By the mercy of the Lord, one finds a Guru, and by the mercy of the Guru, one finds the Lord.

“The Guru receives benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the Guru delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a Guru, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.”

“It has been established that Brahmaji, the firstborn living entity, received knowledge directly from the Supreme Lord, and the same knowledge was imparted to Narada, the next disciple. Narada asked to receive the knowledge, and Brahmaji imparted it on being asked. Therefore, asking for transcendental knowledge from the right person and receiving it properly is the regulation of the disciplic succession. This process is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita (4.2). The inquisitive student must approach a Guru to receive transcendental knowledge by surrender, submissive inquiries, and service. Knowledge received by submissive inquiries and service is more effective than knowledge received in exchange for money. A Guru in the line of disciplic succession from Brahma and Narada has no demand for money. A bona fide student has to satisfy him by sincere service to obtain knowledge of the relation and nature of the individual soul and the Supersoul.”

“One should approach a Guru who can extinguish the blazing fire of this material world, the struggle for existence. People want to be cheated and therefore go to yogis and swamis who play tricks, but tricks do not mitigate the miseries of material life. If being able to manufacture gold is a criterion for becoming God, then why not accept the Lord, the proprietor of the entire universe, wherein there are countless tons of gold? One cannot become happy by accepting a false Guru. A Guru should be accepted as advised in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.21). Tasmat gurum prapadyeta jijinasu sreyah uttamam: One should approach a bonafide Guru to inquire about the highest benefit of life. Such a Guru is described as follows: sabde pare ca nisnatam. Such a Guru does not manufacture gold or juggle words. He is well-versed in the conclusions of Vedic knowledge (vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah). He is free from all material contamination and is fully engaged in the Lord’s service. If one is able to obtain the dust of the lotus feet of such a Guru, his life becomes successful. Otherwise, he is baffled both in this life and in the next.”

“One’s first duty is to accept a bonafide Guru. The disciple should be very inquisitive; he should be eager to know the path of salvation. The words Guru-susrusaya mean that one should personally serve the Guru by giving him bodily comforts, helping him in bathing, dressing, sleeping, eating, and so on. This is called Guru-susrusanam. A disciple should serve the Guru as a menial servant, and whatever he has in his possession should be dedicated to the Guru: pranir 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 media of the Guru. Everything should be offered to the Guru as a matter of duty, but the offering should be made to the Guru with heart and soul, not artificially to gain material prestige. This offering is called arpana. Moreover, one should live among devotees and saintly persons to learn the etiquette and proper behavior of devotional service.”

“According to sastras, the duty of the Guru is to take the disciple back home, back to Godhead. If he is unable to do so and instead hinders the disciple from going back to Godhead, he should not be a Guru. Gurur na sa syat (Bhag. 5.5.18). One should not become a Guru if he cannot enable his disciple to advance in Lord consciousness. The goal of life is to become a devotee of the Lord so that one may be freed from the bondage of material existence (tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so’rjuna). The spiritual master helps the disciple attain this stage by developing Lord consciousness. Anyone who is supposed to be a Guru but who goes against the principle of Vishnu-bhakti cannot be accepted as Guru. If one has falsely accepted such a Guru, one should reject him.”

“A materialistic so-called Guru instructs his materialistic disciples about economic development and sense gratification, and because of such instructions, the foolish disciples continue in the materialistic existence of ignorance. But Your Lordship gives knowledge that is eternal, and the intelligent person receiving such knowledge is quickly situated in his original constitutional position.

In other words, because of the instructions of a fake Guru, one remains perpetually in material bondage and suffers its tribulations. But if one is intelligent enough to take instructions from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita, one can very soon attain liberation and be situated in his original position of spiritual life.”

Summary:

The article emphasizes the crucial role of a Guru in spiritual enlightenment, stating that finding a Guru is by the mercy of the Lord, and by the mercy of the Guru, one finds the Lord. It discusses the qualities and duties of a true Guru, distinguishing them from false Gurus who mislead their disciples. The true Guru is described as one who extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence, imparting transcendental knowledge that leads to liberation. The process of disciplic succession, starting from Brahma and Narada, ensures the purity of this knowledge. The article stresses the importance of sincere service and submissive inquiries in learning from a Guru, and the ultimate goal of the Guru is to take the disciple back to Godhead.

Important Points:

• Role of a Guru: A Guru extinguishes the material existence and guides disciples to spiritual enlightenment.
• Mercy of the Lord and Guru: Finding a Guru is by the mercy of the Lord, and the Guru helps one find the Lord.
• True Guru: A true Guru is free from material contamination, fully engaged in the Lord’s service, and imparts knowledge leading to liberation.
• False Gurus: False Gurus mislead their disciples with materialistic teachings and tricks, hindering spiritual progress.
• Disciplic Succession: Knowledge is passed down through a lineage of genuine spiritual teachers, ensuring its purity.
• Service to Guru: Sincere service and submissive inquiries are essential for receiving transcendental knowledge from a Guru.
• Ultimate Goal: The ultimate goal of the Guru is to take the disciple back to Godhead, freeing them from material bondage.