On choosing a guru in the present circumstances...

[Guest guest]

> Bhadra Govinda Prabhu wrote:

>

> > 3. Your speculation is there are no sadgurus at present or one must

> > surrender only to a *self effulgent acharya* . I think one can surrender

> > to any sadguru and not only just to a self effulgent acarya. There are so

> > many sadgurus out there, among Srila Prabhupada's disciples, by Srila

> > Prabhupada's mercy.

>

> I will answer the third point first and the earlier points later.

>

> Nobody can say categorically that there are no sadgurus in ISKCON atpresent.

> Once can only understand the position of others when one is himself on a very

> high platform. But the very fact that the GBC had to implement Guru Reform

> speaks for itself and certainly gives a hint that all the gurus in ISKCON may

> not be on the highest platform. Because a sadguru never needs to be reformed.

> Infact he never commits mistakes or deviates from the instructions of his

> spiritual master. Do you agree?

 

no

>

> It is my personal opinion that some (if not many) of the falldowns of the

> gurus in ISKCON has been due to accepting a platform (& everything that goes

> with it) higher than that they were on. This is confirmed by the Srila

> Prabhupada as well as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta:

>

Are you admitting they were gurus, but thought they were acharyas - if so, I

think they have apologised to the society for the "acharya" period already? I

think you must be accepting they were qualified gurus because you talk of their

falldown from that position. But thought they were acharyas as well, in the

sense that Srila Prabhupada was an acharya? If you accept they were gurus, what

is your problem?

 

You say a sad-guru never needs to be reformed. Does Srila Prabhupada use the

word sad-guru, if so in what context does he use it, and does HE say he never

needs to be reformed? If not, where did you hear this term an where did you

hear that the guru never needs to be reformed. Otherwise what is the meaning of

having Srila Prabhupada as the siksha guru of ISKCON?

 

In Chaitanya Caritamrita, Lord Chaitanya rebukes many followers who were

ablosutely perfect, like Sanatana Goswami with his good cloth (or by having a

cow attack Srila Prabhupada, which hurried him in his way to the west). Just as

Lord Krishna always takes a spiritual master only to show the nonsense of ideas

like ritvikisn, so Lord Chaitanya showed (as the mother teaches the

daughter-in-law by teaching the daughter) that purity lies in surrender to Him

and it is an on-going process. He even chastises Satyavati, but what makes

these souls perfect is that they will accept His chastisement and correction.

That is a sad guru. Not someone who never makes mistakes.

 

Hope this is of some help.