RE: [Sri Ramakrishna] Choice of a Guru

[Guest guest]

Kendra has given some very nice insights. An enlightened one has said " A

disciple can never be a false one but a Guru can be false one " .

 

one will feel joy and satisfaction in the presence of a enlightened one. N

its also true that its Guru who finds us. if you had been disciple of

someone in your past births then he surely will find you when the right time

comes but that doesn't mean that you sit down n watch. Do whatever search,

learning you want to do because thats a path which will bring you closer to

him because its a plan of his.

 

Sri Adi Shankracharya has said how to identify an enlightened one maybe

someone who has read the works of Sri Adi Shankracharya can shed light on

this.

 

Even if you follow certain other Guru initially your search will end at the

feet of whom where you had to be. Choose one who appeals best to your mind

ans soul. I guess there is nothin wrong in testing a Guru but a hard time

will come when he starts testing us :-)

 

 

>

>Kendra Crossen Burroughs [kcburroughs]

>Friday, November 02, 2001 12:06 AM

>Ramakrishna

>[sri Ramakrishna] Re: Choice of a Guru

>

>

>It has been said that to surrender to an imperfect guru is

>like letting a madman

>sit on your chest with a sharp instrument in his hand. So I

>think your question

>is an important one.

> My feeling is that we don't choose a true guru--he or she

>chooses us.

>Waiting for the call becomes a high spiritual art in itself.

>In the meantime, it

>is safest to follow one's own religion or one of the Divine

>Incarnations of the

>past, rather than attempt any advanced spiritual practices on

>one's own without

>guidance.

> In order to merit having a true guru, I think we have to

>have the necessary

>qualifications. We have to have developed certain qualities

>and we must have the

>capacity to obey and surrender. I believe we should work on

>cultivating those

>qualities and not worry about the results and let whatever

>happens happen. Who

>knows, maybe we have already developed humility and don't even

>know that we

>posses the necessary qualities because we do not even think

>about whether we

>have made any progress or not.

> If we happen to come in contact with a purported master, I

>believe that if

>we are sincere and honest with ourselves, we can rely on our

>intuition to tell

>us. The feeling in the presence of a perfect one should be

>bliss. It must give

>us an uplifting feeling, even if his outer appearance is not

>all " love and

>light. " Sometimes perfect ones may display anger or they may

>ignore you. But

>still you will feel happy in their presence. We must have this

>intuitive

>knowledge enabling us to recognize perfection somewhere within

>us, because after

>all, we are " That. "

> If someone should, God forbid, surrender to an imperfect

>or false master,

>then if one is sincere, there will be no harm--in fact, it is

>the hypocritical

>teacher who will suffer.

> Sometimes we meet people or encounter teachings that are

>just a little bit

>more advanced than we are. This can be very helpful as we

>travel along the way,

>though it is not the ultimate guide.

> If we have the necessary divine desperateness, we will

>attract the grace of

>a true guru. So cultivate more and more longing and become

>desperate, like the

>fish out of water who longs for air. That is the advice that I

>have taken to

>heart.

>

>Kendra

>

 

 

" THIS E-MAIL MESSAGE ALONG WITH ANY ATTACHMENTS IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE

ADDRESSEE and may contain confidential and privileged information.

If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient,

you are notified that any dissemination, distribution or copy of this

communication is strictly Prohibited.

If you have received this message by error, please notify us

immediately, return the original mail to the sender and delete the

message from your system. "