How to serve & please the Guru if Guru is far away from your City?
Let us see that today.
In the Old days, or atleast till the start of 19th century, there were Gurukul system everywhere.
The Guru would first scrutinize the disciples and select them to get admitted in his Gurukul.
It was not a mass selection process. The disciples would come one by one. And the number of disciples was very few only.
(Initiation Oaths (Vows) given to Guru & Effects of Violating them! READ HERE!)
No correspondence or online courses in Gurukul. All are direct courses only.
There were no central education ministry to decide the syllabus for schools. The syllabus was decided by the Guru himself.
For every department, different Gurukuls were there.
For military training, some gurus were there;
For Vedic training, some gurus were there;
For Ayurveda, some gurus were there;
Same gurus taught the basic knowledge of mathematics, Science, etc.
Algebra, Calculus, Matrix, Determinants, etc., are not necessary for all the students to lead their life. But, nowadays, most of the students study them.
Thus, unwanted syllabus is fixed for all students nowadays.
I studied Maths, Science, etc. But now, I am doing astrology and devotional service.
(Why a disciple should accept Guru’s Order, not act on his own? READ HERE!)
One of my sister’s son studied B.E Computer Science, but he joined Indian Army.
This type of studies were not there during those period.
Whatever one requires to lead his life was taught by the gurus.
Those days, a guru was keeping the disciples with him in his gurukul and gave a close follow up in their growth.
The disciples were under the close follow up of the guru.
So, they were able to maintain good relationship with their guru and also serve their guru directly.
If any disciple commits mistakes, the guru corrected them and set them right.
The disciple had a clear idea of how to serve his guru because he was always remaining with his guru.
The disciples spent their brahmacharya period with their gurus and went back to their parents to get married and start grahastha life.
Then, after the age 50, they gradually retire themselves from the family life and then took sanyasa after entrusting their wives to their children.
This was the system those days. In every town or big village, there were gurus who accepted the disciples form the surrounding areas.
So, most of the disciples had their families and parents just a few miles away from the guru’s ashram.
Now, the trend is different.
A Guru has to accept hundreds of disciples from throughout the world because communication facilities are at their peak nowadays.
The world has shrunk into a small village.
We are able to instantly contact anyone in any corner of this world.
Though we have a bank account in an Indian Village, we are able to operate it even from the United States without coming in person. The days of long queue in the bank counters are over.
Thus everything is changing since the world has shrunk into the networks.
Nowadays, the gurus are able to accept disciples from all over the world.
So, it is not possible for all the disciples to take direct guidance of their gurus because they may be in another city or even another country.
How to serve our Guru in such situation if we are thousands of miles away from our guru?
Simple.
Be in touch with your guru through mail, phone, website, Social media, etc.
Explain your skills that can be used in the service of Krishna.
(Why Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati took diksha from the Picture of his guru Gaur Kishore Babaji? READ HERE!)
Your Guru will guide you how to serve Krishna using your skills/ knowledge.
Do those services from your living place and update your guru the progress of your service in every stage.
Let your Guru know your services and their improvements.
Thus make your guru happy. He will bless you from his place.
Once in a year or month (depending on the distance), meet your guru in person.
Thus make your guru happy by living with your family members.
You will get the same spiritual benefits that you get by serving your guru in person.
The purpose is that your guru should be satisfied.
It may be either Vapu or Vani, ie, Direct or Indirect.
You can satisfy your guru in both the ways.
Be relieved.
(Can one get Krishna if he is unable to Go to temple and Get Guru? READ HERE!)