[Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Krishnamurthyji - Thanks for your input. Yes one needs a live teacher to clear out the doubts. 

Hari Om!
Sada

--------------------------------------------
On Sat, 1/30/16, Srirudra via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?
 To: "kuntimaddi sadananda" <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com>, "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 Date: Saturday, January 30, 2016, 9:04 AM
 
 Dears
 I
 am of the opinion a guru in flesh and blood is better to
 have as our doubts however trivial can be got cleared.On
 line learning is like an IVR and it will be going on telling
 the recorded ones but you can not interact with it.Not that
 it is not useful.It is a one way traffic.About having great
 Maharishis /mutt heads who have left us for their heavenly
 abode as our gurus does not come under this online listening
 as their teachings are usually compiled by way of question
 and answers and their talks recorded which can be listened
 to .These are authentic than some scholar giving
 explanations for the queries which may not be in tune with
 our scriptural instructions.
 And inspiration
 also serves an important ingredient.R.Krishnamoorthy.
 
 Sent from my iPad
 
 > On 30-Jan-2016, at 11:51
 AM, kuntimaddi sadananda via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 wrote:
 > 
 > 
 > Sudhakar Kabraji - PraNAms
 > 
 > Fantastic answers. I
 agree with everyone of the answers.
 > 
 > Thanks. I am taking the liberty to post
 your answers in the other list.
 > 
 > Hari Om!
 > Sadananda
 > 
 >
 --------------------------------------------
 > On Fri, 1/29/16, Sudhakar Kabra via
 Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 wrote:
 > 
 > Subject:
 Re: [Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?
 > To: "kuntimaddi sadananda"
 <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com>,
 "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 > Date: Friday, January 29, 2016, 12:24
 PM
 > 
 > PraNAms to
 all
 > 
 > Shree Subbuji
 just posted -
 > How one can get under the
 grace of a Guru? 
 > Here is a question I
 want to pose it to all.
 > //// Making a
 small attempt.   //////
 > 
 > Q. 1: Do we really need a
 > guru? 
 > Shastras says
 so - therefore we need
 > one. Or Do we
 really need to have one understand
 >
 Shastras? 
 > //// Consider this example
 (as
 > once given to us long time back)
 > I want to
 > go from
 Chennai to Mumbai by car. I start but don't know
 > the directions. So switch on the GPS
 system, follow its
 > directions, see
 milestones and signage and proceed on
 >
 journey thinking that I will be able to make it.
 > Here the GPS may be considered equivalent
 to
 > the Guru who keeps giving
 directions. The milestones and
 > sign
 posts are the shastras (pointers) to the
 > destination.
 > So both
 are necessary for the
 > accomplishment of
 the journey.    /////
 > 
 > 
 > We do not
 > have old gurukula system of education. We
 have now Missions
 > and Missionaries. We
 have now internet and on-line
 >
 discussion, talks on yu-tube or all other means to
 > understand the shaastras. 
 > 
 > 
 > //// As time passes, depending
 > on present day circumstances, the system
 of understanding
 > and teaching also
 changes. /////
 > 
 >
 
 > All we need to know is Brahma
 > Satyam, Jangan mithyaa and jeevo brahma
 eva na aparaH. This
 > can be learned by
 listening to many teachings available on
 > line. 
 > 
 > 
 > //// I would say
 listening and understanding
 > are two
 different things.One may listen but the question is
 > of understanding and feeling it to
 core.This is a major
 > difference.   
   //////
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > I understand
 > that we need to have shraddha - Does
 Shraddha comes with
 > 'Guru or in the
 very teaching itself (shastra) 
 > 
 > 
 > //// Shraddha
 > comes as I proceed to drive further on the
 journey. How?
 > By reading the milestones
 showing distance
 > covered. By some other
 signals like hoardings changing from
 >
 Tamil to Marathi, by stopping on way and talking / seeing
 > other people also taking the same
 direction to Mumbai,
 > boards like stay
 at this place in Mumbai etc.    
 >
 //////
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > Q2. Do we need a live guru or
 > on-line guru? I find many claim that
 Bhagavan Ramana
 > Mahasrhi is our guru;
 but he is not there in Physical form
 > to
 teach. His teachings are available - so are other on-line
 > teachers too. 
 > 
 > 
 > //// On-line
 teachers are mostly one way
 >
 interactions. Face to face has a greater impact. Even if
 a
 > shishya nods as yes understood, the
 guru has the wisdom to
 > see directly
 whether the shishya has really got it or needs
 > further elaborations. He may question
 immediately or give
 > examples to make it
 further clear.
 > So
 >
 physical presence was always emphasized in guru shishya
 > parampara. Difficult to beat Arjuna and
 Krishna in this
 > regards.
 > Those who claim Ramana Maharshi,
 > Ramkrishna Paramhamsa and others as guru
 are truly getting
 > inspired by hearing
 or learning about their teachings. They
 >
 may be very advanced by following it in their life. This
 > inspiration is what they call the guru. 
       
 > //////////
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > Claim: We need a
 teacher who
 > himself is self realized?
 Well, since there are no litmus to
 >
 evaluate a particular teacher is self-realized or not we
 > cannot go by that rule as long as we have
 the faith in the
 > shaastras and
 understand clearly the explanation.
 > 
 > 
 > ///// Present
 > day scenario with intellect falling to the
 lowest level,
 > self realized masters are
 not easily available. Does that
 > mean
 one is doomed? No.Anyone who is a better intellect
 > higher than the students level will
 suffice to proceed
 > further.In a school
 an ordinary level teacher suffices and
 >
 need not be a PhD on the subject.Gautama Buddha did the
 same
 > and had changed many gurus on his
 way to nirvana.      
 >  /////////
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > I would like hear
 from eveyone
 > those who are looking for
 a guru and those who found their
 > gurus
 and those who do not think they do not need one (as JK
 > - says - even though his follower want to
 follow!)
 > 
 > Q. We
 have many who do not
 > have gurus as we
 know - starting with Bhagavan Ramana
 >
 Maharshi himself. That he had Guru in the last life is
 only
 > justification for the axiom that
 one needs a guru, since we
 > do not
 Bhagavan's last janma to make a claim
 > The sadhana chatushtaya sampaathi does
 not
 > necessorily for subtle inquiry does
 not demand a guru - it
 > says Shraddha -
 Is Shraddha in the teachings available in
 > may ways now - not sufficient.
 > 
 > 
 > ///// The sadhana chatushtaya
 > sampathi is the qualification of the
 driver driving the car.
 > the more
 skilled he is the faster or easier will be the
 > journey to self realization (Mumbai in the
 example)
 > 
 > Shraddha
 as mentioned above is
 > the feeling or
 realization that the goal will be reached
 > with my effort. The more we come closer,
 the more it is
 > strengthened.       
   ///////////
 > 
 >
 
 > What do you think? I am
 > posting this to both groups to see the
 responses. 
 > 
 > A
 small thought on the
 > post.
 RegardsSudhakar
 > 
 >
 Hari
 > Om!
 > Sada 
 > 
 >     On
 Friday, January 29, 2016 9:11 AM,
 >
 kuntimaddi sadananda via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 > wrote:
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > PraNAms to all
 > 
 > Shree
 > Subbuji just
 posted - How one can get under the grace of a
 > Guru? 
 > 
 > Here is a question I
 >
 want to pose it to all.
 > 
 > Q.
 > 1: Do we really
 need a guru? 
 > 
 >
 Shastras says so - therefore we need one. Or Do
 > we really need to have one understand
 Shastras? 
 > 
 > We do
 not have old gurukula
 > system of
 education. We have now Missions and Missionaries.
 > We have now internet and on-line
 discussion, talks on
 > yu-tube or all
 other means to understand the shaastras. 
 > 
 > All we need to know
 is Brahma
 > Satyam, Jangan mithyaa and
 jeevo brahma eva na aparaH. This
 > can be
 learned by listening to many teachings available on
 > line. 
 > 
 > I understand that we
 >
 need to have shraddha - Does Shraddha comes with
 'Guru
 > or in the very teaching
 itself (shastra) 
 > 
 >
 Q2. Do we need a live guru or
 > on-line
 guru? I find many claim that Bhagavan Ramana
 > Mahasrhi is our guru; but he is not there
 in Physical form
 > to teach. His
 teachings are available - so are other on-line
 > teachers too. 
 > 
 > Claim: We
 > need a
 teacher who himself is self realized? Well, since
 > there are no litmus to evaluate a
 particular teacher is
 > self-realized or
 not we cannot go by that rule as long as we
 > have the faith in the shaastras and
 understand clearly the
 > explanation.
 > 
 > I would like
 > hear from eveyone those who are looking
 for a guru and those
 > who found their
 gurus and those who do not think they do not
 > need one (as JK - says - even though his
 follower want to
 > follow!)
 > 
 > Q. We have many
 > who do not have gurus as we know -
 starting with Bhagavan
 > Ramana Maharshi
 himself. That he had Guru in the last life
 > is only justification for the axiom that
 one needs a guru,
 > since we do not
 Bhagavan's last janma to make a claim
 > 
 > The sadhana
 chatushtaya
 > sampaathi does not
 necessorily for subtle inquiry does not
 >
 demand a guru - it says Shraddha - Is Shraddha in the
 > teachings available in may ways now - not
 sufficient.
 > 
 > What
 do you think? I am
 > posting this to both
 groups to see the responses. 
 > 
 > Hari Om!
 > Sada
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > 
 >
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