[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Re: Question? - Is Guru necessary?

[Sanju Nath]

प्रणाम,

Also when we watch the videos, we see many seekers in the audience.  While the advantage of ambience in front of a Guru is there, how does it differ with how a person consumes online because I too make myself a member of the audience?  In fact, while viewing on computer, I can pause, read the book a bit, go back to check on doubts and investigate more thoroughly.

The real advantage, in my view, is if the live audience members are able to sit down with the Guru and ask questions in a prolonged and consistent way, in a regular fashion stretching over weeks and years.

धन्यवाद,
Sanju

> On Jan 31, 2016, at 7:42 PM, kuntimaddi sadananda kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com [advaitin] <advaitin at yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> 
> Venkatraghavanji - PraNAms
> 
> Yes we need a guru. My question is also one can listen to a sampradaya teacher on line now a days - and get clarification of the issues you have raised. Supposed I listen on line to Swami Paramarthanandaji talks - the questions you have raised will be answered. Now a days many on line talks are available to an earnest seeker. 
> 
> Do I need to have a personal contact with the guru?
> 
> Can I be just a elkalavya shiya and gain the knowledge?
> 
> Should contact with the guru required on personal basis? Should be alive in Physical form?
> 
> Hari Om!
> Sada
> 
> --------------------------------------------
> On Sun, 1/31/16, Venkatraghavan S <agnimile at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?
> To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>, "kuntimaddi sadananda" <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com>
> Cc: "yahoogroups" <advaitin at yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Sunday, January 31, 2016, 4:24 PM
> 
> Namaste Sri
> Sadanandaji,
> I would like to say from personal experience
> that a guru makes a very discernible and meaningful
> difference in the understanding of shAstra.
> It is the difference between learning swimming
> by reading a manual versus having a live swimming instructor
> next to you, teaching.
> The reason is that shAstra, when approached by
> an untrained mind, appears to contain several contradictions
> - both within the shAstra itself and versus everyday
> experiential reality. 
> Sometimes vedAs extol karma, sometimes bhakti,
> sometimes jnAna, sometimes dvaita, sometimes
> vishishtAdvaita, sometimes advaita - which is correct? Even
> when it does talk about advaita, how can one reconcile the
> jagat mithyAtvam that the vedA teaches, with the very vivid,
> personal (and sometimes painful) experience of reality? How
> can we believe the vedA when it says we are Brahman, when
> everyday reality repeatedly seems to remind us of the
> powerlessness of the individual?
> It's when we are faced with these multiple
> questions such as these and others, that having a Guru is
> invaluable - I would even say necessary. Someone who can
> help interpret vedAs in accordance with a time honoured
> sampradAya, someone who can lend personal credence to the
> message of the vedA by the way he carries himself,  and
> someone who speaks with conviction when he says "tat
> tvam asi" to the sishyA.
> Having such a guru is a blessing indeed.
> How can one go about in search for such a guru?
> I would say by having strong desire to have such a guru, by
> unwavering shraddhA and bhakti in Iswara and shAstra, by
> regular performance of nitya karmA without seeking material
> benefit and by development of sadhana chatushtaya sampatti
> to the maximum extent of our ability.
> Just my 2 cents worth.
> Regards,
> 
> Venkatraghavan
> On 29 Jan 2016 03:40,
> "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
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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