Guru TattvaHis teaching on the Guru
GURUDOM: A DEADLY CANKER
Jatilo Mundi Lunchita-Kesah Kashayambara-Bahukrita-Veshah; Pasyannapi Cha Na Pasyati Mudho Udara-Nimittam Bahukrita-Veshah
For the sake of this belly, what sort of disguise man puts on? One grows Jata on the head, another shaves his head, another puts an orange-coloured robe. Ignorant, he sees not though he sees (Sri Sankaracharya).
India, the sacred land of Advaita Philosophy, the land which produced Sri Sankara, Dattatreya, Vamadeva and Jada Bharata who preached oneness of life and unity of consciousness, is full of sectarians now. What a great pity it is! What a lamentable state you see now! You can even count the grains of sand on a seashore, but it is extremely difficult to count the number of sects that are prevailing now in India. Every day, some kind of ‘ism’ is cropping up like mushroom to swell up the discord that is already present here. Hopeless discord and disharmony reign supreme everywhere. Fighting is going on between different sects. Dissensions and splits, suits in law-courts, skirmishes, hand-to-hand fights and scandal-mongering prevail everywhere. There is neither peace nor harmony. The disciples of one Guru fight with the disciples of another Guru in streets and marketplaces!
YOGIC CHARLATANS AND POSING GURUS
A young man with a little training in harmonium and a little power of speech ascends the platform, poses for an Acharya or a Guru in a couple of years, publishes a few rubbish pamphlets and songs and establishes a sect of his own. India still abounds in profound stupidity and any man can have his own following in a short time.
Another young man with some training in Asanas, Bandhas and Pranayama shuts himself up in an underground cell with some eatables that are secretly kept to last for forty days. He eats some roots that destroy hunger and thirst for some days. God only knows what he is doing in the cell! He sleeps in the cell. He then comes out with pretended Samadhi. This is a little practice of Titiksha only. His Samskaras and Vasanas are not at all destroyed. He is the same worldly man. He knocks about hither and thither to collect money and make disciples. He poses for a Yogi Guru. Ignorant, worldly people are easily deceived. The sad part of the tale is that people lose faith even in real Yogis who enter into real Samadhi, on account of the foolish actions of such posing young men who have no responsibility. These young men have not understood the gravity of Yoga and spiritual life. Samadhi is certainly not meant for demonstration on public roads. Samadhi is a sacred act. Samadhi is not jugglery or Indrajala. This practice has become contagious. Many young men have started this show or feat.
Beware of these Yogic charlatans, daylight dupes or posing Gurus, black sheep who are infectious parasites and burden on society, who are a menace to the country and who are vultures that prey upon the resources of the ignorant and the credulous!
Some make disciples to get services when they grow old. They do not care for the advancement of their disciples.
A CAUTION TO LADIES
Ladies are very easily duped by the so-called Gurus and Acharyas. Ladies are very simple-minded and credulous. They are very easily attracted by sweet music and melody. They fall easy victims to melodious sounds. These Gurus try to hoodwink naive womenfolk. They easily influence them and trap them without any difficulty. They make them their tools or instruments. They exploit them and fill their stomachs and move about in silken clothes and pump shoes. Householders have not got the least sanction from scriptures to make lady disciples. Those who make lady-disciples for the sake of earning a decent livelihood are worms that revel in filth. There is no Prayaschitta for these hypocrites. They are thrown mercilessly into the Raurava and Maha Raurava hells.
O Devis! Wake up now! Open your eyes. You are all educated now. Use your reason. Do not be carried away by mere lectures and music. Beware of posing Gurus. Never make a householder as your Guru. Never get Diksha from him. You will weep in the end and reap a bad harvest if you do so. That man whom you select as your Guru should be of an exemplary and spotless character. He should be absolutely selfless and be free from lust and greed. He should be free from all sorts of worldly taints. He should have knowledge of the Vedas and scriptures. He must have inner spiritual strength and Self-realisation to elevate you and lead you in the spiritual path.
Husbands should not allow their wives to take anyone as their Guru without proper scrutiny or thorough examination and understanding of the person whom they want to take as Guru. If they really feel so much for taking a Guru, they should select one after careful study and enquiry and after living with him for a long time. Husband and wife should not have different Gurus. Fighting comes in. They should have a common Guru.
THE MENACE OF SECTS AND CULTS
Lord Chaitanya, Guru Nanak, Swami Dayananda were all catholic, exalted souls. All their teachings were sublime and universal. They never wanted to establish sects or cults of their own. Had they lived now, they would have wept at the actions of their followers. It is the followers who commit serious mistakes and blunders. They have not developed a large heart. They are petty-minded. They create dissensions, party-spirit and all sorts of trouble.
A spiritual leader should never establish a sect of his own. He should have a far-reaching insight. Founding a sect means creation of a fighting centre to disturb the peace of the world. He does more harm than good to the country. He can have an institution with broad, universal principles and doctrines that will not at all conflict with the principles and doctrines of other religions and can be universally accepted and followed by all.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A REAL GURU
Here are the characteristics of a real Guru. If you find these qualifications in any man, accept him at once as your Guru. A real Guru is one who is a Brahma-Nishtha and a Brahma-Srotri. He has full knowledge of the Self and the Vedas. He can dispel the doubts of aspirants. He has equal vision and balanced mind. He is free from Raga-Dvesha, Harsha, Soka, egoism, anger, lust, greed, Moha, pride, etc. He is an ocean of mercy. In his mere presence one gets Santi and elevation of mind. In his mere presence, all doubts of aspirants are cleared. He does not expect anything from anybody. He has an exemplary character. He is full of joy and bliss. He is in search of real aspirants!
Salutations to the Lotus-Feet of a Guru! I fully believe in a real Guru. I have great adorations for a Guru. My heart longs to serve his Lotus-Feet for ever. I believe that there is no purifier more powerful than the service of a Guru in removing the impurities of the mind. I fully believe that the only safe boat that can take us to the other shore of Immortality is the company of a Guru.
COMMERCIAL GURUDOM
But I dislike commercial Gurudom. I strongly resent the actions of hypocrites who pose for Gurus and Acharyas and move about making disciples and collecting money. You will all agree with me on this point. There cannot be any two opinions in this direction. They are the pests of society. Gurudom has come to be mere business. It must be thoroughly eradicated from the soil of India. It is doing great havoc and harm to the people of India. It is creating a very bad impression in the minds of the Westerners and people of different countries. India is losing its spiritual glory on account of this Gurudom business. Drastic steps should be taken immediately to nip this serious malady and destroy it to its very root. No stone should be left unturned in its eradication. It has assumed a hideous shape. It has become very contagious. Many have taken to this Gurudom business as an easy means of decent livelihood. Poor ignorant ladies and gentlemen are exploited by these pseudo-Gurus on an enormous scale. What a shame!
Many Gurus move about hither and thither. They deliver lectures and conduct discourses. They know Brahma Sutras and Gita by heart, but they have no knowledge and meditation. They are easily irritated. Their Abhimana is very stiff. They lack in divine attributes and Sadhutva. They have no spirit of service. They speak ill of service, Kirtan, etc. They catch many people by the arm. They bless them by placing their hands on their backs. But, they are not able to send one man across to final Salvation or beatitude.
The public will take a man to be a Guru only if he exhibits some Siddhis. It is a serious mistake. They must not be over-credulous. They will be easily duped by these Yogic charlatans. They must use their power of discrimination and reasoning. They must study the ways, habits, nature, conduct, Vritti, Svabhava, etc., of the Guru and test his knowledge of scriptures, before they come to any definite conclusion.
It is better to take Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Lord Siva, the Indweller of your heart as your Guru and repeat His Mantra instead of approaching these black sheep who mislead and ransack the people of this country.
May the glorious India abound in real Gurus like Sri Sankara or Sri Dattatreya! May she be absolutely free from these pseudo-Gurus and Gurudom itself which is a deadly curse! May the universal principles of Sanatana Dharma flourish in the world! May the spiritual leaders try their level best to unite the various sects and cults! Let them not establish new cults. May this sectarian fighting and quarrel cease for ever! May this land always keep up the reputation and prestige of a spiritual country with saints, seers, Yogis, Bhaktas and Sannyasins with Tyaga, renunciation and Self-realisation as the goal! May unity, peace and harmony prevail throughout the world! May the blessings of Gurus be upon us all! May they guide us in the path of spirituality!