Need a Spiritual Guru

[srivats]

Hey all,

 

Although i think , i know little drops in big spirtual ocean , I would like to have a spiritual guru to teach me.

What ever i am acquiring from here and there , is not giving me full picture , so i might not ask doubts on one particaular part , on first place becasue i dont know much of basics.

 

Can someone help me ?

 

Madhavan Kesava Madhana Gopala /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Srivats

[Krishna69]

Its hard to find a real spiritual Guru in this world. In my search, i found most of them being hippocratic actually giving advice to others when they dont live that life when it comes to their matter. I would suggest you to search within yourself just by reading Bagawat GITA several times when ever you find time. Ultimately you will realise that Krishna is your spiritual GURU. This is what I realised and dont feel lonely nowadays looking for GOD.

Regards

Shyam

[stonehearted]

Srivats, this is a big step and a very big question. Our real life begins when our spiritual inquiries take us to the point of realizing we need a qualified guru to help us. It might help me advise you is I asked a couple of questions first. Where do you live? Do you have any contact with vaishnavas beyond this Web site? Do you have any Gaudiya vaishnava literature? (I ask this because my training is in the Gaudiya line, coming through Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, and Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, so that would indicate pretty much the perspective I'm familiar with. Others here may come from different lines, so their specific advice may be different.) Have you made any systematic study of literatures such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam? (If not, there's a good place to start. You might want to obtain a copy of Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and perhaps also Swami Tripurari's Bhagavad-gita: Its Feeling and Philosophy.) It's also a good idea to start by chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra regularly (even if just a little every day): Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.

 

I know of several Gaudiya vaishava teachers who may be able to help you; however, since we're talking about a personal relationship, which is an affair of the heart, I can only point to those in whom I have confidence and let you find those with whom you can make a real connection. It is advised not to accept a guru based on easy sentiment, local custom, or institutional convention. This will be the most imprtant realtionship you enter, since it will facilitate your revival of your inherent relationship with Krishna. If you'd like to know whoI would recommend you contact, and how to do so, please email me at williamr@hawaii.edu. If it's not possible to post our email addresses (I don't remember all the rules here), let me know and I'll post that information here.

 

I'm sure other members will also offer advice and suggest you contact gurus in whom they have confidence. Their advice is certainly no less valuable than mine. I'm not claiming any exclusive line on the truth. Don't be in a hurry; do this as carefully as you can.

 

Babhru das

[Krishna69]

Hi..I would suggest yu to read the Bagawatgita (slokas and interpretation) printed by Ramakrishna Mutt. In this they have given the interpretations of Shri Shankaraacharya and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. This would certainly help you in finding the spiritual path irrespective of the fact whether you actually find a GURU in physical form.

Shyam

[srivats]

 

Thanks stonehearted / shyam,

 

I have started reading Bhagwat gita , whenever i find time , i have to buy book of bhagawatam , but my parents are saying not to read that in home ( they believe reading bhagawatham in home will make conflicts and fights between relatives ).Anyway i will convince them on that.

 

I have been to vedantic lectures on bhagwat gita , for the past 4 days and i felt , hearing the principles through a guru is more clear than reading myself and i felt today somehow that i need a Spiritual guru to move towards krishna.

 

I live in chennai , india -Please write to me at srivatsana@hotmail.com for any help.

 

Thanks a lot !

 

Madhava Kesava Madhana Gopala

Srivats

 

 

[Guest guest]

You can read srila prabhupada's bhagavatam online. Some people say mahabharata stories bring war in home. I don't believe them. Tell your parents bhagavatam is not same as mahabharata. ( I also don't believe mahabharata stories brings war. I think mahabharata shows you that war isn't good at all.) Can you read hindi? Did you ever considered to buy hindi translations of the bhagavata or in any other indian language. I liked srila prabhupada's bhagavatam's translation and commentary but it was an a great help for me to read hindi translation and commentary by other people also.

[gHari]

STEP ONE: Live in the Bhagavad-gita for several years; then you can recognize a true guru. The one I could have accepted as my spiritual master has written in his translation of Srimad Bhagavatam 8.24.53<blockquote><center>tvaM tvAm ahaM deva-varaM vareNyaM

prapadya IzaM pratibodhanAya

chindhy artha-dIpair bhagavan vacobhir

granthIn hRdayyAn vivRNu svam okaH

</center>

tvam--how exalted You are; tvAm--unto You; aham--myself; deva-varam--worshiped by the demigods; vareNyam--the greatest of all; prapadye--fully surrendering; Izam--unto the supreme controller; pratibodhanAya--for understanding the real purpose of life; chindhi--cut off; artha-dIpaiH--by the light of purposeful instruction; bhagavan--O Supreme Lord; vacobhiH--by Your words; granthIn--knots; hRdayyAn--fixed within the core of the heart; vivRNu--kindly explain; svam okaH--my destination in life.

 

O Supreme Lord, for self-realization I surrender unto You, who are worshiped by the demigods as the supreme controller of everything. By Your instructions, exposing life's purpose, kindly cut the knot from the core of my heart and let me know the destination of my life.

 

PURPORT

Sometimes it is argued that people do not know who is a spiritual master and that finding a spiritual master from whom to get enlightenment in regard to the destination of life is very difficult. To answer all these questions, King Satyavrata shows us the way to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the real spiritual master. The Supreme Lord has given full directions in Bhagavad-gItA about how to deal with everything in this material world and how to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore, one should not be misled by so-called gurus who are rascals and fools. Rather, one should directly see the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the guru or instructor. It is difficult, however, to understand Bhagavad-gItA without the help of the guru. Therefore the guru appears in the paramparA system. In Bhagavad-gItA (4.34) the Supreme Personality of Godhead recommends:<ceNter>

tad viddhi praNipAtena

paripraznena sevayA

upadekSyanti te jJAnaM

jJAninas tattva-darzinaH

</center>

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." Lord KRSNa directly instructed Arjuna. Arjuna is therefore tattva-darzI or guru. Arjuna accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead (paraM brahma paraM dhAma pavitraM paramaM bhavAn [bg. 10.12]). Similarly, following in the footsteps of SrI Arjuna, who is a personal devotee of the Lord, one should accept the supremacy of Lord KRSNa, as supported by VyAsa, Devala, Asita, NArada and later by the AcAryas RAmAnujAcArya, MadhvAcArya, NimbArka and ViSNusvAmI and still later by the greatest AcArya, SrI Caitanya MahAprabhu. Where, then, is the difficulty in finding a guru? If one is sincere he can find the guru and learn everything. One should take lessons from the guru and find out the goal of life. MahArAja Satyavrata, therefore, shows us the way of the mahAjana. MahAjano yena gataH sa panthAH. One should surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (dazAvatAra) and learn from Him about the spiritual world and the goal of life.

</blockquote>

As for choosing a guru, I think that Bhagavada-gita 4.34 is clearly the criteria by which one should be selected:<blockquote><center>"tad viddhi praNipAtena

paripraznena sevayA

upadekSyanti te jJAnaM

jJAninas tattva-darzinaH

</center>

tat--that knowledge of different sacrifices; viddhi--try to understand; praNipAtena--by approaching a spiritual master; paripraznena--by submissive inquiries; sevayA--by the rendering of service; upadekSyanti--they will initiate; te--you; jJAnam--into knowledge; jJAninaH--the self-realized; tattva--of the truth; darzinaH--seers.

 

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

 

PURPORT

The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The BhAgavatam (6.3.19) says, dharmaM tu sAkSAd bhagavat-praNItam: the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help lead one to the right path. Nor by independent study of books of knowledge can one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. Not only should one hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.

</blockquote>

Good luck, Srivats. There is no rush. Be a smart buyer.

 

gHari

[stonehearted]

gHari: There is no rush. Be a smart buyer.

 

Good advice, of course. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[srivats]

Thanks a lot hari , I will first start studying Gita and

Srimad - Bhagawatam. I am sure krishna will take me to the right person.

 

You know onething , i was working in night shift for the past one week , so after going home , i will take some rest and hence i didnt go to temple to see him for a week , Yesterday was "Krithika " thats the star of Krishna , and there was cermony in the nearby temple, where they decorate krishna and take him round the area , This is very usual , but yesterday i felt as if he is coming to see me , whether i am ok, since i have not gone to the temple , Its a practise that we offer him , fruits and flowers when he comes on the way out of temple... i was standing in 3 floor , and seing the procession at the end of the road , i rushed to my flat to make the aarthi plate ready , immdiately dressed myslef in dhothi and had thilak on head , and rushed downstairs to submit the aarthi plate .

 

I was soo lucky i got him right there , after the formalities i rused to temple to see my lord.

 

How many forms he is coming to meet me , when i see calender in my home , his small picture is there, he is soo simple for his devotees , he comes in varoius forms to given dharshan to us .

 

I take one step towards him , he takes 100 steps towards me !

 

Madhava Kesava Madhana Gopala /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Srivats

[Krishna69]

Hi..A lovely experience. But a small correction. Krishna's birth star is Rohini and not krithika.

shyam

[srivats]

I am really sorry for posting the star of krishna as Krithikai , i jus did it unknowingly ( how can i be ?!)

 

on that day only , the people celebrated the festivel of taking the god outside the temple decorated as krishna , probably i should find out with my dad , as he is priest he must be knowing that.

 

Oh krishna forgive me for my ignorance.

 

Madhava Kesava Madhana Gopala

Srivats