Importance of a Guru

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

I was just catching up on this weeks postings, and I see that there

is a lot of discussion regarding whether a Guru is needed or not.

May I add to this?

 

A true Guru is a wonderful blessing to any seeker. I have absolutely

no doubt regarding this. If a Guru analyzes a person's needs, and

then prescribes the correct path, whether it be a mantra, or yogic

exercises or studying some scriptures or whatever the relavent thing

is. This is pretty much a given, as far as I am concerned.

 

However, this does not mean that those people that do not have a

Guru should not pursue any of these paths. In this day and age, true

Gurus are few and far between. This quickly becomes a vicious cycle.

If no one treads on the spiritual paths because of lack of Gurus, no

one will process enough to be a Guru for someone else, and the net

result will be a loss for all spiritual seekers.

 

Having said that Gurus are few and far between, if you seek one and

find one, that is great. If not, you STILL follow the spiritual path

that comes most naturally to you, and eventually the spiritual

guidance will come. And yes, the path might be more difficult to

negotiate on your own, but rest assured that only good, and no harm

will ever come to one that tries. Lord Krishna touches upon this in

the Bhagavat Gita, and mentions that the smallest act of

spirituality is not wasted. Even if a soul only makes a small amount

of progress, that is still better than none - it would pick up at

that point in the next lifetime and continue the quest. THAT is the

reason for my positive attitude towards any mantra. Every little bit

helps that person, and it helps the world at large.

 

My philosophy for myself is that I already have my Guru. My Krishna

himself is my Guru, and one of the ways I worship him is with the Om

Krishna Guru mantra, beseeching him to teach me His ways. (Well,

Krishna has always been my constant companion, my love, my child, my

father and my mother, so I figured I might as well continue the

pattern by making Him my Guru too ;-). Similarly, one of the forms

of Shiva I worship is as the Guru, Dakshinamurthy and the Guru form

of the Devi is Sarada Devi.

 

There is no rule that Gurus should have a physical body, as the many

people guided by Mahaavatar Babaji can attest to. Each seeker in a

parampara consider all the Gurus in that parampara to be their

Gurus, whether living or not. We have all been blessed by the Gurus

and saints of the world .... Adi Shankaracharya, Ramakrishna

Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi, Raghavendra Swami, Sai Baba,

Prabhupada, Vyasadeva .... the list goes on. If a Guru in a physical

form is destined, that will come to pass too. Faith .... that is all

it comes down to. Have faith that only good will come of taking ANY

name of the Lord.

 

Just MHO.

-Sreelatha

[Guest guest]

Dear Sreelatha,

thanks for you explanation you spoke out of my heart!

 

Hari Bolo

 

best regards

Shad

 

 

 

 

 

, "V. Sreelatha"

<venkatarama_sastry> wrote:

>

> Dear friends,

>

> I was just catching up on this weeks postings, and I see that

there

> is a lot of discussion regarding whether a Guru is needed or not.

> May I add to this?

>

> A true Guru is a wonderful blessing to any seeker. I have

absolutely

> no doubt regarding this. If a Guru analyzes a person's needs, and

> then prescribes the correct path, whether it be a mantra, or yogic

> exercises or studying some scriptures or whatever the relavent

thing

> is. This is pretty much a given, as far as I am concerned.

>

> However, this does not mean that those people that do not have a

> Guru should not pursue any of these paths. In this day and age,

true

> Gurus are few and far between. This quickly becomes a vicious

cycle.

> If no one treads on the spiritual paths because of lack of Gurus,

no

> one will process enough to be a Guru for someone else, and the net

> result will be a loss for all spiritual seekers.

>

> Having said that Gurus are few and far between, if you seek one

and

> find one, that is great. If not, you STILL follow the spiritual

path

> that comes most naturally to you, and eventually the spiritual

> guidance will come. And yes, the path might be more difficult to

> negotiate on your own, but rest assured that only good, and no

harm

> will ever come to one that tries. Lord Krishna touches upon this

in

> the Bhagavat Gita, and mentions that the smallest act of

> spirituality is not wasted. Even if a soul only makes a small

amount

> of progress, that is still better than none - it would pick up at

> that point in the next lifetime and continue the quest. THAT is

the

> reason for my positive attitude towards any mantra. Every little

bit

> helps that person, and it helps the world at large.

>

> My philosophy for myself is that I already have my Guru. My

Krishna

> himself is my Guru, and one of the ways I worship him is with the

Om

> Krishna Guru mantra, beseeching him to teach me His ways. (Well,

> Krishna has always been my constant companion, my love, my child,

my

> father and my mother, so I figured I might as well continue the

> pattern by making Him my Guru too ;-). Similarly, one of the forms

> of Shiva I worship is as the Guru, Dakshinamurthy and the Guru

form

> of the Devi is Sarada Devi.

>

> There is no rule that Gurus should have a physical body, as the

many

> people guided by Mahaavatar Babaji can attest to. Each seeker in a

> parampara consider all the Gurus in that parampara to be their

> Gurus, whether living or not. We have all been blessed by the

Gurus

> and saints of the world .... Adi Shankaracharya, Ramakrishna

> Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi, Raghavendra Swami, Sai Baba,

> Prabhupada, Vyasadeva .... the list goes on. If a Guru in a

physical

> form is destined, that will come to pass too. Faith .... that is

all

> it comes down to. Have faith that only good will come of taking

ANY

> name of the Lord.

>

> Just MHO.

> -Sreelatha