one guru

[mahak]

One Guru - mahaksadasa, 2001

 

Vaisnavism is often described as the descending process. Both occidental and oriental philosophies that confirm the goal in life is to be yoked with the Supreme Personality in loving relationship clearly describe that such a yoking is facilitated by the Will of the Supreme Lord. The Will of the Supreme Lord is the initiator of the yoking process, thus His feature of Sri Krsna, the all attractive, is the appropriate receptacle of the highest level of reciprocation of loving relationship endeavor.

 

On the other hand, ascending process philosophies are endeavors by the individual by their own initiative, to raise self-awareness through the sphere of the temporal to the platform of a spiritual nature, often quite mechanical. Because of this dependence on the self, often intervention by higher authority is neglected if not rejected entirely. Ascending processes establish the self as the Supreme Being capable of such great accomplishment, be it by acquisition of empiric knowledge, perfection of the mystic arts, etc. This "self only" philosophy results in the self being the means as well as the end of the quest for perfection. All knowledge may be present, eternality may be present, and freedom from the duality associated with the temporal world may also be available. However, ascending processes do not eventually lead to memory of spiritual identity due to the neglect in establishing relationship with the Supreme Lord. Teachers of ascending processes, if successful in imparting their knowledge to their students, have naturally created competitors who view themselves as the same person as their teacher. One can enter the clear light of the atmosphere of the spiritual realm, but not the variegated "mansions" of the Kingdom of God that are reserved for confidential servants acting in accordance with spiritual identity.

 

Although many ascending paths advertise as being various types of yoga, such a term is a misnomer. Yoga cannot be performed in a vacuum. The word itself indicates relationship, as “yoking” does to the adherents of occidental spiritual sciences. Even astanga, hatha and kundalini paths recognize the recipient of their austerities and subsequent pleasure and reward from the object of such practice. For scholars of western philosophies, the story of the tower of Babel is a very nice description of the futility of adopting an ascending path of personal effort. In oriental scripture, self-perfection quests are usually the stories of notorious figures such as Hiranyakasipu, King Bali prior to Lord Vamana's appearance, or other members of the asura class. Aside from misrepresenting the term "yoga", other items are impossible, yet casually presented, such as the idea of "Bodhisattwa", the compassionate descent from mystic liquid to uplift others, when compassion is only possible for those who acknowledge transcendental forms of diverse variety.

 

The descending process of God Himself taking the initiative in providing the topmost yoga to the fortunate living being, fitting in the category of the frustrated, the needy, the inquisitive, and the wise, is described in the Vaisnavism primer, the Bhagavad Gita. The very beginning of the philosophical understanding of Bhakti explains thoroughly the vehicle used in such a process, where the Supreme Lord descends to approach the four types of eligible candidates. This process is guru-tattwa, the system of associates fixed up in loving relationship with the Supreme Person, acting and empowered to act as intermediaries and preceptors to deliver God intact to the individual.

 

All intermediaries and preceptors are known as Guru, translated as one-pointedly performing the business of the Supreme Lord. The job of such empowered representatives is non-different than the Will of God, and this representation carries the same weight of Divinity as the full Divinity of the Supreme Lord. Srila Prabhupada, by His wonderful way of describing such guru-tattwa to His relatively uncultured disciples, uses the Postal System as a great example. The Main Post Office is God, but Postal Authority extends to not only official post boxes, but also to official employees of the Post Office and even to one's personal box at home. The key point is the main Post Office recognition of the satellite authority. One may construct an artificial post box that looks the same, someone may don the uniform of a postal employee without official position, yet without recognition by the Post Office, no connection is there, and the purpose of postal authority is thwarted in such concocted artificiality. There is no difference in placing a letter at the main branch, the remote box or the residential box with a flag raised to indicate outgoing. The letter is fully covered by authority and properly delivered, so all recognized satellites are as good as the main office.

 

So, back to the original thought of guru-tattwa, very analogous to this simple parable delivered by the expert guide, Srila Prabhupada, the descending process of Vaisnavism is also covered by "recognition" of empowerment. Guru is not only a term describing the agency; it also describes the branch office, employees of the office, receptacles of the office and the remote recognized delivery sites. We have God, residing as the Lord in the Heart, His first line agent providing access to Sri Chaitagurudeva, recognized servants of the agent and even the recipients of all this service, all are connected in a qualitative divinity by this arrangement.

 

Acintya Bheda bheda tattwa is a way to understand qualitative divinity from quantitative divinity. Divinity is not the issue at all, as all beings, moving and non-moving, have eternality and are impervious to the seeming duality of the temporal world. This is confirmed by Sri Krsna, clearly stating that neither birth nor death, heat - cold, pleasure - pain, etc., have influence on the living entity. Only the insanity of forgetfulness of spiritual identity, swarup, causes concern for these things, and all gurus are sent to break this bubble of insanity.

 

One great acarya gives full recognition as guru to a prostitute who gave a small nudge to partially awaken this person. Small nudges and great stimulation to break this slumber altogether are of the same exact status, because both are arranged specifically for the benefit of the individual self by the Guru who never leaves the side of the sleeping as well as the wide awake. Guru is the mother who arranges partial remembrance of intimate personal relationship. Guru is the talented artist that inspires one to look at the world in another way. Guru is the mentor who shows the dreaded death as a passing and recurring phenomena. Guru is the one inspiring proper and equal behavior toward one another. Guru is the one providing systematic practice to provide scientific spiritual growth. Guru is the unmotivated and selfless servant to all humankind. Guru is the one inviting us to the great feast of actual Life. Guru is the one welcoming us to the Feast. Guru is everyone in attendance at the Feast. Guru is also the one keeping the wonders of the Feast ingrained in the heart until the last biological gasp of air. Different functions? Every one. Sent by God? Every one. Uttama adhikari? Some are, some may not be, but this is the business of them and God, for they all have similar gurus of their own, as described.

 

So, Guru is One God, who expands Himself as He pleases in reciprocation to the four types who surrender to Him. Guru is used to fulfill the needy, satisfy the mental hankerings of the inquisitive and end the misery of the frustrated. These gurus solve the immediate needs and are often soon forgotten after the needs are met. For the wise, however, forgetfulness of the role and function of all gurus never takes place. The wise are also universally accepted as gurus of the highest caliber in their own right and always give full recognition to all who have facilitated such fulfillment. The wisdom itself prevents miscalculation of self-worth, and actual spiritual humility and respect and reverence for all is a natural byproduct of such wisdom.

 

If some glommed onto this "One Guru" article hoping the author would verify the uniqueness of one over another in the interest of fomenting a "personality cult" of exclusion and party spirit blindness, they wound up with a declaration of nothing more or less than a description of acintya bheda bheda tattwa as pertaining to the representative of the will of the Supreme Lord.

 

One Guru - One Love - Deserving praise for the kindness He shows us by expanding Himself as He pleases for our ultimate best interest. In the final cut, God is not the void in a vacuum. Included in the word "God" is His realm, His Names, Fame, and Glory, and His associates fully acting on His Will to rekindle in us realization of spiritual identity in reciprocal loving relationship to the all attractive Personality, Lord Sri Krsna.

 

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga. This is not a solidarity slogan of party affiliation; it is a synonym of Sri Nitai and Sri Gauranga, the oneness of Guru and the Supreme Lord. To Siksa preceptor of this writer, I offer my humble obesancies, for he is way over the wall. Yet he leaves a thin string as strong as iron. This wall I am up against is very high, and I am thinking of climbing it at every moment. He is called guru for this string lifeline he leaves, but more of a guru for what else he has left me with. He allows me to pace this wall in contemplation by his very teachings and especially his uncommon patience. For unknown reasons, I cannot go back the path in which I came or the many other paths to the same wall others have used. If all I ever see is this wall and the ironlike lifeline, my life is perfect, for the top of that wall is my vyasasana facing south, and this is where I leave my string for others to climb with.

 

Hare Krsna, ys in cooperation, mahaksadasa