QUOTE(Ananta das Baba @ p. 11)
In the UpaniSads it is described that "A person to whom ZrI Hari wishes to cast a low glance will engage in evil acts, and the demons will receive contrary instructions."
In which UpaniSad is this to be found? Why would Sri Hari cast a low glance at anybody? What is meant by "receipt of contrary instructions"?
QUOTE(Gaurasundara @ Apr 25 2005, 12:17 AM)
QUOTE(Ananta das Baba @ p. 11)
In the UpaniSads it is described that "A person to whom ZrI Hari wishes to cast a low glance will engage in evil acts, and the demons will receive contrary instructions."
In which UpaniSad is this to be found? Why would Sri Hari cast a low glance at anybody? What is meant by "receipt of contrary instructions"?
The Bengali reads:
zrI-hari yAke adho-nayaner icchA karen, tAke asAdhu karma karAna, daitya-gaNake viparIta upadeza pradAna karen. I don't know the source, but the spirit is unmistakably identical with Gita 16-19-20.
Why would he do this? He would do this for the [/i]bhakta-dveSin[/i] whom he comes to destroy millennium after millennium. As the
paramAtman in their hearts, he gives them contrary knowledge and so forth.
Thanks, I understand now. But I still don't understand what is meant by contrary instructions? What is contrary? Do you mean that He will give them the urge/inclination to indulge in sinful acts and the like?
QUOTE(Gaurasundara @ Apr 25 2005, 11:56 PM)
Thanks, I understand now. But I still don't understand what is meant by contrary instructions? What is contrary? Do you mean that He will give them the urge/inclination to indulge in sinful acts and the like?
Contrary here means contrary to what the acharya would give for one's spiritual upliftment. In practical terms, that means giving whatever kind of knowledge and understanding the demoniac need for their hideous purposes.
Baba cites the following verse in this passage:
zAstroktaM dharmam uccArya svayam Acarate sadA |
anyebhyaH zikSayed yas tu sa AcAryo nigadyate ||
“He who always presents the scriptural injunctions, who follows them himself, and also teaches others to act accordingly, is called an acharya.”
Mahaprabhu also spoke to Haridas along the same lines in Chaitanya Caritamrita (3.4.101-103):
pratyaha kara tina-lakSa nAma-saGkIrtana |
sabAra Age kara nAmera mahimA kathana ||
"Every day, you are doing three lakhs of nama-sankirtan, narrating the glory of the Name before everyone."
Apane Acare keha, nA kare pracAra |
pracAra karena keha, nA karena AcAra ||
"There are some, who practice well but do not preach, and there are some who preach but do not practice well."
AcAra, pracAra, nAmera karaha dui kArya |
tumi sarva-guru, tumi jagatera Arya ||
"You both practice and preach the Name; therefore, you are the guru of everyone, and the greatest in the whole wide world."
The cons of someone practicing but not preaching are evident; it will be very hard for the conditioned soul to find such a devotee. The cons of someone preaching but not practicing are also evident: The fruits of his preaching will not last. There is also a grave concern over the validity of his words, since the truths of bhakti are realized through practical implementation.
Sri Jiva cites Brahma-vaivarta-purana in his Bhakti-sandarbha (203), distinguishing between two classes of instructors:
vaktA sa-rAgo nIrAgo dvividhaH parikIrtitaH |
sa-rAgo lolupaH kAmI tad uktaM hRn na saMspRzet ||
upadezaM karoty eva na parIkSAM karoti ca |
aparIkSyopadiSTaM yal loka-nAzAya tad bhavet ||
"The speakers are said to be of two kinds, the attached and the detached. The attached one is greedy and desirous, his words will not touch the heart. If one instructs without carefully deliberating on the matter, through such untried considerations the worlds will vanish."
It is therefore of utmost importance that one find a guru who both practices and preaches, for otherwise his instructions on the matter of bhajan will be untried. Regarding the division into attached and detached speakers here, we should pay attention to the fact that detachment only comes about through practice, and therefore preachers whose practice is weak are bound to also have weakness of heart, weakness in the form of various attachments.
This is why it is recommended that the guru and the disciple should study each other carefully, as was noted in another thread. Do not rush in headlong, take your time to ensure that everything is in proper order, and verify it for yourself. Only the conclusions you've tested on the anvil of your own heart will last for good.
Just a couple of verses I found to highlight the speciality of Guru's grace:
sei se parama-bandhu, sei mAtA-pitA
zrI-kRSNa-caraNe yei prema-bhakti-dAtA
That person who gives you prema-bhakti at
the lotus feet of Sri Krishna is the supreme
friend, mother and father.
(195)
sakala janame pitA, mAtA sabhe pAya
kRSNa-guru nAhi mile bujhiha hiyAya
In every birth one gets a father and mother.
Very rarely however does one get guru and Krishna.
(204)
(zrI Caitanya-maGgala 2.12)