Hide Your Guru

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Hide Your Guru

by Madhavananda Das

Posted December 4, 2002

This article appeared in issue number 17 of Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu.

 

 

In Hari-bhakti-vilasa, verse 2.147, Srila Sanatan Goswami quotes

Sammohana-tantra:

 

gopayed devatam istam gopayed gurum atmanah

gopayec ca nijam mantram gopayen nija-malikam

 

"One should hide one's ista-deva, one should hide one's guru, one

should hide one's mantra, and one should hide one's japa-mala."

 

Wise persons keep their valuables in a confidential place.

Similarly, an intelligent sadhaka does not advertise his or her guru, nor do

they broadcast themselves as disciples of their guru. Considering themselves

as low, fallen, and unfit to be considered disciples, sincere devotees do

not want to advertise who their guru is.

 

Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami has illustrated the mood of a

devotee and disciple:

 

jagai madhai haite muni se papistha

purisera kita haite muni se laghistha

 

"I am more sinful than Jagai and Madhai and even lower than the

worms in stool." (Cc. adi 5.205)

 

Similarly, Thakur Bhaktivinode has stated:

 

garhita acare, rahilama maji',

na karinu sadhu-sanga

laye sadhu-vesa, ane upadesi,

e bada mayara ranga

 

"Remaining absorbed in abominable activities, I never kept company

with sadhus. Now I adopt the garb of a sadhu and act out the role of

instructing others. This is maya's big joke." (Saranagati 7.3)

 

Although Thakur Bhaktivinode had so much association with elevated

vaisnavas, including his siksa-guru Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaja, he did

not flaunt that. Rather, he considered that, na karinu sadhu-sanga - "I have

never had association with sadhus".

 

The essential principle in being a disciple is to follow the order

of the guru. Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami has described:

 

acaryera mata yei, sei mata sara

tanra ajna langhi' cale, sei ta' asara

 

"The order of the spiritual master is the active principle in

spiritual life. Anyone who disobeys the order of the spiritual master

immediately becomes useless." (CC Adi 12.10)

 

Similarly, it is stated in the Raghu-vamsa:

 

sa susruvan matari bhargavena

pitur niyogat prahrtam dvisad-vat

pratyagrhid agraja-sasanam tad

ajna gurunam hy avicaraniya

 

"Being ordered by his father, Parasuram killed his mother, Renuka,

just as if she were an enemy. When Lakshman, the younger brother of Lord

Ramachandra, heard of this, He immediately engaged Himself in the service of

His elder brother and accepted His orders. The order of the spiritual master

must be obeyed without consideration." (verse 14.46, quoted in CC Madhya

10.145)

 

Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode has described that there are two types of

disciples, the antarmukha-sisyas and the bahirmukha-sisyas. Antarmukha

literally means "inward-facing". It refers to someone who is introspective.

Bahirmukha literally means "outward-facing", and refers to someone who is

absorbed in external things.

 

Antarmukha-sisyas are desirous of bringing pleasure to their guru.

Their focus is on following the guru's instructions. The antarmukha-sisyas

practice gopayed gurum atmanah. They keep their guru and their relationship

with him confidential. An antarmukha-sisya is not interested in advertising

himself as a disciple of his guru, but prefers to follow the guru's

instructions. His meditation is to try to understand what will please his

guru. The antarmukha-sisya is anartha-mukta-avastha, he is free from

anarthas. His vision of guru is known as sevya-darsana. He sees that guru

should be served and pleased.

 

Bahirmukha-sisyas are disciples who practice the opposite of gopayed

gurum atmanah. They are absorbed in advertising their guru and in making a

show of themselves as being big or intimate disciples. Such a disciple is

also known as guru-giri, or one who makes a business out of guru and one's

relationship with guru. They are not absorbed in the inner intention of

guru. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has described persons who act on such an

external platform as dharmadhvajis ("religion flag-wavers"), meaning those

who make a hypocritical or pretentious show of religiosity.

 

Following the logic of atmavan manyate jagat (everyone thinks like I

do), the bahirmukha-sisyas consider that their guru thinks like they do.

Because they are motivated by the desires for fame and adoration they think

that their guru also wants such things. The bahirmukha-sisyas are

anartha-yukta-avastha, they have anarthas, material desires, in their

hearts. Because of those anarthas they only see guru in terms of their own

pleasure. This vision is known as bhogya-darsana. They think that making a

big show of devotion will impress their guru and enable them to come close

to their guru. Their idea of guru-bhakti is to loudly proclaim to the world,

amar guru jagad-guru - "My guru is the best or the only one and any other

guru is lesser." They think that such publicizing will please their guru.

Neglecting or minimizing their guru's instruction regarding the worship of

Krishna, the bahirmukha-sisyas place more emphasis on worshiping their

spiritual master.

 

In the histories of all the major religions of the world it is

commonly seen that the followers prefer to worship the guru, prophet, or

founder rather than follow the instructions of that prophet to worship the

Lord (who is unseen and unknown to them). Srila Prabhupada addressed this

topic on a morning walk in Bombay on 29 March 1974 when some devotees

mentioned to him that some of the followers of Swami Narayan were chanting

the name of their guru instead of Krishna's name:

 

Devotee: In England they are chanting, "Swami Narayan," not "Krishna".

 

Prabhupada: Just see.

 

Indian man (1): No, they are also krsna-bhaktas.

 

Devotee: How are they, if they are chanting Swami Narayan's name?

 

Indian man (1): They actually work for the Krishna only, and they...

 

Prabhupada: No, no. Krishna recommends sastra, harer nama, harer nama, harer

namaiva kevalam. So why they should chant "Swami Narayan"? ... In the

Bhagavad-gita it is said, satatam kirtayanto mam - Krishna. Why should one

chant any other name? Krishna says satatam kirtayanto mam. Hare Krishna. Not

any other name.... But they are chanting "Swami Narayan." They're saying

Swami Narayan is better than Krishna. What kind of preaching is this? ...

This is nonsense. People will go to the temple and the preacher will say

that Swami Narayan's name should be chanted....

 

Indian man (2): Swami is their guru and Narayan is God, so both, Prabhupada

and Krishna, Prabhupada and Krishna, Prabhupada Krishna... Prabhupada: But

that does not mean they should chant [like that]. Just like, we are not

instructing our disciples to chant my name, "Bhaktivedanta Swami,

Bhaktivedanta Swami." No. They're chanting Hare Krishna. hari-tvena

samasta-sastrair uktah - "Guru is respected as good as Krishna." But that

does not mean I shall teach them to go and chant my name, "Bhaktivedanta

Swami, Bhaktivedanta Swami, Bhaktivedanta Swami." What is this? We are

teaching, "Chant Hare Krishna." Harer nama, harer nama...

- (Srila Prabhupada morning walk, 29 March 1974, Bombay.)

 

Although the antarmukha-sisyas, who follow the instructions of guru,

get the full blessings of guru, the bahirmukha-sisyas do not get the proper

result. In this connection Srila Jagadananda Pandit has written:

 

gorara ami gorara ami mukhe balile na cale

torara acara gorara vicara laile phala phale

 

"It is not enough to repeatedly advertise that one is a devotee of

Mahaprabhu by saying, "I am Gaura's! I am Gaura's!" Rather, those who follow

the practices taught by Mahaprabhu are understood to get the results of

being the Lord's follower." - Prema-vivarta 8.6

 

Sometimes we see that bona fide spiritual masters allow themselves

to be advertised in order to preach. However, this is done in service to

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Such personalities are not materially desirous of

receiving prestige from their disciples. The daksina, gift, that the guru

wants is jnana-sandesah - the sincere search for spiritual knowledge (Bhag.

11.19.39).

 

As the ideal guru, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us how to

please the spiritual master. Mahaprabhu instructed His followers:

 

yadi ama prati sneha thake sabakara

tabe krsna-vyatirikta na gaibe ara

 

"If you really love me, then you should love My instructions: Don't

think of anything but Krishna. Don't utter any name but Krishna." (CB Madhya

8.27)

 

Understanding that his spiritual master is always with Krishna, the

antarmukha-sisya knows that by chanting Krishna's name he will come closer

to his guru. In the Vamana-kalpa, Lord Brahma explains:

 

yo mantrah sa guruh saksad yo guruh sa harih svayam

 

"One should understand that the mantra one has received from the

guru is identical with the guru and that the guru is identical with Lord

Hari." (cited in Srila Jiva Goswami's Bhakti-sandarbha, anuccheda 237.8)

 

Srila Rupa Goswami has described:

 

atha guroh sri-pada-dvandva-bhaktim

 

"The holy name gives devotion to the guru." (Padyavali text 24)

 

Historically, the sadhu-samaja, the society of saintly vaisnavas,

has never been impressed with mere external shows of devotion. They are

moved, however, when they see the genuine vaisnava humility and other good

qualities that have manifest in a devotee due to that devotee's dedication

to the instructions and bhajan given by guru (guru-nistha). Hence,

introspective devotees prefer to keep their guru hidden and glorify him by

exhibiting exemplary behavior.

 

For some devotees, pushing their guru is an easy way to avoid facing

the reality of their own lack of advancement. They want respect, and they

think it is easier for them to get it by broadcasting themselves as a

disciple of a great personality than for themselves to manifest the

qualities of a vaisnava. However, this kind of cheating mentality will never

attract the attention of saintly persons. They are not impressed with whom

we have taken initiation or instructions from. Rather, they want to see what

is our own level of realization.

 

Since such neophytes equate the showing of respect to themselves

with the showing of respect to their guru, when they become chastised or

fail to receive the honor and recognition they want, they accuse the

devotees, "You have offended my guru!" In this way, Kali, the

personification of this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, is able to enter the

movement of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and cause dissension, distracting them

from their real business of chanting and distributing the holy names.

 

So Srila Sanatan Goswami's instruction gopayed gurum atmanah - "One

should hide one's guru" - is advising devotees to go deeper in their

relationship with guru by basing that relationship on following the

instructions about service and bhajan that their guru has given.

 

 

Your Servant,

In the Service of Sri Guru & Sri Gauranga

Jaganmohini dasi