[Advaita-l] Discussion on the Guru

[Guy Werlings]

sarvebhyo namaH|



I know that quite a number of the A-L hold Sri Ramakrishna in utter contempt and even despise him as being not an advaitin but only a typical Bengalitantric saint.

 

I do not intend to indulge in a debate with people clinging to such misinformed and biased views. But, for the poor and confused ignorants who still consider Sri Râmakrishna's experience of what he called himself "bhaava mukha" as an advaitic realization, I should like to quote the following:
 

Although I am unable to give a more accurate and precise reference, a leading spiritual figure of the Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Premeshaananda, once wrote: "We have presently become inundated by this 'guru doctrine.' The purpose of the guru is to lead us to the realization of God; but God has been left behind, and the guru has become the latest fashion."
And as a Westerner, I can confirm how fashionable it has been here for the past 50 years to go hunting for the Guru, be it in Switzerland or of course much preferably in India.


Let us look at the words of Sri Ramakrishna himself on the subject as found in the Majumdar translation of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
 "Satchidananda [Existence­Consciousness-Bliss] alone is the guru; He alone will teach." (1.2.8; also: 4.2.1, 5.1.2, 5.5.1)

"If somebody addresses me as a guru I say, 'Away you rascal!' How can I be a guru? There is no other guru except Satchidananda. There is no other refuge but Him. He alone is the ferryman who takes one across the ocean of relative existence." (1.12.8)
"A man cannot be a guru."  (2.19.6)
"He who says of himself that he is a guru is a person of poor understanding."  (3.17.4)
"The more you will advance, the more you will see that it is He who has become everything and it is He who is doing everything. He alone is the guru and He alone is the spiritual ideal of your choice. He alone is giving jñAna, bhakti and everything."  (4.26.2)
"Do you pray to Satchidananda Guru every morning? Do you?" (4.9.2).

 

For readers more familiar with the translation of swAmI nikhilAnanda, see in the 13th impression of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (kathAmR^ita) pages
98;141;184;217;292;633;673;1016, the content of which is similar, of course to the above.





praNAms|

Guy W.

 





 

 






 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that quite a number of the A-L hold Sri Ramakrishna in utter contempt and even despise him as being not an advaitin but only a typical Bengali

tantric saint.

 

I do not intend to indulge in a debate with people clinging to such misinformed and biased views. But, for the poor and confused ignorant who still consider Sri

Râmakrishna's experience of what he called himself "bhaava mukha" as an advaitic realization, I should like to quote the following, at the risk of kicking in the ant-hill:

 

Although I am unable to give a more accurate and precise reference, a leading spiritual figure of the Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Premeshaananda, once wrote: "We have presently become inundated by this 'guru doctrine.' The purpose of the guru is to lead us to the realization of God; but God has been left behind, and the guru has become the latest fashion."
And as a Westerner, I can confirm how fashionable it has been here for the past 50 years to go hunting for the Guru, be it in Switzerland or of course much preferably in India.


Let us look at the words of Sri Ramakrishna himself on the subject as found in the Majumdar translation of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
 "Satchidananda [Existence­Consciousness-Bliss] alone is the guru; He alone will teach." (1.2.8; also: 4.2.1, 5.1.2, 5.5.1)

"If somebody addresses me as a guru I say, 'Away you rascal!' How can I be a guru? There is no other guru except Satchidananda. There is no other refuge but Him. He alone is the ferryman who takes one across the ocean of relative existence." (1.12.8)
"A man cannot be a guru."  (2.19.6)
"He who says of himself that he is a guru is a person of poor understanding."  (3.17.4)
"The more you will advance, the more you will see that it is He who has become everything and it is He who is doing everything. He alone is the guru and He alone is the spiritual ideal of your choice. He alone is giving jñAna, bhakti and everything."  (4.26.2)
"Do you pray to Satchidananda Guru every morning? Do you?" (4.9.2).

 

For readers more familiar with the translation of swAmI nikhilAnanda, see in the 13th impression of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (kathAmR^ita) pages
98;141;184;217;292;633;673;1016.