Tag Archive for: GuruTattva

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Be Forever With Your Guru

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

Any sincere sadhaka can always be in association with one’s merciful Gurudeva, even if the Guru is far away or has entered Radha-Govinda’s nitya-vrndavana lila.

Simply by meditating on your divine master, you immediately establish a connection with him. In response to your thoughts and prayers, Sri Guru will send you his full blessings, guidance, power and love.

A sweet stream of spiritual energy will flow from Sri Guru to you, just as honey pours from one vessel to another. You will feel his mercy mellowing your mind, and taste the sweet bliss of his charming presence in your heart.

In the Yoga-sutras, Rishi Patanjali says you can control your vrittis (thought waves) by fixing your mind on one who has transcended human passions and attachments (vita-raga-visayam ca cittam).

So by thinking of your Guru or some liberated soul, or by looking at his picture, you will pacify your mind, purify your heart and empower your Harinama japa with increased concentration.

The Padma Purana (Uttara-khanda ch. 112 v. 9-29) says that the mind becomes pure by Sri Guru smarana: “Just by thinking of your Guru, you will obtain 1/100th portion of the priceless treasure of his Krishna bhakti.”

However, the ability to draw blessings from your beloved spiritual master depends on the degree of your faith, surrender and dedication to Sri Guru. When sincere sisyas meditate on Sri Guru, they will definitely feel the benign and blissful presence of Sri Guru in their hearts.

Once Srila Prabhupada said, “Even if I am in the spiritual world with Radha and Krishna, whenever you chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, you will immediately experience my presence right before you!”

Surrendered sisyas ki jai! Krpa-sakti murti Sri Guru ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Guru Gita: Glories of Sri Guru

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

The “Guru Gita” appears in the Skanda Purana as a dialogue between Sri Siva and Parvati-devi. Excerpts are included here to increase everyone’s appreciation of, gratitude toward, surrender and devotion to their individual wisdom teachers who in this world are the only sources of peace, happiness, fulfillment and liberation.

Jai Guru!

One day on Mt. Kailasa, Sri Siva Sankara said: “O Parvati-devi! All sastric study, japa, vratas, tapas, tirtha yatras, yajnas and dana are a fruitless waste of time without knowing the truth of Sri Guru, guru-tattva. (19, 20, 21)

“Sri Guru is non-different from Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Without a doubt, the wise should rise out of ignorance by seeking knowledge of Bhagavan and one’s self from Sri Guru. (22-23)

Drinking the water from Guru’s feet will destroy all one’s sins, ignite the light knowledge, and carry one smoothly across the bhava-sagara, ocean of the worldly existence. (25-26)

Sri Krishna resides in the mouth of the Guru, because by his teachings one attains Krishna. And the disciple will attain this transcendental knowledge by guru-bhakti. One should meditate on Sri Guru at all times, just as a devoted wife thinks only of her husband. (30, 32)

The letter ‘gu’ means darkness and the three gunas [tamas, rajas, sattva] and ‘ru’ means light. Because Sri Guru has transcended the gunas by the light of spiritual knowledge he’s called Guru. (35) One should surrender one’s body, wealth and family to the sat Guru. (38)

Worship Sri Guru because he embodies the essence of Vedanta and Srutis. And by his mere remembrance all knowledge will automatically arise in one’s heart. (39, 40)

In all adversities only Guru can help you. (42)

If Bhagavan is angry with you, Guru can save. But if Guru is angry none can save. (46) Neither men, women or devas averse to Guru’s seva will ever be liberated from samsara. (53)

Without Guru’s infinite grace, peace of mind can’t be attained even after studying millions of scriptures. (56) Whoever vilifies Sri Guru goes to hell for as long as the sun and moon shine on earth. (58) Wise disciples should never speak proudly or tell a lie before Guru. (60)

One who speaks rudely or insultingly to Guru is born in a desert or as a jungle demon. (61) If you hear someone speaking ill of Sri Guru, then immediately leave that place. (72) The Guru is one who instructs the disciple about Sri Krishna, and reveals Krishna in his heart like one lamp lighting another. (75)

By the grace of Guru, transcendental knowledge appears in the disciple. (76) That happiness, which is found ONLY in serving Guru’s lotus feet far surpasses all the happiness in the Vedas, mantras and tantras. (89, 90)

By the glory of Guru diksa, all actions bear fruit and one attains everything. But without Guru one is a number one fool. (102) One should abandon a Guru who is devoid of knowledge or speaks untruth [apasiddhanta]. (104)

Those who fail to serve Sri Guru suffer in terrible hells. (150) Knowledge, wealth, strength, good fortune are all useless without the grace of Guru. (151) One who has Guru Bhakti blesses his father, mother, family, and the entire earth. (152)

Guru is Bhagavan; Guru is dharma, and the greatest penance is unshakable faith in Guru. Thrice I repeat this: “There is nothing greater than Guru.” “There is nothing greater than Guru.” “There is nothing greater than Guru.” (154)

O Parvati, one becomes free from the cycle of birth and death by pleasing Guru. (157) All places of pilgrimage are present at the holy feet of Guru. (159) The true Guru removes all afflictions from the disciple’s heart. (162)

One gets proper Guru by the grace of Krishna. And upon attaining one, the disciple never again becomes bound in samsara for he/she liberated forever. (173) Just by darsana of a real Guru, one attains joy, peace and steadiness in life. (183)

By chanting the Guru’s name, without a doubt countless lives of sins are destroyed. (187) At the time of death nothing and no one can save one but Sri Guru. (188) One purifies one’s entire dynasty and pleases all the devatas by satisfying Sri Guru. (189)

Those without Guru diksa will never know Bhagavan and remain like animals. (191) All attachments, doubts and karmas are destroyed by the grace of Guru. (193) He who does not respect and honor the Guru will take innumerable births as a dog and then become a candala. (202)

One should always drink the Guru’s foot bath water, eat his remnants, meditate on his form and repeat his name. (210) There is nothing in the universe greater than Guru. Therefore, one should worship the Guru. (211)

Even if the disciple has no knowledge, just by Guru bhakti one will attain liberation. If one maintains unbroken devotion for Sri Guru, then no other sadhana is needed. (212)

Jai Gurudeva! Guru Gita ki jai! Saba Guru Gana ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Is Guru God?

Mahanidhi Swami

What follows is a brief response given to an E-Mail inquiry regarding the question, “Is Guru God?”

BHAKTA: “I have been hearing you quite regularly state the Guru is Krishna and you quote many scriptural references. In some spiritual missions they teach that Guru is the representative of God and not actually God himself. I have the understanding that the Guru is a Jiva who becomes empowered by God, not that he actually becomes God. And I have also seen that many “Gurus” fall down. So can you please help me get the right understanding of Guru Tattva?

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das: “Radhe! Radhe! The highest level of Guru and very, very, very rare indeed is a jiva who has attained sadhana siddhi and is realized in Radha-Krishna prema. Of course, all Gurus are jiva shakti, jiva-tattva, and not the Sarva Shaktimayi Purnatama Svayam Bhagavan Sri Krishna or bhagavat tattva. So difference is there in tattva.

But it’s also true that ALL GOD’S POWER, mercy, love and compassion are present in Sri Guru. In understanding Guru Tattva, and in fact all spiritual reality, one must always apply the principle that eternal truth is inconceivably and simultaneously ONE AND DIFFERENT. Thus Sri Guru and Sri Krishna ARE ONE and also different!

However, shastras everywhere say clearly GURU IS GOD. Why because the Guru gives God thru mantra diksha, shiksha and krpa. So many Indians worship Guru as God and attain perfection by that. They attain God who is attained by God in the form of Guru.

Nevertheless, all Gurus are jivas after all, and some get covered by maya, some don’t. But when acting as Guru they are perfect, and they are God in the sense that Gurus REPRESENT GOD’S WILL MERCY AND COMPASSION AND ARE THE TANGIBLE GOD BEFORE US taking us to Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

Certainly, it requires devotion and sensitive discrimination to understand the position of Guru. Yes, Guru is God, and yes he is also jiva, and yes he is the representative of God. But still there is no harm, nor is it against shastras and acharya vani to see and worship Guru As God as many do today.

A very popular verse in India:

Gurur brahma Gurur vishnur,  Guru devo maheshvarah
Guruh sakshat param brahma, tasmai sri gurave namah

GURU IS DIRECTLY Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Parabrahma. I offer respects to Sri Guru. (Garga Samhita 4.1.13)

In Bhakti-sandarbha (Anuccheda 237), Sri Jiva Goswamipada quotes the Uttara Vamana Kalpa:

yo mantrah sa Guru sakshat yo Guru sa hari svayam

“The mantra given by the Guru is itself the Guru, and the Guru is directly the Supreme Lord Hari.”

We hope these words will clear your doubts regarding Sri Guru. Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!