Guru and Disciple - The Complete Science

How do you find a true Guru? What is Initiation? Can you change Gurus? Find answers to these and other important questions in this brilliant 1989 informal lecture, where Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj explains everything a spiritual seeker needs to know about the Guru and the Guru-Disciple relationship.

Happy Guru Poornima

गुरु चरण कमल बलिहार , गुरु पर तन मन धन वार |
गुरु चरण धूरि सिर धार, गुरु महिमा अपरम्पार ||
I sacrifice myself upon the lotus feet of my Guru. I offer my body, mind, and wealth to my Guru. I reverently place the dust of his lotus feet on my head.  The Guru’s glory is limitless.

Watch this incredible lecture given by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj on the occasion of Guru Poornima in 2009.

What is the importance of foot dust?

The scriptures have emphasized special significance of foot dust for devotees on the path of devotion.

It is stated in Chaitanya Charitamrita:

भक्त पदधूलि आर भक्त पद जल भक्त भुक्त अवशेष तिन महाबल,
एई तिन सेवा हैते कृष्ण प्रेम हय |

"The food dust, foot wash and food remnants of a devotee of Shree Krishna has such agreat spiritual power, that an aspiring devotee can easily obtain the divine love of Shree Krishna, through the grace of the Guru, by regularly using these as prasad."

 
Thus, the foot dust of the lotus feet of a Guru and Shree Krishna are extremely important in the process of devotional practice and on the path of devotion.  By using and consuming this as prasad, one can cleanse his heart and mind quicker, thereby become deserving soul of the divine love of Shree Radha Krishna sooner.

 

God is our eternal relative

Our relationship with God is eternal. We do not have this kind of everlasting and endless relationship in this material world. Our material father, mother and son will die one day. They are not our real father, mother or relatives. Our true relationship is only with God.   Why is that?  This word sambandh, or relation, is made from the Sanskrit root bandh, with the prefix sam, and the suffix un.  It means eternal and complete bond.  Do you have such a bond with your father?  No, he passed away twenty five years ago.  And recently my mother also passed away.  One of my daughters has also died.  That means they were not your sambandhis. That is why all the scriptures strongly state:
vedaiśhcha sarvairamevavedyo

vedāñtakṛit vedavidevidevachāham

Shree Krishna says "Arjun! What do you have to understand from all the Vedas and Vedic scriptures? Only this much that your relationship is only with Me, and you must love Me exclusively." Lord Brahma says:

bhagavān brahma kārtsnyen triranvīkṣhya manīśhayā 

tadadhyavatsatkuṭastho ratirātman yato bhavet

He says, "I have churned the Vedas and the other scriptures three times and have come to the conclusion that they declare only one thing - Your eternal relationship is with Shree Krishna alone, and you have to love Him." Shree Maharajji says that God keeps on watching us and eagerly waits in anticipation, "When will this soul come to me and love me? I shall liberate him from all bondages that very instant, and bestow upon him the nectar of Divine love." Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said:
                                                    tomār aham yadi kahe ek bār

Dear Soul! Just say it once with all your heart, "O Shree Krishna! Only you are mine." Not, "You are also mine and this material world is also mine."  Do not divide your affection between your material father at home and your eternal father, God.We could ask God, "You are never seen, and my father at home loves me dearly." God says, "Accept that you are mine." We can question again, "On what basis should we accept this statement?" God says, "Accept it on the basis of knowledge. Understand fully and decide firmly that you are not this material body but the eternal soul.  You will then realize that the soul's eternal relationship is only with God."

You will attain this knowledge of your relationship with God from the Guru.  Understand this from the Guru in various ways, so that you become convinced.  Then on the basis of this knowledge, you must repeated contemplate about your relationship with God.

Who should we meditate on, Guru or God? Explanation by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj

 

It is not that the Guru will grant more power upon you if you meditate on him, or that God will bestow less if you meditate on him.  The result is exactly the same whether you meditate on the Guru or God.  However, meditating on Guru is more convenient, in the sense that everything related to him is directly perceptible, whereas we have to make use of our imagination to meditate on God's divine pastimes and actions.

For example, if the Guru has given some prasad to you from his own hand, you will certainly derive great benefit whether you accept it with full faith or not.  It will help you in your devotional practice.  Moreover, the variety of actions or leelas that the Guru performs are done right before your eyes, and so you can easily recall them for meditative purposes and derive great happiness from doing so.  Since God is not yet perceptible to you, you have to imagine his leelas in order to meditate upon him.  In truth, it is much easier to meditate on what we can directly perceive with our own eyes. 

Nevertheless, a devotee is free to meditate on either, depending on his or her personal preference.  What is proper and the best option is that you should meditate on both Guru and God, since by doing so you will not give rise to any conflict in your mind while you are practicing sadhana.

Watch this video lecture by Shree Maharajji on the topic, "Who is a Guru" with
English Subtitles:

 

Why do we need a Guru? Explanation by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj

After detaching the mind from the world, and before surrendering to God, there is need of a divine entity, without whom one cannot attain the Supreme goal.  That entity is a God-realized Saint or Guru.  It is the Guru, who decides which path is best for each devotee to surrender to God.  Again, it is he who dispels all doubts faced by the aspirant on the path.  Mere detachment is not enough to attain God.

The Bhagavad Gita states:
                                 tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ 
                                                                   jñāninastattvadarśhinaḥ
Shree Krishna says to Arjun, "Learn the Truth by approaching a spiritual master.  Inquire from him with reverence and render service unto him.  Such an enlightened Saint can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the Truth.”

The Ramayan also says:
                                        guru binu bhava tarai na koī”; “guru binu hoī ki jñāna”
“Without the guidance of a Guru, one cannot cross over the ocean of material existence.”  Again it says, “Without the guidance of a Guru, one cannot attain the knowledge of God.”  Thus, the unanimous view of all scriptures is that we must surrender to a Guru in order to know the unknown entity called God.

Watch this video lecture by Shree Maharajji on the topic, "Who is a Guru" with 

English Subtitles:

Service to God and Guru

Service to God and Guru should be the aim of your life; your every wish should be what God and Guru wishes.

God and Guru are one and the same; serving Guru is similar to serving God.  

If you are desirous of God’s grace, engage yourself in the service of Guru with your physical, mental and material resources.

Truly blessed is your body, mind and resources if they are dedicated wholeheartedly to the service of God and Guru.

Of all the different levels of disciples, he is topmost who instinctively serves God and Guru without reminder. 

Importance of Tattva Gyan by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj

If you can remember tattva gyan (philosophy) at all times,  you are unlikely to comment sin.  Even if your mind does wander towards the world or bad thoughts, you will immediately remember that Shyamsundar is sitting inside of you, noting your every thought.  You even tend to hide things from your Guru and therefore commit sins by maintaining your privacy.  However, this privacy is ruining you because it is a big stumbling block on the path of devotion.  You fail to believe that God is omnipresent.  If you believe it, you will realize God.

Thus, tattva gyan is extremely important.  There are several topics related to tattva gyan i.e. What is raag-dvesh or panchmahabhut or abhinivesh and so on?  However,you need only remember three points : sambandh, abhideya and prayojan.  What is our relationship with Shree Krishna? What should we do to establish and complete that relationship, and what is the aim behind what we are doing?  As your tattva gyan deepens, you will keep moving closer to God.

LOVE GOD FROM THE HEART

एक बात याद रखो बस, अन्तःकरण का सम्बन्ध भगवान से और गुरु से हो. केवल सिर को पैर पर रख देने से काम नहीं बनेगा,आरती कर लेने से काम नहीं बनेगा,दक्षिणा दे देने से काम नहीं बनेगा. ये सब हेल्पर है. तुम्हारे पास जो कुछ है दो,सब ठीक है. सर्व समर्पण करना है गुरु को ,भगवान को, लेकिन इतने मात्र से काम नही बनेगा. 'अनुराग' सबसे प्रमुख है ,अन्तःकरण से प्यार.

Remember one thing that the relation of your Heart should be with God and Guru. Only Bowing your head to Guru's Lotus Feet ,only Doing Aarti will not do the work ,only Giving Donation will not serve the purpose .They all are helpers. Whatever you have you should give as we have to dedicate everything to Guru and God, but doing this only will not serve our purpose of God Realization. The main thing is Love for God from your heart, Love from the Heart.