GURU TATTVA—THE BIG PICTURE
Hare Krsna to all
Pranams
Glories to Srila Prabhupada
I am of the opinion that most devotees, can very easily get lost in the voluminous information contained within Prabhupadas books. Anyone can take one quote, to prove something , and another devotee can take the same quote and prove something just the opposite, at least in his own mind.
Therefore this “tunnel” vision, for lack of a better name, becomes very confusing and thats why we have so many devotees with so many opinions on the subject of guru tattva. I am proposing that one just hear/read the “big picture” quotes that are abundantly supplied by Srila Prabhupada so that one does not get lost in his quest for the truth.
An example of “big picture” quotes would be the example he gives of feeding the stomach or watering the trees roots as to why we must serve Krsna. There are hundreds of other quotes which explain the same principle in more detail, but one can get mentally lost easily by reading them all. But the “big picture” quotes makes this difficult philosophy easier to grasp by giving examples that anybody can understand.
Another way to understand this “big picture” idea is this- say you are lost in a big city, but know well where you want to go. It really doesnt matter in the long run if you dont know all the streets in detail, as long as you know WHERE you are going, because knowing that goal will get you there eventually. So to with guru tattva. If we understand the “big picture” of what and who is guru, then we wont get lost on all the side streets of the city of Maya.
Ok now lets hear some of these “big picture” quotes” of what Srila Prabhupada says.
1) Just like Krsna can be present simultaneously in millions of places, similarly the spiritual master also can be present wherever the disciple wants. A spiritual master is the principle, not the body. Just like a television can be seen in thousands of places by the principle or relay monitoring.(letter may 28 1968)
So in this statement it is very clear that Srila Prabhupada is telling us in this “big picture quote” that the bona fide guru is NOT that physical body, but thru some physical body or NO body he can act just like TV is seen in thousands of places. So this one quote alone destroys the “living guru” nonsense idea.You cannot show me one quote anywhere where he says you need a physically living diksa guru. But here, he clearly tells us that the guru is NOT the body but a principle. Not only does the bona fide guru not need a physical body to deliver Krsna, but he can appear wherever the disciple wants or needs him to. The guru is the principle not the body clearly is telling us that the Divine spirit of God can be experienced thru the disciplic sucession, whether in a physical body or no physical body. Otherwise how could so many thousands of disciples who never saw Prabhupada receive inspiration on a daily basis? And this inspiration goes on even after he physically has left our mortal material vision thru divine sound. And how could these thousands also receive diksa without the presence of a physical body in front of them and the sacred fire? Again, “spiritual master is not the body, but the principle.” And that “principle” is what is living not the body.
2) a.”The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is absent.(SB 2.9.8)
b.So we should associate by vibration and not by the physical presence. That is real association. (SPL aug 18,1968)
c.Threfore we should take advantage of the vani, not the physical presence, because the vani continues to exist eternally. (Nov 4, 1975)
These three statements clearly show which is more important , the guru in a physical form or the guru in the presence of Transcendental SOUND. And there are many more just like these.
3) 68-04-12.Day Letter: Dayananda
Regarding parampara system: there is nothing to wonder for big
gaps. Just like we belong to the Brahma Sampradaya, so we accept it
from Krishna to Brahma, Brahma to Narada, Narada to Vyasadeva,
Vyasadeva to Madhva, and between Vyasadeva and Madhva there is a big
gap. But it is sometimes said that Vyasadeva is still living, and
Madhva was fortunate enough to meet him directly. In a similar way, we
find in the Bhagavad-gita that the Gita was taught to the sungod, some
millions of years ago, but Krishna has mentioned only three names in
this parampara system–namely, Vivasvan, Manu, and Iksvaku; and so
these gaps do not hamper from understanding the parampara system. We
have to pick up the prominent acaryas, and follow from him. There are
many branches also from the parampara system, and it is not possible
to record all the branches and sub-branches in the disciplic
succession. We have to pick up from the authority of the acharya in
whatever sampradaya we belong to.
So in this letter again we find Srila Prabhupada explaining the “big picture”. Your lost in some city, but if you know where you should be, you just ask people, especially those who would know, how do I get to this place/person? Once Prabhupada disappears to our mortal vision, this is not a problem for future generations, because they only have to pick up the most recent prominent acarya and follow him.And if he is prominent, he will NOT be hard to find. Very simple and very clearly explained. Srila Prabhupada is the most recent prominent acarya, therefore we must follow him for that alone is sufficient for our spiritual lives. Even Christians today can become disciples of Christ if they follow him and his teachings–Prabhupada
clearly explained this in Seattle back in 1968. But you will never find a Christian priest today claiming he has been ordered by Jesus to accept new disciples. But the priests DO accept and teach new disciples in the NAME of Jesus. And everyone accepts and understands it is JESUS who is the one who is taking their sins, and delivering them.
4) Reporter (2): What will happen to the movement in the United States
when you die?
Prabhupada: I will never die.
Devotees: Jaya! Hari bol! (laughter)
Prabhupada: I shall live for my books, and you will utilize.
Reporter (2): Are you training a successor?
Prabhupada: Yes, my Guru Maharaja is there. Where is my photo of Guru
Maharaja? I think… Here is.
So again here Srila Prabhupada explains the spiritual master is the principle, not the body idea of what and who is Guru. Otherwise how do you explain how the movement can go on since he is telling us he will never die, but live from his books which all of us will utilize-eternally if need be. The problem arises when the foolish neophyte disciples “kill the guru” by trying to take his place. And so ends the disciplic sucession,at that point because nobody can become guru unless he is authorized and qualified.
The movement will continue, if for nothing else, simply because of Prabhupadas books And in the above, he says, the successor is his guru maharaj (not even him, taking the humble position) And Why is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaj the successor? Because he is the most recent prominent link in the param para. Our Prabhupada is just being humble here and giving all credit for the continuance to his guru maharaj.
5) 760816rc.bom Conversations
Why this Gaudiya Matha failed? Because they tried to become
more than guru. He, before passing away, he gave all direction and
never said that “This man should be the next acarya.” But … the
failure. They never thought, “Why Guru Maharaja gave us instruction so
many things, why he did not say that this man should be acarya?” They
wanted to create artificially somebody … with common sense that if
Guru Maharaja wanted to appoint somebody as acarya, why did he not
say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point?
And they insist upon it. They declared some unfit person to become
acarya. Then another ….
This is a very clear explanation of what NOT to do after our acarya leaves our vision. If you want to
fail, then appoint, elect, create an acarya board, etc or whatever you fantasize, but none of it will work.
Why not? Because none of these things were the order of Srila Prabhupada.
Also important in this statement is the idea that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaj would not leave this world AND leave the continuation of his Gaudiya matha UNCLEAR to his disciples. And because Srila Prabhupada is bringing up this point, then why would HE also leave the continuation of HIS movement UNCLEAR?? Prabhupada never left anything unclear and would ask his disciples several times in a conversation –“Is that clear”? So this most important thing, “THE REAL POINT” how the movement would go on, he left –THIS UNCLEAR?? What an absurd idea and proposition.
6)PKP PHALGUNA KRISHNA PANCAMI
23. If everyone just initiates then there will only be a
contradictory result. As long as it goes on there will be only
failure.
