Explain to me a bit about the spiritual tradition of gurus and disciples - 3

[Guest guest]

, " jagbir singh "

<adishakti_org> wrote:

>

> Dear All,

>

> i received an email that read:

>

> " Dear Jagbir,

>

> Please could you explain to me a bit about the spiritual tradition

> of gurus and disciples; and how this all works in SY? Do all

> people need gurus for teaching and help; from my own experiences I

> think that they probably do? What I mean is, people really need a

> teacher for guidance along the path, someone very advanced and

> experienced to tell and ask about specific problems and personal

> situations and difficulties, a yoga master. Especially people from

> the Western cultures and from restrictive religious backgrounds

> need help understanding the Eastern concepts of spirituality, and

> need personal guidance at times. "

>

 

For part 3 i have have taken the great religions of Hinduism,

Buddhism and Sikhism whose defination of guru is summed up by Guru

Nanak: " Let no man in the world live in delusion. Without a Guru

none can cross over to the other shore. "

 

The guru leads his/her disciples to achieve self-realization/second

birth through his/her deep esoteric knowedlge. A genuine guru is

thus of a higher calibre than the priests, pastors, reverends,

bishops, popes, rabbis, clerics, imams, mullahs, shaikhs, swamis,

pandits, brahmins, granthis, gianis, and monks of religious

organizations. A bona fide guru will also help you transcend the

fanaticism and narrow-mindedness that plagues the followers of

religious regimes.

 

jagbir

 

 

Etymology

 

The word gurú means " teacher " in Sanskrit, as well as in other

languages derived from Sanskrit, such as Hindi, Bengali and

Gujarati. The word is attested from the Rigveda as an adjective

meaning " heavy " , its opposite being laghú " light " . It derives from

PIE *gwrus, cognate to Greek barus, Latin gravis, both likewise

meaning " heavy " .

 

The word holds a special place in Hinduism, signifying both the

sacred place of knowledge (jnana) and the imparter of knowledge. The

adjective meaning " heavy, weighty " is used in the sense of " heavy

with knowledge " [1], " heavy with spiritual wisdom " [2], " heavy with

spiritual weight " [3], " heavy with the good qualities of scriptures

and realization " [4], " heavy with a wealth of knowledge " [5].

 

A notable esoteric etymology or interpretation of the term " guru " is

based on a metaphorical interplay between darkness and light, in

which the Guru is seen as the dispeller of darkness[6][7][8] . In

some texts it is described that the syllables gu ( & #2327; & #2369;)

and ru ( & #2352; & #2370;) stand for darkness and light , respectively

[9].

 

The syllable gu means shadows

The syllable ru, he who disperses them,

Because of the power to disperse darkness

the guru is thus named.

Advayataraka Upanishad 14--18, verse 5)

 

A similar interpretation describes the guru as the one that " removes

the darkness of ignorance " is based on the Guru Gita

(literally " song of the spiritual teacher " ), a spiritual text

describing a dialogue between Siva and his consort Parvati on the

nature of the guru and the guru/disciple relationship.

 

Reender Kranenborg a Dutch religious scholar, dismisses the

etymology based on the Upanishads, the Guru gita, the Sikh

scriptures, the writings of Krishnamurti, and other scholar's

opinions such as those of John Grimes, Thomas Murray, and others, by

stating that the etymology of darkness and light has noting to do

with word guru and describes it is as " people's etymology " . [10]

In the Western Esotericism and the Science of Religion, the author

makes a distinction between " esoteric etymologies " and " scientific

etymologies " presenting as an example the etymology of " guru " , in

which the former is presented as ru ( " to push away " ) and gu

( " darkness " ), and the latter as " guru " as " heavy " .[11]

 

Another etymology of the word " guru " found in the Guru Gita,

includes gu as " beyond the qualities " and ru as " devoid of form " ,

stating that " He who bestows that nature which trascend the

qualities is said to be guru " . [12]

 

Guru in Hinduism

 

The importance of finding a guru who can impart transcendental

knowledge (vidya) is one of the tenets of Hinduism. One of the main

Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita, is a dialogue between God in the

form of Krishna and Arjuna a nobleman. Not only does their dialogue

outlines many of the ideals of Hinduism, but the discussion and

relationship between the two considered to be an expression of the

ideal Guru/disciple relationship. In the Gita itself, Krishna speaks

of the importance of finding a guru to Arjuna:

 

Acquire the transcendental knowledge from a Self-realized master by

humble reverence, by sincere inquiry, and by service. The wise ones

who have realized the Truth will impart the Knowledge to you.

(Bhagavad Gita, c4 s34)

 

In the sense mentioned above, guru is used more or less

interchangeably with " satguru " (literally: true teacher) and

satpurusha. Compare also Swami. The disciple of a guru is called a

sishya or chela. Often, a guru lives in an ashram or in a gurukula

(the guru's household) together with his disciples. The lineage of a

guru, spread by worthy disciples who carry on that guru's particular

message, is known as the guru parampara or disciplic succession.

In the traditional sense, the word guru describes a relationship

rather than an absolute and is used as a form of address only by a

disciple addressing his master. Some Hindu denominations like BAPS

Swaminarayan Sanstha hold that a personal relationship with a living

guru, revered as the embodiment of God, is essential in seeking

moksha. The guru is the one who guides his or her disciple to become

jivanmukta, the liberated soul able to achieve salvation in his or

her lifetime through God-realization.

 

The role of the guru continues in the original sense of the word in

such Hindu traditions as the Vedanta, yoga, tantra and bhakti

schools. Indeed, it is now a standard part of Hinduism (as defined

by the six Vedic streams and the tantric agamic streams) , that a

guru is one's spiritual guide on earth. In some more mystical

traditions, it is believed that the guru could awaken dormant

spiritual knowledge within the pupil, known as shaktipat.

 

In Hinduism, the guru is considered a respected person with saintly

qualities who enlightens the mind of his or her disciple, an

educator from whom one receives the initiatory mantra, and one who

instructs in rituals and religious ceremonies. The Vishnu Smriti and

Manu Smriti regard the teacher, along with the mother and the

father, as the most venerable gurus (teachers) of an individual.

Some influential gurus in the Hindu tradition (there have been many)

include Adi Shankaracharya, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Shri

Ramakrishna. Other gurus whose legacy of continuing the Hindu yogic

tradition grew in the 20th century were men like Shri Ram Chandra,

Shri Aurobindo Ghosh, Shri Ramana Maharshi, Swami Sivananda and

Swami Chinmayananda. See also the list of Hindu gurus.

 

In Indian culture, someone not having a guru or a teacher (acharya)

was once looked down upon as being an orphan, and as under a sign of

misfortune. The word anatha in Sanskrit means " the one without a

teacher " . An acharya is the giver of gyan (knowledge) in the form of

shiksha (instruction). A guru also gives diksha initiation which is

the spiritual awakening of the disciple by the grace of the guru.

Diksha is also considered to be the procedure of bestowing the

divine powers of a guru upon the disciple, through which the

disciple progresses continuously along the path to divinity.

The origin of concept of " guru " can be traced as far back as the

early Upanishads, where the conception of the Divine Teacher on

earth first manifested from its early Brahmin associations.

 

There is an understanding in some sects that if the devotee were

presented with the guru and God, first he would pay respect to the

guru, since the guru had been instrumental in leading him to God.

Some tradition claim " Guru, God and Self (Self meaning soul, not

personality) are one and the same. In this context, saints and poets

in India, have expressed their views about the relationship between

Guru and God:

 

• Kabir

Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?

I bow before Guru who introduced God to me.

 

• Brahmanand

It's my great fortune that I found Satguru, all my doubts are

removed.

I bow before Guru. Guru's glory is greater than God's.

 

• Brahmanda Purana

Guru is Shiva sans his three eyes,

Vishnu sans his four arms

Brahma sans his four heads.

He is parama Shiva himself in human form

 

• Adi Shankara, widely considered one of the most important

figures of Indian intellectual history, begins his Gurustotram or

Verses to the Guru with the following Sanskrit Sloka, that is a

widely sung Bhajan:

 

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshwara

Guru Sakshath Parambrahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha

 

This means: Guru is creator Brahma; Guru is preserver Vishnu; Guru

is also the destroyer Siva and he is the source of the Absolute. I

offer all my efforts to the Guru.

 

Guru in Buddhism

 

The guru's blessing is the last of the four foundations in Vajrayana

Buddhism. In this foundation, the disciple can continue in their

experiential path on the way to the true nature of reality. The

disciple regards the guru as the embodiment of Buddha, or a

Bodhisattva, and he or she shows devotion and great appreciation

toward the guru as such.

 

In the Theravada Buddhist tradition, the teacher is a valued and

honoured mentor worthy of great respect and is a source of

inspiration on the path to Enlightenment. In the Tibetan tradition,

however, the teacher is viewed as the very root of spiritual

realization and the basis of the entire path. Without the teacher,

it is asserted, there can be no experience or insight. The guru is

to be seen as the Buddha. In Tibetan texts, great emphasis is placed

upon praising the virtues of the guru. Tantric teachings include

generating visualizations of the guru and making offerings praising

the guru. The guru becomes known as the vajra (literally " diamond " )

guru, the one who is the source of initiation into the tantric

deity. The disciple is asked to enter into a series of vows and

commitments which ensure the maintenance of the spiritual link ,

with the understanding that to break this link is a serious downfall.

In tantric Buddhism, a guru is essential for initiation, practice

and guidance along the path. The importance of a guru-disciple

relationship is demonstrated by ritual empowerments or initiations

where the student obtains permission to practice a particular tantra.

The Dalai Lama, speaking of the importance of the guru, said: " Rely

on the teachings to evaluate a guru: Do not have blind faith, but

also no blind criticism. "

 

According to the Dalai Lama, the term 'living Buddha' is a

translation of the Chinese word 'ho fu'. In Tibetan, the operative

word is 'lama' which means 'guru'. A guru is someone who is not

necessarily a Buddha but is heavy with knowledge. The term vajra is

also used, meaning 'master'.

 

The guru plays a very special role in Vajrayana (tantric Buddhism)

as the way itself. The guru is perceived as the " state of

enlightenment " . The guru is not an individual who initiates a

person, but the person's own Buddha-nature reflected in the

personality of the guru. In return, the disciple is expected to

shows great devotion to his or her guru, who he or she regards as

one who possesses the qualities of a Bodhisattva.

 

Guru in Sikhism

 

The title Guru is extremely fundamental to the religion of the

Sikhs. Indeed, the Sikhs have carried the meaning of the word to an

even greater level of abstraction, while retaining the original

usage, and apply it to an understanding of imparted knowledge

through any medium.

 

Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able Guru

disciple. The core beliefs of Sikhism are of belief in one God and

in the teachings of the Ten Gurus, enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib,

the Sikh holy book.

 

Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikhism, was opposed to the caste

system prevalent in his time in India and he accepted Hindus,

Muslims and people from other religions as disciples. His followers

referred to him as the Guru (teacher). Before his death he

designated a new Guru to be his successor and to lead the Sikh

community. This procedure was continued, and the tenth and last

Guru, Guru Gobind (AD 1666–1708) initiated the Sikh ceremony in AD

1699.

 

For Sikhs, the Gurus were not in the Christian sense " Sons of God " .

Sikhism says we are all the children of God and by deduction, God is

our mother/father.

 

Guru Nanak in speaking about God, says:

 

There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears

none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of

births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realized by the

kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True

when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now.

On the importance of guru, Nanak says: Let no man in the world live

in delusion. Without a Guru none can cross over to the other shore.

 

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