[Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?

[Venkatraghavan S]

Namaste Sri Sadananda ji,

In short, one can do all those things you outlined, but it is better to
have personal contact.

There are definite benefits if the guru and sishya have personal contact:

1)  so the guru can assess the sishyA's calibre and appropriately tailor
the message.

2) Also, as the classes progress, the guru can assess the student's
progress or lack thereof and speed up /slow down / modify the teaching as
needed.

3) the sishyA can ask questions at the right times.

4) there is a regular routine / pattern to the study with physical classes
which can aid studies.

5) no vidyA is complete without guru dakshiNA, and the student has more
opportunity / feels obliged to show respect to the guru by means of
dakshiNA when there is personal contact. While the guru may not need or
even desire it, it is the student's duty to pay guru dakshiNA to the guru
in whatever form possible (service/money/kind). The idea is not to let any
vidyA turn into a parasitic relationship.

While there are benefits, but by no means does it rule out listening to
online talks as an option if personal contact is not possible for whatever
reason.

For someone who is able to overcome the disadvantages of a remote medium,
has reasonable self awareness (used in the sense of awareness of one's
strengths / weaknesses and progress), is self motivated and regular in
study, online / electronic listening to classes is acceptable, according to
me.

Should a guru be alive? It would certainly help. At least there is a
possibility of personal contact in the future.

Regards,
Venkatraghavan
On 1 Feb 2016 01:42, "kuntimaddi sadananda" <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.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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