My Guru has entered Krsna's pastimes,how can he guide me here and now?

[krsna]

His Divine Grace has left this world and am I all alone now to fight Maya?

 

How can he possibly help me now in my desperate hour of need?

 

Is he really gone and I can no longer get his mercy and instruction?

 

Who will reprimand me if I go off the rails and into the deep end?

 

I am ready to enter the fire and smash my head against the rocks,where has my beloved spiritual master gone and how can I be with him once again?

[Govindaram]

 

Hare Krsna

 

There is siksa Guru and diksa Guru, no difference between the two, sometimes one is more prominent than the other.

 

Siksa Guru: reading: Prabhupada books, he is more prominent,

Diksa Guru offering him prayers he is more prominent,

 

In order that there be No Breakage in Paramapara the Diksa Guru must be present, servant of the servant of His Guru.

 

Lord Krsna did the same 5000 years ago, in this way the message is not lost, it is carried on perpetually.

 

That ok ji? /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[AncientMariner]

"I also do not feel seperation from my Guru Maharaja. When I am engaged in his service, his pictures give me sufficient strength. To serve master's word is more important than to serve him physically."

 

(Letter to Syamasundara, 19/7/70)

 

"I went to your country for the spreading this information of Krsna Consciousness and you are helping me with my mission, although I am not physically present there but spiritually I am always with you."

 

(Letter to Hamsadutta, 22/6/70)

 

 

"So that is called prakata, physically present. And there is another phrase, which is called aprakata, not physically present. But that does not mean, Krsna is dead or God is dead. That does not mean, prakata or aprakata, physically present or not present, it does not matter."

 

(Lectures SB 73/12/11)

 

"So my Guru Maharaja will be very, very much pleased with you... it is not that he is dead and gone. That is not spiritual understanding... he is seeing. I never feel that I am alone."

 

(Lecture, 2/3/75)

 

Much thanks to LivingEntity for the wonderful quotes. Hope these quotes help.

[Govindaram]

 

These quotes are Not Universal for Diksa And Siksa.

 

Am I the only one who can see this?

[Guest guest]

His Divine Grace has left this world and am I all alone now to fight Maya?

..his divine grace protects us in various ways.. from his books, by his blessings, and through the other pure devotees present in this world. Chatya Guru does not leave this world

 

Who will reprimand me if I go off the rails and into the deep end?

...another uttama adhikari as pure as srila prabhupada

 

I am ready to enter the fire and smash my head against the rocks,where has my beloved spiritual master gone and how can I be with him once again?

...this is the right feeling of the devotee when the acharya goes away.. but we have to continue to practice and to get direct instructions and chastizements from another devotee who incarnates the original spiritual master .. krsna.

 

The guru is not material.. he does not die, he does not really disappears because he comes back as another pure devotee

[AncientMariner]

You are probably right. I don't know what Diksa and Siksa are? You have 2 different gurus? Is the first one you hear from and then the one who initiates you? Forgive my ignorance I don't understand the initiation process at all. I just read Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam and thought everything was answered if you chant and follow regulative principles but apparently it is more complicated than I thought. Sorry for my ignorance.

[livingentity]

the quotes are indeed relevant.

 

You will find the answers you need in Prabhupada's books. He will always direct you in the right direction.

 

Hare Krsna

[Govindaram]

 

Reading Prabhupada's you should know already.

 

Diska Guru- puts you in link with Krsna.

Siksa Guru- puts you in link with Krsna.

 

They are the same.

 

But in order to gain Diksa the Guru Maharaja has to be present, Siksa you can take from Books, its really that simple.

 

You must require and want to serve Vaishnavas, Not just be after them for Diksa, Vaishnavas are so rare, we should be happy to please them. I hope that helps, I am not qualified to help you, but I know certain facts, as I have had association on this forum and elsewhere with Devotees.

[Guest guest]

books are there, but they have to be learned and studied under the direct guidance of a pure devotee

 

otherwise why, for prabhupada the need to write purports after the verses?

 

if books were, for us, in our present consciousness, really self effulgent why the need to explain them? why the need of write and say new things when bhaktisiddhanta and previous acharias, have said everything to help us to attain krsna consciousness?

 

this demonstrates that the process of having pure devotees facing continously the new challenges that the world put against krsna consciousness has not to be interrupted

[theist]

 

books are there, but they have to be learned and studied under the direct guidance of a pure devotee

 

otherwise why, for prabhupada the need to write purports after the verses?

 

 

Yes, glad to see you understand that when reading Prabhupada's purports you ARE learning and studying under the direct guidance of a pure devotee and with the aid of Caitya-guru.

 

Also the help of elders (in understanding not years)is there. Everyone is still there to help one. But the question of our own sincerity ever remains.

 

Messengers we have in abundance but are we receptive to the message?

 

[Guest guest]

"Yes, glad to see you understand that when reading Prabhupada's purports you ARE learning and studying under the direct guidance of a pure devotee and with the aid of Caitya-guru."

 

but it is not possible to have an interaction with this form of guru, we cannot be corrected and chastized by a book

 

books and purports were here when prabhupada was present in the planet... but i never heard of anyone remaining in the ashram with a book in his hands while prabhupada was giving darshan in his room or class in the temple

 

so we need guru in all forms and shapes... chatya guru, diksa guru, purport guru, siksa guru, vani guru and vapu guru

 

"Messengers we have in abundance but are we receptive to the message?"

 

part of the receptiveness is to look for (or pray for, or to be opened to) a present living spiritual master who will explain to us books, purports.. who will chastize us.. who will give direct instructions perfectly fit for us, thing that books cannot do.. a book contains general instructions, not personal instructions

[krsna]

********************************************

part of the receptiveness is to look for (or pray for, or to be opened to) a present living spiritual master who will explain to us books, purports.. who will chastize us.. who will give direct instructions perfectly fit for us, thing that books cannot do.. a book contains general instructions, not personal instructions

 

***********************************

 

I'll open myself up again to His Divine Grace.

[krsna]

(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.2.7, Translation and purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

 

 

uddhava uvaca

krsna-dyumani nimloce girnesv ajagarena ha

kim nu nah kusalam bruyam gata-srisu grhesv aham

 

Sri Uddhava said: My dear Vidura, the sun of the world, Lord Krishna, has set, and our house has now been swallowed by the great snake of time. What can I say to you about our welfare?

 

PURPORT

 

The disappearance of the Krishna sun may be explained as follows, according to the commentary of Srila Viswanath Chakravarti Thakur. Vidura was struck with great sorrow when he got the hint of the annihilation of the great Yadu dynasty as well as of his own family, the Kuru dynasty. Uddhava could understand the grief of Vidura, and therefore he first wanted to sympathize with him by saying that after the sunset, everyone is in darkness. Since the entire world was merged in the darkness of grief, neither Vidura nor Uddhava nor anyone else could be happy. Uddhava was as much aggrieved as Vidura, and there was nothing further to be said about their welfare. The comparison of Krishna to the sun is very appropriate. As soon as the sun sets, darkness automatically appears. But the darkness experienced by the common person does not affect the sun itself, either at the time of sunrise or of sunset. Lord Krishna’s appearance and disappearance are exactly like that of the sun. He appears and disappears in innumerable universes, and as long as He is present in a particular universe there is all transcendental light in that universe, but the universe from which He passes away is put into darkness. His pastimes, however, are everlasting. The Lord is always present in some universe, just as the sun is present in either the eastern or western hemisphere. The sun is always present either in India or in America, but when the sun is present in India, the American land is in darkness, and when the sun is present in America, the Indian hemisphere is in darkness.

As the sun appears in the morning and gradually rises to the meridian, and then again sets in one hemisphere while simultaneously rising in the other, so Lord Krishna’s disappearance in one universe and the beginning of His different pastimes in another take place simultaneously. As soon as one pastime is finished here, it is manifested in another universe. And thus His nitya-lila, eternal pastimes, are going on continuously. As the sunrise takes place once in twenty-four hours, similarly the pastimes of Lord Krishna take place in a universe once in a day of Brahma, which according to Bhagavad-gita is 4,300,000,000 solar years. But wherever the Lord is present, all His different pastimes as described in the revealed scriptures take place at regular intervals.

As at sunset the snakes become powerful, thieves are encouraged, ghosts become active, the lotus becomes disfigured, and the cakravaki bird laments, so with the disappearance of Lord Krishna, the atheists feel enlivened and the devotees become sorry.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

These are some similar thoughts to Prabhupad by his Godbrother Srila Sridhar Maharaj

 

Eternal Sunrise

The sankirttan movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed here over 500 years ago is still flowing and it may be possible to find somewhere in a corner of the solar system. That eternal sound is still flowing there with His figure and all His paraphernalia, the cause of all causes. This flow of vision that came here 500 years ago is also emanating, moving away. So with adjustment, greater speed, we can follow, we can find that Gaura-Nitya lila. Generally we cannot understand how the lila is nitya.

From this standpoint we can see the lila to be eternal. Just as the earth is moving everywhere there is morning. Here the sun is rising, then a mile off perhaps one minute after, the sun is still rising in another place, in this way the sun is always rising. If it were possible to catch a supersonic jet we could live in the constant rising of the sun, transforming our relative concept of the sun and time. So all the morning, noon afternoon and evening, the sun is still rising here or somewhere else, so lila is also like that. It is coming here and passing away. That bhajan lila, finished here but in yet another place is beginning, and was previously extended from another quarter, simultaneously it is never ending in the Absolute sense. So everywhere, somewhere or other, every lila is eternally unfolding. Some are meditating on Krsna being born in Mathura, another devotee is worshipping Krsna with His mates keeping the cows in the jungle while others also have their relationships with Him in so many moods of devotion. If such thinking is possible in the heart of the devotee, it is all Krsna’s potency to reciprocate with all of his devotees eternally. So He is there in every moment at the centre of every atom, ever existent. His lila is of such infinite nature, He can express Himself everywhere in every mood in every possible aspect. It cannot be finalised, it cannot come under limitation. That is the characteristic of the infinite. Not only Krsna lila is nectar, but every part of Krsna lila is nectar.

The fundamental conception of the infinite is such, it is not static it is dynamic. It is flowing and time and space cannot limit it. We are under time and space, but time and space all come from Him. He is above time and space and forms everything in this way. So Krsna lila is eternally flowing not only wholesale, but every part of His lila also. That is difficult to understand,. His pastimes are eternal, we may understand it in that way. But every part of lila that is also eternal and co-existing. Janma lila here, another lila there, in this way everywhere at every time, every one can have conception of any part. So we are given to understand the unlimited in our limited position by the grace of those agents of divinity, it is very peculiar. Adhoksaja means transcendental and aprakrta is very similar to the mundane but not mundane. Very similar to the material conception of the world, but still that is eternal. Adhoksaja means a particular type of consciousness which pushes down all the knowledge of our previous experience, quite a new thing, transcendental, it’s super-subjective.

Out of His sweet will He can enter your consciousness and you may feel, "Oh some new experience I am having within my consciousness and when He withdraws it, "Oh where did that go? I cannot find it, but I liked it very much, it was very sweet and made me exceptionally happy." That is adhoksaja. It is Absolute good. Coming in His connection nothing can remain atheist.

The Miracle of Mahaprabhu

Gaura lila is not only in a part of history occurring once, it is not like that. At a certain time in the day of Brahma the creator, in every kali-yuga there comes the yuga-avatara to preach the Name only. Then once in the day of Brahma in the 28th yuga, there is a selected time in Nabadwip for Gauranga to approach, and when in Vrndavan it is Swayam Bhagavan, Krsna coming. So what comes to us if we can enter with that particular part of our self, that can really appreciate and understand its affinity with His play, that is eternal lila. If we can enter into that we will find that grace of such infinite value. To appreciate the value of the treasure being given we must try to understand the environment of everything by qualitative reference. The standard of examining things that is very important for us. Some will say, "Oh this is just another story, Gaura lila, history, by some chance came once. There are many who belittle Gaura lila and there are some who are highly appreciative of His advent. So many sections are there in the Name of the Lord.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu thought the people in general may take him as an ordinary man so He thought I have come to deliver the fallen souls, if they commit offence to Me there is no chance.” So He decided to take the dress of sannyas. Which is highly respected in India.

“A glass of water is valuable according to the degree of necessity.” Necessity is greater in separation, where there is hunger for a thing. From 7 years up to 12 years Krsna stayed in Vrndavan. He stayed in Dwaraka up to 125 years of age, so their whole life the gopis were in long standing separation. So the opposition side in the Vrndavan lila was coming from Mathura.

In Gaur-lila and Krsna-lila there is a similar parallel, Krsna’s life is similar to Mahaprabhu leaving Nabadwip. Mahaprabhu returned after 5 years conquering different scholars, the masses approached Him, crossing the Ganges the whole river was filled with human heads. And the whole jungle was cleared where they pushed forward to receive His dharsan, trodden down with their feet. First, eighteen years of scholarly life, then six years of sankirttan, He spent six years touring south India, six years in Puri with the devotees publicly, then twelve years retiring from public, tasting the separation from Radha- Krsna.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Guru is not one - that is impersonalism.

Guru is always plural and the different forms of guru are there to teach you different things.

siksa is instruction and diksa initiation. sometimes these two functions are found in the same person, but more often they are separate. any devotee who is your elder, is supposed to be your siksa guru, but the initiating spiritual master must be one only.

In the case of him leaving the body after your first initiation, you are allowed to take the second from some other guru. the ideal situation is one guru for all initiations, but many gurus to instruct.

That is waht Sridhar Maharaja said.

VdK

[Guest guest]

********************************************

part of the receptiveness is to look for (or pray for, or to be opened to) a present living spiritual master who will explain to us books, purports.. who will chastize us.. who will give direct instructions perfectly fit for us, thing that books cannot do.. a book contains general instructions, not personal instructions

***********************************

I'll open myself up again to His Divine Grace.

*************************************************

 

 

so accept a personal living guru as Srila Prabhupada advices in the gita... serve him... make direct questions.. receive direct and exclusive instructions

 

opening to prabhupada means to following his instructions and the tradition of Gudya Vaishnava Sampradaya.. not only reading the books

[Guest guest]

My guru maharaja, srila Sridhar Deva, always gives me advise when I do not know what to do or which way to go. I ask him before i go to sleep and he appears in my dream. sometimes he chastises me, sometimes he says only a single word and when I am awake, he speaks to me from the heart - I know always when I have acted against his instructions - (everything goes haywire. i stuff up).

I have learned to listen very carefully - one word is very little but it is always clear too. my lack of surreneder is the only thing standing between success or failure. But I have never felt alone, without his physical presence.

 

He reasons ill, who says that vaisnavas die

for they will live in sound and while they're living sprread the holy name around.

(I don't know if this is correct, but this is what I remember. It is by Bhaktivinoda thakur. No offense meant.)

VdK.

[Guest guest]

that's a special mercy, not the rule.. srila sridhara swami himself was the siksa guru of many devotees who had their initiating guru disappeared

[muralidhar_das]

Srila Sridhar Maharaj once rejected a disciple (B.R.Acharya Swami) because that disciple was thinking he was directly getting instructions from Paramatma and was not following Guru Maharaj properly. I was present when that happened, and I had to deal with that man after he was "disconnected", and even after he was "disconnected" the man continued to "believe in himself" even though his Guru had told him he was following his mind, which is material, and not Paramatma.

 

Prabhu, if you are a disciple of Guru Maharaj, please be careful that you do not misrepresent Guru Maharaj's teachings in a public forum like this.

[Guest guest]

Actually 'Guru is One' is a quote from Slila A.C.Bhaktivedanta swami in his address to an assembly in Mumbai.

But as Srila Sridhara Maharaj said there can't but be some opposition to every thing in this world, for it is the world of duality . Guru Maharaj taught that thru the process of elimination and acceptance we will progress, thesis- anti-thesis and synthesis.

Here is one more perspective of this predicament Krsna das is addressing.

 

Not long before Srila Sridhara Maharaj departed this world I had written him a letter asking how I will go on if he leaves us in this world. It was one of the only letters i never received an answer to, yet not too long afterwards I visited for his dharsan at Gaur Purnima. By this time his health and mood were showing signs of complete withdrawal to the nirguna plane he so often talked of.

 

I was videoing his every movement at the time and it was at this time he delivered that controversial address to all his disciples, on his divine succession, it was a very intense time for all concerned as we huddled around to drink in every word that was being poured out from his heart.

The gist of which was that thru Srila Sridhara Maharajs' own uttama vision he transferred all responsibility and grace of the Rupanuga parampara- the Vyasasan of acharya to Srila Govinda Maharaj who was reluctant to take it at first, but inevitably accepted with uttmost humility the order of his perfect master on his head.

He stated, "I have given him sannyasa. All my Vaishnava Godbrothers are very affectionate towards him and it is also their desire to give him this position. I have previously given to him the charge of the Math and now I am giving him the full responsibility of giving Harinam, diksha, sannyasa, etc., as an Acharya of this Math on behalf of myself.

Those who have any regard for me should give this respect and position to Govinda Maharaj as my successor. As much as you have faith in my sincerity, then with all sincerity I believe that he has got the capacity of rendering service in this way.

 

Furthermore "in this Math and in any Math under this Math, he will be the representative. If anyone cannot accept this, he may leave the Math rather than stay here and disturb the peace of the Math"

 

As i see it in our particular line this is a general instruction that answers how to continue in the absence of the Gurus vapu, Srila Sridhara Maharaj in his deep wisdom recognized in the first week of meeting Srila Govinda Maharaj as a boy, His divine successor and for the rest of his life constantly poured everything of himself into SGM to prepare him for his present service to the vaisnava world. I might also add that Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj also said this same thing of Srila Sridhara Maharaj that "he SSM prepared me for my service."

 

For those that know and associate with Srila Govinda Maharaj these days they are aware that he is the very living embodiment of all the glorious conclusions SSM elaborated, and we can find SSMs' living support in every thing he does, aside from the miraculous mission that is manifesting in the external environment, just his personality confirms all the scriptures discriptions of an empowered prema drenched well wisher, that turns everything and everyone to Bhakti where ever he goes. As he fullfills the environment with the wishes of Our beloved Gurudev.

So it is here in his disciple we will find our Guru Maharaj and it is also here that I find Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, in and around the personality of Srila Govinda Maharaj.

 

For anyone near Navadwip He is at present just returning from California thru London for Gaura Purnima. It promises to be a most memorable festival, all are cordially invited to attend and there is plenty of hospidable accomodation.

Feel free to enquire from the Math any details you may need or simply appear there.

 

http://scsmath.com/

[Guest guest]

Excuse me to save any mix up of Srila Guru Maharajs' disciples, I just posted the last post about SGM.

 

Dandavats to all my Godbrethren and the honorable devotees on this site.

[Guest guest]

I am so sorry to have given this impression of misrepresentation. Srila Sridhar maharaja was always very magnanimous, but I was also present at an occasion where he disconnected a disciple - here from Amsterdam. I will not name names, since the person already left the body.

On the other hand, my relationship with my gurumaharaja may not be obvious to others. whatever he has shown me, is for me to understand.

My understanding of the guru and krsna is that what was available to Srila Prabhupada and Sridhar Maharaja, is available to us. if it is not, what use is Krsna consciousness?

Gurumaharaja always said that everything is dependent on your sincerity and if that is there, nothing can stand in the way, but Krsna's grace. you may have to wait very patiently, but sooner or later, Krsna must notice, for that is his nature.

in regards to the abandoning of rules, that was spoken to me at intitiation, when I asked about the four regulative principles. Please do not ever tell me again I misrepresent my gurumaharaja. I may not quote directly, for i have not the books at hand. but nobody comes in between me and my gurumaharaja - there is simply no space.

possibly you should read again his lecture on perfect harmony, where the dissonant is given its proper place.

VdK.

 

[krsna]

The initiation of Lord Brahma, the head of our sampradaya:

 

"Lord Brahma heard the occult sound tapa, but he did not see the person who vibrated the sound. And still he accepted the instruction as beneficial for him, and therefore he engaged himself in meditation for one thousand celestial years. One celestial year is equal to 6 x 30 x 12 x 1000 of our years. His acceptance of the sound was due to his pure vision of the absolute nature of the Lord. And due to his correct vision, he made no distinction between the Lord and the Lord's instruction. There is no difference between the Lord and sound vibration coming from Him, even though He is not personally present. The best way of understanding is to accept such divine instruction, and Brahma, the prime spiritual master of everyone, is the living example of this process of receiving transcendental knowledge. The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent....

 

One has to receive the transcendental sound from the right source, accept it as a reality and prosecute the direction without hesitation. The secret of success is to receive the sound from the right source of a bona fide spiritual master. Mundane manufactured sound has no potency, and as such, seemingly transcendental sound received from an unauthorized person also has no potency. One should be qualified enough to discern such transcendental potency, and either by discriminating or by fortunate chance if one is able to receive the transcendental sound from the bona fide spiritual master, his path of liberation is guaranteed. The disciple, however, must be ready to execute the order of the bona fide spiritual master as Lord Brahma executed the instruction of his spiritual master, the Lord Himself. Following the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the only duty of the disciple, and this completely faithful execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the secret of success."

 

(S.B. 2.9.8 purport)

 

 

 

"Krsna said that "This yoga system I spoke to Vivasvan, sun-god." And vivasvan manave praha. "And the sun-god explained this science to his son, Manu."...So there was no difficulty in communicating with Manu or Manu's son, Iksvaku. The communication was there, or the radio system was so nice that communication could be transferred from one planet to another.

 

(Bg 4.1 Lecture, 24 August 1968)

 

 

 

"Krsna and his representative are the same. Similarly, the spiritual master can be present wherever the disciple wants. A spiritual master is the principle, not the body. Just like a television can be seen in thousands of place by the principle of relay monitoring.

 

(Letter to Malati, 28/5/68 )

 

[krsna]

Dealing With the Loss of One’s Spiritual Master

 

by Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa)

 

 

 

When the spiritual master leaves the body and moves on, it is naturally the worst day of the disciple’s life. Many times we have become accustomed to thinking of our guru in a particular way, serving him in certain ways, listening to his classes, waiting and longing for him to visit our town or local temple, engaging in special exchanges with him or her, and then suddenly all such prospects are gone. The depth of our despair can be unfathomable. So what do we do then?

 

There are so many ways in which a disciple deals with this situation. Some become so numb that they simply can not dwell on it. Some can hardly accept it. Or they naturally cry and cannot face the idea of continuing life without their gurudeva. Others may absorb themselves in service or in remembering him. Some may never have thought of the fact that one day their guru would be gone. So it can be shocking as well as extremely upsetting. The way that each disciple deals with the situation is as varied as there are disciples.

 

The nest step is how to continue getting the spiritual master’s association. Naturally there are his books, tapes, CDs, video recordings, or other methods by which one can still remember his teachings, his mannerisms, or his own ways of spiritual practice. And, of course, the disciples can also share with each other their own stories and memories of various events that took place with their guru. Through these methods, one can fill the time and mind with the association of one’s guru. However, now you may have to work a little harder to invoke the presence of your guru.

 

 

 

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE?

 

In spite of so many ways we may deal with the situation, the bottom line is, what are you going to do now? The loss of your spiritual master may mean that it is time for you to grow up to a new level of understanding your own purpose, your own potential, responsibility and even leadership ability. Maybe it is time for you to move forward to help fill the gap that has been left by the physical absence of the spiritual master. Your guru may have been called to serve someplace else, which means you and your Godbrothers and Godsisters are here to carry on with the mission and will need to step forward to take up that responsibility. It may also be time to depend more on your Godfamily as well as be better association for them.

 

It may be time to meditate more on what your guru would want you to do, or what your guru would expect from you. It may be time to allow more of your own potential to manifest. You may feel that you will never be what your guru was, and that is all right. A disciple will never feel that he or she will be as great as their own guru. But also do not allow your humility to create a feeling of uselessness or stifle your own potential to carry on your guru’s legacy and mission. His determination and preaching is a sign of his own dedication to his guru, which is the example you should follow to your spiritual master.

 

We have to remember that the more spiritual we become, the more we can perceive that which is spiritual. And the more you will understand that everything is going according to plan, according to the schedule. It may not be your plan. It may not be what you want. And it may even be months or years before you begin to understand why things happened the way they did. But when you do, you will understand that things happened to bring about a certain event or situation to move things forward. Everything was a preparation for that to happen. Furthermore, a key element of what was meant to take place was your next step in the process of your own development.

 

You can’t think about fading away from your guru’s mission, in which he undertook so much austerity, sacrifice and determination to establish. This is also a continuation of his own spiritual master’s mission. You can not legitimately feel that because your spiritual master is no longer physically present you are not so inspired to continue, or that you’ll fade away. If you feel you cannot go on because your guru is no longer present, then how would that please your guru? So that is not an option. Otherwise, the love you have shown for your guru is only conditional love, love as long as things are as you want them, or as long as your own spiritual master is in the form with which you are most familiar.

 

If you are attached to only one form of the guru, that is conditional love. If we are attached to his form such as being a young man who can dance wondrously while leading great kritans, but can not imagine him as someone who could get sick or even lose a limb from disease, or not being able to be his usual personality, then that is conditional love. The spiritual master can manifest in so many ways for the mercy of the disciple if the disciple is open to it. Even appearing to be physically sick and dependent on the disciple is a way of providing extra mercy and a chance to advance for the disciple. So we must raise our love to the unconditional level and not have it based merely on particular forms. These bodies are bound to change. But our love must be unconditional.

 

Some disciples may say that they cannot imagine their guru being sick, or never being able to dance up a storm during kirtan, or not being able to preach in a robust manner. But in this ever-changing material world, we cannot be attached to temporary forms. The guru will utilize whatever is necessary to inspire the disciples to take up the chanting of the holy names, even through dancing and ecstatic kirtans. We have to raise our love to an unconditional state and see that the essence of the spiritual master is his preaching, teaching, his writings, and the inspiration he provides that brings us to want to follow the process of hearing and chanting. This is what is permanent in the service of Lord Krishna. This is the legacy of the guru which is what we should be most attached and dedicated to preserving, continuing and expanding. My own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, did not do a lot of dancing. He mostly gave class and lead kirtans while sitting in the Vyasasanna. But he inspired everyone to chant the holy names.

 

We also must remember that it is through our attachment and dedication to our guru and his mission that we stay connected to him as well as to the whole parampara. The parampara is like the long arm of Krishna descending down through generations. When you are still connected with your guru, you are then connected to the whole parampara, or sampradaya. In our Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya, this goes up through Srila Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta, Gaura Kishora dasa Babaji, Bhaktivinoda Thakur, on up to Lord Chaitanya, Srila Vyasadeva and Brahma and to Lord Krishna Himself. So it is like grabbing an electric line that is powered by the original power house. By grabbing onto your own guru through faith and service, who is connected with the parampara, you have the backing of all these great and powerful spiritual authorities. So think of how much potency is there to help you and which can come through you to help others. The disciple never need feel that he or she is alone, without the presence of the spiritual master.

 

Furthermore, you should expect miracles on the spiritual path and in Krishna consciousness. So many miracles have already happened. But this does not mean that you act merely as a witness to the miracles around you. But you should also be ready to see and allow miracles to happen within you, or from you. This is the affect of the potency in your connection to the parampara through your spiritual master. Even if our actions are full of faults, if our intention is sincere, then the potency of the parampara can still come through and empower us with unexpected results, even miracles. It can act through us and miracles can nonetheless manifest through us or in the projects we sincerely try to do. And we never know exactly how these will manifest. They may develop in quite unexpected ways. So we must be determined to continue our service and preaching work and never give up. This is how we will continue to get the blessings of our spiritual master even if it appears that he is no longer present.

 

Thus, the guru can still make himself known to the sincere disciple in many ways. We simply have to keep dedicating ourselves to his teaching and instructions. We have to honor the spiritual master and his teachings, his books, and don’t change anything, thinking that we know better. That is conditional love, that we accept certain things but not others. Or we feel that we know best how our spiritual master should have said something. Or that his teachings need to be changed with the times. Such an offensive view will surely create a slow or even immediate disconnection between us and our guru and, thus, the whole parampara.

 

Personally I never saw Srila Prabhupada much. I never thought I needed to since he gave me everything I needed through his books and tapes. Thus, when he did leave, I was still attached to the way I always associated with him, through his books and tapes. But now I get encouragement from Prabhupada through the compliments and encouragement from my Godbrothers and other devotees and people who express appreciation of my work. I feel it is Srila Prabhupada speaking through them.

 

In these ways a disciple can continue to honor and respect the guru and his or her teachings, as well as remain connected and inspired to preserve and expand the mission. This way we also uphold all that the spiritual master worked for and the purpose of the whole parampara, the line of spiritual masters before him.

 

[krsna]

Guru is Always There

 

 

S.B.Class at New Talavan, Miss., USA on 17-05-1994

 

Devotee: Seeing as Guru's discipline is required to control the stupid mind,

what should the disciple do when the Guru passes away (to get that instruction)?

 

Srila Gour Govinda Swami:You are a fool! (To think Guru passes away). Guru is always with the disciple.

That is only apparent guru passed away. Not that Guru is not there. Guru is always there. Yes.

"I am eternally his disciple, he is eternally my Guru." Yes.

Such relationship is there. It is only apparent that he passed away.

 

We have such loving relationship. Though he is not present here,

he's gone, went back to Godhead ; from that land, Vraja Bhumi, nitya Goloka Vrndavana,

he has eye on his dear disciple, takes care:

'Caksu dan dilo yei, janme janme prabhu sei',

One who has opened my eyes, he's my Master life after life - why not this life?