The ideal guru part 1 - PLEASE READ & COMMENT ON THIS MESSAGE-IMP

[Guest guest]

Dear Nayana-ranjana,

 

Your points are quite interesting. In the gurvastaka prayers that are

chanted every morning in our temples, the actual symptons of a guru was

fully described by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. In the 5th stanza

that is "nikunja yuno rati keli siddhyai, yayalibhir yuktir apeksaniya.

tatrati daksyad ati valabhasya. vande guru sri caranaravindam." I don't have

to fully repeat the translations, as we all know. However the translation of

this stanza is impregnated with lots of meanings. The chief meaning of

course is the fact that sri guru is very expert in assisting Radha-Krishna

in their loving pastimes. In the writings of the six goswamis, it was stated

how the manjaris are the only servants that are permitted to enter into the

inner chambers where Radha-Krishna are enjoying Themselves, to which even

the dearmost sakhis such as Lalita and Visakha are not permitted. The

manjaris are innocent young girls, and are the embodiments of Srimati

Radharani serving ecstasy. So, which brings us to point that unless a

sri-guru is a manjari, how could he assist Radha-Krishna in Their loving

pastimes.

We sing these prayers every morning without even meditating on their

contents.

The goal of life is to attain love of Krishna. In attaining that love, only

topmost vaisnava who have attained love himself could give it to others. In

one of the prayers by Srila Narottama das Thakura, he had song "tomara

hrdaye sada govinda visrama, govinda kohena mama vaisnava parama". Srila

Narottama Thakurapada was praying to Vaisnava Thakura that he is the only

one who carries Krishna in his heart, and Krishna is always resting there.

Krishna Himself declared that Vaisnavas are His heart. So, only this pure

Vaisnava can deliver others, and deliver Krishna to a disciple.

The qualifications of real guru is quite numerous to mention here. The

problems that are besieging us in ISKCON nowadays is the fact that we have

taken everything so lightly, are quite lazy in ascertaining the

qualification of a guru and also of a disciple. Thus the devotees have

gradually became faithless in the authorities. These led to the opportunism

of the Gaudiya Math, who are ready to capitalise on the disillusioned ISKCON

devotees. Actually, it is not that there is something better or higher

philosophy to be gained by going to Gaudiya Matha. But the disillusioning

have led to this. And those who cannot fathom the idea of going to Gaudiya

Matha, ritviksm became the way.

So as suggested by you, Kanistha and Madhyama adhikari guru system that we

have in ISKCON today needs reformation. Of course if we are fortunate in

this life time to come in contact with an uttama adhikari vaisnava acarya,

then there is no need of reform.

 

Hare Krishna, Isvara dasa.