Week 1 - The Necessity of Taking the Shelter of the Lotus Feet - of Sri Guru ;-)

Thread for this section of the week 1 reading.

Though we often say that first comes the shelter of the feet of Sri Guru, there is something even before that. Baba writes:


Before taking shelter of the guru, there must be an understanding of the guru. Without a proper understanding of the principle of Sri Guru, establishing a guru-disciple relationship will hardly be fruitful, unless and until its intended dynamics are realized.

Interestingly, almost the entire section -- despite its title -- is actually focused on what leads one to take shelter of the feet of Sri Guru, rather than discussing how the shelter is taken. That'll come later on when we discuss guru-sevA. Baba writes:

Talking about “leads one to take shelter of the feet of Sri Guru...”

On the page 13 chapter, Initiation, there is a quote from Srimat Jiva Gosvamipada:

Diviya jnanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sanksayan
Tasmad dikseti sa prokta desikais tattva kovidaih kovidaih

“That which bestows divine knowledge and destroys all sins is called diksa by the Acarya who knows the truth.”

Now, on the page 15, Sri Caytanya Mahaprabhu said:

Diksa kale bhakta kore atma samarpana
Sei kale krsna tate kore atma sama
Sei deha korena tora cid-anandamoy
Aprakrta dehe tara carana bhajoy

“At the time of initiation the devotee surrenders himself and at that time Krishna makes the practicing devotee equal to Himself. The Lord then makes the devotee’s body transcendental and in this transcendental body he can worship the Lords lotus feet”.

Both propositions above are in analogical corroboration with the principle of saranagati or surrender to a genuine Guru, and its benefit. However, my concern here is how divine, pure, transcendental has the Guru and the disciple to be? Who can actually idealistically enter in that level of transformation?

Would just anyone who approaches a Guru in a genuine line, be eligible to go through that entire metamorphose, as mentioned by Lord Caitanya, “Krishna makes the practicing devotee equal to Himself”?

In other words, I do understand that everything is posssible for the combined power of Sri Guru and Gouranga, however, how realistically that is for a regular devotee? No kidding, but that is a major transformation; At the time of initiation, Sri Krishna Himself grants a transcendental body to serve His lotus feet...

When I asked Baba about this, he told that the transformation is usually gradual, in proportion to your Atma-samArpana the aforesaid effects take place. If a disciple is extremely qualified, possessing all the characteristics recommended for a disciple in Hari-bhakti-vilasa, then certainly the transformation may also take place right away.

The lines previous to that are also quite handy:


I see this as being right along the tracks of Sri Rupa Gosvami; adau sraddha, sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya. And then Baba says:


What does this imply for the bhajana of those who have not taken either dIkSa or zikSA? That is discussed later on in the book by Baba in reference to dIkSa-mantras, but what is the result of any other type of bhajana? It is not accepted by Mahaprabhu or so?

There are two kinds of uninitiated people who are doing bhajana.

1. There are those, who engage in their bhajana with an earnest longing to find the shelter of a genuine guru. With each act of worship, they submit their plead, "Ha Prabhu! Please bring this wretched servant of yours to the feet of a sad-guru!" The fruit of this kind of worship will be the fulfilment of the desire and the audience of a sad-guru who will guide one in the matter of bhajana.

2. There are those who engage in their bhajana, thinking that everything is all right and that there is really no need for a guru. In truth, they are not going much anywhere, since factual bhajan-kriya comes after the reception of diksha-mantra and the subsequent realization of bhagavat-sambandha. The understanding that there is no need for a guru is one of the ten nAmAparAdhas, or guror avajña, that stifles one's progress on the path of bhakti.

There are lots of people who do this, is it right to say that they are not going anywhere and that their endeavour will be "not much"? Wouldn't this endeavour count as sukRti or something like that, the accumulation of which will eventually give one the right understanding to come to the feet of Sri Guru? DadAmi buddhi-yogaM taM yena mAm upayAnti te, this is relevant?

Aha! I just noticed the wording in your first point; "There are those, who engage in their bhajana with an earnest longing to find the shelter of a genuine guru." Does this kind of bhajana count? And how, if bhajana only begins after getting dIkSa and zikSA?

Their deeds certainly amount to sukriti, and a favorable samskara is left in their hearts. In the future, whether in this life or in a future lifetime, they will also come to find the shelter of a sad-guru who will teach them the mysteries of worship proper.

The note on bhajana beginning only after diksha, you should read it as actual bhajana, since only the activites that are done with a proper conception of bhagavat-sambandha (that is brought about through diksha) are consdered actual bhajana.

Hopefully, if someone that is uninitiated is practicing some kind of bhajana, they are also taking the association of the bhaktas, which as stated, will eventually bear the fruit of understanding the need to take initiation. It is stated that association with sadhus may not yet have yielded this fruit, but it should be coming (if the association is true )

Srila Rupa Goswami mentions in his BRS:
"guru-pada-asraya-astasmat, krsna-diksadi-siksanam
visrambhena guroh seva, sadhu-vartmanu-varttanam".

So, first of all "shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Guru".

Interestingly enough, I often talk with Moni about this point.
When she came into contact with KC, she never really understood this very important point of accepting a guru. Now, after she met Baba and now that she sees what happens to a fool like me, she more and more understands from where the mercy flows...

I didnt understand much, but this very point was always in my heart:
"yasya prasadad bhagavat prasado yasya aprasadat na gati kuto 'pi". without the mercy of the spiritual master, there is no real, tangible progress. Maybe good impressions from a past life...

Also in Baba´s explanation of the "Prema-bhakti-candrika"-verses beginning with "sri guru carana padma", he very nicely explains the necessity for accepting a sad-guru.

Thanks!

The gradual process to attain the transcendental body would happen if:

1-) the Guru is a Siddha

2-) the disciple’s sanskara is in accordance

3-) there must be a transcendental combination of purity between both Guru and disciple

Also about the necessity for accepting a guru:

Baba writes in Prema Bhakti Candrika (correct me if I am wrong), that seva to Sri Gurudeva helps the sadhaka very very much in destroying the different vices, which could only be counteracted by different processes.
Like for example greed can be given by seeing the evil of money,...
Seva to Sri Gurudeva alone has the power to destroy all these vices.

That is really nice.

That's actually cited from Srimad Bhagavatam via Bhakti-sandarbha, Tarun.

Hari Saran, if those conditions are in place, the transformation will be extremely swift. It comes about more gradually if there is something wanting in any of the elements involved, which in most cases means defects in the eligibility of the disciple.

Thanks!

Interesting to know that in the process of transformation, desire is the chef commander. However, I wonder why you exempted the element Guru?

Did not.

Thanks, Madhava.
But Baba mentions it where?

(FYI, I'm at work, so no book in front of me )
Just curious. Much is made in this section of taking the association of sadhus, and that the end result will be an understanding of the basics of guru-tattva. Lack of correct association with sadhus is indicated by a lack of understanding of guru-tattva. This is ok for someone on the outside looking in, but how is the sincere devotee to know that they are not getting correct association? Its seems like a bit of a catch-22, and that a sincere person could become 'stuck' with bad association quite easily. Are there characteristics of 'correct association' given somewhere?

Mentions what? (You need to quote.)

The classical definition of sAdhu-saGga proper is there in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu: sajAtIyAzaye snigdhe sAdhau saGgaH svato vare - "To keep the company of saints who are (1) of the same inclination, (2) affectionate and (3) more advanced than oneself."

Further symptoms of devotees who are good company is their being firmly faithful and fixed in their vows, and well grounded in the shastra and subsequent common sense. (These are actually symptoms of an uttama-adhikArin, or the one with the best eligibility for engaging in devotion.)

The devotees whose association is of the most desirable kind are those whose behavior is in accordance with the rules of the scriptures and who practice as they preach, for only the instructions of people who walk their talk will bring about a true transformation within the heart.

Sorry, I dont know where I read read it in one of Baba´s books, I thought it was PBC, but like Madhava said: Nope.

I just wanted to add an interesting point.
Sorry for being annoying.

No, I didn't say it wasn't from PBC. What I did is gave you the full reference.

Beyond that, I believe it's actually cited in several places. It's coming up even in the book we're reading now. However I don't think it's there in the PBC, now that I look at it.

Sorry it was my fault, the word “wanting” I mistook by “wish for”. Nevertheless, it is by the intense desire or Lobha that transformation takes place in the shadaka’s life.

Bhakti- rasamrta-sindhu, 1.2.291):
“Those who are anxious (‘greedy’) to attain the mood of the eternal ragatmika Vrajavasis, are eligible to enter into raganuga bhakti.”

Therefore, the indication here is that "intense desire" or Lobha is the chef commander of transformation.

And yes! You did include the Guru as part of the process.

Thanks!

I made an observation just now that Sri Baba also has brought up later on in the book:


It may be that somehow or other a person does not that the importance of guru-padAzraya and is thus "innocent", he is not an offender and whatever little bhajana he does will increase his amount of sukRti. But if a person knows the glories and importance of taking shelter of a sadguru, then that is an offence. I think that it is amazing, this difference between innocence and a conscious thought or decision. What a difference it may make in terms of results!

Page 13

After Babaji Maharaja explained the importance and the results of Guru-seva/Guru-sanga, he then gives an interesting perspective about how Guru-Tattva interacts with the sincere candidate:



Three essential elements are aligned:

*First, the loving service rendered by a true disciple;
*Second, Guru’s happiness; pleased;
*Third, the blessings of the very essence of mercy, who is the personification of unlimited love, Sri Nityananda Rama.

Moreover, it is wonderful how (in the above statement) Baba proficiently detects the side-long-glances of Sri Nityananda upon His dear devotee, the Maha-Bhagavat. Sri Nitai, who is the ocean of mercy, by being pleased with the lovely exchanges between Guru and disciple, melts in compassion and consecrates the loving surrender.

He then finalizes: