From last 5 years I am not able to decide my spiritual master because I want to have proper dedication and love towards my spiritual master so that I can follow all his instructions in all circumstances. And to develop love and appreciation for some person we need to see his contribution in our life or spend some time living with the person but because of organization being so large we don't get personal association of sannyasis. He is our deliverer is true but I am not able to realize that in my current situation and this also doesn't helps me a lot. I have asked many devotees and they have answered that they saw their spiritual and they get the internal call that he is your guru and some develop love just from one interaction with with their spiritual master and accepted him as their spiritual master. Most commonly devotees accept the spiritual master of their siksha guru as their spiritual master or sometimes some one likes somebody's kirtan or lecture or anything and on that basis they accept.

 

My question is that what is the criteria for selecting a spiritual master and how we can develop love and dedication towards him as a person without spending time with him personally.

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  • Volunteer

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  • Volunteer

    Hare Krsna devotee,   many devotees want a personal relatioship with the Guru and that is recomended in shastra also.

    Krsna knows what you are crying for and He can send His servant to you when you are ready.

    We are not the seer,  we are the seen.

    When Krsna sees you want to serve Him with love He will come as the Guru.

    I joined ISKCon in 76 and never met my Gurudev or talked with him.

    I personally did not get to serve my Guru but by serving his orders I feel close to him.

    I worship and serve his murti and hear his lectures and his singing.

    I desired to have a more intimate relationship and training so being inspired I accepted a godbrother as a shiksa guru.

    I lived with my shiksa guru and heard the shastras explained by him.

    He answered all my questions and helped me so much with my bhajan

    He helped me become more attached to Srla Prabhupada.

    Being my godbrother he never accepted personal bodily service from me as that would be an offence.

    I became so much attached that when he left this world I was feeling great separation.

    Krsna gives guru and guru gives Krsna

    So selection was done by revalation from within the heart.  

     Krsna will give you prompting from the Supersoul.

    Chant Hare Krsna and become more purified.

    Srla Prabhupada would often say,     First deserve then desire.                   Hare Krsna

     

    • Thank you very much pr for your wonderful reply.

      • Volunteer

        Hare Krishna Deep Prakash Nishad Prabhu,

        Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

        i also do not have any miracles, some of my friends Devotees told they had such like revealings.

        i just listen lectures. and to choose a Guru is more important that choosing a wife or husband. In the reality Guru chooses His disciples. When we are ready for that as His Grace Jagadatma Prabhu told.

        i like lectures of His Holiness Srila Radhanatha Swami Maharaja because they are like salt into blooding ulcer. The instructions are very difficult to follow but i know that if i try hard to follow them i will achieve my goal.

        In order to achieve something good there are so many difficulties. In His Lecture today He told that human life is for doing tapasya- austerity.

         All the Gurus in ISKCON give the same instructions but in different way.

        Someone will say:

        sugar, sweet, not soar, and hot

        or

        sweet, sugar, and hot, not soar

        or....

        and when we listen lectures and follow them if we feel bliss following them, if we are inspired to chant then He is Your Guru.

        Your servant, maral

        • Volunteer

          Hare Krsna Maral Mataji, pranam.    You say they all give the same instruction.

          How do you know?

          Shastra says you must study their character closely  and its not an option.

          Are all of us here on this discussions saying the same thing?

          And some don't want to hear the unpalettable truth either.

          We cannot encorage      blind following.

          When Srila Prabhupada came to Australia in 75 he was asked by a reporter if he should acept him as guru.                  

           Srila Prabhupada said.  No.     

           You should put many questions and study the guru carefully.      Don't just follow like a flock of sheep.   

           Even he may be a famous guru you still have to put your tests.

          What does he speak like when you cross question him squeezing every detail out?

          As you yourself know that a transcendental person will not be disturbed.

          I know I get angry,      I'm not so equipoised.      I am sometimes partial.

          When I get put under enough pressure the holes become visible.

          Will a guru show any weakness when you test him?

          Just look at how Srila Prabhupada dealt with difficult people.

          And so patient.  Always caring for the soul.

          And he was prepared to answer everything from shastra, no maybe or I think.

          And my shiksa guru was the same.

          Very grave and deep like the ocean.

          Heavy with knowledge.

          Guru means Heavy.

          Very Heavy.

          Hare Krsna

                

           

          • Volunteer

            Hare Krishna His Grace Jagadatma Prabhu, Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

            i really apologize for writing superficially last time! Saying all of Them say the same thing, i mean They all say us to chant the Holy Names, do your sadhana, serve to Devotees, preach...

            and saying: it is more difficult than choosing a wife or husband, i thought could explain that we should not be blind.

            yes, for me also it was very tuft to come to the last conclusion. Because all of Them in Their own way give wonderful lectures. One Maharaj likes to talk Krishna's pastimes perfectly and attract you, another Maharaj by His Kirtans and emotional lectures, some of Them with very strong philosophical lectures...

             And in this way by Their instructions They differently touch our false ego.

            but this cruel mind is so diseased that can find fault even from those great Personalities. Cruel!

             If one finds fault it means one has envy to that Person. That envy crushes your heart into pieces. Until it is not late one has to start to serve to that Person.

            i remembered the story how Sri Gadadhara Pandit chose His Guru. In the beginning He saw so many faults and on His mind criticized the King. Then when He saw His devotion to Krishna, in order to be forgiven He requested the King to become His Gurudev.

             Please, i am very grateful for if You find some mistakes and correct me, because better to know the truth rather than to be happy with wrong understandings! Your servant, maral

            • Volunteer

              Hare Krsna Mataji pranam.   I don't need a guru to chant. do basic sadhana and preach.

              Many who are sentimentalists take diksha and are happy their guru looks nice.

              So there will be guru for them but if that guru cannot answer your problem question then you will have to go to someone else.

              That means he is not removing all doubt  and you cannot put complete faith in that guru.

              You are not finding fault just the teacher may not be so fully  qualified.

              You will then see he's speculating and he's not entirely liberated from maya.

              And if you then may be faced with having to reject him  that will be so painful.

              We have seen that even after the guru became very fallen some followers would never give them up.
              That shows us how the disciple is like a wife to the husband and that  they may both go down.

              Envy means you are not making sincere inquiry and are just looking for fault.

              You may have felt that a little with our friend Aakash's questions but they were serious doubts that he was not going to ignore and should not be ignored.

              You did a good job and some other devotees also in answering his provocative questions.

              I personally  have seen some so called gurus unable to patiently help sincere inquirers like this and reply ,   Oh Your just an  envious demon.

              Gadadhara Pandit is an incarnation of Radharani.

              He was searching for a Guru but did not feel inspired by anyone.

              The Lord arranged that he would meet Pundarika Vidyanidhi and see how he externally behaved like a big bhogi.

              That put some doubt in Gadadhara Pandits mind that Maurari had said that he is a great Maha Bhagavat.

              Maurari understanding the mind of Gadadhara began to sing a beautiful verse from Bhagavatam.

              Pundarika Vidyabadhi became like a madman and had to be restrained while rolling on the ground in ecstasy.

              Gadadhara thought in his mind he had committed a great offense and to counteract that offense he became his disciple.

              There was never any envy or fault finding it was the will of Krsna.

              Pundarika Vidyanidhi is Maharaja Vrsabanu in Krsna lila.

              Thank you for flowing Srila Prabhupada.       Hare Krsna

               

               

               

               

               

               

               

               

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