Guest guest Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 okay well im new here i just happen to stumble across this site and i got the gita on mp3 which i have to say was beautifully narratrated, but my question to everyone here is what ur take on swamis,in the modern world i use to follow sri prapupralad when i was much younger but now there seems to be a new saint by the name of sai baba...if u dont know who he is u probably seen him in pics he has alot of hear but i wanted to know if this thing if fony cause some of my family worship him but they treat him like god if u ask me somtime even better i just wanted to know everybodys else take on it i really dont know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harish Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 It is okay for everyone to follow the Guru of their choice, complete 100% trust in the Guru is necessary, but what if the Guru himself is not in the right direction? so it is very important to confirm someone's credentials before accepting the Guru if you are serious about the subject. To learn Physics, would you read a text-book of Physics printed by someone privately, or read a book that refers to original scientific papers and publications? You would beleive E-mc^2 is true only if you could trace to Einstein's original work. One way would be the lineage, one cannot be a Guru by acquiring great power and declaring hiself as God 'unilaterally', fooling gullible people whose only basis is personal faith. Take an example of Prabhu-. and Sai-baba. (I am not a follower of Prabhu-. myself but am interested in Vaishnana philosophies and respect his achievements in spreading Vaishnavism) -Who is the Guru's Guru? PP-allegiance line can be traced to Chaitanya and also MadhvaCharya, both who are well known, I need to say no further word about them. SB-? -What is the basis of Guru's faith? PP-A BrahmaSutra Bhashya in the Gaudiya line, also based on Dvaita which is undefeated since the inception and survived debates across centuries. SB-? not sure of the basis, definitely not related to original work on Vedas/Vedanta -What is the connection with the root of the faith? PP-Based on Vedanta which is the source (understanding of Gita can be traced to Vedanta) SB-Borrowed from someone without proper acknowledgement -Notoriety if any. PP-I have never heard any negative comment on his character, only some criticism on Philosophical basis. SB-I need not say, just search for Sai Baba in Google. In India you will find thousands of Gurus masquerading as Godmen. Anyone can read a book on Gita and preach. Just perform some staged miracles and get powerful contacts (such as political), you will get hundreds of followers who are depressed and you can feed on their hope for years. These Gurus get easy publicity as the real Gurus have no wish to build legions of followers but are occupuied more with practising what they preach and preserving, spreading their learnings rather than have followers who follow blind-faith. These self-procalimed Gurus also keep away from debates on the real subject as they themselves have no basis and vaguely say things based on work of others, adding their own nice words (everyone is good, great, should be happy, this and that). Most of all, I am surprised to find so many followers of Sai Baba among educated caste-brahmins who could have had more faith on their own Gurus who can trace their line to Sankara, ramanuja, Madhva,... I don't understand what people find in him, it is a great mystery to me, maybe he hypnotises. As for the usual words that he build hospitals, schools etc.,, I could have done the same if not better if I had money and followers like him, what's the big deal??????? Philanthrophists have done many times better than him, they do not publicize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Govindaram Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 Is he Vaishanva? Please tell me what sampradaya he follows, there are 4, you need to check this out, don't go on sentimental folk, look into the matter, don't be closed minded, some people are like sheep, look into this very deeply, best of all study books, really study them, Srila Prabhupada books are your bestest start, Please study them, even if you don't understand, Krishna will help you, if your sincere, you need to read books of Saints, asking people who follow others is not always good, the mind is influenced easy, Please read Prabhupada books at: www.vedabase.net Start with Gita/ jump/flip/goto any page just start! You can of-cource download it, but like before I read Gita I was nowhere so this book has saved my life, spiritual life. Sorry some more advice, people will always discourage you in whatever path you take, but whatever happens read bona-fide books esp Gita, also there are hundreds of Prabhupada Lectures out there. Bye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Govindaram Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 I don't understand what people find in him, it is a great mystery to me, maybe he hypnotises. As for the usual words that he build hospitals, schools etc., I could have done the same if not better if I had money and followers like him, what's the big deal??????? Philanthropists have done many times better than him, they do not publicize. $$$ £££ Who knows, I wonder how many of his followers are poor, what are they after? Maybe he is a mystic, but I am sure even a Mystic has boundaries, people worship him as a God, you know when you compare Sai Baba, and Lord Chaitanya its like comparing stool to Sweetmeats, that's how I see it. People should see this and promptly accept Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; you won't find anybody more merciful, other than Lord Nityananda, so you might as well accept both. Makes perfect sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harish Posted June 24, 2004 Report Share Posted June 24, 2004 could'nt help smiling at your comments /images/graemlins/smile.gif However one should say, don't switch from sweet-meat to stools. I don't beleive in mystics who depend on miracles alone. Miracles can easily be stage-managed. I also don't beleive that people who spend money from the society are great since it is expected Dharma from whoever acumulates wealth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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