Re: Is guruship american - an interesting encounter

Namaste,

Swami Chandrashekharendra Saraswati [1895-1994], of Kanchi Pitham,
said that Adi Shankra would have preferred to teach in silence like
Dakshinamurti, but since the Asura had enterd our intellect, he had to use
polemics to drive it out!!

Regards,

s.




>From: "K. Sadananda"
>Reply-To: advaitin (AT) onelist (DOT) com
>To: advaitin (AT) onelist (DOT) com
>Subject: [advaitin] Re: Is guruship american - an interesting encounter
>Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000 12:46:41 -0500
>
>This does not directly address the need of a guru in specifics
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This does not directly address the need of a guru in specifics. But I want
to share an interesting experience I had.

This happened some time in the later part of the eighties - just one year
before J.Krishnamurthy passed away. His last talk was in Washington D.C.
Kennedy center and it was difficult to get seats any where closeby unless
you pay heavily. I and my wife wanted to meet JK but that became out of
the question since his schedule was tight and was fixed long time in
advance. The lectures were three or four days and we could buy a $25/-
ticket for one day but the seats were for away almost at the corner of
balcony where you can barely see the person. JK sat on a small chair in
the middle of the hall and acoustics were also so bad that barely one can
hear him. As common with his lectures, he was somewhat sarcastic about the
way the people get conditioned about the Gods and what not, and about the
Gurus. He may not be conscious of it but lot of audience who are mostly
western were laughing aloud as he was making fun of the gurus. Of course
he was serious about it and explaining how one can get reconditioned in the
process of trying to getting out of one conditioning.

Around that time, I was already deeply involved in Chinmaya mission and was
organizing Pujya Swami Chinmayanandaji lectures at the University of
Maryland which was scheduled in a month or so, and I had prepared lot of
brochures of the program. I and my wife wanted to distribute the fliers to
the audience here assuming that they have enough interest in spirituality.
As we were distributing outside the lecture hall, one lady, walked down to
us and told us that we should not distribute those here. When we asked
why, she said these are JK followers and they are against any guru's.
When we asked her who she was to tell us what we should or should not do,
she gave a very stern replay that she is the follower of JK and main
organizer of these talks series. I told her she cannot be a follower of
JK - She questioned why not? I have to tell her that she has not
understood what JK has been talking all these years - He does not want
anyone to follow anyone that includes himself. If she understood what he
has been teaching all these years then she cannot be following him and if
she has not understood what he has been teaching all these years then it is
useless to follow him. It is to her advantage to take the flier that we
are distributing and attend swamiji's talk on spirituality. She left us
with an angry look.

The point is mind of seeker that is in a confused state of what is real and
what is unreal and yet seeking for some answers longs for some guidance to
show the direction to follow. Obviously there are no mule gurues who can
carry their disciples on their backs to the goal. One has to realize
oneself in oneself by oneself. But for an inquisitive mind to get fully
convinced in the nature of the path and the goal, requires helping hand to
show the direction. It is not sufficient just to say that "truth is a
pathless land" even though that may be the correct statement. To a mind
which is seeking a way out there is no point just to say that no way is
required to get out. To appreciate the logic and establish conviction of
the nature of the reality, the mind requires certain maturity or
purification. Yoga or the path is there for the purification process and
guru's guidance will help. When the mind is pure the truth is
self-revealed.

Does one need a guru? - not really if one is mature enough. Ramana
Maharshi did not have any specific guru to follow. But association with
the good just as these discussions on the advaitin list - are good to help
resolve the issues in the mind. In the process of maturity one discovers a
guru about whom one thinks is he of great help in resolving and guiding his
mind. As Swami Chinmayanandaji used to say - one does not have to hunt for
a guru - guru will come in a form that is appealing the seeker when one is
ready - just as a bee shall come when the flower is ready - that is the law
of nature. Ultimately external guru merges with ones own inner self and
that self alone provides guidance needed. External guru is only a
manifestation of the inner self.

Hari Om!
Sadananda







K. Sadananda
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Naval Research Laboratory
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