Guru or God – Who gives us God realization to us?
Actual Question from a male devotee: When spiritual master comes to our life, who can ensure God realization?
REPLY:
This post has some subtle details about Guru or God.
Before I joined ISKCON, My family guru (Kulaguru) by birth was (Late) Kanchi Kamakodi Sri Chandrasekarendra Swami Sankaracharya of Kancheepuram, Near Chennai, a revered Acharya.
He gives some subtle details about the relationship between guru and disciple in the book of collections of his speech ‘VOICE OF GOD’:
(Should we accept a living guru instead of a deceased guru? READ HERE!)
Let me give a few excerpts from my memory from his speech:
Only a guru ensures that the disciple gets moksha.
To achieve this mercy from a guru, a disciple needs SARANAGATI, ie, SURRENDER to a Living guru because only a living guru can understand your obstacles and clear them to proceed fast in devotion.
God does not directly takes one to His Kingdom. He shows a guru to His devotees who will guide him to go back to God.
The sadhaka (seeker/ student) should surrender to that guru shown for him by God.
He should never doubt his guru. He has to humbly serve his guru and please him.
Then, that guru will guide him on the path of God realization.
One should not analyse his guru after accepting him. Total faith is the need for God realization.
(RITVIK INITIATION (DIKSHA) AND LIVING GURU INITIATION – DIFFERENCES! READ HERE!)
There are two types of gurus.
The first guru tells him about God during his childhood days. He is like an introducer. (I think, he refers to the siksha guru). He may be a grahastha (Family man). He usually is able to avoid offences since he is married.
But, the guru who takes one to God will usually be a sanyasi. (I think, he refers to the diksha guru).
A sanyasi may some times even happen to be a wrong doing person.
Should a disciple trust even that offending guru?
Yes. We should not lose our faith in him.
(What are the types of Diksha / initiation? Is Diksha in Dream valid? READ HERE!)
Then, who will protect us among Guru or God?
God.
Even though one’s guru falls down, we should not ill treat him and we should continue to have faith in him.
God will take that disciple to Him after the death, THOUGH HIS GURU FAILS TO GO BACK TO GOD.
THE SUBTLE POINT IS:
THOUGH AN OFFENDING GURU IS NOT ALLOWED THIS TIME INTO GOD’S KINGDOM, HIS INNOCENT DISCIPLES WHO SERVED THAT OFFENDING GURU WILL BE ALLOWED TO GO BACK TO GOD.
Therefore, in any case, whether the guru shown by God is Pure or falls down later, YOU ARE PROTECTED AND TAKEN BACK TO GOD.
Because, only that god showed that guru to you. Therefore, god will not let you down. (God is responsible for the elevation of that disciple)
(SHAKTIPAD or SHAKTIPADA – COMPLETE DETAILS INCLUDING TYPES, EXAMPLES IN SCRIPTURES, RULES, ETC! READ HERE!)
The conclusion:
One Line Conclusion should be: Among Guru and God, the God gives realization through our Guru. So Guru is required more than God because guru gives God Himself. If our Guru falls, God takes the responsibility of our elevation either directly or by showing another guru.
As per the ISKCON Laws, unless a guru has seriously fallen down that was proved beyond doubt, one should not reject that guru and accept a new guru through Re-initiation and till that change happens Srila Prabhupada will take care of you as Siksha guru.
(How to prevent some bogus gurus spoiling girl followers in the name of God? READ HERE!)
So If you FEEL that you wish to accept a particular guru without any external pressures but with your own choice, accept that guru. Since you have served/ are serving a guru sincerely till he fell down, God will show special mercy on you and take charge of elevating you.
This shows that anyone who has accepted a guru is protected by God more than the protection received by his guru from god.
That is, a disciple has more protection of God (Krishna) than guru. (Wow)
Hope these subtle details given by that Acharya perfectly matches your query.
That is why all the sampradhayas say in unique voice about Guru or God that a living guru should be accepted and served.
(REASON FOR GETTING CHEATED BY BOGUS GURUS & ORGANIZATIONS?– A RESEARCH! READ HERE!)