Blog

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja

When a guru accepts a disciple it is natural that any sinful reactions of the disciple will go to the guru. A disciple should be very careful, "My guru is so merciful!

He is exerting himself so much to deliver me from this blind well, from the fort of Durga, Mayadevi. I was imprisoned, but my guru is exerting so much to pull me out. I should be a worthy disciple. I should not put my gurudeva into trouble. Why shall he suffer for me? He is doing so much good for me that I cannot repay him. Why shall I become so degraded, do so much nonsense, become so fallen, performing sinful, abominable acts that will put my gurudeva in trouble?" The disciple should be very serious. He should think, "No! My duty is to help my guru. He should not get trouble from me." This is a real disciple. It should not be one-sided. It is reciprocal. Guru and sisya — it is two-sided; the two must co-operate. As I have said previously, "Our guru has come with a rope. He has thrown one end into the well, saying, "Catch hold of it very tightly! There should be no slackness. Then I will pull you out." If you don't listen to those instructions, if you are lazy and careless and don't catch hold of that rope tightly, if you are slack, then you will fall down. What a shock that will be to the guru! "I spent gallons and gallons of my spiritual blood and this fellow fell down!" It should not happen. Rather, hold the rope very tightly, with no slackness, and then he can pull you out. Then he will be happy, "Yes! Now I am successful! I have pulled out one soul from the fort of Durga!"

It is not an easy task to become a guru. It is very dangerous. If the guru has no potency, how can he withstand the sinful reactions of his disciples? Such persons must fall down. He has brahmacaris as his disciples. They have so much material desire, so much sexual attraction, and that must come to the guru, because the guru is giving them protection. If you come to guru and the guru has no potency to withstand it, he will fall down.

— From a darshan in Bhubaneswar, 17 December 1989.