[Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?
kuntimaddi sadananda
kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com
Sun Jan 31 23:59:01 CST 2016
Venkatraghavanji - PraNAms
Yes to all the list. You have made it crystal clear why we need a teacher.
If you do not mind I am going to all pointers together and post it in the facebook lists that I am involved for whatever that is worth.
Hari Om!
Sada
--------------------------------------------
On Mon, 2/1/16, Venkatraghavan S <agnimile at gmail.com> wrote:
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?
To: "kuntimaddi sadananda" <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com>
Cc: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>, "yahoogroups" <advaitin at yahoogroups.com>
Date: Monday, February 1, 2016, 12:06 AM
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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