Guru-tattva is Very Deep and Very Complex (04/29/01)

Guru-tattva is Very Deep and Very Complex (04/29/01)

J____Dāsa,

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

I have received your email below.

The question you ask about guru-tattva cannot easily be answered in one email. In short however, the guru of the madhyama status must have the backing of the higher Vaiṣṇava. Only then can his function of being guru come up to standard.

If the madhyama-adhikārī guru commits Vaiṣṇava aparādha then there will certainly be difficulty in his keeping the standards expected of a guru. This has happened many times in recent years.

You are asking, “How to see one’s guru?” In that answer there is only one guru. Guru is one. Guru means Kṛṣṇa, Guru means Baladeva, Guru means Nityānanda Prabhu, Guru means Gadādhara Paṇḍita, and guru means Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. The vision of a disciple is that he will find the particular representation of Kṛṣṇa (as mentioned here) to be the indwelling characteristic of his Gurudeva. That will be his vision. This vision will come to a disciple based on śraddhā (faith), śaraṇāgati (surrender), and viśvrambha-sevā (affectionate service).

The disciple should not however make the discrimination as follows, “My guru is not uttama, but he is doing anyway by some arrangement.” If that in the vision of a disciple then there is something wrong somewhere? That ‘something’ is usually a lack of faith. or Kṛṣṇa is not actually manifest in the guru and so the disciple experiences some uncertainty. There are no handbooks written to take us through those troubled waters. There is only our sincerest approach and our sukṛti, good fortune. May God help us!

Guru-tattva is very deep and very complex. Society consciousness has no jurisdiction over the guru-tattva, although many devotees would like to think that it does. Actually, society consciousness and God consciousness are at opposite ends. They are opposed to each other. Society wants equal dealings and everything to be regulated, but God (Kṛṣṇa) is an autocrat. He has no rules to follow and so we must always be ready to surrender to His sweet will.

So how to keep the balance between society and God? You can’t! Therefore the most important thing in the life of any jīva-soul is to surrender and follow his guru. There is no other goal in life. And any society that does not support that end is dead and useless.

I am sorry, but I cannot go into greater detail at this time. If we meet someday I will happily discuss this topic with you at length. I wish you the best and I hope this meets you well.

Praṇāms,

Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha