The Lord may be "as soft as a rose", it is said, while at others times He exhibits a feature "as hard as a thunderbolt.". An example of the latter may be found when He says in Bhagavad gita that He casts down the demoniac into lower species of life (Bg 16.19). Either way He shows mercy to all living entities, but His greatest mercy comes in the shape of the Vaisnava, one who is full of compassion for the fallen souls. Such a Vaisnava is Krishna's saving grace, for only by the association of such pure devotees of the Lord can one hope to achieve the highest form of liberation, devotional service to Lord Krsna.
THE NECESSITY OF GURU
Have you ever met someone who says you don't need a guru? That spiritual life is something you already know inside your self? Ironically, by instructing us in this way, that person has taken the position of guru. Everybody follows somebody. Everyone needs direction and guru is meant to solve the real problems of life- birth, death, old age and disease.
In this connection, consider a story about a son who left his father and after much ill luck was left loitering in the street, homeless and miserable. One day a man approaches him and says, "Hey, I know you. You are the son of so and so. He is a very good man. Why don't you go back to your father? He can help you." Well, a bonafide guru is like that man. He recognizes the true position of the living entity, and he reminds us about our Supreme Father, Lord Krishna, and he explains how we can regain our loving relationship with Him to end all our sufferings.
This material world is a place of suffering, and human life is meant for questioning that suffering. It should be a life of constant curiosity. To the earnest inquirer, Krsna sends His representative, the spiritual master, who carries to us via disciplic succession Krsna's instructions on how to become happy, how to put an end to our suffering and what is the situation in the material world, Then our accepting Krsna's opinion settles the mind. We find lasting peace and protection from maya's traps.
The householder especially needs help. Material attachment to home and family is very difficult to overcome. A bound man (or woman) needs the help of the unbound, the Lord's transcendental servant. Srimad Bhagavatam elaborately describes this situation:
"How can a person who is most affectionate to his family, the core of his heart being always filled with their pictures, give up their association? Specifically, a wife is always very kind and sympathetic and always pleases her husband in a solitary place. Who could give up the association of such a dear and affectionate wife? Small children talk in broken language, very pleasing to hear, and their affectionate father always thinks of their sweet words. How could he give up their association? One's elderly parents and one's sons and daughters are also very dear. A daughter is especially dear to her father, and while living at her husband's house she is always in his mind. Who could give up that association? Aside from this, in household affairs there are many decorated items of household furniture, and there are also animals and servants. Who could give up such comforts? The attached householder is like a silkworm, which weaves a cocoon in which it becomes imprisoned, unable to get out. Simply for the satisfaction of two important senses—the genitals and the tongue—one is bound by material conditions. How can one escape?" -SB 7.6.11-13
Purport: "In household affairs the first attraction is the beautiful and pleasing wife, who increases household attraction more and more. One enjoys his wife with two prominent sense organs, namely the tongue and the genitals. The wife speaks very sweetly. This is certainly an attraction. Then she prepares very palatable foods to satisfy the tongue, and when the tongue is satisfied one gains strength in the other sense organs, especially the genitals. Thus the wife gives pleasure in sexual intercourse. Household life means sex life (yan maithunädi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]). This is encouraged by the tongue. Then there are children. A baby gives pleasure by speaking sweet words in broken language, and when the sons and daughters are grown up one becomes involved in their education and marriage. Then there are one's own father and mother to be taken care of, and one also becomes concerned with the social atmosphere and with pleasing his brothers and sisters. A man becomes increasingly entangled in household affairs, so much so that leaving them becomes almost impossible. Thus the household becomes grham andha-küpam, a dark well into which the man has fallen. For such a man to get out is extremely difficult unless he is helped by a strong person, the spiritual master, who helps the fallen person with the strong rope of spiritual instructions. A fallen person should take advantage of this rope, and then the spiritual master, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, will take him out of the dark well." --SB 7.6.11-13p
RECOGNIZING GURU
Guru is not determined by birth as a brahmana or in an aristocratic family, but by knowing the science of Krsna. Guru is the one who removes all doubts, inspires our faith, and speaks only what is corroborated by scripture and sadhu, especially his own spiritual master..
Anyone who gives us Krsna consciousness instruction acts as guru, but guru is also divided into two categories- siksha and diksha. Siksha instructs. From the very beginning there is siksha, namely the reading of Srila Prabhupada's translations, purports and recordings, for he will always be the main siksha for all ISKCON devotee until each individual is led by his divine grace to a person best able to give diksha. Diksha instructs but also initiates. One can have many sikshas, but only one diksha guru, whose importance is described in the purport as follows:
Some other criteria to aid one in finding a genuine guru includes:
1. He faithfully follows our preeminent siksha guru Srila Prabhupada rather than mental concoctions. In other words, he does not add to or change standards that were taught.
2. He teaches by example, by practicing what he preaches. In other words, he is always engaged in devotional service to his spiritual master. Guru sets the example of servant.
3. He has a sense of urgency to give to others Krsna consciousness by understanding the true position of the conditioned souls. His is a pessimistic attitude towards materialism
4. He is not afraid to chastise a wayward student, does not flatter students with saying only what they want to hear, nor is he sentimental or interested in enjoying Krishna for personal sense gratification.
5. He is able to explain complex subject matter very simply because he has actually realized that knowledge rather than just repeating only.
In various ways, one should study the potential guru's character as well as the standards of his already initiated disciples. The highest grade of spiritual master is he who sacrifices all personal desire in order to give Krishna consciousness to others. Finding such a spiritual master is the greatest fortune. It depends on a sincere desire which stems from good association. One who wants to be cheated will find satisfaction with a cheater.
Also, it is not the vows we make to the spiritual master that are as important as the person we make the vows to. Living for another, one's spiritual master, gives one impetus to follow the path of Krishna consciousness strictly.
THE GURU DISCIPLE RELATIONSHIP
The guru disciple relationship is like an apprenticeship. The disciple should serve and submissively inquire from the spiritual master and the spiritual master in turn trains his disciples in a service attitude. His duty is to find ways and means for his disciple to always fix his mind on Krsna. Most importantly, a disciple must have complete faith in his spiritual master with a willingness to be corrected if need be, rather than become rebellious or argumentative.
“Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed.” (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23)
"Real success is how one is faithful to his guru. That is real success." (SB 1.7.44 lecture)
In this regard, one should not envy nor consider his guru to be an ordinary man, nor associate with anyone else who does so or disrespects him. For example, a spiritual master may be of foreign birth rather than the traditional Indian birth many people expect, but as bell metal is changed to gold, any man can be changed into an ardent lover of God. Or it may appear that the guru is surrounded by various opulence in the form of devoted servants and money, but a Krsna conscious person does not lay much importance on such things. In fact, such things are truly a burden that is borne by the spiritual master on behalf of his guru.
Thus, tolerating so much trouble, day and night, on behalf of Krsna and our disciplic succession, such a guru is worthy of worship as good as God, being His bona fide representative. He could have chosen a life in meditative seclusion or retired to a life of quiet penance, or he could have remained in family life dovetailing his personal interests, but no, here he is sacrificing everything for the sake of others. Guru puja is a chance every day for the disciple to show appreciation. Another opportunity is to offer formal prayers to him via annual vyasa puja offerings.
A WALKING DEITY
A person may be either tuned into the spiritual energy or the material energy; one can channel Krsna or maya. Similarly, a bona fide guru carries Krsna in His heart. Thus he is also known as the external manifestation of Supersoul according to the degree of His surrender to the Lord. In this way, he acts as Krishna's mediator and messenger. He accepts our love and worship on Lord's behalf and allows Krishna's blessings to flow through him to us in return. He speaks the knowledge that makes the recipient see the Lord everywhere and in everyone.
Without this clear reception of the Krsna channel on the part of spiritual authorities, as we have seen illustrated in religious history, we get protestant groups and various other deviations.
GURU VANI
It may not be possible to always get the personal association, known as vapu, of one's initiating guru, but his vani, the guru's transcendental instructions, are always available in Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad gita classes or listening to ISKCON's preeminent siksha guru, Srila Prabhupada and also taking shelter of those locally who best represent Srila Prabhupada and Krishna as one's shiksha instructors to answer questions. Simply by taking the instructions of the Lord, via His external representatives, as one's life and soul, one can both see and hear the Supreme Guru, the transcendental Lord within and without, despite social restrictions or any other hindrances,
BLESSINGS OF THE GURU, THE KEY TO SUCCESS
By carefully following the guru's instructions with great determination and faith, we get his blessings.
In this connection, Krishna recalls to friend Sudama the words of their guru, Sandipani Muni: “With great compassion our gurudeva said, 'My dear boys, it is very wonderful that you have suffered so much trouble for me. Everyone likes to take care of his body as the first consideration, but you are so good and faithful to your guru that without caring for bodily comforts you have taken so much trouble for me. I am glad to see that bona fide students like you will undergo any kind of trouble for the satisfaction of the spiritual master. That is the way for a bona fide disciple to become free from his debt to the spiritual master. It is the duty of the disciple to dedicate his life to the service of the spiritual master. My dear best of the twice-born, I am greatly pleased by your acts, and I bless you.'" KB80
Similarly, it is Krsna's direction for women to serve their husbands as representatives of the spiritual master and Krishna. For this reason, a husband is also called pati guru. Sometimes, one has to undergo great hardships to do this, but because of a connection to Krsna in devotional service via directions from a bona fide spiritual master, such hardship becomes a bona-fide sacrifice, "and having tasted the nectar of the results of sacrifice" one advances.
.
THE NECESSITY OF GURU
Have you ever met someone who says you don't need a guru? That spiritual life is something you already know inside your self? Ironically, by instructing us in this way, that person has taken the position of guru. Everybody follows somebody. Everyone needs direction and guru is meant to solve the real problems of life- birth, death, old age and disease.
In this connection, consider a story about a son who left his father and after much ill luck was left loitering in the street, homeless and miserable. One day a man approaches him and says, "Hey, I know you. You are the son of so and so. He is a very good man. Why don't you go back to your father? He can help you." Well, a bonafide guru is like that man. He recognizes the true position of the living entity, and he reminds us about our Supreme Father, Lord Krishna, and he explains how we can regain our loving relationship with Him to end all our sufferings.
This material world is a place of suffering, and human life is meant for questioning that suffering. It should be a life of constant curiosity. To the earnest inquirer, Krsna sends His representative, the spiritual master, who carries to us via disciplic succession Krsna's instructions on how to become happy, how to put an end to our suffering and what is the situation in the material world, Then our accepting Krsna's opinion settles the mind. We find lasting peace and protection from maya's traps.
The householder especially needs help. Material attachment to home and family is very difficult to overcome. A bound man (or woman) needs the help of the unbound, the Lord's transcendental servant. Srimad Bhagavatam elaborately describes this situation:
"How can a person who is most affectionate to his family, the core of his heart being always filled with their pictures, give up their association? Specifically, a wife is always very kind and sympathetic and always pleases her husband in a solitary place. Who could give up the association of such a dear and affectionate wife? Small children talk in broken language, very pleasing to hear, and their affectionate father always thinks of their sweet words. How could he give up their association? One's elderly parents and one's sons and daughters are also very dear. A daughter is especially dear to her father, and while living at her husband's house she is always in his mind. Who could give up that association? Aside from this, in household affairs there are many decorated items of household furniture, and there are also animals and servants. Who could give up such comforts? The attached householder is like a silkworm, which weaves a cocoon in which it becomes imprisoned, unable to get out. Simply for the satisfaction of two important senses—the genitals and the tongue—one is bound by material conditions. How can one escape?" -SB 7.6.11-13
Purport: "In household affairs the first attraction is the beautiful and pleasing wife, who increases household attraction more and more. One enjoys his wife with two prominent sense organs, namely the tongue and the genitals. The wife speaks very sweetly. This is certainly an attraction. Then she prepares very palatable foods to satisfy the tongue, and when the tongue is satisfied one gains strength in the other sense organs, especially the genitals. Thus the wife gives pleasure in sexual intercourse. Household life means sex life (yan maithunädi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]). This is encouraged by the tongue. Then there are children. A baby gives pleasure by speaking sweet words in broken language, and when the sons and daughters are grown up one becomes involved in their education and marriage. Then there are one's own father and mother to be taken care of, and one also becomes concerned with the social atmosphere and with pleasing his brothers and sisters. A man becomes increasingly entangled in household affairs, so much so that leaving them becomes almost impossible. Thus the household becomes grham andha-küpam, a dark well into which the man has fallen. For such a man to get out is extremely difficult unless he is helped by a strong person, the spiritual master, who helps the fallen person with the strong rope of spiritual instructions. A fallen person should take advantage of this rope, and then the spiritual master, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, will take him out of the dark well." --SB 7.6.11-13p
RECOGNIZING GURU
Guru is not determined by birth as a brahmana or in an aristocratic family, but by knowing the science of Krsna. Guru is the one who removes all doubts, inspires our faith, and speaks only what is corroborated by scripture and sadhu, especially his own spiritual master..
Anyone who gives us Krsna consciousness instruction acts as guru, but guru is also divided into two categories- siksha and diksha. Siksha instructs. From the very beginning there is siksha, namely the reading of Srila Prabhupada's translations, purports and recordings, for he will always be the main siksha for all ISKCON devotee until each individual is led by his divine grace to a person best able to give diksha. Diksha instructs but also initiates. One can have many sikshas, but only one diksha guru, whose importance is described in the purport as follows:
"Thereafter,
accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe,
was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devakī. Devakī,
having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all
causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful
by carrying the rising moon." -SB 10.2.18
Purport: "As indicated here by the word manastaḥ,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the core of
Vasudeva’s mind or heart to the core of the heart of Devakī. We should
note carefully that the Lord was transferred to Devakī not by the
ordinary way for a human being, but by dīkṣā, initiation. Thus
the importance of initiation is mentioned here. Unless one is initiated
by the right person, who always carries within his heart the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquire the power to carry the
Supreme Godhead within the core of one’s own heart." -SB 10.2.18p
One must know that initiation from a bona fide gure is essential, because without diksha, the actual Krsna conscious connection is not made.
One must know that initiation from a bona fide gure is essential, because without diksha, the actual Krsna conscious connection is not made.
Some other criteria to aid one in finding a genuine guru includes:
1. He faithfully follows our preeminent siksha guru Srila Prabhupada rather than mental concoctions. In other words, he does not add to or change standards that were taught.
2. He teaches by example, by practicing what he preaches. In other words, he is always engaged in devotional service to his spiritual master. Guru sets the example of servant.
3. He has a sense of urgency to give to others Krsna consciousness by understanding the true position of the conditioned souls. His is a pessimistic attitude towards materialism
4. He is not afraid to chastise a wayward student, does not flatter students with saying only what they want to hear, nor is he sentimental or interested in enjoying Krishna for personal sense gratification.
5. He is able to explain complex subject matter very simply because he has actually realized that knowledge rather than just repeating only.
In various ways, one should study the potential guru's character as well as the standards of his already initiated disciples. The highest grade of spiritual master is he who sacrifices all personal desire in order to give Krishna consciousness to others. Finding such a spiritual master is the greatest fortune. It depends on a sincere desire which stems from good association. One who wants to be cheated will find satisfaction with a cheater.
Also, it is not the vows we make to the spiritual master that are as important as the person we make the vows to. Living for another, one's spiritual master, gives one impetus to follow the path of Krishna consciousness strictly.
THE GURU DISCIPLE RELATIONSHIP
The guru disciple relationship is like an apprenticeship. The disciple should serve and submissively inquire from the spiritual master and the spiritual master in turn trains his disciples in a service attitude. His duty is to find ways and means for his disciple to always fix his mind on Krsna. Most importantly, a disciple must have complete faith in his spiritual master with a willingness to be corrected if need be, rather than become rebellious or argumentative.
“Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed.” (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23)
"Real success is how one is faithful to his guru. That is real success." (SB 1.7.44 lecture)
In this regard, one should not envy nor consider his guru to be an ordinary man, nor associate with anyone else who does so or disrespects him. For example, a spiritual master may be of foreign birth rather than the traditional Indian birth many people expect, but as bell metal is changed to gold, any man can be changed into an ardent lover of God. Or it may appear that the guru is surrounded by various opulence in the form of devoted servants and money, but a Krsna conscious person does not lay much importance on such things. In fact, such things are truly a burden that is borne by the spiritual master on behalf of his guru.
Thus, tolerating so much trouble, day and night, on behalf of Krsna and our disciplic succession, such a guru is worthy of worship as good as God, being His bona fide representative. He could have chosen a life in meditative seclusion or retired to a life of quiet penance, or he could have remained in family life dovetailing his personal interests, but no, here he is sacrificing everything for the sake of others. Guru puja is a chance every day for the disciple to show appreciation. Another opportunity is to offer formal prayers to him via annual vyasa puja offerings.
A WALKING DEITY
A person may be either tuned into the spiritual energy or the material energy; one can channel Krsna or maya. Similarly, a bona fide guru carries Krsna in His heart. Thus he is also known as the external manifestation of Supersoul according to the degree of His surrender to the Lord. In this way, he acts as Krishna's mediator and messenger. He accepts our love and worship on Lord's behalf and allows Krishna's blessings to flow through him to us in return. He speaks the knowledge that makes the recipient see the Lord everywhere and in everyone.
Without this clear reception of the Krsna channel on the part of spiritual authorities, as we have seen illustrated in religious history, we get protestant groups and various other deviations.
GURU VANI
It may not be possible to always get the personal association, known as vapu, of one's initiating guru, but his vani, the guru's transcendental instructions, are always available in Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad gita classes or listening to ISKCON's preeminent siksha guru, Srila Prabhupada and also taking shelter of those locally who best represent Srila Prabhupada and Krishna as one's shiksha instructors to answer questions. Simply by taking the instructions of the Lord, via His external representatives, as one's life and soul, one can both see and hear the Supreme Guru, the transcendental Lord within and without, despite social restrictions or any other hindrances,
BLESSINGS OF THE GURU, THE KEY TO SUCCESS
By carefully following the guru's instructions with great determination and faith, we get his blessings.
In this connection, Krishna recalls to friend Sudama the words of their guru, Sandipani Muni: “With great compassion our gurudeva said, 'My dear boys, it is very wonderful that you have suffered so much trouble for me. Everyone likes to take care of his body as the first consideration, but you are so good and faithful to your guru that without caring for bodily comforts you have taken so much trouble for me. I am glad to see that bona fide students like you will undergo any kind of trouble for the satisfaction of the spiritual master. That is the way for a bona fide disciple to become free from his debt to the spiritual master. It is the duty of the disciple to dedicate his life to the service of the spiritual master. My dear best of the twice-born, I am greatly pleased by your acts, and I bless you.'" KB80
Similarly, it is Krsna's direction for women to serve their husbands as representatives of the spiritual master and Krishna. For this reason, a husband is also called pati guru. Sometimes, one has to undergo great hardships to do this, but because of a connection to Krsna in devotional service via directions from a bona fide spiritual master, such hardship becomes a bona-fide sacrifice, "and having tasted the nectar of the results of sacrifice" one advances.
.
"Just as those with ordinary vision see the sun's rays in the sky, so the wise and learned devotees always see the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu. Because those highly praiseworthy and spiritually awake brähmanas can see that abode, they can also reveal it to others." [Rg Veda Samhitä]