[Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Venkatraghavanji - PraNAms

Yes we need a guru. My question is also one can listen to a sampradaya teacher on line now a days - and get clarification of the issues you have raised. Supposed I listen on line to Swami Paramarthanandaji talks - the questions you have raised will be answered. Now a days many on line talks are available to an earnest seeker. 

Do I need to have a personal contact with the guru?

Can I be just a elkalavya shiya and gain the knowledge?

Should contact with the guru required on personal basis?  Should be alive in Physical form?

Hari Om!
Sada




--------------------------------------------
On Sun, 1/31/16, Venkatraghavan S <agnimile at gmail.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Question? - Is Guru necessary?
 To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>, "kuntimaddi sadananda" <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com>
 Cc: "yahoogroups" <advaitin at yahoogroups.com>
 Date: Sunday, January 31, 2016, 4:24 PM
 
 Namaste Sri
 Sadanandaji,
 I would like to say from personal experience
 that a guru makes a very discernible and meaningful
 difference in the understanding of shAstra.
 It is the difference between learning swimming
 by reading a manual versus having a live swimming instructor
 next to you, teaching.
 The reason is that shAstra, when approached by
 an untrained mind, appears to contain several contradictions
 - both within the shAstra itself and versus everyday
 experiential reality. 
 Sometimes vedAs extol karma, sometimes bhakti,
 sometimes jnAna, sometimes dvaita, sometimes
 vishishtAdvaita, sometimes advaita - which is correct? Even
 when it does talk about advaita, how can one reconcile the
 jagat mithyAtvam that the vedA teaches, with the very vivid,
 personal (and sometimes painful) experience of reality? How
 can we believe the vedA when it says we are Brahman, when
 everyday reality repeatedly seems to remind us of the
 powerlessness of the individual?
 It's when we are faced with these multiple
 questions such as these and others, that having a Guru is
 invaluable - I would even say necessary. Someone who can
 help interpret vedAs in accordance with a time honoured
 sampradAya, someone who can lend personal credence to the
 message of the vedA by the way he carries himself,  and
 someone who speaks with conviction when he says "tat
 tvam asi" to the sishyA.
 Having such a guru is a blessing indeed.
 How can one go about in search for such a guru?
 I would say by having strong desire to have such a guru, by
 unwavering shraddhA and bhakti in Iswara and shAstra, by
 regular performance of nitya karmA without seeking material
 benefit and by development of sadhana chatushtaya sampatti
 to the maximum extent of our ability.
 Just my 2 cents worth.
 Regards,
 
 Venkatraghavan
 On 29 Jan 2016 03:40,
 "kuntimaddi sadananda via Advaita-l" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 wrote:
 PraNAms
 to all
 
 
 
 Shree Subbuji just posted - How one can get under the grace
 of a Guru?
 
 
 
 Here is a question I want to pose it to all.
 
 
 
 Q. 1: Do we really need a guru?
 
 
 
 Shastras says so - therefore we need one. Or Do we really
 need to have one understand Shastras?
 
 
 
 We do not have old gurukula system of education. We have now
 Missions and Missionaries. We have now internet and on-line
 discussion, talks on yu-tube or all other means to
 understand the shaastras.
 
 
 
 All we need to know is Brahma Satyam, Jangan mithyaa and
 jeevo brahma eva na aparaH. This can be learned by listening
 to many teachings available on line.
 
 
 
 I understand that we need to have shraddha - Does Shraddha
 comes with 'Guru or in the very teaching itself
 (shastra)
 
 
 
 Q2. Do we need a live guru or on-line guru? I find many
 claim that Bhagavan Ramana Mahasrhi is our guru; but he is
 not there in Physical form to teach. His teachings are
 available - so are other on-line teachers too.
 
 
 
 Claim: We need a teacher who himself is self realized? Well,
 since there are no litmus to evaluate a particular teacher
 is self-realized or not we cannot go by that rule as long as
 we have the faith in the shaastras and understand clearly
 the explanation.
 
 
 
 I would like hear from eveyone those who are looking for a
 guru and those who found their gurus and those who do not
 think they do not need one (as JK - says - even though his
 follower want to follow!)
 
 
 
 Q. We have many who do not have gurus as we know - starting
 with Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi himself. That he had Guru in
 the last life is only justification for the axiom that one
 needs a guru, since we do not Bhagavan's last janma to
 make a claim
 
 
 
 The sadhana chatushtaya sampaathi does not necessorily for
 subtle inquiry does not demand a guru - it says Shraddha -
 Is Shraddha in the teachings available in may ways now - not
 sufficient.
 
 
 
 What do you think? I am posting this to both groups to see
 the responses.
 
 
 
 Hari Om!
 
 Sada
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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