how to find a guru

[xyz_1]

Hi,

 

I am looking for advice on how to find a guru. I was advised a sadhana for astrological purposes and just wondering how do people go about finding a guru.

 

Thanks and Regards.

[suchandra]

 

Hi,

 

I am looking for advice on how to find a guru. I was advised a sadhana for astrological purposes and just wondering how do people go about finding a guru.

 

Thanks and Regards.

A genuine guru comes in a succession, also known as parampara, disciplic succession. Srimad-Bhagavatam 12. Canto says, in this age there would be an epidemic of false gurus. Just like someone wants to get a diamond. If we don't have proper knowledge how to test a diamond we easily get cheated.

So in the Vedas this is a huge topic, how to find a genuine guru.

The very term "guru" made Srila Prabhupada ask, what kind of guru?

Presently we even have, Wall Street Guru, Fashion Guru, Wine Guru, High Society Guru, etc. etc. Although, gu means darknes and ru means light, so actually a real guru is someone who should bring us to spiritual enlightenment.

 

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

 

I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.

[Narasingh]

What kind of guru would you like?

[Lotusflower]

try google

[xyz_1]

Indeed there is an epidemic of false gurus. Right now I am just looking for a deeksha guru.

[Smiley]

The following is an excerpt from wikipedia. Although it is specifically talking about an advait guru, there might be universal principles here which are applicable to any path:

 

The Guru must have the following qualities (see Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.12):

Śrotriya — must be learned in the Vedic scriptures and sampradaya

Brahmanistha — literally meaning established in Brahman; must have realised the oneness of Brahman in everything and in himself

The seeker must serve the Guru and submit questions with all humility in order to remove all doubts (see Bhagavad Gita 4.34). By doing so, advaita says, the seeker will attain moksha (liberation from the cycle of births and deaths). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta

 

I personally reccomend this Vaishnava guru that I met in India:

http://www.mountmadonna.org/yoga/babaji.html

 

 

 

Hi,

 

I am looking for advice on how to find a guru. I was advised a sadhana for astrological purposes and just wondering how do people go about finding a guru.

 

Thanks and Regards.

[Narasingh]

 

Hi,

 

I am looking for advice on how to find a guru. I was advised a sadhana for astrological purposes and just wondering how do people go about finding a guru.

 

Thanks and Regards.

There are many teachers out there who are willing to give you a little this for a little that. What is it you want out of your relationship with your guru? Do you want good luck astrologically? More money in your wallet? A good wife? Here is something to start with

 

 

 

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[gHari]

 

Indeed there is an epidemic of false gurus. Right now I am just looking for a deeksha guru.

Why do you want a guru?

[xyz_1]

Very specifically currenlty I need a guru to give me deeksha. I understand there are many advertisement about it but its difficult to trust in this age.

 

And it will also not hurt to get a guru who can lead towards enlightenment but that is sceondary to me right now.

[Narasingh]

 

Very specifically currenlty I need a guru to give me deeksha. I understand there are many advertisement about it but its difficult to trust in this age.

 

And it will also not hurt to get a guru who can lead towards enlightenment but that is sceondary to me right now.

What do you mean trust? I have a couple gurus in mind who can give you deeksha. Before I'd give you their names though, I'd like to know your trust issues. What is it you'd have difficulty trusting. What are your values by which you are searching out your guru? You can send a private message if you'd like. I think what I've quoted you saying is a great first step in your acknowledging that there is a detailed prerequisite in your search, and the people on this forum can definitely help, albeit with a little more information from your side.

Good Luck.

[Lotusflower]

Having Guru is not just for 'few years or days' it is for Life, no for Eternity. Don't just think 'i have Guru now I am saved', you have to follow what Guru says. And if you decide later that 'oh i don't want to anymore'. If you have taken harinama or diksha, then you have to PAY IT BACK. There is no going back and crying to Krishna, its not like you asked for a pot of water. Be very careful. Just because you heard somebody 'hare krishna' or whoever say Guru is essential., he is. But you have to know the facts, if after accepting Guru you don't follow or even try, Krishna or God will make you crazy...

 

You may think I am trying to scare you. But YOU have to pay for the diksha, NOT with money, but your soul.

[ranjeetmore]

Crying is the only tool.

 

So says Vamshivat Babaji.

 

You want anything ?

 

Cry.Just cry and become humble.You'll get guru,your mind will become pure and you will get mercy.

 

CRY.

 

Raghunatha dasa Babaji says,"Ha ! Rama ! Ha Jagannatha ! Ha Gauranga !

 

-These cries should come simply from the core of the heart,like a miser cries in front of a rich man."

Only in such humility,is He going to give mercy.Otherwise,forget it.You may go on chanting Hare Krishna for eons.(No offense...)

 

My suggestion is don't go street hunting for Diksha Guru.

I have seen many 'gurus' give Diksha even to 5 yr olds over the Micro Phone.This is intense Kali example.Point blank cheating.

 

Such 'gurus' are themselves Bhikaris/beggars in terms of Ananda.What Ananda will they give you ??

 

Hari and Harijan are the only ones wealthy.They are enjoying in ananda.You want happiness?

Go to them.

[Narasingh]

Some Guru's will be happy with a coconut and a marigold garland if only you'd follow the sadhana.

[xyz_1]

Lotusflower, I thought so. That's dark.. and indeed scary.

 

Narasingh, calm down. My prerequisite ? non-cult, non-fanatic, highly spiritual.

[coolrishu]

i must say that if you really waana satguru ,,,,,,,,,you have to do the fast of gurupurnima with only one intention of a satguru

either you will get a dream or guru himself be there for you ,becoz in kaliyuga satguru's search themselves for there lovelyones

[Sarva gattah]

 

Hi,

 

I am looking for advice on how to find a guru. I was advised a sadhana for astrological purposes and just wondering how do people go about finding a guru.

 

Thanks and Regards.

You don't have to search for a bonafide Guru if you are truly sincere and honest, he will find you.

By Gauragopala dasa Melbourne Australia

 

 

Srila Prabhupada: “If you are completely sincere and genuine, then you do not have to find Guru, he will find you”.

 

An interesting ISKCON pastime I heard recently in Vrndavana about a hippie in 1966 that used to travel around with Ken Kesey’s psychodelic bus dance group, travelling around America handing out Kool-Aid drinks laced with LSD and performing plays in colourful hippie gear that set a trend among the 60’s youth.

 

Somehow one of Srila Prabhupada’s original Srimad Bhagavatam’s was in a small library section on the Kesey bus in 1965 and read by such future devotee’s like Mohanananda dasa who travelled on that bus as a young boy.

 

Another young hippie on that bus was not satisfied in just reading the amazing book Srimad Bhagavatam; he was determined to find the author of this wonderful Vedic text and was prepared to travel all around India until he found the amazing Sadhu who wrote it, if he has too.

 

When the Bus reached New York, Kesey and the Pranksters visited Leary in Millbrook, NY, at his psychedelic retreat called “The International Federation for Internal Freedom.”, it was founded when Leary was fired from Harvard University for doing research with his students on the hallucinogenic drugs LSD-25 and Psilocybin.

 

This young hippie however, stayed on the bus and kept reading the Srimad Bhagavatam and never did met Leary at that time, actually Leary stayed in his room anyway and Kesy never did met him.

 

Frankly the young hippie did not really care antmore about LSD, he had had enough of LSD and realized THAT God can NEVER be found in a pill and decided to go on a spiritual quest to India in search of the ’swami’ who wrote the Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

He then decided to leave the merry pranksters and begin his journey to India; he bought a ticket and was on his way to the Kennedy Airport.

 

On the way however, he had sometime to spare and went by Tompkins Square Park to see what the ‘acid head hippies’ were up to.

 

As he went by in the taxi he saw this big crowd of hippies dancing, he was curious and told the taxi driver to stop, then went over, investigated, and found an elderly sadu leading the chanting of Hare Krishna. He watched with some curiosity as he danced with the other hippies and wondered if the Sadhu he would eventually find in India, who wrote the Srimad Bhagavatam, would be like this Sadhu.

 

Anyway the kirtan stopped and this Sadu began reading from the same book he was reading on ken Kesey’s Bus.

 

Now this young hippie just was even more determined to seek out the writer of the Srimad Bhagavatam seeing this Sadu also reading it. Eventually the reading stopped and this young hippie went over to the Sadhu and said

 

‘Sir, I am also reading this book also and I am now just on my way to the airport to fly out to India, I am determined to search all over India for this Sadhu’.

 

The elderly gentlemen Sadhu chuckled to himself and said to the young hippie

 

‘You do not have to go to India, I am here in New York, I am the translator of this book the beautiful Srimad Bhagavatam”

 

The young hippie was without words, he was ecstatic and had tears in his eyes and fell at his feet. Then Srila Prabhupada, the elderly sadu said to the young hippie

 

“Just see, if you are completely sincere and genuine then you do not have to find Guru, he will find you”

 

Hare Krishna All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Srila Prabhupada explains that all of us are all looking for a way to establish our original eternal relationship with Krishna as follows -

 

“Established means re-establish. It (our perpetual ’svarupa’) is already established. We have got different types of relationship. That is called svarupa-siddhi. When you are perfect in spiritual life, you will understand automatically. Nitya-siddha krishna-bhakti. When one becomes perfectly spiritually realised, then he understands what is his relationship is. This relationship is eternal”.

December 7, 1974, Bombay)

 

Your fallen servant Gauragopala dasa

[ranjeetmore]

Beautiful ! Beautiful ! Beautiful !

[Kulapavana]

 

Hi,

 

I am looking for advice on how to find a guru. I was advised a sadhana for astrological purposes and just wondering how do people go about finding a guru.

 

Thanks and Regards.

 

Do not be discouraged by some of the comments here. Trust your heart. When you find the right person you will know. Do not be in a hurry. Examine gurus carefully to make sure they are pure and knowledgable. They must be able to answer your questions in a way that leaves you satisfied and at peace.

 

Good luck to you!

[seamusjcarroll]

guru finds you sincerity sincerity sincerity

[Sarva gattah]

Can Krishna and Guru be found within one’s heart? Then sent to find you, no matter where you are?

 

"Krsna is in the heart and that He can do anything, even put an elephant through the eye of a needle Why not? He is God".

I remember the amazing story of a boy who went into an old Cathedral in Melbourne on February 18th 1972 to desperately pray to God within his own heart and within the Church for guidance and direction, crying out within, ‘Oh my Lord, please show me the way’.

He had entered that church in a totally helpless condition, prayed, and begged to God to ‘please’ show him the way. He felt totally useless and lost in this world and believed no one on the planet has any real understanding of Spiritual life. He had experienced so many from Christianity, TM, Yogananda, Kahlil Gibran, Mere Baba, and Timothy Leary to Lennon. But something was missing.

What could he do? Who could he turn too as a ‘personal’ guide? He tried so many paths, realizing he was not enlightened enough to just accept God in the heart as his only Guru and guide, he needed someone to be there embodied right in front of him.

He new so many people were already his Guru’s or teacher by showing him so many tasks from day to day in different fields, but there was still something missing, he never had a initiating Spiritual Mater.

There was something not quite right. Something that Books just could never give him that would help him advance to the next stage of Spiritual re-establishment. He needed that personal touch to eulogize the teachings of God he was searching for within his own heart.

So here he was, on his hands and knees in this marvellous old Cathedral praying for guidance, for leadership, for association, for a Spiritual Master. It was during those prayers he heard this low pitched mumbling sound; he looked up and saw a devotee of Krsna standing there looking at religious artefacts.

Something amazing just fell into place for this young boy on that hot Summers day in February 1972, call it intuition or whatever, but he new that God in the heart had answered his prayer for the ‘personal embodied guidance’ of a Spiritual Master that he so desperately needed.

What’s more, the power of God in his heart was a truly amazing experience, that seemed unbelievable, or more to the point, no less than a miracle.

The young Krsna devotee had also left a magazine on the seat; the boy picked it up, found where the Temple was and left the Cathedral knowing exactly what to. The date was February 18 1972.

On arriving at the Temple, he found a festive atmosphere; it was the Appearance day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Some will say that was a coincidence however, this boy knew from deep within his heart, it was Krsna IN the heart directing him to the most auspicious day of the Vaishnava calendar.

The young boy shaved up that day and moved into the Temple. A week and a half later His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada arrived in Melbourne. With tears in eye, the young boy presented Srila Prabhupada with a beautiful red rose at the Melbourne Airport.

This boy also was previously convinced before entering the Cathedral, that an embodied guru just doesn’t exist. He had now realized that Krsna is in the heart and that He can do anything, even put an elephant through the eye of a needle. Why not? He is God.

This means if one looks deep enough within their own heart, believing it necessary to have an embodied Guru instructing them as a prominent initiating teacher above all others, then Krsna, from within the heart, will direct a bonafide Guru to you, WITHOUT A DOUBT.

Remember, the boy never went searching for Krsna, he just prayed to God within his own heart and God sent him Krsna and Guru, twice.

At the Cathedral where he was directed by a devotee (Sharmananda das) to Lord Caitanya’s Appearance day (where he was asked to play the part of Haridas Thakur in a play) and again when Srila Prabhupada, his Guru, came to Melbourne 10 days later.

The point here is the embodiment of Guru does exist if you want. and Krsna will sent him if you want. It all depends on us. If we are convinced we do not need an embodied Guru, then Krsna from within the heart will not send one, as you desire.

But even if you’re in the faraway corner of the planet, if you REALLY want the help and association of an embodied Guru, then Krsna from within the heart WILL send you one.

You couldn’t get a place further away from the rest of the world than down under Melbourne Australia. This young boy never found Prabhupada, Prabhupada came all the way down there and found him.

Although to be satisfied with the Guru in the form of his books can also be very personal and instructing, I just believe some of us need the personal embodied touch of a Guru as well, simply for the purpose of helping us with their personal association and instructions.

This is because we are really not that advanced to do it on our own just with books. That’s how I feel anyway.

Krsna is in the heart that we must NEVER forget.

God’s representative will come to us in the embodied form if we want, if we pray unconditionally, if we learn to have faith in Krsna in the heart. Why not? The young boy in the story previously found many ‘gurus’ but none of them found him. He eventually saw through them all and just kept praying and new His Guru (Prabhupada), who found him eventually, was the answers to his helpless prayers back then 36 years ago

It’s a question of what one really wants.

 

This may mean that one can only accept Prabhupada through his books because of a world in crisis, struggle, and suspicion in this age of Kai-yuga but remember, that has nothing to do with Krsna in our heart.

The material world is always in crisis but the Guru is ALWAYS one and represents Krishna within our own hearts, and is always somewhere externally here on the planet.

Krishna in our hearts is always accompanying us EVERYWHERE, therefore He can also externally manifest here on the planet in the representative form of the Guru – if you really want. That is up to us. And yes, he will appear just like magic, beyond the juvenile meaning of that word.

Trust Krishna in you heart. You do not think He will manifest externally for you no matter how corrupt and fallen this world is?? He will send you His embodied representative to you if you pray and look within you own heart. It is not magic, it is recognising what real reality is, seeing with clear eyes.

Look within your own heart and Krishna will respond by sending you an embodied bonafide Guru you can trust to initiate you and take you back home back to Godhead.

Krsna WILL send His embodied initiating bonafide Guru when we are ready, when we need such association and the personal embodied guidance to help us understand and then initiates us into the guru-shishya parampara, until then read Prabhupada's books for they are also your Guru that found you.

[Sonic Yogi]

If you have to ask how to find guru you are not ready for a guru.

Just read the available books by Srila Prabhupada and accept him as your shastra guru.

Then, when you are well acquainted with the knowledge of Krishna consciousness you won't have to ask how to find guru.

Then, the guru will be quite obvious to you.

 

The formal diksha guru who gives Pancharatric diksha is not as important as shastra guru who gives you access to shastra or the siksha guru who teaches you all the techniques of bhakti-yoga.

 

The diksha guru is the least important guru.

 

Without proper knowledge of shastra and the techiniques of bhakti-yoga, you aren't ready for diksha.

[sambya1]

 

I was advised a sadhana for astrological purposes and just wondering how do people go about finding a guru.

 

 

 

Very specifically currenlty I need a guru to give me deeksha

 

you must realize that mantra diksha has no connection with astrological purposes . astrological purposes mainly deals with materialistic pleasures and diksha is undertaken in pursuit of the higher truth .

 

it is only when an aspirant truly becomes inclined towards spiritual realization that he becomes ready for diksha.

 

mantra diksha for any other purpose is not proper diksha at all .

[Narasingh]

 

 

 

Yes, Sambya1, there is no relation between Guru and astrological remedies:

 

In answer to xyz_1's question regarding how does one go about finding their Guru, the answer will, more-or-less, be universally agreeable like this:

 

 

tat te 'nukampāḿ su-samīkṣamāṇo

bhushjāna evātma-kṛtaḿ vipākam

hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te

jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

 

 

"One who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim."

Bhagvatam 10.14.8

 

 

brahmanda brahmite kona bhagyavan jiva

guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija

"According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual master, one such person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service." CC. Madhya 19.151

 

Essentially, Guru can be revealed to one who is earnest in being the receiver of the Lord's Mercy. Good Luck!

[Gaurahari das]

 

I aggree with a previous post that a Guru will find you. In the mean time I would advise follow SP Ritvik system and around sincere dedicated ritvik devotees who are tasting the nectar of enthusiastic service to Srila Prabhupada. Enthusiasm to serve SP day and night is how you will know them. Stay away from Gurus who are not Mahabagavatas which means 99 percent of the ones hanging their shingle out. Many offended SP by not supporting his ritvik system that he sighned with his own hand and cannot purify anyone. I have personal experience being in iskcon devotee for five years.

As SP says in Nectar of instruction text five purport even a Madyama adhikari cannot help one very well one should take a mahabagavata as guru.

Unless one is very spiritually advanced one cannot see who is Transcendental personality.Guru should be realy beyond the modes of nature or why bother with one who still has subtle anartas of name and fame and desire for worship. Gauranga says such gurus cannot even purify themselves or others.

“‘For a person devoid of devotional service, birth in a great family or nation, knowledge of the revealed scriptures, performance of austerities and penance, and chanting of Vedic mantras are all like ornaments on a dead body. Such ornaments simply serve the concocted pleasures of the general populace.’” CC

Most Gurus in the world today are like this. They do not really have the bhakti lata bija and depend on shows of austerity penances to attract their disciples and this is all they can offer them- a very ridged program of austeritys but no real juice of pure bhakti rasa. This is why so many sincere devotees eventually leave bhakti yoga because of not finding a real Guru with real Bhakti to satisfy them. I see many of these fallen devotees here in tiruvamaniia India where I am preaching daily to Mayavadis. They tell me over and over again their stories how they get even more juice with their mayavadi program then from their unqualified Gurus in bhakti yoga circles. Prabhupada is very juicy and if you find real sincere followers of SP they are juicy also and enjoyable to serve with. You will make real advancement this way and then you will be able to recognize a devotee like Sukadeva Gowswami when they come before you.

GH

[Shakti-Fan]

<dl><dt>

</dt><dt></dt><dt>Gaurahari das (gaura99)</dt><dd>55, Male

IN</dd></dl> <dl><dt>Hometown:</dt><dd>Mayapura</dd></dl> <dl><dt>My Spiritual Name</dt><dd>Gaurahari das</dd></dl> <dl><dt>Relationship Status:</dt><dd>Single</dd></dl> <dl><dt>About Me:</dt><dd>I have been engaged in cultivating Krishna Consciousness for twenty eight years. I have also investigated and practiced to a point other spiritual paths and disciplines, as well as engaged in new age therapies and human potential group processes. All this together has evolved into my own personal style of serving Srila Prabhupada and Gauranga on the basis of natural loving enthusiasm and empowerment through Srila Prabhupada's personal order. I teach, share counsel others informally and in a relaxed mood.

11 years ago when a devotee, spontaneously approached me to act as her guide to help develop her relationship with Gauranga, I agreed only after first taking her to see some other prominent Gurus in Vrndavan. I was still hesitant to take on such a responsibility when AC Bhaktividanta Srila Prabhupada came to me in a lucid dream. He sat down right next to me and point blank ordered me to teach and speak about the glories of Gauranga, bhakti yoga and help the devotees who would come to me. On the strength of his order and blessing I began doing this. Right now I am in Arambol, Goa . We hold daily a informal class, kirtan and retreats. The assembled seekers of a genuine loving relationship with Srila Prabhupada and Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu are all welcome to examine the fruits in the form of these video classes posted here or on youtube to see and hear for themselves if the fruit in the way I am serving Guru and Gauranga is good( spiritually enlivening )or not. Everyone can Judge for themselves if the blessing of Srila Prabhupada is here or not and don’t have to artificially believe anything blindly.

So to understand my particular mood, I have an unusual background in Krishna Consciousness and do not fit any mold that many standardized devotees may have difficulty to understand. In 1980 I received Srila Prabhupada’s book from a devotee in California. I read one paragraph and immediately I felt a spiritual love for Srila Prabhupada arise similar to what I had experienced years ago with Jesus when I read the book of John of the New Testament. I knew immediately from within my heart that he was authorized representative and had a relationship with God Just like my Lord Jesus did. Immediately I went to the local Laguna Beach temple and surrendered my money, car, and all possessions to serve Srila Prabhupada’s mission.

The very first day I joined the temple I examined both the Nectar of devotion and Caitanya Caritamrita and felt an instantaneous love and affinity for both these books and the devotees it described in them. I knew immediately that my heart, life, energy belonged to them and serving their personal mission. I spent five years living in the temple but for me I was not very happy there. The temperament and mood of standard ISKCON devotee was naturally different than mine. Most were interested in following ridged rules, regulations, pujas, etc. I almost got kicked out of the temple because I could not leave relishing Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam even during the morning program. I did not like engaging in any mechanical program against my natural feelings and I still don’t. In a nutshell I am attracted to Krishna Consciousness only because I genuinely love Srila Prabhupada and I love Gauranga lila with all my heart, soul and passion. That’s the only reason I came to Krishna and the only reason I stay with Krishna Conciousness.

I left Krishna Consciousness many times only due to the advice of other devotees and even prominent leaders to follow a way that was not appropriate for my personal spiritual development. Their advice had a opposite effect . Instead of drawing me closer it repelled away from Krishna. In one way I had many difficulties in having confidence in what really worked for me in Krishna Consciousness because so many practicing devotees and leaders and gurus included have other opinions and were quick to criticse me for what I was doing, especially when I started teaching and helping devotees. Taking a humble position for a time I stepped down from teaching due to this extreme external pressure. I checked out being a part of some other devotee sangas to see if what they were saying was true that they had something better or higher teaching for me than what I was involved in already. I can say now from a mature perspective that I am just so happy to serve Srila Prabhupada’s personal order no matter what any devotee or even Vaisnava leaders have to say about it. They can love what I am doing or they can criticize it also- either way I am still so happy and confident in my life to serve the order that Srila Prabhupada personally gave me to speak about the beauty and sweetness of Gauranga, and the immense value of love for Gauranga and His associates. I know now the real blessings of Srila Prabhupada are with me and have full confidence to just carry out his order to me. His order is my one pointed life and soul. Wow! what a long journey to discover this simple truth but its sure has been worth all the trouble!

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