[Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?
kuntimaddi sadananda
kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com
Sat Jan 30 00:21:00 CST 2016
Sudhakar Kabraji - PraNAms
Fantastic answers. I agree with everyone of the answers.
Thanks. I am taking the liberty to post your answers in the other list.
Hari Om!
Sadananda
--------------------------------------------
On Fri, 1/29/16, Sudhakar Kabra via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?
To: "kuntimaddi sadananda" <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com>, "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Friday, January 29, 2016, 12:24 PM
PraNAms to all
Shree Subbuji just posted -
How one can get under the grace of a Guru?
Here is a question I want to pose it to all.
//// Making a small attempt. //////
Q. 1: Do we really need a
guru?
Shastras says so - therefore we need
one. Or Do we really need to have one understand
Shastras?
//// Consider this example (as
once given to us long time back)
I want to
go from Chennai to Mumbai by car. I start but don't know
the directions. So switch on the GPS system, follow its
directions, see milestones and signage and proceed on
journey thinking that I will be able to make it.
Here the GPS may be considered equivalent to
the Guru who keeps giving directions. The milestones and
sign posts are the shastras (pointers) to the
destination.
So both are necessary for the
accomplishment of the journey. /////
We do not
have old gurukula system of education. We have now Missions
and Missionaries. We have now internet and on-line
discussion, talks on yu-tube or all other means to
understand the shaastras.
//// As time passes, depending
on present day circumstances, the system of understanding
and teaching also changes. /////
All we need to know is Brahma
Satyam, Jangan mithyaa and jeevo brahma eva na aparaH. This
can be learned by listening to many teachings available on
line.
//// I would say listening and understanding
are two different things.One may listen but the question is
of understanding and feeling it to core.This is a major
difference. //////
I understand
that we need to have shraddha - Does Shraddha comes with
'Guru or in the very teaching itself (shastra)
//// Shraddha
comes as I proceed to drive further on the journey. How?
By reading the milestones showing distance
covered. By some other signals like hoardings changing from
Tamil to Marathi, by stopping on way and talking / seeing
other people also taking the same direction to Mumbai,
boards like stay at this place in Mumbai etc.
//////
Q2. Do we need a live guru or
on-line guru? I find many claim that Bhagavan Ramana
Mahasrhi is our guru; but he is not there in Physical form
to teach. His teachings are available - so are other on-line
teachers too.
//// On-line teachers are mostly one way
interactions. Face to face has a greater impact. Even if a
shishya nods as yes understood, the guru has the wisdom to
see directly whether the shishya has really got it or needs
further elaborations. He may question immediately or give
examples to make it further clear.
So
physical presence was always emphasized in guru shishya
parampara. Difficult to beat Arjuna and Krishna in this
regards.
Those who claim Ramana Maharshi,
Ramkrishna Paramhamsa and others as guru are truly getting
inspired by hearing or learning about their teachings. They
may be very advanced by following it in their life. This
inspiration is what they call the guru.
//////////
Claim: We need a teacher who
himself is self realized? Well, since there are no litmus to
evaluate a particular teacher is self-realized or not we
cannot go by that rule as long as we have the faith in the
shaastras and understand clearly the explanation.
///// Present
day scenario with intellect falling to the lowest level,
self realized masters are not easily available. Does that
mean one is doomed? No.Anyone who is a better intellect
higher than the students level will suffice to proceed
further.In a school an ordinary level teacher suffices and
need not be a PhD on the subject.Gautama Buddha did the same
and had changed many gurus on his way to nirvana.
/////////
I would like hear from eveyone
those who are looking for a guru and those who found their
gurus and those who do not think they do not need one (as JK
- says - even though his follower want to follow!)
Q. We have many who do not
have gurus as we know - starting with Bhagavan Ramana
Maharshi himself. That he had Guru in the last life is only
justification for the axiom that one needs a guru, since we
do not Bhagavan's last janma to make a claim
The sadhana chatushtaya sampaathi does not
necessorily for subtle inquiry does not demand a guru - it
says Shraddha - Is Shraddha in the teachings available in
may ways now - not sufficient.
///// The sadhana chatushtaya
sampathi is the qualification of the driver driving the car.
the more skilled he is the faster or easier will be the
journey to self realization (Mumbai in the example)
Shraddha as mentioned above is
the feeling or realization that the goal will be reached
with my effort. The more we come closer, the more it is
strengthened. ///////////
What do you think? I am
posting this to both groups to see the responses.
A small thought on the
post. RegardsSudhakar
Hari
Om!
Sada
On Friday, January 29, 2016 9:11 AM,
kuntimaddi sadananda via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
wrote:
PraNAms to all
Shree
Subbuji just posted - How one can get under the grace of a
Guru?
Here is a question I
want to pose it to all.
Q.
1: Do we really need a guru?
Shastras says so - therefore we need one. Or Do
we really need to have one understand Shastras?
We do not have old gurukula
system of education. We have now Missions and Missionaries.
We have now internet and on-line discussion, talks on
yu-tube or all other means to understand the shaastras.
All we need to know is Brahma
Satyam, Jangan mithyaa and jeevo brahma eva na aparaH. This
can be learned by listening to many teachings available on
line.
I understand that we
need to have shraddha - Does Shraddha comes with 'Guru
or in the very teaching itself (shastra)
Q2. Do we need a live guru or
on-line guru? I find many claim that Bhagavan Ramana
Mahasrhi is our guru; but he is not there in Physical form
to teach. His teachings are available - so are other on-line
teachers too.
Claim: We
need a teacher who himself is self realized? Well, since
there are no litmus to evaluate a particular teacher is
self-realized or not we cannot go by that rule as long as we
have the faith in the shaastras and understand clearly the
explanation.
I would like
hear from eveyone those who are looking for a guru and those
who found their gurus and those who do not think they do not
need one (as JK - says - even though his follower want to
follow!)
Q. We have many
who do not have gurus as we know - starting with Bhagavan
Ramana Maharshi himself. That he had Guru in the last life
is only justification for the axiom that one needs a guru,
since we do not Bhagavan's last janma to make a claim
The sadhana chatushtaya
sampaathi does not necessorily for subtle inquiry does not
demand a guru - it says Shraddha - Is Shraddha in the
teachings available in may ways now - not sufficient.
What do you think? I am
posting this to both groups to see the responses.
Hari Om!
Sada
_______________________________________________
Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
To unsubscribe or change your
options:
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
For assistance, contact:
listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
_______________________________________________
Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
To unsubscribe or change your
options:
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
For assistance, contact:
listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
More information about the Advaita-l mailing list