Speaker A
Omatav. Oh, Vishnu. Namaste. Forishna. Hurry Krishna, hurry Krishna. Krishna, Krishna, H Har Krishna. Welcome.
Exploration of the guru principle in spiritual life, emphasizing the guru's role as a servant of Krishna and the foundation of spiritual success.
Key Takeaways
- Success in spiritual life depends on satisfying the spiritual master and receiving their sincere blessings.
- The guru is a servant of Krishna, authorized to deliver Krishna’s teachings faithfully.
- Disciplic succession ensures the same spiritual experience regardless of historical timing.
- The guru principle is both universal (Adiguru) and individual (Viguru), encompassing all spiritual masters.
- Spiritual progress requires humility, dependence on the guru, and recognition of the guru’s dual role as acharya and Supersoul.
Summary
- The guru principle (guru-tattva) is foundational to spiritual life and is essential for success in Krishna consciousness.
- Spiritual masters digest transcendental knowledge and deliver it in an accessible way to disciples, similar to a mother bird feeding baby birds.
- The guru is both shri (divine) and ja (servant), representing Krishna but not Krishna Himself, emphasizing humility and service.
- Prabhupada strictly opposed the notion that he was Krishna, reinforcing the guru’s role as a servant and authorized representative.
- Different devotees relate to the guru differently depending on their relationship, with disciples seeing the guru as Krishna’s representative.
- Krishna is the original guru (Adiguru), with all individual gurus (Viguru) representing this singular principle.
- Lord Nityananda is highlighted as a powerful form of the guru who helps overcome spiritual difficulties and is present as Paramatma in all beings.
- The guru acts as a transparent medium, delivering Krishna’s teachings without alteration, ensuring authenticity through disciplic succession.
- The guru appears externally as the acharya and internally as the Supersoul, guiding living entities towards spiritual realization.
- Qualifications of a guru depend on their level of realization, and genuine gurus provide direct access to Krishna’s teachings.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Welcome
- 04:06Importance of Guru and Spiritual Life Foundation
- 06:00Role of Guru Before Modern Technology
- 08:05Guru as a Nurturer and Spiritual Guide
- 09:32Guru as Servant of Krishna and Prabhupada's Teachings
- 11:20Different Devotee Perspectives on the Guru
- 13:26Adiguru and Samastiguru Concept
- 15:17Individual Gurus (Viguru) and Their Role
- 17:47Guru as Acharya and Supersoul
- 20:02Disciplic Succession and Spiritual Continuity
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Thank you for being here. Yeah, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share some reflections and different points from our Kodashnav tradition.
Speaker A
I spoke with Rada about this course we will have, and on Sunday I leave for Djang with the children. So officially, we'll start after I come back.
Speaker A
So I spoke with Sri Bakti and Goven. We decided we'll cover the five topics of Bhagavad Gita and also the Dasha. And we'll have the classes in the mornings, like three times per week in the normal morning session.
Speaker A
But this today is like an extra class because I wanted to start with one special topic, and that is guruva, because even though it's not officially included in the dashima tatva, it's like a foundation for everything that we do in our spiritual life.
Speaker A
So please give me your blessings. Then I can share something that will be pleasing and beneficial for all of us.
Speaker A
Many exalted devotees have written wonderful, wonderful things on the topic of guruva. But we find a very concise summary in the first chapter of the... so for anyone who wants to get a good overview of the topic, that's the best place to go. And in addition, there are many books that devotees have written that I could also suggest if you're interested, including some very nice books that are compilations of the teachings of Prabhupada on the topic.
Speaker A
So today we'll try to just taste one little drop from the ocean of guruva.
Speaker A
Prabhupada says that the secret of success in spiritual life is in satisfying the spiritual master and to get his sincere blessings. To get his sincere blessings, he says this is the secret, and then he quotes Sri Vishnu's that if we get the mercy of the guru, then the mercy of the Lord follows that automatically. And if we do not get the mercy of the guru, then there's no chance that we can obtain the goal of our spiritual life.
Speaker A
Before there was the internet and before there was the printing press, it was very difficult to do our own research.
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There was no Google, no YouTube, no Wikipedia. Google, Wikipedia. So if you wanted to learn anything, you had to go to a guru.
Speaker A
You could not go around this principle of guru. Guru. So the student would naturally approach the spiritual master, the guru, with an empty slate. This means he knew he knows nothing.
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And then he would very eagerly receive knowledge from the guru. And we can think of how a mother bird will feed the baby birds.
Speaker A
First, she chews the food. She even digests it a little bit. Then she puts it in the mouth of the baby bird.
Speaker A
So this is like the spiritual master. He's chewing, digesting the transcendental knowledge, and then giving it to us in a way that we can receive it and digest and understand.
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So, the baby birds, they're in their nest. Baby birds, they're in their nest. They can't see.
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They can't fly. All they can do is cry. They just cry. And then if the mother can come and feed them, then they can eat.
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So they're totally dependent on their mother in that way. Similarly, we are dependent on the spiritual master, completely dependent.
Speaker A
So the guru tatva is a little bit difficult to understand because the spiritual master is simultaneously shri and also he is a jaitual. That means that both these tvas are existing in the same body. There's the guru tatva and the ja tatva.
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In some paths, they teach that guru is Bhagavan. But as Vishnavas, we understand that the guru is a servant of Bhagavan.
Speaker A
Once Prabhupada's some of his disciples began to teach that Prabhupada is Krishna. And Prabhupada was so upset he immediately kicked them out of ISKCON.
Speaker A
And they had to go and preach and start different temples as a penance to win back Sri Prabhupada's trust.
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So we always understand that the guru is a servant of Krishna. He's a ja, but he's carrying this special potency of the Lord.
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Prabhupada would give the analogy of a mailman, mailman who delivers the mail. Yes. Who delivers the letters to everyone at their different homes.
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He's authorized. So the spiritual master is authorized to represent Krishna. So depending on our angle of vision, different devotees will relate to a guru in a different way.
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It's normal that godbrothers of a guru, for example, will relate to the guru more as a ja, as a servant of the Lord, as a peer. They may not see the guru aspect that is present in that person. But disciples, they will have a different realization because this is the representative of Krishna that Krishna has sent in their life for them.
Speaker A
So this is everything. It depends on the relationship that one has with the individual.
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Krishna, he is called the Adiguruishuru, and he gives this service, this function of being a guru to his brother Shri Balaramuru.
Speaker A
This is his first expansion. So Sri Balaram, he's the guru of four rasas, and then Radharani, she is the guru of madhurya rasa. But as Gaudiya Vaishnavas, we know that Radharani also sometimes is the guru of even Krishna. So in some ways, we can say she is the actual guru. Now another name for this term Adiguru is Samastiguru. Adiguru means the original guru.
Speaker A
Samastiguru means collective. The collective guru. That means all of the individual gurus are representing this one original guru.
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Appears as so when we think of the Samastiguru or Adiguru, we can think of Nityananda Puri, and if ever we're having any difficulty in our spiritual life, we can pray to Lord Nityananda and very quickly we will overcome that difficulty. Now in this material world, Lord Nityananda expands as the different Purusha avatars.
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This is Mahavishnu, Ashvishnu, and Kshirodakashayi Vishnu. He is the one who expands into all of the atoms in the universe and into the hearts of all living beings.
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And he is known as Paramatma, and he is also known as Chaitanya Guru. So this same Adiguru Nityananda Puri, he is present in every atom in this universe as the Paramatma or the guru.
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So these are the same guru, all one. In addition to this one guru tatva principle, we have the unlimited individual representatives of that principle.
Speaker A
This is called the Viguru. This means the individual manifestation of the Lord as a servant.
Speaker A
So he is the shiksha guru or diksha guru who we interact with. We have a relationship with, and this, if the guru is genuine, then he is a transparent via medium of the Lord. This means just like the mailman will deliver the letter, they won't cross things out and write their own message and then give you the letter. They'll just give you the letter. Similarly, the guru just gives the teachings of Krishna.
Speaker A
So when the spiritual master speaks, it's as good as Krishna speaking. Prabhupada writes at the end of his Bhagavad Gita commentary that we should not feel bad that we did not get to hear Bhagavad Gita on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. We can also say we don't need to feel bad that we did not get to hear the teachings of Krishna consciousness from some devotees who joined ISKCON in 1978, 1979.
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Some lamentation, some regret. Oh, I just missed meeting this great personality. But actually, when we hear the same teachings in disciplic succession from a genuine source, it's the same.
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So we have full access to the same experience through the disciplic succession. There is one verse that Krishna Gowami quotes in his explanation of guru tatva.
Speaker A
It's from the Bhagavatam. Oh my Lord, transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to you, even if they were endowed with the lifetime of Brahma, because you appear in two features.
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You appear externally as the acharya, and you appear internally as the Supersoul. And in these two features, you deliver all the living entities who come to you, and you guide them how to come to you.
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So the Samastiguru, the guru is one, but the Viguru are many. Viguru, and there are also different qualifications, and this depends on a guru's level of realization.
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So the Shrimad Bhagavatam gives two essential qualifications for the spiritual master. 21. Th
Speaker A
So when the spiritual master speaks, it's as good as Krishna speaking. Shroparad writes at the end of his Bhagavad Gita commentary that we should not feel uh bad that we did not get to hear Bhagavad Gita on the battle of
Speaker A
battlefield of Kuruketra. We can also say we don't need to feel bad that we did not get to hear uh the teachings of Krishna consciousness from Some devotees they joined is an in 1978 1979.
Speaker A
some lamentation, some regret. Oh, I just missed meeting this great personality. But actually when we hear the same teachings in disciplic succession from a genuine source, it's the same.
Speaker A
So we have full access to the same experience through the discipline succession. There is one verse that Krishna Krishna Gowami quotes in his explanation of guru tatva.
Speaker A
It's from the Bhagavatam. Oh my lord. Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science. Could not fully express their indebtedness to you.
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Even if they were endowed with the lifetime of Brahma because you appear in two features.
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You appear externally as the acharia and you appear internally as the super soul. And in these two features you deliver all the living entities who come to you and you guide them how to come to you.
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So the samasti guru the guru is one but the vi guru are many viur and there are also different qualifications and this depends on a guru's level of realization.
Speaker A
So the shimmed bagatam gives two essential qualifications for the spiritual master. 21. The phrase is And it means that the guru must be fixed and realized both in the teachings of scripture and in direct experience of the absolute truth.
Speaker A
Sorry. The direct experience of the absolute truth. Soar Swami the commentator on the bavatam he explains why these two qualities are essential.
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If a guru does not have knowledge of scripture, they will not be able to remove the doubts of the disciple.
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They won't be able to answer the questions. When Sria Propa's disciples in New York first started coming to him, they were amazed.
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Because they had so many questions about their life, about the world, about God. And for every question, Sri Pope would say just read this verse of Bhagavad Gita. Just read this verse of Bhagavita.
Speaker A
Just read this verse of Bhagavita. and each time it would perfectly answer their question.
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So a guru needs to know scripture to be able to direct the disciple to resolve their doubts.
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So the second quality is they have to have some personal experience of the absolute truth.
Speaker A
They have to have some genuine taste and Sriasar Swami says this is because if they don't have any taste they won't be able to impart realization in the presence of the spiritual master.
Speaker A
We feel some special spiritual energy. in energy spiritual particular many disciples of Sri Praad they they share this uh testimony of feeling like they were in the spiritual world just being with praupad so it's one thing to be able to answer
Speaker A
questions based on scripture but we also need to be able to or the guru needs to be able to give some glimpse of the spiritual world.
Speaker A
Now in the vishna takar's commentary on this same verse in the bagavatamish he says that this realization means it should be the highest realization that means preob.
Speaker A
That's the best guru. One who has complete realization of their spiritual identity, their service etc.
Speaker A
Kanto Vishna explains that this spiritual experience begins even in the stage of sadena there's a verse in the Bavatam that that compares bakti to eating a meal.
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So even from the first bite you start to feel pleasure and satisfaction and you feel like your hunger is going away.
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So this direct experience of transcendence even can it it starts in the stage of sadena especially from the stage of ruchi or taste.
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In one lecture the propad says that ruchi comes when one is actually liberated. Later on when we discuss the topic of karma we'll talk more about what does it mean to be liberated.
Speaker A
But for God, we understand that liberation occurs in the stage of sadena. Because our sad our goal is much higher than just liberation.
Speaker A
If we take a number line then liberation is like zero. That means the negative numbers on one side the positive numbers on the other side and then zero is in the middle.
Speaker A
So prema is not zero. Prema is very high big number. So liberation we say is like zero. So that's in the stage of sadena.
Speaker A
So that's what prop is saying comes when one is liberated. when one is liberated and then he says that it's the beginning of our perfection.
Speaker A
This is something I really appreciated in the teachings of Sh Praad and the Vedas that perfection can have a beginning and then you keep getting more perfect.
Speaker A
Most spiritual paths they talk about perfection as the finish. There's even one book I read when I was in uh university that the author he he thought he was enlightened and he got bored.
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Because what do you do next? You're already perfect. There's nothing else to do. But for we don't just want perfection.
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We want more more perfection every day. more and more and more perfection. We become greedy for more more and more higher perfection.
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So for this reason even a can be a genuine guru if they have some real taste.
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They won't be able to give as perfect guidance to the disciple or give the same kind of mercy but still they can be guru.
Speaker A
Wait, I'm just thinking about how much more I should go before I stop. So I think we'll take five more minutes.
Speaker A
So we explained that is the source of the guruva. Now he is also known as the Sandhini Shaki.
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This means the s principle existence existence. Soapu is he he expands to create everything that exists.
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Everything is under his control and then as paramatma he again enters into even every atom and into the heart of everyone.
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So as we advance more and more and more in our spiritual life we recognize that guruva is all around us.
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We can find the teachings of the spiritual master in everything that we experience in life.
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And he saw the teachings of his guru in the earth, in the wind, in the sky.
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of praupad when he was distributing bug uh back to godhead magazines in India magazine back to godhead one day someone told him you know magazines people read them and they throw them away so you should write books books
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because books people keep them. They last for a long time. So when Praad heard this, he thought of his guru.
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He took it as an instruction from his guru. Another time when was in New York before he became successful in his preaching He was feeling a little bit uh uncertain about what to do because the weather was so cold
Speaker A
and it was so hard to preach to the people. He was still in the uh upper part of Manhattan where people have more money and he was preaching mostly just to like older women, yoga yoga women.
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So at a certain point he started to think maybe I should go back to India.
Speaker A
because he didn't want to uh he wanted to be able to finish his Bavatam translation and he didn't know if he would be successful in establishing a temple in New York and attracting disciples.
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York. But then at a certain point he received a letter from Sumati Mori. She's the one who gave him the ticket and allowed him to travel on her boat, her transport boat.
Speaker A
And she said, "Swami G, I'm very inspired by what you're doing. I think you should stay in the west until you finish your mission." And when he heard that, he thought, "This is my guru.
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He's telling me I have to stay here and and keep trying. So like this we can learn from the lives of the great devotees how to relate to guruva.
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There is no limitation of time or space. Sriraad would often say that his guru was always with him.
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And he wrote in one letter to Shamarani, if you think of me and work for me, then I am in your heart.
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If you love somebody, he is in your heart. It is a common thing. Everyone understands it.
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So we can feel this association with the spiritual master in service to the spiritual master and remembering the spiritual master.
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Actually we can't do any devotional service without the empowerment of the spiritual master. So the fact that we're trying to do some service some that means the guru is with us his potency is with us.
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And uh we also will be able to connect with this allpervading aspect of the guruva that the energy of Nityanandu is present in everything.
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But in order to realize this, we have to fully accept that I am a servant in his book Shri Guru and his grace. Sa bakti explains this point.
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Shriuru and his grace. that we have to see how everything is above us. We are the servant.
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So we have to see how everything is uh meant for us to engage to we're the servant of everything even the the dust of bindabin is higher than us.
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So what to speak of all the different devotees uh of of the lord As soon as we think I am the master then we cannot access the mercy of Shriuru.
Speaker A
So Lord Caitana he taught that we should think I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the And in this mood we can get the full mercy of the guru.
Speaker A
Har Krishna. Okay.
Topics:guru-tattvaspiritual masterKrishna consciousnessBhagavad GitaPrabhupadadisciplic successionAdiguruViguruNityanandaspiritual teachings
