Accepting a human being as Guru.

[Guest guest]

Dear Thomas,

 

It has been the tradition in India since long to accept a person as a Guru, the dispeller of darkness. It requires a very long preparatory mode before you can bring yourself forth to accept a "puny human being" as your guide on the road to the spiritual goal.

 

I think you can understand me better if I rephrase the term "Guru" as a "teacher". You must have in your own life accepted many a teacher in various fields. Where would you have been today without their help and guidance?

 

If it takes a human teacher to guide us on temporal matters then is it so bad to accept a teacher on the spiritual path? Ok, you talk of Jesus and Krishna, but during their time were they too not human beings? Doubting Thomases were plenty in their times too. Only a handful believed in them. In case of Sri Ramakrishna only twelve followers accompanied his body to the cremation spot. The rest of the world was unperturbed. There was also a movement to deride his legacy and keep him confined to the concept of a "mad temple priest".

 

If Guru's were not required then God would never have reincarnated on earth by taking a human form. You are an advaitin. Sri Ramakrishna too was an advaitin. However he did accept Totapuri as a Guru, didn't he. Even Mother Kali agreed to his request and indicated that Totapuri's arrival served a purpose. Not only Totapuri, Sri Ramakrishna accepted other Gurus too in his lifetime. Once he was even seen running after a stray dog wondering if the Mother had something to communicate through it.

 

It always helps to maintain an open attitude. God alone knows through whom and by what means he will convey his message to you. In India it is always advised to pray to God and wait for ones spiritual Guru to arrive. When the right Guru comes along the disciple has no doubt.

 

The western attitude places a lot of importance to self effort. It also believes in the power of ones own self. Therefore it is natural for a westerner to be shocked at the possibility of having to take external help to travel the rajors edge. But, I feel, this attitude deprives one of taking the advantage of divine grace. The Guru and his legacy have cut out a safe path through which many can traverse with ease. When many paths are available it may be a waste of time to hue a path on ones own.

 

Many members of this list must have experienced the immense grace of their personal Guru's. It is difficult to bow down before a human being but when one knows that the human being represents God then the process becomes easier and results in self surrender, inviting more grace in the process.

 

No offence taken Thomas. As Sri Ramakrishna says, "All paths lead to the same goal." As followers of Sri Ramakrishna we too are advaitins though the followers of Shankara may not think so.

 

There are of course many false prophets, but that is another subject altogether. The followers of Sri Ramakrishna can never be entrapped in their snares.

 

Love & Regards,

Jagannath.

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