How women should identify the bogus gurus & choose a right guru?
(Why this important counselling is very much required under the topic Duties of a disciple to his guru? This counselling is to protect the innocent people from getting cheated. Srila Prabhupada CLEARLY & SHARPLY said in his lecture on 14.08.1966 in New York that only those people who have some intelligence to identify who will be able to give them right gnana, should accept a spiritual master. Others should not accept a spiritual master. Therefore, the following counselling becomes very important to support the above views of Srila Prabhupada.)
A DEVOTEE (NAME HIDDEN) ASKED LIKE THIS:
“Gud Morning Prabhu…Recently i come to know through newspapers that a so called spiritual personality (I have avoided his name since I don’t want to advertise for him) is accused and given —- years imprisonment..for spoiling his own followers and sadhvis…used the example of shree Krishna for spoiling girls in his Gufa. He used to tell sadhvis that Krishna is also God…He was having full right over the body of His gopis and He also had physical relations with them…if m doing the same with you..there is nothing wrong in it…u will be blessed with this act with me…”
Many People i have seen…always give this example of Shree Krishna to justify their act of having illegal relations with other women and girls ..thus they spoil the lives of females…so tell us..what reply should be given to such men…Such dirty mind people take the meaning of Krishna’s Rasleela in their own way…that’s why they don’t feel that they are doing wrong. they think..that if Krishna can do..why cant we..??”
REPLY:
Krishna expanded as thousands of Krishnas and danced with every gopi. Can that rascal do so?
Krishna also married 16,108 queens and lived with each of them in separate palaces. Can that rascal do so?
There are many such rascals in India who use spirituality to enjoy all the comforts including women.
Krishna does not require any pleasure from others because all the pleasures originate from Him only. But that rascal was spoiling the innocent or iognorant girls for his own abundant thirst for pleasure.
Such rascals are not at all gurus. Such people live a princely life surrounded by hundreds of girls in a mutt(?) that looks like a palace.
These happenings pain the genuine followers of spirituality & religion seriously.
I have always written in this website boldgly that women should never be allowed to stay in the mutts, temples, hostels, etc in any sathsangha for any reason.
Because, when the men and women use the same premises and there are male administrators there, there are chances for violations by a few of them.
(WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE RISE OF CHEATING IN THE NAME OF GOD?– A RESEARCH! READ HERE!)
This is like keeping both the fire and cotton at the same time.
That is why, our scriptures have said that one should avoid the company of opposite gender as much as possible while following devotion.
One may resolve to be pure in his life. Just a resolution is not enough. He must keep his life without the opportunity to violate the purity.
Because, at a point of time, he/ she may be forced to violate and involve in unwanted violations.
Why should the beautiful girls stay in an ashram that is dominated with the men?
Why that so called spiritual personality (mentioned by you) should choose only the girls to serve him? Can’t the boys perform body massage properly?
(BALANCED DEVOTEE & BRAINWASHED DEVOTEE – DIFFERENCES! READ HERE!)
Everything is a business that gives both money and enjoyments.
Flesh game in the name of god.
For these small section of bogus spiritual guys, spirituality gives an opportunity to get more and more money and enjoyments.
Anyone can fall down at any time unless he/she is careful in avoiding the company of opposite gender.
In a few sampradhayas like the SRI Sampradhaya initiated by Sri Ramanujacharya , women staying in ashrams/ mutts is completely prohibited.
There, the women should serve the devotee husband at home. She can visit the mutt along with her husband to offer respects to the Acharya. And, even the acharya should have first led grahastha life till his age beyond 55 and then take sanyasa after his age 55 entrusting his wife to his son.
This is the ideal system to be followed by all in kaliyuga.
That is why, there is no such reports of remarkable violations in that sampradhaya.
Even in Gaudiya Vaishnavam and Sankaracharya’s advaita sampradhaya, women staying in mutts/ temples is prohibited. However, SRI Sampradhaya is the role model for hundreds of years in this matter of effectively keeping the women away from mutts that are the places for brahmacharis, grahastha male disciples and sanyasis to practice devotion.
(Read about the four sampradhayas HERE).
What is the need for women to stay in those premises where brahmacharis and sanyasis serve their gurus and the Lord? This is unnecessary and risky..
If one likes to run a ladies hostel, he has to get licence from the government. But, if a guy likes to run an ashram with hundreds of inmates including girls, he need not get any license that is a flaws in our rules. This is convenient for criminals to exploit the people.
That is why, scriptures say that the husband is the first guru for women and the husband should pass whatever they learn from their guru to the wife.
Moreover, when the husband gets liberated, the wives too get liberated.
If the mutts like to arrange a staying space for interested and orphaned women also because of genuine reasons, they should start a separate women’s wing headed by women sanyasins and devotees. No men should be allowed to work and stay in the ashram for women.
(Why should the devotees and gurus be affected by Pandemic like Covid-19? READ HERE!)
Temples and mutts/ashrams are different.
Temples are the public places; Anyone can come and worship the God there. Men and women from any community and status can visit the temples. However, no one can stay in temples. The temples should be locked in the night time after all thye men and women left.
Whereas, the mutts are the private places only for males to practice brahmacharya and sanyasa. Only the male disciples can stay there.
All the anarthas happening in the name of devotion/ god are the advent of kaliyuga.
The women too should refrain from willing to stay in the mutts. They should hesitate to enter into that place where only the males are dominated.
Many girls/ women do not see the difference between a temple and an ashram.
For example, Tirumala Tirupati temple is a temple. No men or women can stay inside that temple premises, but both the men and women of all ages can visit and worship in the temple.
(WHAT IF A DISCIPLE IS UNABLE TO SURRENDER TO GURU? READ HERE!)
Whereas, the JEER (spiritual head) of the same Tirumala temple is staying in an ashram/ mutt. Only the brahmacharis and sanyasis stay there.
Therefore, a girl/ woman should know the difference between a mutt and a temple.
They should avoid freely mingling in a mutt because it will disturb the practicing brahmacharis and sanyasis there.
The women should stay with her parents till their marriage and with husband after marriage. They should go to such spiritually important places with their parents or husbands.
And, the women can do service to the Lord in temples. They should not serve their guru directly in mutts.
This is what violated in the case mentioned by you.
That person has used the entire mutt for leading a life full of pleasures.
(How to repent for not following the Vows given to Guru? READ HERE!)
He has brainwashed many girls staying in the mutt saying that he is Krishna and they are gopis and they will be purified if they have physical relations with him.
This is a total violation.
There will be such personalities everywhere in this kaliyuga. Only the women should safeguard themselves.
Had they avoided staying in the premises of the ashram, they could have avoided such violations. They should know the rules and systems existing in the administration of mutts and temples.
Though an opportunity is given to them to stay in ashrams free of cost, they should say NO and stay with their parents. If they are orphans, they should stay in women hostels. Why should they prefer to stay in an ashram that is meant for males alone?
Vedic texts warn that the sanyasis/ acharyas should not own any properties or save money/ gold, etc. And, THERE IS A CLEAR INSTRUCTION THAT THEY SHOULD NOT START BIG ORGANISATIONS TO EXPAND THEIR ACTIVITIES. They should live in simple huts with only the basic requirements.
(FOLLOWING BOGUS GURUS – STORY – READ HERE!)
But, what happens now?
A few ‘so called’ sanyasis lead a posh life with all comforts including women assistants. Other disciples are allowing such posh life with violations. If they leave the ashram if they find that their guru is not following the rules, that guru will think. But, the disciples too cooperate in the posh life of such bogus gurus and those disciples too lead posh lives.
The women should escape from bogus gurus by being clever.
HOW TO FIND OUT A BOGUS GURU or MUTT?
The following Points can help you to know how women should identify the bogus gurus who try to violate telling that it is similar to the Rasa leela performed by Krishna and Gopis:
(1) If the guru is wearing golden ornaments, do not accept him as guru. He is a highly materialistic guy.
(2) If the guru is having Personal women assistants, please avoid that guru.
(3) If young women are staying in his ashram, avoid that guru.
(4) If the guru does not involve in preaching works, but, is lazily enjoying the comforts, avoid that guru.
(5) If a guru speaks vulgar language, avoid him.
(I have more attachment with Guru than Krishna. What to do? READ HERE!)
(6) If a guru is saving money and materials for his future usage, avoid him.
(7) If a guru is involving only in ashram administrative works without concentrating in preaching, avoid him because he is an administrator, not a guru.
(8) If a guru speaks mundane things more than the speeches about God and the devotees, avoid that guru.
(9) If a guru creates divisions among his disciples/ devotees and makes politics, avoid that guru.
(10) If a guru does not represent an bonafied sampradhaya, does not preach based on the scriptures and his guru, but preaches his own fabricated thesis, do avoid that guru.
(11) If a guru says that he is God or similar to god or equal to god, do not hesitate to desert him.
These are the major symptoms to know how the women should escape from bogus gurus who mock Rasa leela.
(How Can a disciple reduce his guru’s Karma? Wonderful Tips! READ HERE!)
WHOM SHOULD WE ACCEPT AS OUR GURU?
If a guru does not have all such Violations, but follows a simple life style and follows the scriptures and sadhu, you can accept him. Also ensure that he is an expert in the scriptures and has sense control.
At the same time, being a scholar in scriptures alone is not a qualification for a good guru. Humbleness, simplicity, blessings of his guru and renouncement are the important requirements.
Therefore, the women devotees need not stay in any ashram till they cross the age of 60, though they allow you to stay. In general, an ashram is the house for the brahmacharis and sanyasis. If you are staying there, it may be a risk for you and those brahmacharis and sanyasis too may fall down in the hands of maya.
The women should be careful. Their family members are their main protectors. No other person can be better protectors than their own family members.
Hope this helps to know how women should identify the bogus gurus & choose a right guru.
(Are women Priests, Sanyasis and Gurus allowed in Sanathana Dharma? READ HERE!)