere rituals for neophytes---they are Goloka

activities. 5) Because due to so many guru falldowns, faith is low and needs

to be improved. Seeing gurus at morning programs definitely enhances the

faith of the devotees. 6) Because we may not have yet attained the highest

stage of a paramahamsa. 7) Because even if one is a paramahamsa, he

voluntarily acts on the level of madhyama adhikari for preaching purposes.

Whatever action a guru performs the disciples perform. Where gurus don't

attend, it should come as no surprise that disciples don't either. One

senior Godbrother recently confided in me that in his opinion the

single-most important way to improve ISKCON would be to make sure that all

of the leaders were exemplary in their devotional practices especially in

attending the morning program. A guru who does not attend morning temple

programs is super-conspicuous by his absence. Conversely, when the guru is

there, more of his sisyas will be there.

WHEN THE CONCHSHELL BLOWS

If gurus don't attend mangala arati it sends out a signal as loud as the

conchshell that there are other more important things to do at four thirty

in the morning than attending mangala arati. Younger devotees will think

that later when they mature, they too can do more important things at that

time of the day. A guru must know that staying up late at night can be a

mortal enemy of mangala arati.

Q: Is attending mangala arati optional for a guru?

A: It is indeed obligatory.

Q. But Srila Prabhupada didn't attend.

A. That is correct. However he was fully awake every brahma muhurta at four

thirty AM singing his melodious Bhaktivedanta purports for all to hear.

Q. But he did say "do as I am doing."

A. His statement shouldn't be taken out of context. He wanted to impress his

sannyasis, in particular, with the importance of performing all types of

services for Krishna. "Do as I am doing" means to do the needful and be

expert in spreading Krishna consciousness like he was.

There are many things Srila Prabhupada did which none of us are able to

copy, such as sleeping only four hours a day and rising at 1 AM for

translating Bhagavatam, etc. One modern devotee-poet wrote to Srila

Prabhupada: "Sri Krishna lifted up Govardhana With His lotus left hand But

you lifted up the whole wide world On your Guru Maharaja's command."

As rasa dancing is exclusively for Krishna and drinking an ocean of poison

is only for Lord Siva, let us concede His Divine Grace the unique privilege

of not attending mangala arati by graciously not attempting to claim the

right for ourselves. He clearly instructed his followers to attend and he

did not authorize missing mangala arati.

One time it was brought to his attention that a senior devotee was not

attending mangala arati. "Do it to set the example for the other devotees,"

Srila Prabhupada said. "You, yourself are very advanced. You do not need to

attend mangala arati, but you should set the example for those that require

it."

LISTENING TO JUNIORS?

Q. If a guru is not requested to give the morning temple Srimad-Bhagavatam

class, should he stay for the class or go elsewhere?

A. A guru should still sit in the temple room and hear the bhagavata

philosophy explained by the speaker just like the four Kumaras and the six

goswamis of Vrndavana listen to each other transmit their realizations. If

the speaker is junior to the guru, it is no reason to abandon the class,

since Narada Muni and Srila Vyasadeva offered full attention to a junior

speaker.

Q. Isn't it a waste of a guru's time to sit and listen to a neophyte devotee

give a Bhagavatam class when the guru could be directly drinking the nectar

from Srila Prabhupada's books and purports?

A. The Srimad Bhagavatam class exclusively uses Srila Prabhupada's

translations and purports, so even gurus can relish the verses and purports

in association with other Vaisnavas. When a guru vacates Bhagavatam classes,

it sets a precedent for others devotees to follow.

Q. What if the guru finds the class - well, just plain boring?

A. Uh oh. And may I ask what is more interesting - reading books by scholars

or hearing lectures given by secular professors? As disheartening as it may

be, if a guru cannot bring himself to sit and hear Srimad-bhagavatam classes

given by other Vaisnavas in good standing, he has apparently lost some of

his taste for Krishna katha. A few years ago, the devotees at a successful

temple in Europe invited me to visit their center. After I gave the Srimad

Bhagavatam class one morning, one devotee asked what I thought about

seminars since he knew I was involved in Vaisnava education. I said that I

thought seminars were great and so did Srila Prabhupada that is why he

instituted two daily seminars in every ISKCON center. He asked what I meant.

I said the morning Srimad Bhagavatam seminar and the evening Bhagavad-gita

seminar. The person explained that he wasn't referring to those seminars, he

meant other types of seminars and workshops. I expressed that it seemed

presumptuous to promote extra seminars while slighting the ones established

by our spiritual master.

Q. Instead of attending Bhagavatam class, the guru could be writing books

for the benefit of the whole world or organizing some type of preaching

strategy. After all, the guru is a general in the sankirtan army so why must

he be expected to obey all the routine regulations like a new recruit?

A. There is certainly a fine line between a) the privileges afforded to an

experienced devotee-preacher, b) negligence of spiritual duty and c)

hypocrisy. It is agreed that we do not want to foster an ISKCON where

spiritual leaders' creativity is stifled nor where spiritual leaders are

suspect at every moment. On the other hand, we cannot overlook the weighty

responsibilities of the guru.

A guru must attend classes given by devotees on his level, (i.e. Godbrother

colleagues), out of respect to the Vaisnava speaker as well as to the sacred

Bhagavatam scripture itself. When a junior devotee speaks, the guru attends

too, but it could be as a teacher observing the progress of a student. Like

a teacher, he listens to how well the student has assimilated the subject

matter and is able to convey it. A guru may offer comments and even discrete

corrections if required and in this way, he adds value to the class. Such

participation encourages the students and the audience while simultaneously

fulfilling the guru's own responsibility to attend the class as a parampara

learner himself.

ARJUNA DIDN'T CHANT 16 ROUNDS

Srila Prabhupada once made a statement that Arjuna didn't chant 16 rounds

because of his fighting a war. There was a devotee acting as a guru in our

movement who tried using this statement to exclude himself from chanting

sixteen rounds. He reasoned that he, like Arjuna, was working very hard

managing, preaching and fighting the forces of maya. Nevertheless, the

devotee fell down. One difference is that Arjuna's gurudeva, Sri Krishna,

was constantly by his side sanctioning each of His disciple's actions,

whereas our gurudeva constantly wrote and spoke that his disciple(s) must

always chant a minimum of sixteen rounds every day. What may be allowed for

Arjuna is not allowed for all. Remembering the story of a monkey who

imitated a lumberman, we should perform our own duty without attempting to

perform that of another.

ROCK-BOTTOM

Q. Does every guru in ISKCON have to chant sixteen rounds daily?

A. Yes, it is considered one of the qualifications of a guru.

Q. But, one might argue that Haridasa Thakura was allowed by Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu to reduce his number of rounds.

A. True, but that was only days before Haridasa departed from this world at

a time when his body was barely functional. Haridasa' daily number of rounds

was 174 plus and as a matter of reference, he also declined Lord Caitanya's

offer to reduce.

Q. Why wouldn't it be okay for a guru to chant less than sixteen rounds if

circumstances warranted?

A. Because Srila Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master and transparent

via media, negotiated on our behalf with Lord Krishna and They came to a

mutual concession: sixteen rounds. Sixteen rounds was, is and will be the

minimum medicine to cure our disease. On the subject of chanting rounds, we

strongly urge gurus to chant these within the vision of devotees to allay

doubts and enthuse everybody.

GREETINGS and PUJA

Q. Is it necessary for a guru to be present each day to greet the deities?

Isn't this merely a formality or ritual required only by neophytes?

A. If this were not important why would Srila Prabhupada have done it

himself every day? He was the only guru in ISKCON and because he set the

proper example, the movement flourished. Now in order for our movement to

flourish--- all ISKCON gurus must combinedly greet the deities. There is an

interesting incident connected to gurupuja. Once, a few of Srila

Prabhupada's leading disciples left the gurupuja ceremony where Srila

Prabhupada was being worshiped in order to take care of some other service.

It seemed innocent enough, however His Divine Grace took this as an

indication of conspiracy against him.

A GURU'S PRIORITIES

We have discussed the need for gurus to attend all aspects of the morning

temple program each day. Yet what if extenuating circumstances arise? For

example, what if:

A. A guru regularly arrives at midnight - or there abouts - making it

difficult for him to attend. B. A guru is so busy managing his duties that

he hasn't time to attend. C. A guru is too tired to attend. D. A guru has

poor health and therefore has trouble attending. E. A guru worships his own

deities privately and doesn't attend. F. A guru studies or writes during

that time and doesn't attend. G. A guru prefers to sleep during that time.

1. A guru must prioritize his activities allocating the morning program

NUMBER 1 TOP SPOT. Even if he cannot do anything else the rest of the day,

he should attend the entire morning program if for no other reason than to

honor the emphasis Srila Prabhupada placed on it. Gurus must show that the

morning program is not a waste of time, rather there is simply nothing more

important to be doing. 2. Recent history has shown that neglect of the

morning program brings falldown for gurus. 3. Our society wants and needs

spiritually healthy gurus.

WHEN TO DEFER

There are some ISKCON gurus today who do not place participating in the

morning temple program as their number one priority. Such devotees may have

capabilities as speakers, managers, etc. yet they should not take the

position of initiating gurus because that requires one to act as an example

for his sisyas. If the guru is unable to daily attend the morning program,

it is probably a good time for him to defer from initiating more disciples

until he recovers.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore stated that the spiritual master who plays

the part of Krsna's representative has to consume all the sinful reactions

of his disciple. Sometimes a spiritual master takes the risk of being

overwhelmed by the sinful reactions of the disciples and undergoes a sort of

tribulation due to their acceptance. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore

advised that one not accept many disciples. (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.21.31

Purport)

A guru who does not attend the morning program scrupulously, may already be

exhibiting effects of being overwhelmed. He can defer from initiating for

some time while he concentrates on his own sadhana and that of his already

initiated disciples. We are not commenting here upon a devotee's value,

preaching ability, or spiritual advancement, instead we are suggesting that

if one does not perform the functions of a guru either by choice or due to

factors beyond his control, then he should not accept the post of taking

formal disciples. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.

Endnotes:

1. Sanatana Goswami said to Haridasa Thakura: apane acare keha, na kare

pracara pracara karena keha, na karena acara "Some behave very well but do

not preach the cult of Krsna consciousness, whereas others preach but do not

behave properly. 'acara', 'pracara',--namera karaha 'dui' karya

tumi--sarva-guru, tumi jagatera arya "You simultaneously perform both duties

in relation to the holy name by your personal behavior and by your

preaching. Therefore you are the spiritual master of the entire world, for

you are the most advanced devotee in the world."

PURPORT: Sanatana Gosvami clearly defines herein the bona fide spiritual

master of the world. The qualifications expressed in this connection are

that one must act according to the scriptural injunctions and at the same

time preach. One who does so is a bona fide spiritual master. Haridasa

Thakura was the ideal spiritual master because he regularly chanted on his

beads a prescribed number of times. Indeed, he was chanting the holy name of

the Lord 300,000 times a day. Similarly, the members of the Krsna

consciousness movement chant a minimum of sixteen rounds a day, which can be

done without difficulty, and at the same time they must preach the cult of

Caitanya Mahaprabhu according to the gospel of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. One

who does so is quite fit to become a spiritual master for the entire world.

(Cc. Antya 4.102 Antya 4.103 with purport)

2. In this Krsna consciousness movement we require everyone to rise early in

the morning, by four A.M.,and attend mangala-arati, or morning worship, then

read Srimad-Bhagavatam, perform kirtana, and so forth. (Nectar of

Instruction; Text 3; Purport)

3. When one is further advanced by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra sixteen

rounds daily, following the regulative principles and attending classes, he

receives the sacred thread (brahminical recognition) after the second six

months. (Cc. Madhya 15.108 Purport)

4. So you are the president there at Schloss Rettershof, it is your duty to

see that the standards of Krishna Consciousness are always maintained,

especially chanting 16 rounds daily, observing the four regulative

principles, no meat, fish, eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, and no

illicit sex life. The students must all attend morning and evening arati and

classes. If we follow this simple program along with regular sankirtana,

distributing the books and preaching, then there will be no fall down. Just

like if one keeps himself clean and properly nourished by eating regularly,

he will not infect disease, but if there is neglect, then there is room for

infection, he becomes weak and fall prey to disease. So Krishna

consciousness is the medicine for the material disease, and chanting Hare

Krishna mantra sincerely is the basic ingredient of that medicine. (Letter

to: Cakravarti -- New Delhi 2 December, 1975)

5. Interviewer: Did you work out the spiritual disciplines for the group

yourself? I mean about the morning chanting and the recital of the two

thousand Hare Krsnas a day and... Did you work those out yourself?

Prabhupada: No, this is the disciplic process. Interviewer: Yes, who

originated those steps? Prabhupada: It is since time immemorial. Just like

in the Bhagavad-gita you'll find, satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca

drdha-vratah [bg. 9.14]. satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah

namasyantas ca mam bhaktya nitya-yukta upasate [bg. 9.14] "Always chanting

My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me,

these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion." Prabhupada: So this

was spoken five thousand years ago and we are doing the same thing. Now your

answer is there, it is not that I invented something. Interviewer: Yes, you

didn't invent it, I get the point, that it derives from the Vedic

scriptures. Prabhupada: Whatever we are doing, it is authorized. That is the

principle for spiritual understanding. (Interview with Religious Editor of

the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York)

6. Acarya means he must show by example. Apani acari bhakti sikhaimu sabare.

(Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles)

7. And for a devotee, one who is actually pure devotee of Krsna, he is sa

gunan samatityaitan [bg. 14.26]. Not that a tiny devotee can claim that he

has overcome the influence of this world. No. This is called paramahamsa. Sa

gunan samatityaitan [bg. 14.26]. Not that because you have taken to

devotional..., you have become immediately. The process has begun

immediately, curing process. But we should not think that we have become

perfect. That is wrong. Yajna-dana-tapah-karma na tyajyam. Therefore you

must follow the regulative principles. As soon as you become a rascal-"Now I

have become advanced. I don't require to chant sixteen rounds. I can do

whatever I like"-then he has gone to hell. Upstart, immediately he becomes

paramahamsa. He's a rascal! Therefore amongst the devotees, there are three

grades: kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-adhikari, and uttama-adhikari. So if the

kanistha-adhikari thinks that "I have become uttama-adhikari," then he's a

rascal. He's a rascal. If he wants to imitate the uttama-adhikari, then he's

a rascal. (Morning Walk -- February 4, 1976, Mayapura)

8. But a guru, although he is paramahamsa, because he is teaching, he come

down as madhyama-adhikari. There are three kinds of Vaisnava: kanistha

adhikari, madhyama adhikari and uttama adhikari. Uttama adhikari may be

without kunti, without sikha, without Vaisnava symptoms. He's paramahamsa.

But when he comes to the preaching platform he must become a madhyama

adhikari, not to imitate uttama adhikari, because he has to teach. He cannot

deviate from the teaching principles. So what you are speaking, that

"Without sikha without kunti, one can become guru," that is fact for the

paramahamsa, not for the preacher. Preacher must behave very nicely.

(Lecture: Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhubanesvara,

January 24, 1977)

9. So the future of this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so

long the managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by

everyone without fail, that they are all rising before four morning,

attending mangal arati. (Letter to: Karandhara -- Bombay 22 December, 1972)

10. You must rise early (before 4:00 AM), attend the mangala arati, attend

the classes, chant at least 16 good rounds daily, and observe the four basic

principles. These things you must do without fail otherwise, there is no

question of spiritual life. (Letter to: Caranaravinda -- Mayapur 2 April,

1975)

11. Everyone should attend the class, rise early in the morning, attend

mangala-arati. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.12.3 Lecture by Srila Prabhupada --

Bombay, April 14, 1976)

12. That is the test. Yes. One who cannot rise early in the morning, he is

not spiritually serious. (Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore)

13. Sannyasi simply means to do as I am doing, and sometimes I have to

manage, sometimes cook, sometimes go to the bank, keep the money, write

books, chant, preach in the class, keep accounts--sannyasi should be expert

in every department. (Letter to: Satsvarupa -- Vrindaban 5 November, 1972)

14. So I am very much pleased upon you for your kindly guiding and training

the new devotees in so many ways. Yes, if you simply instruct them as I have

taught also you, being yourself always the perfect example and above

suspicion, that will act with great force. I am doing that. And I wanted to

make some sannyasis to do what I am doing, and if you keep the standard,

always chanting Hare Krishna, then it will go on continuously without

impediment. That is your duty as sannyasa, to keep yourself always above

suspicion in Krishna Consciousness programme, and to teach others to become

like you, that's all. That is our perfect programme. (Letter to: Sudama --

Bombay 23 December, 1972)

15. Jayadeva das (UK) from "I Never Knew You"

16. (Srila Prabhupada Uvaca; 62. By Srutikirti dasa Adhikari)

17. In the discussions held among the four brothers, one of them, namely

Sanandana, was selected to speak, and the other brothers became the audience

to hear him. (Krishna Book 87: Prayers by the Personified Vedas)

18. You must see that they strictly follow the regulative principles, the

four prohibitions as well as the devotional practices of arising early,

taking morning bath, putting on tilaka, attending mangal arati, chanting

japa 16 rounds, and attending Srimad Bhagavatam class. This is the duty of

all my initiated disciples, whether they are big or they are small. Actually

in our movement there is no such thing as big or small. Everyone is a

devotee. So everyone is expected to follow the devotional practices. Here in

Vrindaban I am enjoying my disciples how they are speaking. So two times

daily everyone must attend the classes. During the morning and evening times

there should be no business, simply kirtana, chant, dance, and be purified.

Do not be paramahamsa that now I haven't got to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam and

Bhagavad-gita. Don't be a better paramahamsa than your Guru Maharaja. I go

and sit and I enjoy the lectures and how they are performing kirtana. So as

I am doing, you must also do. (Letter to: Gopijanavallabha -- Vrindaban 19

September, 1974)

19. In the great assembly of saintly personalities, there was Vyasadeva the

brahmarsi, Narada the devarsi, Parasurama the great ruler of the ksatriya

kings, etc. Some of them were powerful incarnations of the Lord. Sukadeva

Gosvami [the speaker] was not known as brahmarsi, rajarsi or devarsi, nor

was he an incarnation like Narada, Vyasa or Parasrama. (Srimad Bhagavatam

1.19.30 Purport)

20. satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah

taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati

SYNONYMS: satam-of pure devotees; prasangat -- through the association; mama

-- My; virya -- wonderful activities; samvidah -- by discussion of; bhavanti

-- become; hrt -- to the heart; karna -- to the ear; rasa-ayanah --

pleasing; kathah -- the stories; tat -- of that; josanat -- by cultivation;

asu -- quickly; apavarga -- of liberation; vartmani -- on the path; sraddha

-- firm faith; ratih -- attraction; bhaktih -- devotion; anukramisyati --

will follow in order.

TRANSLATION: In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes

and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and

satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one

gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is

freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional

service begin. (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.25 Spoken by Lord Kapiladeva)

21. You must see that they strictly follow the regulative principles, the