Guru Padacraya: Taking refuge to Guru in a Right way!
One can’t approach his Spiritual master as he likes without any ethics.
One should follow certain guidelines to approach his guru.
Krishna Himself has clearly said in Bhagavad Gita 4.34 how to approach a Spiritual master. That verse has four messages to us:
“(i) Learn the Truth by approaching a spiritual master.
(ii) Inquire from him with reverence and
(iii) Render service unto him.
(iv) Such an enlightened Saint can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the Truth.”
(Surrender to Guru or Krishna – Which is great? Why? READ HERE!)
Krishna always speak about HOW TO DO ANYTHING. When He spoke of offerings to Him, He said that if we offer WITH LOVE, He accepts it. Just offering the materials or food is not enough. One should offer the offerings to Krishna WITH LOVE.
Similarly, Krishna has nicely instructed HOW WE SHOULD APPROACH A GURU.
Let us read what our acharya Srila Prabhupada instructed us about Guru Padacraya: Taking refuge to Guru in a Right way!:
(1) SVETASVATARA UPANISHAD (6.23):
If you have faith in the Lord and Guru, you will get all the knowledge:
yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthau prakacante mahatmanau
“Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed.”
(Right Behaviour (Etiquette) for disciples in the Presence of Guru! READ HERE!)
(2) SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM 7.7.30-31:
Offer to the spiritual master with heart and soul:
“A disciple should serve the spiritual master as a menial servant, and whatever he has in his possession should be dedicated to the spiritual master.”
praeair arthair dhiya vaca.
Everyone has his life, his wealth, his intelligence and his words, and all of them should be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the via medium of the spiritual master. Everything should be offered to the spiritual master as a matter of duty, but the offering should be made to the spiritual master with heart and soul, not artificially to gain material prestige.”
(3) SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM 3.23.7:
Take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and to serve him with heart and soul.
For spiritual achievement, the easiest path is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and to serve him with heart and soul. That is the secret of success. As stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in his eight stanzas of prayer to the spiritual master, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadau. By serving or receiving the grace of the spiritual master, one receives the grace of the Supreme Lord. By serving her devotee-husband, Kardama Muni, Devahuti shared in his achievements. Similarly, a sincere disciple, simply by serving a bona fide spiritual master, can achieve all the mercy of the Lord and the spiritual master simultaneously.
(WHAT IF A DISCIPLE IS UNABLE TO SURRENDER TO GURU? READ HERE!)
(4) LETTER TO: RADHA-KANTA — VRINDAVAN 20 AUGUST, 1974:
Following Guru’s instructions means we have affections for Guru:
“You should understand that when you sat at the fire sacrifice upon your initiation, you made a vow to the Spiritual Master at that time. So, you should not break these vows. You say that you appreciate the association of devotees but how will you withstand the material attraction? If you are not chanting Hare Krishna offenselessly and regularly? Affection for the spiritual master and following the instructions of the Spiritual Master is the same.”
(5) SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM 1.5.29, VRINDAVANA, AUGUST 10, 1974:
If both the guru and disciple transact perfectly, Krishna Consciousness is easy:
“One must be serious to understand, and he must approach a qualified mahatma guru. Then his business will be, transaction will be very nicely done. This is Vedic process. … If the transaction is perfect from both sides, from the disciple’s side and guru’s side, then Krishna consciousness is very, very easy.”
Hope you are clear about Guru Padacraya: Taking refuge to Guru in a Right way!
(Presenting One’s Guru & Srila Prabhupada in all Places! READ HERE!)