Qualification to be diksha guru

[Guruvani]

Srila Prabhupada defines the qualifications of the Uttama adhikari who is qualified to become diksha guru.

 

The Nectar of Instruction 5

 

The uttama-adhikārī, or highest devotee, is one who is very advanced in devotional service. An uttama-adhikārī is not interested in blaspheming others, his heart is completely clean, and he has attained the realized state of unalloyed Kṛṣṇa consciousness. According to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the association and service of such a mahā-bhāgavata, or perfect Vaiṣṇava, are most desirable.

According to Srila Prabhupada the Uttama-adhikari has attained the REALIZED STATE of UNALLOYED Krishna consciousness.

What does realized mean?

Srila Prabhupada explains it in the same purport:

When one fully engages in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he gradually realizes his own spiritual identity.

 

One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikārī.

So, realized means that the person has attained bhava and has realized his own spritiual identity.

 

Now, my question is if the GBC validates that a potential guru in ISKCON has realized his spiritual identity before they rubber-stamp them to be diksha gurus?

 

Diksha mantras can only be effectively given by one who has attained bhava and realized his rasa with Krishna

 

Diksha mantras given by neophytes who haven't attained bhava are not embued with the proper potency necessary to qualify as actual diksha.

 

 

 

[mahak]

We recognize this fact. This is what I mean by stipulation. Anyone claiming Srila Prabhupada as diksa, siksa, or even one who is mahabhagavata, accfepts this fact. No more quotes are needed to verify this fact.

 

But it is also a fact that the world is full of cheaters. Srila Prabhupada has swignificant concern about this that he warns his disciples, not in an obscured letter to a disciple nor memo to a closed political committee, but in his published books, about the doings of the kali cela, the agents of kali yuga disguised as vaisnavas. So, we know what you say is a fact, but (there is always a but, eh?), there is still the fact that a beginner, on wanting the real thing, yet stuck with the mentality that makes the recognition of uttama adhikari impossible. If there is one saying or having a machine sayine, that he is uttama adhikari and a diksa guru, the neophyte must not just jump in and start following any ol fool with a herd of toadies spoutin off his glories. Srila Prabhupada also gives dire warning, especially in the second chaptere of Science of Self Realization (see, I quote, I give authority, but not in a ten-second sound bite, but a reference for the reader to read what I refer to in toto, in context, so the full teaching can be had.), that one should not suddenly accept a guru, calling such an act fanaticism.

 

The disciple has ultimate responsibility to determine the qualifications of who he accepts as the representative of Parampara. If such a person is acting as diksa guru, and wants to accept another as disciple, the disciple must analyze the qualifications and see if surrender in good faith can be of value.

 

What we should discuss, instead of inviting all the revisionists to again turn on their quote machines to re-verify and re-verify the obvious, which goes without saying (a stipulated fact), there should be analysis of the qualifications of a diksa disciple. This has always been the problem, in 1977 and in 2007. The existance of kali cela is stipulated fact, this is not a surprise that arises out of the blue, it is clearly taught in Chaitayna Charitamrta, Madhya lila.

 

I never heard, not read, Srila Prabhupada saying, intimating or hinting for that matter, that "I am uttama adhikari, therefore I am a diksa guru." No actual uttama adhikari will ever say this, such a person considers himself the most fallen. So all this accept such and such as guru because he is uttama adhikari is really lame declaration, as it mostly comes from kanistha adhikaris, who cannot tell the difference between guru and demon. Determination of qualifications of diksa guru is only valid by one who has the qualifications to be a bonafide diksa disciple. This IS what Srila Prabhupada does call Himself, and we accept him as master because he is such a disciple, no other qualification is needed.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[Guruvani]

 

We recognize this fact. This is what I mean by stipulation. Anyone claiming Srila Prabhupada as diksa, siksa, or even one who is mahabhagavata, accfepts this fact. No more quotes are needed to verify this fact.

 

But it is also a fact that the world is full of cheaters. Srila Prabhupada has swignificant concern about this that he warns his disciples, not in an obscured letter to a disciple nor memo to a closed political committee, but in his published books, about the doings of the kali cela, the agents of kali yuga disguised as vaisnavas. So, we know what you say is a fact, but (there is always a but, eh?), there is still the fact that a beginner, on wanting the real thing, yet stuck with the mentality that makes the recognition of uttama adhikari impossible. If there is one saying or having a machine sayine, that he is uttama adhikari and a diksa guru, the neophyte must not just jump in and start following any ol fool with a herd of toadies spoutin off his glories. Srila Prabhupada also gives dire warning, especially in the second chaptere of Science of Self Realization (see, I quote, I give authority, but not in a ten-second sound bite, but a reference for the reader to read what I refer to in toto, in context, so the full teaching can be had.), that one should not suddenly accept a guru, calling such an act fanaticism.

 

The disciple has ultimate responsibility to determine the qualifications of who he accepts as the representative of Parampara. If such a person is acting as diksa guru, and wants to accept another as disciple, the disciple must analyze the qualifications and see if surrender in good faith can be of value.

 

What we should discuss, instead of inviting all the revisionists to again turn on their quote machines to re-verify and re-verify the obvious, which goes without saying (a stipulated fact), there should be analysis of the qualifications of a diksa disciple. This has always been the problem, in 1977 and in 2007. The existance of kali cela is stipulated fact, this is not a surprise that arises out of the blue, it is clearly taught in Chaitayna Charitamrta, Madhya lila.

 

I never heard, not read, Srila Prabhupada saying, intimating or hinting for that matter, that "I am uttama adhikari, therefore I am a diksa guru." No actual uttama adhikari will ever say this, such a person considers himself the most fallen. So all this accept such and such as guru because he is uttama adhikari is really lame declaration, as it mostly comes from kanistha adhikaris, who cannot tell the difference between guru and demon. Determination of qualifications of diksa guru is only valid by one who has the qualifications to be a bonafide diksa disciple. This IS what Srila Prabhupada does call Himself, and we accept him as master because he is such a disciple, no other qualification is needed.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

 

So, it really seems quite contradictory that a neophyte devotee has any qualification for determining who is a qualified diksha guru?

So, what to do?

How can a neophyte devotee make a proper judgement about taking diksha?

 

Maybe Srila Prabhupada's example of waiting many years to take diksha is not such a bad example in the absence of a self-effulgent acharya.

 

In ISKCON hoardes of neophytes are being encouraged and allowed to pick a diksha guru when in fact they really have not the qualifications to determine who is actually a qualified spiritual master.

 

It seems that the GBC authority is encouraging neophyte devotees to assume the position of being able to determine who is a realized devotee and who is not.

 

Really, it just seems that ISKCON is a movement gone wild while thousands of neophytes are being allowed to determine who a real acharya is?

 

When it comes down to it, do neophytes really have proper knowledge to know who to accept as diksha guru?

 

Obviously, thousands of these neophytes have made the wrong judgement and accepted bogus persons as guru.

[mahak]

When this movement advented in the west, the newcomers didnt necessarily associate with Srila Prabhupada, rather they were encouraged to become friends with his disciples. So, nothing has changed, we become friends with his disciples. We may find some who are quite advanced, and from them, we ask further. We dont ask friends just as confused as we are for answers, but we ask those less confused for guidance.

 

The key to all of this is to be engaged in the sadhana bhakti process, hearing, chanting, remembering, serving. This clears up our confusion gradually, then things clear up. In fact, the intermediary stage, madhyama adhikari, is often called the clearing stage, where vision of the actual vaisnava may clear up, even though we may still be a bit offensive, like the blades of the fan still spinning even after the power source has been turned off.

 

All the dogs gettin together to choose the top dog is not recommended, this is just more political nonsense and all to familiar with both the orthodox and reform movements that have fractured from the original fopundation.

 

For a beginner, the best course is to approach like a student, ask the tough questions, demand that whom you lend youer ears to is not changing ANYTHING, is actually the same messaqge as Srila Prabhupada.

 

And dont underestimate the power of Chaita Guru, who is actually the one doing all the right moves for all of us at all times. If we want a cheater, here is a cheater. If we are tired of being cheated, here is an autrhentic teacher.

 

Some say "I really want to believe you are a bonafide guru." This is an unfortunate relationship destined to fail, because Krsna will give you what you want, in this case, he will make you believe that fool is genuine. Better to be like thomas, who said, "yeah right. Prove it, bro, let me touch your wounds to make sure you aint pulling a fast one here."

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

 

But be careful when ya cop an attitude. Not all of you can take shelter with eight-trey crips when the gundas with dandas chase ya down with retribution on their minds for you dissing their dude.

[passionate_freak]

Doing bhakti, and being in sadhanas are two different things. All the Krishna devotees in modern time are those who couldn't recognize Krishna in his Physical form. In this life with full devotion, only with the Bhakti in purest form, Krsna devotee are going to realize Krsna consciousness and relate self to Krsna. This is only Bhakti. But the age we are living is harsh. We need much more strong thing along with the Bhakti.

 

Well, I got something really striking and relevant to our age in :

 

Dear friends, it has been a great pleasure to bring

forward the divine words of my pujyapad sadhgurudev

bhagwan shri Param Hansa Swami Nikhileshworananda

Maharaj. Gurudev had given Pravachan to his disciples

in september 1990 and I have translated it to english.

I have not given emphasis on grammar coz I translated

it english as it was and in simple manner and also my

exams are approaching and I hurriedly did.. In my

translation there may be many mistakes, sense may have

turned into nonsense but I hope that you all will read

it and I will feel my hardwork has come to good use

even if a single person reads it and gain valuable

knowledge.

"shri guru charanakamalebyo mama prayasam

samarpayami namah"

gurudev:-

" Tell the whole universe that we want

sadhna not bhakti"

Dear sons of earth,

You are not born normally, god

has created you for a special purpose, not to live

like birds and animals . I know your life's true goal

and rightly speaking you don't belong to a specific

area or place but in reality you are the sons of the

whole world and you have to excel on this and you have

to prepare yourselves to be the sons of universe. Just

by being an ordinary man or normal earth dweller you

cannot get all the things that you want, your goal,

your thoughts and other things. Your actual goal is

that you have to explore the whole universe, you have

to measure the universe with your own legs and you

have to explore the universe in calm, unstoppable

speed.(amit:-exploring the universe means that u

yourself become a part of universe/aham brahmasmi)

But this is not possible through bhakti marga(path).

Just by chanting Ram Ram, Hare Krishna, you cannot

attain heights. Just by doing Bhajan-kirtan(religious

songs) you cannot be the true sons of the world. Just

by playing khar-tal and janghar(instruments usually

played in bhajans) you cannot explore thewhole

universe because this is pure form of a religious way.

Dharma and sadhna are two different roads, only one of

it can give you totality in life and where the word

Sampoornata (total) appears, where is the Bhavana

(feeling) of life's Sampoornata (totality) that is

possible only by the path of Sadhna to achieve your

goal, that is your life's thinking, lakshay (goal) and

for this reason you are born historically in this

earth because this is life's mool swaroop (main

figure).

For sometime Dharma can make a person's

direction zero, for sometime it makes you taste sweets

and listen stories, it can talk about Swarga and Narka

(heaven and hell) but this is aftermath of death.

while we are living in present and in each step we

take there are obstacles, we have to kick these

obstacles and move further and this is not possible

through Dharma because Dharma is after death case,

when you are living dharma is to live in calm, cool,

peaceful manner. That's why in living conditions it

cannot solve our life's troubles.

We are facing family problems, daughter is well

grown up and fit for marriage, you cannot sleep,

daridrata(state of being poor) is making faces at you,

there are thousands of problems in our lives. Can

dharma exterminate these obstacles? Can it face life's

risks? Can it show its chest like a bir(brave person)

in front of these obstacles? Certainly not. Because

dharma has only two 3rd class weapons of

daya(kindness) and maya(peace,love) due to which it is

moving forwards. But his present world can not go

further with the pillar of daya, by forgiving someone

life's troubles cannot be solved. Joining your hands

in front of evil people cannot turn their minds. Just

by pleading and joining hands you cannot defend your

enemies. These are only written in coward's

dictionary. One who cannot do anything tries to live

with support of dharma. I am not saying that dharma

isn't necessary in life. Dharma has its own place in

life, only when the obstacles are solved. Importance

of dharma can be highlighted in life only when family

obstacles are solved. When there is state of flux in

the house, then just by visiting some temples and

pleading, the fire cannot be blown off. For this you

have to show your chest( I am referring showing chest

because generally over here it is supposed that brave

persons maybe muscular and show their chest while

challenging opponents) like a brave person in front of

it.

In your present lives, in every 4 direction fire is

burning, hundreds of obstacles are challenging you. If

you solve one then other hundreds will stop your way.

That's why your mind is Ashant(not free), your heart

has no prasannata(joy). That's why, in life the kind

of happiness, craze must exist, it isn't in your life.

Looking in a specific way I find that these obstacles

have made you coward and useless in life. Even a

smallest of smallest persons is attacking you, and

there are no other ways to do this too. For this you

have to take a challenging step and show your chest

and stand. You must have brightness and determination

in your eyes and will power must be seen in your face

and this is only possible if you have sadhna rupi

khadga (sword in form of sadhna) then only you will

have will, determination, craze and bravery. From this

sword you can exterminate the obstacles. From this you

can defeat your enemies, impoverishes can be thrown

out from the roots and you can remove life's trouble

and obstacles.

When life is going up and down becoming haywire, in

that time closing your eyes won't work. Meditation

lies very forward then this. By meditating you cannot

solve life's true obstacles. When you have no rice to

cook at home then by closing your eyes rice wont cook;

when its time to pay fees for your school kids then

you won't get happiness by closing your eyes. When the

houseowner comes to ask for rent at the door than by

meditating you cannot pay him. For these all there is

a different technique and that technique is called

Sadhna.

I agree that meditating is a easy to acquire and

simple process. Exploring yourself and going within

your mind but when there is a fire burning in your

heart, `when your inner mind is not shant (quiet,

free) then by closing your eyes you cannot enter the

depths of your minds. This becomes like an example of

an ostrich. When an ostrich sees a hunter, it hides

its head under sand and thinks that all his obstacles

have finished. He things "what can a hunter do to me

now?" but within a few seconds he falls prey to the

hunter and everything is finished.

Meditation is also likewise. When there are hundreds

of enemies challenging you then you may find peace

while hiding your heads in sand but when poverty is

going to take your health, happiness, respect then

what do u get by closing your eyes? This is a cowardly

act and coward people cannot be sons of mother earth,

lets not talk about them being sons of the universe.

When we are in equilibrium balanced state, when we can

attack our foes with full power when we carefully

determine in everyway, when we have no other works

that meditation may be a very important procedure and

may play important role. That we enter our mind and

heart with 100% accuracy. But this is only possible if

we have exterminated all our life's obstacles. And we

can get procedure only by means of Sadhna.

Just by going to a temple and striking the Ghanta

(dong) and playing Shankha (shell which can be blown

to produce sound) you cannot please god. Just by

dancing in the tune of Bhajan you may forget yourself

for a second but again u are failing to eradicate your

miseries, pay proper attack to your enemies, cure your

disease trouble/illness nor you can face death eye to

eye.

If you cannot do these things than your life has

become a load for you. There is no sweetness; there is

no utsah and masti (craze, happiness in flow. Just by

sitting in some temples, singing some bhajans, playing

ghanta and shankha you are doing a procedure of

fooling yourself. For sometime you are trying to

forget yourself but when you come out of the temple

and you see your wife's sad face, when you find out

your son is into drugs, when you think about your

daughters marriage than you again stand in the life's

coarse ground covered with stones….and at that time

you feel that you fooled yourself by going to temples

, you tried to forget yourself for sometime and you

think there is no god etc. it becomes like an example

that curing a man suffering from headache by giving

him an injection of sleep. For sometime the pain goes

away but when its effect slows down than again the

same pain starts to eat up your life.

I am not saying you not to go to the temples and sing

bhajans. This may be important in life but to make

your life happy this is not sufficient. To give

totality and completeness in life, it won't help you.

Attaining totality in life is possible only by sadhna.

Because sadhna is not a procedure of forgetting

oneself its not a technique to play with your life and

betray it but by mantra, feeling and seeing the

spiritual power of the specific god and goddess in

real life in conscious state.and gaining control over

their powers, and by mantra and will power forcing

them to appear in front of you and forcing them to

eradicate your life's problems, not by pleading.

Bagalamuki sadhna, which is fully able to strike

enemies, while Dhumawati sadhna can kill your enemies.

Astalakshmi prayog(technique) can throw poverty from

the roots while Kuber sadhna will give you total

materialism, acceleration in business etc.

Shastra's have accepted in one voice

saying:"mantradinashya devta" meaning all gods are

under mantra and by mantra only you can make them

appear in front of you or ask them to complete

specific tasks. And also with the help of specific

spiritual godly powers you can solve all your

troubles.

This happens, surely happens(amit: I have tried it

too and I also agree that it happens). If we look at

the baidic and puranic periods if we study nicely the

lives of your Rishimunis( sages and saints) then we

find that they have not given emphasis on bhakti nor

pleading. The only thing they did was to make god's

appear, force them to appear with the help of specific

mantras. That's why to solve life's troubles , to

remove obstacles and to make live peaceful and happy

they were successful.

The sadhnas exist even today. Fully functional till

today, the only thing you need is a sadhguru who is an

expert in this field and who has the knowledge of

sadhnas through self practice and who has achieve

totality in life. Only the sadhguru can show you the

correct path of your life, fill you with power and

determination, give brightness and totality to your

dead body, who can give you the sword of sadhna with

which you can strike poverty, know the upcoming

troubles and remove the negative aspects of life.

Until and unless you don't have this power, this

ability to do something the will power you are a

normal and dependable living creatures who will get

trapped in death's rope and move to death. If you

think of this that it is also an cowardly act. The

true meaning of life is to struggle. To achieve

totality(poornata) by exterminating troubles and

obstacles from the roots, to strike your enemies….and

this is not possible through the path of bhakti,

closing your eyes wont help and also taking the

support of cowardly words of forgiveness and kindness

won't do you any good. It is not possible to solve

life's difficulties. For this you must have

tez(brightness) in youreyes, your face must show

underlying will power and the sword of sadhna must be

present in your hands that can attack all obstacles

and make our lives happy.

You can do all these because you have got an

experienced guru, who has got totality and experience

in sadhna. He is easily available. Who is not so far

as to search him you have to wander through mountains

and jungles, not even the highest peaks where you

cannot step. This is your luck that in your life

sadhguru is easily available.

But for this you must have will power, must have

faith in your guru, must have the techniques to reach

upto him and you must spare your time to do sadhna.

It is not necessary to do sadhnas for months and

years. These sadhnas are also not very hard and

difficult to complete. This is very simple and you can

easily accept and practice and I say that you must

practice. If not today than tomorrow you will realize

that in life, totality cannot be achieved with bhakti

nor wandering in jungles. Diving in Ganges(Hindu holy

river) and doing thirthayatra( religious pilgrimage

journey) you wont achieve anything. By placing your

head in false saints and gurus, your lives trouble

wont go away and by closing your eyes, you cannot run

away from harsh realities of life.

It is true that in your life there are thousands of

troubles in each step you take troubles and hardships

start pouncing on you. Every second you are weary of

your enemies attack and while living you live in those

trouble, suspicion, fear and this is nothing but

cowardly act.

You must stand up with determination. You must come

to me with your guts. You must live bravely in society

and using your sword of sadhna you must attack the

obstacles with full might showing no mercy and then in

right words you will be a human being. Then the Ganges

of happiness will flow through your lives and this is

possible only by sadhna.

Amit:-I hope you liked my pujyapad sadhgurudev's words

and translation. I will be happy to do more if I get a

good response . I hope all of you got some true

knowledge from this.

//aum pram tatvaaya narayanaaya gurubyo namah//

may gurudev bless you all and show you the correct

path of life.

P.S-i have no words to describe guru gorakshanath and

his divine tasks that he wanted every person of the

world to do sadhna. Most of the hindu(Sanskrit)

mantras are complex. But gurudev invented a new

technique of mantra and sadhna(very easy to grasp) in

which words are very simple and easy for right

pronunciation i.e. sabar sadhna. Again he has created

formed mantras for various people. E.g. he created

mantras in different local native languages of india

and nepal and also for different communities of the

world. Like gurudev has created english mantras,

urdu(muslim) mantras etc so that every person an

benefit from the divine powers of mantra. Surely I

have no words to tell …………….

//aum guru macchindra shabda sancha pinda kancha mera

bhakti guruka shakti nav nath jagau chaurasi nath

jagau furo mantra ishworo guru gorakh bacha//

 

i got it from : , a group in

 

 

 

i mean no offence

[mahak]

We have such options, we hear from thousands of sources, all of which claim to be the way of ways. We hear about Jesus and receive Him thru Jesus representative, here he is. We have thousands if not tens of thousands of gurus from all fields, all with words of wisdom, some very kind, some very barnstorming, some spewing fire and brimstone. Some are humble, saying worship god, then tell us they are god. Some say they have the pure method for our success, then we see what is in their closet is not so pure by anyone's standards.

 

We have a job to do, and it is done with discernment. If one is searching, then one must go thru all sorts of ideas, and then hope that one compatible with the inner self is reality.

 

Some are done searching, childlike, content. All glories to these. Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[mahak]

PS Red letters on white background is very hard on the eyes, ya lost me right there, BTW

[cbrahma]

"of course" in principle does not mean "of course" in practice. All the second generation devotees believe their guru to be a pure devotee. He's a GBC approved guru isnt' he? He has to be a pure devotee otherwise they would have to believe they are being cheated.

But the means of discernment , of matching behavior and qualities against the adhikara has been sabotaged by GBC absolute authority.

[Guruvani]

 

But the means of discernment , of matching behavior and qualities against the adhikara has been sabotaged by GBC absolute authority.

Good point.

The shastra says that the disciple has to study the shastra to know how to identify a realized soul to accept as guru.

Unless and until a devotee is versed enough in shastra to actually know how to identify a spiritual master he really shouldn't be accepting a spiritual master.

 

But, the GBC is there giving endorsement that the committee has deemed the Swami as qualified and thereby giving him the GBC rubber-stamp to act as guru in ISKCON.

 

The GBC says they don't appoint gurus.

Well, maybe they don't, but approving a guru is really no different than appointing a guru.

It's just a matter of semantics.

 

ISKCON has a rap sheet a mile long of unqualified devotees accepting an unqualified spiritual master because the Swami has GBC endorsement.

 

Traditionally, all junior devotees deferred to the senior devotee or senior Godbrother, but in ISKCON we have a riot of gurus busting out without any consideration of etiquette or respect for the senior disciple.

 

The ISKCON policy is "honesty among thieves".

 

They have their cartel of gurus who all work in concert to usurp ISKCON for their own interests.

 

It's ugly.

I guess they can't really see how ugly it is because they can't see it from an outside objective viewpoint.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Unlike Mahaksa-ji, I actually read the whole thing.

 

It's interesting to be sure. I'm trying my best not to take offense.

 

What alarms me is all this talk about "striking the enemy". Is that a figurative enemy? Is poverty the enemy?

 

In any case, as valid as these points might be on some level...when your only tool is a sword, all your problems start looking like heads that need to be severed from their bodies, no?

 

For the realized soul, there is no misery--regardless of the physical circumstances the realized soul might find herself in. See Prahlad Maharaja as an example--he suffered many material miseries without the slightest perturbation to his mind.

 

Even your Gurudev says himself that, with mundane problems, once you finish with one, ten more are waiting.

 

This is a losing battle. The only way to rid oneself of misery is to *transcend* it, not to conquer it!

 

The way to transcend misery is the path of bhakti/devotion.

 

 

Doing bhakti, and being in sadhanas are two different things. All the Krishna devotees in modern time are those who couldn't recognize Krishna in his Physical form. In this life with full devotion, only with the Bhakti in purest form, Krsna devotee are going to realize Krsna consciousness and relate self to Krsna. This is only Bhakti. But the age we are living is harsh. We need much more strong thing along with the Bhakti.

 

Well, I got something really striking and relevant to our age in :

 

Dear friends, it has been a great pleasure to bring

forward the divine words of my pujyapad sadhgurudev

bhagwan shri Param Hansa Swami Nikhileshworananda

Maharaj. Gurudev had given Pravachan to his disciples

in september 1990 and I have translated it to english.

I have not given emphasis on grammar coz I translated

it english as it was and in simple manner and also my

exams are approaching and I hurriedly did.. In my

translation there may be many mistakes, sense may have

turned into nonsense but I hope that you all will read

it and I will feel my hardwork has come to good use

even if a single person reads it and gain valuable

knowledge.

"shri guru charanakamalebyo mama prayasam

samarpayami namah"

gurudev:-

" Tell the whole universe that we want

sadhna not bhakti"

Dear sons of earth,

You are not born normally, god

has created you for a special purpose, not to live

like birds and animals . I know your life's true goal

and rightly speaking you don't belong to a specific

area or place but in reality you are the sons of the

whole world and you have to excel on this and you have

to prepare yourselves to be the sons of universe. Just

by being an ordinary man or normal earth dweller you

cannot get all the things that you want, your goal,

your thoughts and other things. Your actual goal is

that you have to explore the whole universe, you have

to measure the universe with your own legs and you

have to explore the universe in calm, unstoppable

speed.(amit:-exploring the universe means that u

yourself become a part of universe/aham brahmasmi)

But this is not possible through bhakti marga(path).

Just by chanting Ram Ram, Hare Krishna, you cannot

attain heights. Just by doing Bhajan-kirtan(religious

songs) you cannot be the true sons of the world. Just

by playing khar-tal and janghar(instruments usually

played in bhajans) you cannot explore thewhole

universe because this is pure form of a religious way.

Dharma and sadhna are two different roads, only one of

it can give you totality in life and where the word

Sampoornata (total) appears, where is the Bhavana

(feeling) of life's Sampoornata (totality) that is

possible only by the path of Sadhna to achieve your

goal, that is your life's thinking, lakshay (goal) and

for this reason you are born historically in this

earth because this is life's mool swaroop (main

figure).

For sometime Dharma can make a person's

direction zero, for sometime it makes you taste sweets

and listen stories, it can talk about Swarga and Narka

(heaven and hell) but this is aftermath of death.

while we are living in present and in each step we

take there are obstacles, we have to kick these

obstacles and move further and this is not possible

through Dharma because Dharma is after death case,

when you are living dharma is to live in calm, cool,

peaceful manner. That's why in living conditions it

cannot solve our life's troubles.

We are facing family problems, daughter is well

grown up and fit for marriage, you cannot sleep,

daridrata(state of being poor) is making faces at you,

there are thousands of problems in our lives. Can

dharma exterminate these obstacles? Can it face life's

risks? Can it show its chest like a bir(brave person)

in front of these obstacles? Certainly not. Because

dharma has only two 3rd class weapons of

daya(kindness) and maya(peace,love) due to which it is

moving forwards. But his present world can not go

further with the pillar of daya, by forgiving someone

life's troubles cannot be solved. Joining your hands

in front of evil people cannot turn their minds. Just

by pleading and joining hands you cannot defend your

enemies. These are only written in coward's

dictionary. One who cannot do anything tries to live

with support of dharma. I am not saying that dharma

isn't necessary in life. Dharma has its own place in

life, only when the obstacles are solved. Importance

of dharma can be highlighted in life only when family

obstacles are solved. When there is state of flux in

the house, then just by visiting some temples and

pleading, the fire cannot be blown off. For this you

have to show your chest( I am referring showing chest

because generally over here it is supposed that brave

persons maybe muscular and show their chest while

challenging opponents) like a brave person in front of

it.

In your present lives, in every 4 direction fire is

burning, hundreds of obstacles are challenging you. If

you solve one then other hundreds will stop your way.

That's why your mind is Ashant(not free), your heart

has no prasannata(joy). That's why, in life the kind

of happiness, craze must exist, it isn't in your life.

Looking in a specific way I find that these obstacles

have made you coward and useless in life. Even a

smallest of smallest persons is attacking you, and

there are no other ways to do this too. For this you

have to take a challenging step and show your chest

and stand. You must have brightness and determination

in your eyes and will power must be seen in your face

and this is only possible if you have sadhna rupi

khadga (sword in form of sadhna) then only you will

have will, determination, craze and bravery. From this

sword you can exterminate the obstacles. From this you

can defeat your enemies, impoverishes can be thrown

out from the roots and you can remove life's trouble

and obstacles.

When life is going up and down becoming haywire, in

that time closing your eyes won't work. Meditation

lies very forward then this. By meditating you cannot

solve life's true obstacles. When you have no rice to

cook at home then by closing your eyes rice wont cook;

when its time to pay fees for your school kids then

you won't get happiness by closing your eyes. When the

houseowner comes to ask for rent at the door than by

meditating you cannot pay him. For these all there is

a different technique and that technique is called

Sadhna.

I agree that meditating is a easy to acquire and

simple process. Exploring yourself and going within

your mind but when there is a fire burning in your

heart, `when your inner mind is not shant (quiet,

free) then by closing your eyes you cannot enter the

depths of your minds. This becomes like an example of

an ostrich. When an ostrich sees a hunter, it hides

its head under sand and thinks that all his obstacles

have finished. He things "what can a hunter do to me

now?" but within a few seconds he falls prey to the

hunter and everything is finished.

Meditation is also likewise. When there are hundreds

of enemies challenging you then you may find peace

while hiding your heads in sand but when poverty is

going to take your health, happiness, respect then

what do u get by closing your eyes? This is a cowardly

act and coward people cannot be sons of mother earth,

lets not talk about them being sons of the universe.

When we are in equilibrium balanced state, when we can

attack our foes with full power when we carefully

determine in everyway, when we have no other works

that meditation may be a very important procedure and

may play important role. That we enter our mind and

heart with 100% accuracy. But this is only possible if

we have exterminated all our life's obstacles. And we

can get procedure only by means of Sadhna.

Just by going to a temple and striking the Ghanta

(dong) and playing Shankha (shell which can be blown

to produce sound) you cannot please god. Just by

dancing in the tune of Bhajan you may forget yourself

for a second but again u are failing to eradicate your

miseries, pay proper attack to your enemies, cure your

disease trouble/illness nor you can face death eye to

eye.

If you cannot do these things than your life has

become a load for you. There is no sweetness; there is

no utsah and masti (craze, happiness in flow. Just by

sitting in some temples, singing some bhajans, playing

ghanta and shankha you are doing a procedure of

fooling yourself. For sometime you are trying to

forget yourself but when you come out of the temple

and you see your wife's sad face, when you find out

your son is into drugs, when you think about your

daughters marriage than you again stand in the life's

coarse ground covered with stones….and at that time

you feel that you fooled yourself by going to temples

, you tried to forget yourself for sometime and you

think there is no god etc. it becomes like an example

that curing a man suffering from headache by giving

him an injection of sleep. For sometime the pain goes

away but when its effect slows down than again the

same pain starts to eat up your life.

I am not saying you not to go to the temples and sing

bhajans. This may be important in life but to make

your life happy this is not sufficient. To give

totality and completeness in life, it won't help you.

Attaining totality in life is possible only by sadhna.

Because sadhna is not a procedure of forgetting

oneself its not a technique to play with your life and

betray it but by mantra, feeling and seeing the

spiritual power of the specific god and goddess in

real life in conscious state.and gaining control over

their powers, and by mantra and will power forcing

them to appear in front of you and forcing them to

eradicate your life's problems, not by pleading.

Bagalamuki sadhna, which is fully able to strike

enemies, while Dhumawati sadhna can kill your enemies.

Astalakshmi prayog(technique) can throw poverty from

the roots while Kuber sadhna will give you total

materialism, acceleration in business etc.

Shastra's have accepted in one voice

saying:"mantradinashya devta" meaning all gods are

under mantra and by mantra only you can make them

appear in front of you or ask them to complete

specific tasks. And also with the help of specific

spiritual godly powers you can solve all your

troubles.

This happens, surely happens(amit: I have tried it

too and I also agree that it happens). If we look at

the baidic and puranic periods if we study nicely the

lives of your Rishimunis( sages and saints) then we

find that they have not given emphasis on bhakti nor

pleading. The only thing they did was to make god's

appear, force them to appear with the help of specific

mantras. That's why to solve life's troubles , to

remove obstacles and to make live peaceful and happy

they were successful.

The sadhnas exist even today. Fully functional till

today, the only thing you need is a sadhguru who is an

expert in this field and who has the knowledge of

sadhnas through self practice and who has achieve

totality in life. Only the sadhguru can show you the

correct path of your life, fill you with power and

determination, give brightness and totality to your

dead body, who can give you the sword of sadhna with

which you can strike poverty, know the upcoming

troubles and remove the negative aspects of life.

Until and unless you don't have this power, this

ability to do something the will power you are a

normal and dependable living creatures who will get

trapped in death's rope and move to death. If you

think of this that it is also an cowardly act. The

true meaning of life is to struggle. To achieve

totality(poornata) by exterminating troubles and

obstacles from the roots, to strike your enemies….and

this is not possible through the path of bhakti,

closing your eyes wont help and also taking the

support of cowardly words of forgiveness and kindness

won't do you any good. It is not possible to solve

life's difficulties. For this you must have

tez(brightness) in youreyes, your face must show

underlying will power and the sword of sadhna must be

present in your hands that can attack all obstacles

and make our lives happy.

You can do all these because you have got an

experienced guru, who has got totality and experience

in sadhna. He is easily available. Who is not so far

as to search him you have to wander through mountains

and jungles, not even the highest peaks where you

cannot step. This is your luck that in your life

sadhguru is easily available.

But for this you must have will power, must have

faith in your guru, must have the techniques to reach

upto him and you must spare your time to do sadhna.

It is not necessary to do sadhnas for months and

years. These sadhnas are also not very hard and

difficult to complete. This is very simple and you can

easily accept and practice and I say that you must

practice. If not today than tomorrow you will realize

that in life, totality cannot be achieved with bhakti

nor wandering in jungles. Diving in Ganges(Hindu holy

river) and doing thirthayatra( religious pilgrimage

journey) you wont achieve anything. By placing your

head in false saints and gurus, your lives trouble

wont go away and by closing your eyes, you cannot run

away from harsh realities of life.

It is true that in your life there are thousands of

troubles in each step you take troubles and hardships

start pouncing on you. Every second you are weary of

your enemies attack and while living you live in those

trouble, suspicion, fear and this is nothing but

cowardly act.

You must stand up with determination. You must come

to me with your guts. You must live bravely in society

and using your sword of sadhna you must attack the

obstacles with full might showing no mercy and then in

right words you will be a human being. Then the Ganges

of happiness will flow through your lives and this is

possible only by sadhna.

Amit:-I hope you liked my pujyapad sadhgurudev's words

and translation. I will be happy to do more if I get a

good response . I hope all of you got some true

knowledge from this.

//aum pram tatvaaya narayanaaya gurubyo namah//

may gurudev bless you all and show you the correct

path of life.

P.S-i have no words to describe guru gorakshanath and

his divine tasks that he wanted every person of the

world to do sadhna. Most of the hindu(Sanskrit)

mantras are complex. But gurudev invented a new

technique of mantra and sadhna(very easy to grasp) in

which words are very simple and easy for right

pronunciation i.e. sabar sadhna. Again he has created

formed mantras for various people. E.g. he created

mantras in different local native languages of india

and nepal and also for different communities of the

world. Like gurudev has created english mantras,

urdu(muslim) mantras etc so that every person an

benefit from the divine powers of mantra. Surely I

have no words to tell …………….

//aum guru macchindra shabda sancha pinda kancha mera

bhakti guruka shakti nav nath jagau chaurasi nath

jagau furo mantra ishworo guru gorakh bacha//

 

i got it from : , a group in

 

 

 

i mean no offence

[Kulapavana]

 

Diksha mantras given by neophytes who haven't attained bhava are not embued with the proper potency necessary to qualify as actual diksha.

 

 

in general it needs to be pointed out that the potency of diksa mantras is not dependent on the guru who is giving it to the initiate.

 

such mantras must be received from one who in turn has received them from Krsna's representative in the disciplic succession. the mantra spoken by guru during the initiation has the potency to further awaken the dormant love of God in the heart of the disciple if it is uttered with great purity of consciousness. Still, the potency of the received mantra must be brought out by the disciple, in his daily meditation and practice.

[Guruvani]

 

in general it needs to be pointed out that the potency of diksa mantras is not dependent on the guru who is giving it to the initiate.

 

 

That is true regarding the Maha Mantra, but learned scholars and devotees have shown in the works of Srila JIva Goswami that the diksha mantra potency does depend upon the qualifications and realization of the diksha guru.

 

Jiva Goswami has shown that diksha mantras are empowered by the realization of the guru who gives them to the disciple.

 

If the guru has not realized the diksha mantras then he cannot bestow a potent mantra on a so-called disciple.

 

Considering this, there are undoubtedly many falsely initiated devotees running around with blank mantras that are not potently embued by a realized master.

[Kulapavana]

 

Jiva Goswami has shown that diksha mantras are empowered by the realization of the guru who gives them to the disciple.

 

In his Bhakti-sandarbha (Anuccheda 237) Srila Jiva Goswami writes:

 

yo mantram sa gurum saksat yo guru sa hari svayam gurur yasya bhavet tustas tasya tusto harim svayam

 

"The mantra (which is given by the guru during diksa ceremony) is itself the guru, and the guru is directly the Supreme Lord Hari. He with whom the spiritual master is pleased also obtains the pleasure of Sri Hari Himself.”

 

Jiva Gosvami actually quotes Vamana-kalpa, where 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 actually Lord Hari."

[Guruvani]

Nama, being non-different from nami, or Bhagavan Himself, is already invested with all potencies. Therefore in actuality, the glory of nama is superior to that of mantras. Yet Jiva Gosvami says that the diksa-mantras are invested with the power to reveal the sadhakas’ specific relationship with the Lord - sri bhagavata samam atmasambandha- visesa-pratipadakas ca (Bhakti-sandarbha, Anuccheda 284). The same thing is stated in Anuccheda 283: divyam-jnanam hy atra srimati mantre bhagavat-svarupa-jnanam tena bhagavata sambandha-visesa-jnanam ca (see diksa). This means that when a guru who is situated on the platform of bhava gives diksa, the mantras are invested with the knowledge of Bhagavan’s svarupa and knowledge of one’s specific relationship with Him. Therefore, those who are desiring to attain the prema-seva of Sri Krsna in Vraja in one of the four relationships of dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, or madhura should accept diksa-mantras from a guru who is established in one of these moods

[gHari]

Bottom line:

 

If Krsna wants someone to be diksa guru, then they are.

[Guruvani]

 

Bottom line:

 

If Krsna wants someone to be diksa guru, then they are.

So, a hoarde of neophytes looking for a seat at the prasadam hall can't nominate the next acharya?

 

Well, you better tell the ISKCON GBC that because in ISKCON now one girl off the street can make the next ISKCON guru with her request.

 

Gurus are made overnight when some clueless bhakta off the street finds some guy wearing saffron sheets in ISKCON to become her guru.

[cbrahma]

 

Bottom line:

 

If Krsna wants someone to be diksa guru, then they are.

So it's Krsna - not the GBC - or are they non-different?

Diska diska diska - where all the trouble begins. If only it could end there. If by objective standards - there are non bona fide gurus around - I guess you're transcendentally screwed.

[passionate_freak]

Happy JANMASTHAMI,

 

 

Yeah I agree Murali_Mohan to some extent\;

"The way to transcend misery is the path of bhakti/devotion." Though it's possible, we gotta be practicle.How many of us have transcended the misery through it??? It's like giving away the things what we don't posses.

True bhakti makes us pure hearted, that we need to make the world better world.

 

We wear cloths according to the season. And it's law of nature...cold...warm...so so. This applies to everything...even to great masters.

 

Tell me how many of us has realized the truth ???? There's the term...faith and blind-faith (andha-bhakti).

Has anyone found any Gurus or anyone telling people that s/he can make the aspirants better than anyone else from the history or the living ones, and someone who has proved the spiritualism and the existence of the God in the eyes of science challenging the most authentic organization NASA ???

Search of around 16 years has landed me to somewhere firm, some authentic place and wanted to share.

And Guru finds the disciple life after life and makes to walk on the righteousness.

 

All the Krishna devotees are those who couldn't recognize him on his Physical form and regarded him sometimes friend...sometimes some other...this life the eternal SOUL, recognizing him, praying to accept through bhakti.

Through true bhakti, anything is possible. We gotta ask ourselves that how many of us has acquired MIRA's bhakti ??? Only bhakti like her can take us to the destination and awake Kundalini like of Mira's.

 

All the Krsna devotee if tries walking the sadhana paths, can relate self to the eternal bliss in no time because they know how to love KRSNA, the sourse of bliss.

 

I ask all you to inquire about Swami Nikhileshorananda, find who is he, as I'm too searching... ... ...

 

On Janmasthami we did Krsna Sadhana, a great one and sang Krsna Bhanjans all night long. How did you celebrated the day ???

[passionate_freak]

 

So it's Krsna - not the GBC - or are they non-different?

Diska diska diska - where all the trouble begins. If only it could end there. If by objective standards - there are non bona fide gurus around - I guess you're transcendentally screwed.

 

Dear friend,

Yeah, the unavailability impelled you to think like that but my friend, this is a partial truth. THere are still few such enlightened ones who can give you the glimpse of Gods or else. Can activate your Kundalni. What we need a thorough eyes. Many are out of sight in adjacent surroundings of Himalays to the cities or even if some are living the householders life, they hide themselves.

 

The world gonna face really harsh time tomorrow and simply the Bhakti won't help in living, though Bhakti can increase our perseverance in all adversaries.

 

regards

[Murali_Mohan_das]

 

Happy JANMASTHAMI,

 

 

Yeah I agree Murali_Mohan to some extent\;

"The way to transcend misery is the path of bhakti/devotion." Though it's possible, we gotta be practicle.How many of us have transcended the misery through it??? It's like giving away the things what we don't posses.

True bhakti makes us pure hearted, that we need to make the world better world.

 

I have not fully transcended misery, to be sure. I often find myself in anxiety for one reason or another. On the other hand, these days, my faith is much stronger than it was in, say, my college years.

 

Things that used to torment me do not bother me quite as much. I *do* feel girded by some sort of protection. The going is slow, but I am making progress (with, as always, the occasional backsliding).

 

On the other hand, I have seen in Gurudev those perfections for which I aspire. Though, in his lila/pastimes, he exhibits some frailty of health, never does his faith in or focus on Sri Krishna flag in the least.

 

 

We wear cloths according to the season. And it's law of nature...cold...warm...so so. This applies to everything...even to great masters.

 

Tell me how many of us has realized the truth ???? There's the term...faith and blind-faith (andha-bhakti).

Has anyone found any Gurus or anyone telling people that s/he can make the aspirants better than anyone else from the history or the living ones, and someone who has proved the spiritualism and the existence of the God in the eyes of science challenging the most authentic organization NASA ???

 

I'm not sure exactly what your point here is, but to use NASA as an example of the "most authentic organization" is a joke. Just recently in the news were NASA experts disagreeing with the head of NASA regarding Anthropogenic Global Warming claims.

 

Look back at the history of NASA disasters (most recently, Columbia and Challenger) and the many administrative and technical failures the investigations into those events uncovered.

 

Heck, remember the unmanned probe that crashed because the engineers mixed up the metric and English units of measurement?

 

In fact, I was just reading a discussion in which folks were claiming the entire Space Shuttle program has been a failure due to bureaucratic bungling.

 

 

Search of around 16 years has landed me to somewhere firm, some authentic place and wanted to share.

And Guru finds the disciple life after life and makes to walk on the righteousness.

 

All the Krishna devotees are those who couldn't recognize him on his Physical form and regarded him sometimes friend...sometimes some other...this life the eternal SOUL, recognizing him, praying to accept through bhakti.

Through true bhakti, anything is possible. We gotta ask ourselves that how many of us has acquired MIRA's bhakti ??? Only bhakti like her can take us to the destination and awake Kundalini like of Mira's.

 

All the Krsna devotee if tries walking the sadhana paths, can relate self to the eternal bliss in no time because they know how to love KRSNA, the sourse of bliss.

 

I ask all you to inquire about Swami Nikhileshorananda, find who is he, as I'm too searching... ... ...

 

On Janmasthami we did Krsna Sadhana, a great one and sang Krsna Bhanjans all night long. How did you celebrated the day ???

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Also, thanks for the reminders about sadhana. I neglect my sadhana, so I tend to minimize the importance of sadhana.

 

Still, the Vaishnava sadhana is a practical sadhana. Of course, in a temple/ashrama situation, there is the sadhana of the Deity worship (archana), and that is a great opportunity to make spiritual advancement. Outside of that, sadhana is practical and devotional (sadhana bhakti). To distribute the mercy of Mahaprabhu is the sweetest, most rewarding sadhana of all.

 

Janmastami was very nice up at the Seva Ashrama. There was arati and bhajans 'til 9:30 or so, and then a nice presentation on Srila Bhaktivinoda's 10 roots of spirituality, followed by a children's play depicting the birth of Lord Sri Krishna. After the play, Janardana Maharaja read from Srimad Bhagavatam the account of the Lord's Divine Appearance, followed by midnight arati and a break-fast. Very ecstatic!!

[passionate_freak]

Dear Murali_Mohan_Das,

Thanks for sharing all your experiences, but remember not to tell your spiritual experiments to others even to your beloved.

 

 

Yeah, agree even NASA people do mistakes,lol. But it's the biggest organization which runs experiments on our kinda stuffs like Tantra and so so. For it scientists have named Parascience...it's truly the TANTRA, the science above today's science brought to us by our ancestors, great Rishis.

 

Even Shri Krishan went to Guru Ashram and learnt whole of the things in his early childhood. He then performed many difficult sadhanas under the Guidance of Sandipan Gurudev. Why did he do so when he is the source of such things? Just to remind and to show the importnce of Guru in one's life. But is there any Guru with such knowledge who can take us to that much of everything??? With full devotion in Krsna, we gotta be searching for the same if we want our life to march in austerity full of righteousness.

 

regards

[Laulyam]

<CENTER>Sheep Logic

 

</CENTER><CENTER>by Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja

 

</CENTER>[Excerpts from Pariprasna: The Process of Inquiry]

Devotee: What if someone tries to serve his guru in this way and then later on the guru falls down?

Gaura Govinda Swami: That's a bogus guru, nor a bona fide guru.

Devotee: In that case one's surrender and service count for nothing?

Gaura Govinda Swami: Nothing, zero! They are of no value, because that guru was not bona fide, he was a hypocrite, a follower of Kali, only outwardly posing as a Vaisnava guru.

You should be careful before accepting a guru. That's your responsibility. Don't be superfluous. You should be very serious and don't follow gaddalika-srota-nyaya. "Gaddalika" means a flock of sheep. Sheep move in a flock and one is at the head, leading. If that sheep jumps into a ditch the whole flock will jump into a ditch. They never think, "Why should we jump into a ditch?" If the leader jumps, they think, "That is a nice path. We should also go that way." You should use your intelligence. Don't follow this sheep logic. That is your responsibility. You should desire to get Krsna. That is the perfection of human life.

This morning I talked about how consciousness should be fully blossomed, cent percent purna-vikacita-cetana. That is the perfection of human life. If someone can get Krsna then he'll have obtained supreme perfection. That means cent percent Krsna. Not twenty-five percent, thirty percent or fifty percent Krsna. No! Cent percent Krsna. Who can give cent percent Krsna? Only the person who has it can give. If someone has only twenty -five percent Krsna, how can he give you cent percent Krsna? He doesn't have the balance in his account.

This is your responsibility. You should find such a person and don't follow this gaddalika-srota-nyaya." Oh, everyone is accepting so and so as a paramahamsa, maha-bhagavata. Everyone says so." Alright, don't think anything, fall into the ditch.

<CENTER>Don't Find Fault

 

</CENTER>

Devotee: It's very easy to understand this point after the fact. But there were many supposedly quite advanced devotees...

Gaura Govinda Swami: Don't find fault with others. Find fault with yourself. See good in others. See bad in yourself. You have committed a mistake; therefore such a thing has happened. The caitya-guru, Paramatma, Krsna, He knows your heart.

He knows what you are whispering in your heart. You cannot cheat Him. Outwardly you may be speaking very sweet from the lips. Your external dealings may be very nice. But inside, don't be hypocrite. Be a simple, natural vaisnava. You have no simplicity in your heart. Duplicity, pretentiousness, crookedness, politics- so many nasty things are there in you heart.

You follow this gaddilika-srota-nyaya logic. Krsna as caitya-guru, Paramatma, knows you are not serious. You should be thinking, "How can I get a bona fide guru? The aim of my life is to get Krsna, cent percent Krsna." You should be crying in your heart. Krsna will know, "Yes, this soul is crying for Me." This crying is most important. In the Adi Purana Krsna had said, "rudanti mama samvidhau.Rudanti" means crying. Aham parikartah- One who cries for Me from the core of his heart purchases Me. Have you ever cried for this? Therefore I say you are not serious. You are superfluous. You are just following this gaddalika-srota-nyaya. That is your mistake. Why do you find fault with others? Krsna knows, "Oh this fellow wants a cheater, not a teacher." Therefore Krsna provides a cheater. You should admit that it is your bad karma, your mistake. Then repent and cry. Cry before Krsna, before Mahaprabhu. Cry form the core of your heart so They'll shower Their mercy on you. Then you'll never be cheated. This is the process. It is a most important and serious thing.

This is a personal relationship and a personal responsibility. It is not the responsibility of anyone else. You alone are responsible for your activity. Why should someone else be responsible? It is up to you to accept a bona fide guru, not a bogus guru; to get cent percent Krsna; to make your life successful, not his life, or that life, or anybody else's life. This is a very deep confidential philosophy, try to understand it.

<CENTER>Guru Darsana

 

</CENTER>Gaura Govinda Swami: One thing is important: We don't' know who is a real, bona fide guru. Can you know? Can you measure? Can you see with your material vision? You can't see. You can't measure him. Krsna is adhoksaja. He cannot be measured by the defective material senses. Similarly, His true representative the bona fide guru, the dear devotee who is very intimate and very confidential, cannot be measured by your defective senses. You cannot see him with your material vision. You can only see the outward body of flesh, bones, marrow, blood, and urine. In the 11th Canto Krsna says that the guru acarya is as good as He Himself.

 

acarya-mam vijaniyan

navamanyeta karhicit

na martya-buddhyasuyeta

sarva-deva-mayo guruh

One should know the acarya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way.

One should not envy him, thinking him to be an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods. (Bhag. 11.17.27)

In addition, in Guruvastaka (Verse 7) we chant:

saksad-dharitvena samastra-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

Every day you sing saksad-dhari, and Krsna says the same thing: acaryam mam vijnaniyan-"He is as good as Myself." Na martya-buddhyasuyeta-"Don't think of him as an ordinary mortal human being." Sarva-deva mayo guruh- "No, all the demigods are there in him."

This is guru tattva.

How can you see such a guru with your material vision? As you cannot see Krsna with material vision, you cannot see the guru with material vision. You will only see the outward thing, which is not guru. Only if the guru showers his mercy on you can you be endowed with the vision to see his true form. By the mercy of guru you can see guru, otherwise you cannot see.

This vision is only obtained by crying and crying and crying before Krsna: "Oh Krsna, I don't know who is your real representative who can deliver You to me cent percent. I want you cent percent, O Krsna." If you cry before Krsna then Krsna will make an arrangement. He is there in the heart as Paramatma. He will understand, "Now he's crying for Me, so I must help him." He will make an arrangement that you meet a bona fide guru, a genuine representative of Krsna. Otherwise it is not possible. This is the only process.

But in our case we try to measure everything. We measure the Lord. We measure the guru. We try to see the Lord with our vision, with our defective senses. Therefore our acaryas and sastras say that the guru is the seer, drasta, and you should put yourself in the position as the object to be seen, drsta. It is very difficult to understand this point because almost everyone thinks just in the reverse. You think you are the seer and the Lord or guru are drsta, the objects to be seen. No! It is the complete opposite. The Lord is the seer and the guru is the seer. You are not the seer. You are the object to be seen by guru or seen by the Lord. Do you understand? This is a very deep philosophy.

<CENTER>Cry For Guru

 

</CENTER>What I am saying is from the previous acaryas. Nothing is mine, not a single letter. I follow the path the acaryas have shown. I have done that in my life and therefore I got my guru. That is my experience. Following what our acaryas say, what sastra says, sadhu-sastra-guru-this is the process. But you have never followed it. I think you cannot understand it clearly. Try! It is a simple thing. You cry before Krsna, cry before Mahaprabhu, "Please help me, please help me, please help me!" Krsna is the heart and can understand, "Oh, now he is crying." He will help you. He will make arrangements that you can get a bona fide guru who is Krsna's true representative, a confidential, intimate associate if the Lord-and then your life will be successful. Don't be desperate. There is no question of despondency on this path. There is no pessimism here. It is all optimism. Mahaprabhu is so merciful-maha-vadanyaya avatara. Srila Kaviraja Goswami in Caitanya Caritamrta has used the word adbhuta, wonderful three times; adbhuta-karunya, adbhuta-vadanya, adbhuta-audara, wonderfully munificent, wonderfully merciful, wonderfully magnanimous. This is Sriman Mahaprabhu. Cry before Him. Cry before Krsna to shower His mercy on you. It is the only thing required. Don't try to measure Krsna or His representative the guru with your defective senses. You will only be cheated. You should have complete, unflinching faith in Mahaprabhu, Krsna and sadhu. There is no other way.

<CENTER>Confirmation Needed

 

</CENTER>Devotee: How do we discern between the prompting of Paramatma and the ramblings of our mind?

Gaura Govinda Swami: Krsna is there in your heart as Paramatma, caitya guru. He is your friend. The Upanisadas say, dva suparna sayuja sakhayah- Your friend the Supersoul prompts, but you cannot hear Him. A liberated soul can hear, but a conditioned soul cannot. A conditioned soul only hears the promptings of maya. If, within and without, that prompting in confirmed by sadhu and sastra, then it is all right. Confirmation is needed. Then you can understand, "Yes, that prompting was inside me. Now the same thing has come out from the lips of sadhu." If sastra says the same thing then it is confirmed, otherwise not. A conditioned soul cannot hear what the Paramatma prompts. Only a liberated soul can hear. Though He prompts, you cannot hear because you heart is filled with dirt. Clear the contamination. Cleansed of the dirt, you heart will be purified. Then you can hear, otherwise not. How will you hear with a filthy heart?

Devotee: Sometimes we cry for something and we get some help. But then we become again satisfied in life.

Gaura Govinda Swami: There should always be crying. Then we will always get help. Not that you should say, "Oh, now I have gotten, finished." There should always be crying, "I cannot get, I cannot get, I cannot get anything!"

Mahaprabhu was always crying. He has taught us to cry: "Hari Hari bolite nayane ba'be nira"- uttering the name of Hari and shedding tears.

Devotee: You explained that to please you we have to become simple and not duplicitous. I was wondering what practical service is pleasing to you?

Gaura Govinda Swami: That's individual, not general. There are specific and general instructions. For individual instruction, you come to me and I will speak. Those instructions differ form person to person. It's not the same for one and all. Don't be so foolish as to ask such a question.

Devotee: All this talk of crying for Krsna: I was just reading in the Nectar of Devotion that we should not cry before the Deity.

Gaura Govinda Swami: Don't cry before the Deities- cry in your room! This crying should be in the heart. Krsna is everywhere. If you cry, Krsna knows, Krsna sees.

<CENTER>Genuine Sadhu-sanga

 

</CENTER>Devotee: Paramatma is comparable to guru in some ways?

Gaura Govinda Swami: Paramatma is the manifestation of guru and guru is the manifestation of Paramatma. Katha Upanisad says:

nayam atma pravacena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam

The Supreme Self can never be known by any amount of argument, reasoning, intelligence, or by much hearing. To those whom He chooses, however, He may reveal His personal form.

If someone is crying for Krsna, Paramatma knows. Then Paramatma assumes a body and appears. When He appears externally he is guru. "Tanu" means body. Vivrnute tanum svam- He assumes a body and is known as caitya-guru. Therefore I say, cry,cry,cry! Paramatma will know, "Now he is crying for Me." In this regard, sadhu-sanga in most important. And that means a real sadhu in the true sense, not a hypocrite sadhu, not a bogus sadhu- a real sadhu. "Guru" means heavy, not laghu. These words have their meanings and you should understand them. If you really meet guru then you association with laghus will be bitter. That's a most important thing. That's the test who is guru.

"Laghu" means material things. You are associating with material poets, material politicians, materially wealthy persons, and materially learned persons. They are laghus. When you associate with a sadhu and get his krpa then automatically the taste will be bitter and you will no longer like to associate with laghus. You should associate with a real sadhu. Sadhu-krpa, then mercy of sadhu, is powerful. It is a most important thing. It is said, vaisnava- krpaye tare sarva siddhi- If you can get the mercy of a sadhu then you will achieve all perfection. Moreover, it must be with a real sadhu, a sadhu is the true sense of the term. Not a hypocrite or bogus sadhu or kali-cela! They are only posing like sadhu. If a genuine sadhu casts his merciful glance on you then you have it!

Sadhu-sanga is most important, most important. One should develop greed for such a type of sadhu-sanga. Don't resist such greed. You are greedy for material accumulations. That is you enemy. That will lead you to hell. Now become greedy for this, to have such sadhu-sanga. "How can I get it, how can I get it?" Develop this greed. It should not be resisted. It is the only thing needed.

<HR>

[Laulyam]

<CENTER>"Mix with such sadhu who are actually executing Krsna-bhajana"

 

</CENTER><CENTER>by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 

</CENTER>This is the symptom of mahatma, one who has surrendered to Krsna fully. Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. So that is guru, mahatma, who knows vasudevah sarvam iti [bg.7.19]. Such mahatma is guru. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manasah [bg.9.13]. The guru has no other business than Krsna-bhajana. So that you have to see.You have to learn. You have to appreciate with persons who are actually engaged in Krsna-bhajana. Then you'll understand. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah [Cc.Madhya23.14-15]. Sadhu means bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah [bg.9.30]. He's sadhu. Who? Who has no other business than Krsna. Mix with such sadhu who are actually executing Krsna-bhajana. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. This is the description of the sadhu. Bhajate mam Anaya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavayah [bg.9.30]. These things are there. There is no question of being misled. But if you purposefully mislead yourself, who can check? In the beginning you may commit some mistake, but when you study Bhagavad-gita -- who is sadhu, who is mahatma, who is guru -- then why shall we make, commit mistake again? If you have done mistake -- you have gone to a rascal who is not Krsna conscious- then when you read Bhagavad-gita, you can understand. Why you are misled? Why you should be misled? If it is written on the road, "Keep to the left," why should you be misled and go to the right? Go to the left. Then you are not misled. So here it is said, mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [bg.9.13]. A mahatma means who is always engaged in Krsna consciousness. Why do you accept somebody as mahatma who does not speak about Krsna? Then you are misleading yourself. Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. Vasudeva sarvam iti [bg.7.19]. Everything, direction, is there. Why you create your own mahatma? If you want to be cheated, who can check you? That is your fault. In Bhagavad-gita, it is clearly said,

bahunam janmanam ante

jnanavan mam prapadyate

vasudevah sarvam iti

sa mahatma sudurlabhah

 

[bg.7.19]

That is mahatma. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakritim asritah, bhajanty ananya-manasah [bg.9.13]. Sadhur… Api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak [bg.9.30]. He's mahatma. He's sadhu. We shall go to him. Why shall we go to a rascal? Simple directions. So if you are mislead, if you are cheated, whose fault it is? But if you want to be cheated, who can check? Even though somebody by mistake has gone to a rascal, the book is there. As soon as you find out, "Here is a rascal who does not know anything about Krsna, and I have come to him," reject him. That is stated in the sastra.

Gurur apy avaliptasya karyakaryam ajanantah parityago vidhiyate. (?) Even by mistake. You have come to a rascal who does does not know how to become guru, you can reject him. Why you should stick to him? Reject him. And by mistake I have come to rascal. Why shall I continue to accept him as guru? Canakya Pandita said, tyaja durjana-samsargam bhaj sadhu-samagamam: " Give up all rascals. Associate with sadhus." If you do not do that, that is your fault. Tyaja durjana-samsargam bhaj sadhu-samagamam. We have to mix with sadhu. Sadhu means who are twenty-four-hours engaged in Krsna's service: Things are there. Why you should mix with asadhu? Then how can you understand? Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. If you have got little faith, then next business is to associate with sadhus. [srila Prabhupada Room Conversation --- January 31, 1977 in Bhubaneshwar, India]

[Laulyam]

<CENTER>What is a Guru?

 

</CENTER>London, August 22, 1973 Prabhupada:

<DL><DT>om ajnana-timirandhasya <DT>jnananjana-salakaya <DT>caksur unmilitam yena <DT>tasmai sri-gurave namah <DT>sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam <DT>sthapitam yena bhu-tale <DT>svayam rupah kada mahyam <DT>dadati sva-padantikam <DT>sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda <DT>sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda <DT>hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare <DT>hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare </DT></DL>Thank you very much. So, tonight's subject matter for speaking is "What is Guru?" Hamsaduta: Yes. Prabhupada: So, guru, there are many descriptions. Subject matter is the same, but different way, guru has been described by different acaryas. Their aim is the same, but language or presentation may be little different. So generally guru means,

<DL><DD>ajnana-timirandhasya <DD>jnananjana-salakaya <DD>caksur unmilitam yena <DD>tasmai sri-gurave namah </DD></DL>Just like in darkness, ajnana-timirandhasya. Ajnana means ignorance, without knowledge. That is called ajnana. So ajnana is compared..., ignorance, stupidity, is compared with darkness. Just like if you are, if this room, immediately, all lights are off, then it becomes dark. We cannot see where I am sitting, where others are sitting. It becomes a confusion. Similarly, in this material world, we are all in the darkness. This material world is called darkness. It is called tamah. Tamah means darkness. Or timir. Timir means darkness. And actually, it is darkness. Because, because this material world is dark, there is need of sunlight, there is need of moonlight, there is need of electricity. (aside:) This child disturbing. But there is another world. We get description from the Vedic literature, na yatra bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah. There is another world, spiritual world, where there is no darkness, and therefore, there is no need of sunlight, there is no need of moonlight, there is no need of electricity.

So guru's business is to bring out the disciples from darkness to light. That is guru's business. That is guru. First business is that because he is suf... Everyone is suffering on account of ignorance. Just like you contaminate some disease out of ignorance. You do not know hygienic principle; you do not know that "This thing will contaminate me. The association will contaminate me. This kind of food will contaminate me." Because we do not know, therefore we contact infections, sometimes suffer from disease. It is very simple to understand. Everyone's... Suppose one commits something criminal due to ignorance, due to ignorance. But in the court, when a man is criminal, in the court, if he says, the criminal, if he says that "I did not know the law," he'll not be excused. Ignorance is no excuse. Similarly, even a child, he does not know, he catches on fire--the fire will burn. No excuse. The fire will not consider that "Here is a child. He does not know. Excuse." No. No excuse. So as there are stringent laws of nature or laws of the state, that because you do not know something, you have committed some wrong, you'll be excused--no, that is no, there is no possibility. You have committed something wrong out of ignorance, you must suffer. This is the law nature's law. You cannot... I have (given) many examples. Suppose you can not eat more. Out of ignorance, if you eat more, then you have to fast two days, three days, suffering, or you'll have some disease. You cannot violate any laws of the nature or any laws of the state anywhere. Wherever there is law, if you break it, then you'll suffer. This is ignorance.

Therefore guru's business is... Every human being is suffering in this material world. Nobody can say that "I am not suffering." It is not possible. There must be suffering. There are three kinds of sufferings. (But) out of ignorance also, the rascal is suffering, he's saying that "I am very happy." That is also another ignorance. There are three kinds of sufferings in this material world: adhyatmic, adhibautic, adhidaivic. Suffering on account of my own body and mind--this suffering is not imposed by anyone else. I do it. The same thing, that I cannot digest but I eat more, so there must be dysentery. You must suffer. This is due to my body and mind. That is another one kind of suffering. Another suffering is imposed by other living entities. Just like your enemy or an animal--or there are ants, mosquitos, flies, they are all causing suffering. You are killing them, and they are trying to give you suffering. This is called struggle. This is called adhibautic, suffering given by other living entities. Suffering caused by myself, this is called adhyatmic. And suffering caused by other living... And there are other sufferings, caused by the nature, superior power, adhidaivic. All of a sudden, there is no rain, no rainfall, and now for want of rainfall, there is no food grain. Excessive heat, excessive chilly cold; earthquake, famine... So many, by natures, imposed by the natures. Flood. So there are three kinds of sufferings in the material world, and everyone is suffering either by one, two or three or..., but nobody can say that "I am completely free from suffering." That is not possible. And why this suffering? Due to ignorance. I do not know. I am committing sinful life, I am committing mistakes; therefore I am suffering. Therefore guru's business is first to rescue his disciple from ignorance, ignorance. Ajnana-timirandhasya. Everyone is suffering out of ignorance; therefore guru's business is to... Just like we go to a school. We go to a school, we send our children to a school. Why? To save him from suffering; to get education. "If my son does not get education, he'll suffer in the future." The same process: to get him out of ignorance, to get him relieved from the suffering. Therefore, guru's business is ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya. So sufferings is due to ignorance. Ignorance is compared with darkness. So in the darkness how you can save one? By some light. So guru's business is to take the torchlight of knowledge and present before the ignorant or the disciple in darkness and that gives him, relieves him from the sufferings of darkness or ignorance. This is guru's business.

Then another verse says,

<DL><DD>tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet <DD>samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham </DD></DL>It is Vedic injunction. Somebody was asking whether guru is absolutely necessary. Yes, absolutely necessary. That is the Vedic injunction. The Vedas say, tad-vijnanartham. Tad-vijnana means spiritual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge; for acquiring spiritual knowledge. Tad-vijnanartham. Sa--one; gurum eva--eva means must; gurum--to a guru. Must go to guru. Not "a" guru; "the" guru. Guru is one. Because as it is explained by our Revatinandana Maharaja, guru is coming from the disciplic succession. What five thousand years ago Vyasadeva instructed or Krsna instructed, the same thing we are also instructing. Therefore there is no difference between instruction. Therefore guru is one. Although hundreds and thousands of acaryas have come and gone, but the message is one. Therefore guru cannot be two. Real guru will not talk differently. Some guru says that "In my opinion, you should like this," and some guru will say, "In my opinion you'll do this"--they are not guru; they are all rascals. Guru has no "own" opinion. Guru has got only one opinion, the same opinion which was expressed by Krsna, Vyasadeva or Narada or Arjuna or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or the Gosvamis. You'll find the same thing. Five thousand years ago, Lord Sri Krsna spoke Bhagavad-gita and Vyasadeva wrote it, recorded it. Vyasadeva does not say that "It is my opinion." Vyasadeva writes, sri bhagavan uvaca: "Whatever writing, it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He's not giving his own opinion. Sri bhagavan uvaca. Therefore he is guru. He is not misinterpreting the words of Krsna. He's giving as it is. Just like a bearer, peon. Somebody has written you letter, the peon has got the letter. It does not mean he has to correct it or edit it or addition or... No. He'll present it. That is his duty. Then he is guru. He's honest. Similarly, guru cannot be two. Mind that. The person may be different, but the message is the same. Therefore guru is one.

The Vedic instruction is, tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet. Gurum eva, "one must." Eva means "must." Abhigacchet, this verb is used when there is the sense of "must." It never says "Go to a guru," but he says "Must approach the guru." Guru is one. Guru cannot be two. Gurum evabhigacchet. And we see also, practically, in the disciplic succession of guru, the same thing is spoken by the guru. Same thing. Repetition of the same subject matter, no other. Krsna said that man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru: "Just think of Me," man-mana. "Just become devotee of Me," man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. "Just worship Me and just offer your obeisances unto Me." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. "Just surrender unto Me." You'll find this instruction in the Bhagavad-gita. The same thing was spoken by all the acaryas. Ramanujacarya also says the same, Madhvacarya says the same thing, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says same thing, the Gosvamis say the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. There is no difference. We do not interpret the words of Krsna, that "In my opinion, Kuruksetra means this body." This is rascaldom. The whole situation has been spoiled by these so-called rascal gurus who gives his own opinion. This is our plain declaration: Let any rascal guru come. We can convince him that he is not guru, because he is speaking differently. We can challenge any rascal. Just like somebody came here, he said that he's God, every one of us God. (aside:) Stop this. So I asked that "Just find out in the dictionary what is meaning of God. Let us see whether he is God." The dictionary, as soon as dictionary was consulted, the meaning of God is "the supreme being," meaning of God. So I asked him, "Are you supreme? If you cannot understand, then find out the meaning of supreme." Then when he consulted dictionary, the supreme, it is said "the greatest authority." So I asked him, "Are you the greatest authority?" The rascal could not answer. He does not know even the dictionary meaning, and he's claiming that he's God. This rascaldom is going on, whole world. Big, big rascal swamis, they say, "Why you are finding out God anywhere? You do not see so many rascal gods are loitering in the street?" This is going on. If you simply consult dictionary, you can understand what is the meaning of God. God is so cheap thing, huh? Supreme being. Are you supreme being? Supreme means the highest authority. Highest authority means nobody is equal to him, nobody is greater than him. That is supreme. So these rascals who are claiming to become God, is it a fact that nobody is equal to him, nobody is greater than him? There are so many.

So this kind of guru, this kind of rascal, will not help you. Guru must come from the parampara system by disciplic succession. Five thousand years or five millions of years, what was spoken by the supreme God or guru, the present guru also will say the same thing. That is guru. That is bona fide guru. Otherwise, he's not guru. Simple definition. Guru cannot change any word of the predecessor. There is one instance in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's life. One gentleman, (he) is Vallabha Acarya. He was very much devotee of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He wrote one comment on Srimad-Bhagavatam, Subodhini-tika, it is called. That is recognized, nice tika, comment. But he approached Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was very great devotee of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So he simply said that "Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Caitanya, if You hear my comment on the Srimad-Bhagavatam, You'll find it is far better than Sridhara Svami's." Sridhara Svami is the very old commentator. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately rejected: "Oh, you are claiming that you have written something better than Sridhara Svami?" He chastised him. Svami means another... He sarcastically remarked, the word svami, Sridhara Swami, svami, another svami means "husband." So He said, svami jiva nahi mane besa bali guni(?): "I think one who does not recognize svami, he's a prostitute." He immediately said. "You do not recognize Sridhara Svami, then you are a prostitute. How can I hear from a prostitute?" He refused. Only word, that "I have written better than Svami." So this is the process of guru. You cannot disobey the previous acarya or guru. No. You have to repeat the same thing. Not research. Sometimes rascals come, that "You are speaking the same thing. Why don't you speak something new by research work?" We say that we have no intelligence, we cannot make any research. We are... Guru more murkha dekhi koriya vicara. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "My Guru Maharaja saw Me a great fool number one." So one who remains a great fool number one before his guru, he is guru. And one who says that "I'm advanced so much that I can speak better than my guru," then he's rascal. This is the process.

<DL><DD>evam parampara-praptam <DD>imam rajarsayo viduh <DD>sa kaleneha (mahata) <DD>yogo nastah parantapa </DD></DL>Krsna said in the Fourth Chapter.

So guru is one. Guru cannot be two. As soon as you find two opinions of guru, either both of them are rascals, or one is still at least rascal. There cannot be two. This is guru. Another place it is said,

<DL><DD>tasmad gurum prapadyeta <DD>jijnasuh sreya uttamam <DD>sabde pare ca nisnatam <DD>brahmany upasamasrayam </DD></DL>Who needs a guru? A third-class, fourth-class man, ordinary man, doesn't require a guru. Guru, to keep a guru or to have a guru is not a fashion. One who is very serious to understand spiritual life, he requires a guru. Otherwise, there is no need of guru. Just like you keep a dog as a fashion, don't keep a guru. Guru means..., is a question of necessity. One must be very serious to understand what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relation with God, how to act. When we are very much serious about this subject matter, then we require a guru. Don't go to a guru as a matter of fashion. That is useless. That is useless. Therefore sastra says, tasmad gurum prapadyeta. Because we have to go to guru and surrender there. Without surrendering, you cannot learn anything. If you want to challenge guru, it is not possible. Then you'll learn nothing. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. Pranipatena. So, just like Arjuna accepted Krsna as guru, he said, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam: "I am now surrendered to you." That is the process. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya. To... Guru means Krsna's representative, former acaryas' representative. Krsna's... All acaryas are representative of Krsna; therefore guru should be offered the same respect as you offer to God. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. Therefore Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado. Because guru is bona fide representative of Krsna, or God, so if you surrender to guru, bona fide guru, that means you surrender to God. God is accepting your surrenderence through the guru. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado. If you surrender to guru, that means Krsna is pleased. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: surrender. That somebody argues, "Where is Krsna? I shall surrender." No. You surrender to His representative, then you surrender to Krsna. This is the process.

So guru is the representative of God. Therefore the sastra says, the authority says, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair. Guru is as good as God. Here, in this Vyasa-puja day, we are teaching or they are doing, offering respect to guru. That means they are learning how to offer respect to God. It is not personal affair; it is required. Because they are trying to be God conscious, they must learn how to offer respect to God or God's representative. That is required. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair. In all the sastra, Vedic literature, guru is described as good as God. But guru will never say that "I am God." The disciple's duty is to offer respect to guru as he offers respect to God. But guru will never say that "I am... Because my disciples are offering me respect as God, therefore I have become God." As soon as he thinks so, he becomes dog. He is no more God. Therefore Visvanatha Cakravarti says... Why guru is offered respect like God? Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. Guru is offered the same respect as we offer respect to God. Just like in the morning. The other side, aratrika was going on, offering to Krsna, and this side was aratrika was going on to offer respect to the spiritual master. The same respect. But guru will never say, and he's not that. Guru will never say, "Now I have become God." No. God does not become. God is always God. So God is God and guru is guru. But, as a matter of etiquette, God is the sevya God, worshipable God, and guru is the worshiper God. Just try to understand. Worshipable God and worshiper God. This is. Sevya bhagavan--sevaka bhagavan. Just like guru is addressed: "Prabhupada." Prabhu means "the Lord" and pada means "the position.One who has taken the position of the Lord." The same thing: saksad-dharitvena, prabhupada. These are the terms, one who is serious to study this science of God, they'll learn all these things. So one who is very serious to understand the science of God, for him a guru is required. Don't try to keep a guru as a matter of fashion, that it has become a fashion to accept somebody, some rascal as guru, and say that "I have got my guru." What kind of guru you have got? You are talking nonsense. Acaryavan purusa veda. One who has accepted guru, he'll talk sense, where there is meaning. He'll never talk any nonsense. That is the sign that he has got guru. He has got the sacred thread. Yes, he's accepted by bona fide guru. That is the sign, sacred thread. So you are offering good respect to your spiritual master. That is very nice. You are very thankful. But at the same time we should remember that how to carry out the orders of the guru so that people may not think that you are talking nonsense. You must be very careful.

So in the Bhagavad-gita also... I am reciting, citing various verses from various sastras--Kathopanisad, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Now here is another verse. Krsna says, tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya, in the Bhagavad-gita.

<DL><DD>tad viddhi pranipatena <DD>pariprasnena sevaya <DD>upadeksyanti te jnanam <DD>jnaninas tattva-darsinah </DD></DL>So you have to learn from guru by three processes. What is that? First process is you must surrender. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. Surrender. You have to find out such an exalted person where you can willingly surrender, "Yes." Therefore it is enjoined in the sastras, before making a guru, try to study him, whether you can surrender there. Don't accept any guru all of a sudden as fanatic. No, don't do that. That is the injunction. And guru also must study the disciple who wants to become a disciple; must study him, whether he's fit for becoming a disciple. This is the way of making relationship between guru and disciple. Everything is there provided we take them seriously. Then we can train up how to become bona fide disciple, how to find out bona fide guru, how to establish our relationship with guru and act accordingly and make our life successful. Because guru's business is ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya. Guru's business is to enlighten the disciple, because he's in darkness. In another place in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. Parabhavah, parabhavah means defeat. Defeat. So whose defeat? Parabhavas tavad abodha-jato: one who is born rascal and fool. Everyone is born rascal and fool. Nobody, otherwise, if you are learned, if you are..., if you know things, then why do you go to a school and college and pass university? It is a fact. Animals. If we do not cultivate knowledge, then we are as good as animals. Now another animal is saying that there is no need of books, and he has become guru. But how you can get knowledge without authoritative studies of books and science and philosophy? But they are trying to avoid this. So imagine what kind of guru and what kind of disciple.

So sastra says, parabhavas tavad abodha-jato. Abodha-jato. Everyone is born rascal, fool. He has to be enlightened, he has to be given knowledge, and he has to receive knowledge to make his life perfect. Therefore parabhavah means one who does not make his life perfect, he's being defeated. What is the defeat? Struggle for existence. We are trying to get better life. Here also, in this life also, we are struggling hard for getting better position. So real better position we do not know. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita: sah amrtatvaya kalpate. Here in this material world there is no better position because there is death. You may possess a very good better position, but you'll have to give it up. Either the better position will give up you, or ultimately you have to give up that better position. You cannot stay. Suppose you have earned millions of dollars, millions of pounds: "Now we have got good bank balance." You think, "Now I am in the better position." A little dysentery, or cholera, dysentery--finished, better position. Or the bank fails--that better position gone. So there is no better position in this material world. It is a false. Therefore those who are trying to get better position in this material world, they are simply becoming defeated, because there is no better position. He's a rascal. He's thinking this is better position. What is better position? Then Bhagavad-gita says the better position is amrtatva. Sah amrtatvaya kalpate: "Don't die. Keep your position firm." That is better position. So is there any science to give knowledge how one becomes immortal? Yes, there is. You can become immortal. Not in this material science; not in the so-called universities. But there is knowledge in the Vedic scripture by which you can become immortal. That is better position. No more death, no more birth, no more old age, no more disease. So guru's task is very great responsibility. He has to guide the disciple how to make him quite eligible candidate to get the perfect position, immortality, back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much. (end)

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

[Guruvani]

to make a long story short, Srila Prabhupada made it clear in his books that a guru must be accepted from the class of Uttama adhikari who has realized his relationship with Krishna and attained the topmost platform of devotional service.

 

GBC rubber-stamp gurus don't meet that standard.

 

They are not authorized spiritual masters.

They haven't realized their relationship with Krishna.

They never will as long as they falsely pose as gurus and commit offense to their own spiritual master.