Who can be Guru?

[Paramananda das]

Please accept my humble obaisences All glories to Srila Prabhupada  I was listening to Sivarama Swamis comments on who can be a Guru  http://www.sivaramaswami.com/en/2012/05/16/on-iskcons-acceptance-of...   This is my comment:   I am not sure what the 10 items are that are given in GBC rules that one can be a Guru.But I will present my understanding.   First of all being a Guru is not based on rupperstamping.Out of all ISKCON's past Gurus how many are left? Who even still practice KC even in a kanistha platform,what to speak of at least following 4 regs and chant minimum 16 rounds.   Faithfulness to ISKCON   One can be faithful to ISKCON and to Srila Prabhupadas teachings.But if ISKCON is not following Srila Prabhupadas teachings strictly  on some aspects then one should not be faithful to that part.   For example the marrying of non devotees in ISKCON temple's  is against Srila Prabhupadas instructions. What to speak of allowing  bingo and meat eating and smoking like is done in ISKCON Brooklyn, these are deviations.   So being an institutional zombie is not a qualification.   But yes one should work with the GBC as much as possible. As long as the individual GBC follows Srila Prabhupada properly. If one GBC  or many deviate in many areas one should try to find a GBC that is more KC.In my 33 years of KC ,I have not found one perfect GBC to work under, always sooner or later there will be some deviations.That is human nature. But ISKCON Gurus obviously are set to try to strengthen the society.   In my own case, I have taken re initiation outside of ISKCON from HH Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, though he was a pure vaisnava this will not be seen kindly on in ISKCON by some. But sastra has directed one to seek initiation from an advanced vaisnava.If one has an advanced vaisnava Guru then one can teach pure KC.Otherwise one may have many philosophical misconceptions. Advancement in KC is seen as only being initiated in ISKCON, after the fall from sannyasa by Harikesa ,I considered approaching  one of to ISKCON Gurus Bhakti Vikas Swami or Bhakti Caru, but realized they where not uttama adhikaris.So I chose Narayana Maharaja.   I have not given diksa to anyone as yet, as I will not fit into the ISKCON mold of rupperstamping.And I have few disciples ,that take regular siksa from me,But siksa is more important than diksa, so I am not concerned..   Varnasrama consideration :   A Guru can not be a divorcee and marry again and again.A Guru must follow the guidelines of varna asrama.Even if one is in grhastha life the Guru can not engage in illicit sex with the wife outside of procreation of children.    10 years service in ISKCON   I find it crazy to recommend anyone to be Guru after only serving 10 years in ISKCON...this is not based on Srila Prabhupadas instructions and is pure speculation and rupper stamping.   Sex desires and illicit sex:   This aham mameti is a great problem, thus most of the acaryas in our vaisnava line considered themselves not qualified to take disciples that was their humility.   Srila Prabhupada writes about this aham mameti principle in his books at every page:   this is one example:SB 4.25.32     nārada uvāca itthaṁ purañjanaṁ nārī yācamānam adhīravat abhyanandata taṁ vīraṁ hasantī vīra mohitā     SYNONYMS

nāradaḥ uvāca—the great sage Nārada continued to speak; ittham—upon this; purañjanam—unto Purañjana; nārī—the woman; yācamānam—begging; adhīra-vat—being too impatient; abhyanandata—she addressed; tam—him; vīram—the hero; hasantī—smiling; vīra—O hero; mohitā—being attracted by him.     TRANSLATION

Nārada continued: My dear King, when Purañjana became so attracted and impatient to touch the girl and enjoy her, the girl also became attracted by his words and accepted his request by smiling. By this time she was certainly attracted by the King.     PURPORT

By this incident we can understand that when a man is aggressive and begins to woo a woman, the woman becomes attracted to the man. This process is described in the Bhāgavatam (5.5.8) as puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam. This attraction is enacted on the platform of sexual life. Thus the sex impulse is the platform of material engagement. This conditional life, the platform of material sense enjoyment, is the cause of forgetfulness of spiritual life. In this way a living entity's original Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes covered or converted into material consciousness. Thus one engages in the business of sense gratification.   So many other qualifikations are there, but I am focusing on something very basic here,that is not basic at all.   your servant Paramananda das:      SB 4.25.32, Translation and Purport: Nārada continued: My dear King, when Purañjana became so attracted and impatient to touch the girl and enjoy her, the girl also became attracted by his words and accepted his request by smiling. By this time she was certainly attracted by the King.   By this incident we can understand that when a man is aggressive and begins to woo a woman, the woman becomes attracted to the man. This process is described in the Bhāgavatam (5.5.8) as puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam. This attraction is enacted on the platform of sexual life. Thus the sex impulse is the platform of material engagement. This conditional life, the platform of material sense enjoyment, is the cause of forgetfulness of spiritual life. In this way a living entity's original Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes covered or converted into material consciousness. Thus one engages in the business of sense gratification.   SB 4.29.5, Purport: Real intelligence means linking with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When this is done, the Supreme Personality of Godhead from within gives one the real intelligence by which one can return home, back to Godhead. Intelligence in the material world is described in this verse as pramadā because in material existence the living entity falsely claims things to be his. He thinks, "I am the monarch of all I survey." This is ignorance. Actually, nothing belongs to him. Even the body and the senses do not belong to him, for they are given to him by the grace of the Lord to satisfy his different propensities through the material energy. Nothing actually belongs to the living entity, but he becomes mad after everything, claiming, "This is mine. This is mine. This is mine." Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is called illusion. Nothing belongs to the living entity, but he claims that everything belongs to him. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that this false intelligence be purified (ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12)). When the mirror of intelligence is polished, the real activities of the living entity begin. This means that when a person comes to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his real intelligence acts. At that time he knows that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa and nothing belongs to him. As long as one thinks that everything belongs to him, he is in material consciousness, and when he knows perfectly that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, he is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.   SB 4.29.85, Translation and Purport: The allegory of King Purañjana, described herein according to authority, was heard by me from my spiritual master, and it is full of spiritual knowledge. If one can understand the purpose of this allegory, he will certainly be relieved from the bodily conception and will clearly understand life after death. Although one may not understand what transmigration of the soul actually is, one can fully understand it by studying this narration.   The word striyā, meaning "along with the wife," is significant. The male and female living together constitute the sum and substance of material existence. The attraction between male and female in this material world is very strong. In all species of life the attraction between male and female is the basic principle of existence. The same principle of intermingling is also in human society, but is in a regulative form. Material existence means living together as male and female and being attracted by one another. However, when one fully understands spiritual life, his attraction for the opposite sex is completely vanquished. By such attraction, one becomes overly attached to this material world. It is a hard knot within the heart.  puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8) Everyone comes to this material world attracted to sense gratification, and the hard knot of sense gratification is the attraction between male and female. By this attraction, one becomes overly attached to the material world in terms of gṛha-kṣetra-suta-āpta-vitta—that is, home, land, children, friends, money and so forth. Thus one becomes entangled in the bodily conception of "I" and "mine." However, if one understands the story of King Purañjana and understands how, by sexual attraction, Purañjana became a female in his next life, one will also understand the process of transmigration.   SB Canto 5   SB 5.5.8, Translation and Purport: The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of "I and mine."   Sex serves as the natural attraction between man and woman, and when they are married, their relationship becomes more involved. Due to the entangling relationship between man and woman, there is a sense of illusion whereby one thinks, "This man is my husband," or "This woman is my wife." This is called hṛdaya-granthi, "the hard knot in the heart." This knot is very difficult to undo, even though a man and woman separate either for the principles of varṇāśrama or simply to get a divorce. In any case, the man always thinks of the woman, and the woman always thinks of the man. Thus a person becomes materially attached to family, property and children, although all of these are temporary. The possessor unfortunately identifies with his property and wealth. Sometimes, even after renunciation, one becomes attached to a temple or to the few things that constitute the property of a sannyāsī, but such attachment is not as strong as family attachment. The attachment to the family is the strongest illusion. In the Satya-saṁhitā, it is stated:  brahmādyā yājñavalkādyā mucyante strī-sahāyinaḥ bodhyante kecanaiteṣāṁ viśeṣam ca vido viduḥ Sometimes it is found among exalted personalities like Lord Brahmā that the wife and children are not a cause of bondage. On the contrary, the wife actually helps further spiritual life and liberation. Nonetheless, most people are bound by the knots of the marital relationship, and consequently they forget their relationship with Kṛṣṇa.   SB 5.10.12, Translation and Purport: My dear King, if you still think that you are the King and that I am your servant, you should order me, and I should follow your order. I can then say that this differentiation is temporary, and it expands only from usage or convention. I do not see any other cause. In that case, who is the master, and who is the servant? Everyone is being forced by the laws of material nature; therefore no one is master, and no one is servant. Nonetheless, if you think that you are the master and that I am the servant, I shall accept this. Please order me. What can I do for you?   It is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ahaṁ mameti: (SB 5.5.8) One thinks, "I am this body, and in this bodily relationship he is my master, he is my servant, she is my wife, and he is my son." All these conceptions are temporary due to the inevitable change of body and the arrangement of material nature. We are gathered together like straws floating in the waves of an ocean, straws that are inevitably separated by the laws of the waves. In this material world, everyone is floating on the waves of the ocean of nescience.   SB 5.14.35, Translation and Purport: Sometimes conditioned souls exchange money, but in due course of time, enmity arises because of cheating. Although there may be a tiny profit, the conditioned souls cease to be friends and become enemies.   As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.8):  puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti The monkeylike conditioned soul first becomes attached to sex, and when intercourse actually takes place he becomes more attached. He then requires some material comforts—apartment, house, food, friends, wealth and so on. In order to acquire these things he has to cheat others, and this creates enmity even among the most intimate friends. Sometimes this enmity is created between the conditioned soul and the father or spiritual master. Unless one is firmly fixed in the regulative principles, one may perform mischievous acts, even if one is a member of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We therefore advise our disciples to strictly follow the regulative principles; otherwise the most important movement for the upliftment of humanity will be hampered due to dissension among its members. Those who are serious about pushing forward this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should remember this and strictly follow the regulative principles so that their minds will not be disturbed.   SB 5.14.44, Translation and Purport: Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the activities of Bharata Mahārāja are wonderful. He gave up everything difficult for others to give up. He gave up his kingdom, his wife and his family. His opulence was so great that even the demigods envied it, yet he gave it up. It was quite befitting a great personality like him to be a great devotee. He could renounce everything because he was so attracted to the beauty, opulence, reputation, knowledge, strength and renunciation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that one can give up all desirable things for His sake. Indeed, even liberation is considered insignificant for those whose minds are attracted to the loving service of the Lord.   This verse confirms Kṛṣṇa's all-attractiveness. Mahārāja Bharata was so attracted to Kṛṣṇa that he gave up all his material possessions. Generally materialistic people are attracted by such possessions.  ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8) "One becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of 'I and mine.' " The attraction for material things is certainly due to illusion. There is no value in attraction to material things, for the conditioned soul is diverted by them. One's life is successful if he is absorbed in the attraction of Kṛṣṇa's strength, beauty and pastimes as described in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Māyāvādīs are attracted to merging into the existence of the Lord, but Kṛṣṇa is more attractive than the desire to merge. The word abhavaḥ means "not to take birth again in this material world." A devotee doesn't care whether he is going to be reborn or not. He is simply satisfied with the Lord's service in any condition. That is real mukti.  īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate "One who acts to serve Kṛṣṇa with his body, mind, intelligence and words is a liberated person, even within this material world." (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.187) A person who always desires to serve Kṛṣṇa is interested in ways to convince people that there is a Supreme Personality of Godhead and that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. That is his ambition. It doesn't matter whether he is in heaven or in hell. This is called uttamaśloka-lālasa