[Advaita-l] Discussion on Vairagya

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

--- srikanta at nie.ac.in wrote:

>Practically speaking,in these days, it is hard
> to get a Guru who is
> honest and who is a "Brahmanishta".
>The Gurus
> themselves are too occupied
> with the World and their own problems and are
> groping in the dark.

PraNAms

As I understand:

How does a guru should look like? Shankara gives a
beautiful sloka in Bhajagovindam.

yogaratOvA bhOgaratOvA
sangharatovA sanghavihInaH|
yasyat brahmaNi ramate chittam
nadati nandati nadatyeva|| 

He may look like a yogi or bhogi; he may be a man of
downtown or sitting in the caves of Himalayas,
he is the one whose mind is constantly raveling in the
Brahman.  

And where is that Brahman for him to revel. 
'antar bhahischa tat sarvam vyaapya naaraayana
sthitaH' - he is inside and out side. So wherever and
whatever he is involved, he is involved in or with
Brahman. 

Then Gurus NEED NOT be some remote uninvolved entities
but those who could very well be deeply involved in
the problems of the world. 

Are there honest gurus and dishonest gurus in the
world? - There are only honest or dishonest shishyaas,
not gurus.  I have to discover a guru not that there
are gurus that are there for me to pick up selecting
those who are honest and rejecting those who are
dishonest. If my mind becomes mature enough to
discover a guru, Lord himself will show me one from
whom I gain the knowledge that need to be gained. 
That is the Law. There are no certifications that one
is guru and one is not.  I will discover a guru from
whom I gained the required knowledge. 

The best thing is  not to look for a guru.  He will
come when the time is right.  What is needed is to be
associated with satsangh?

sat sanghatve nissangatvam
nissangate nirmohatvam
nirmohatve nischala tatvam
nischala tatve jiivan muktaH||

Prepare the mind and let it blooms like a flower, a
bee shall come in appropriate time. That is the law of
nature.  

One discovers in ones heart that this person is my
guru when he realizes that because of him I am able to
see the truth as the truth. 

The best thing to do is stop evaluating gurus floating
around but do ones saadhana to purify his own heart by
associating with satsangh - satsangh is that company
in whose presence my mind elevates itself - that
includes books, thoughts, conversations and
environments.

Then one will find a right guru, appropriate for him.
Those who discovered their gurus can vouch for it.
Others may not vote for him; but you know he is my
guru.  

Hari Om!
Sadananda