What have you learned from ISKCON history about being Guru?
Philosophy · asked by user [] · 2007-10-17 · 5 answers
Given that we are directly ordered by Caitanya Mahaprabhu to become guru and save this land, and the qualification of guru is given by Mahaprabhu as one who knows the science of Krishna, and by Rupa Goswami as being able to control the pushings of the senses and the mind:
What lessons have you learned by observing past efforts to fulfill this instruction and discharge this mission, and how does this impact you personally in terms of what you are doing and are planning to do in the future to comply with this order?
What lessons have you learned by observing past efforts to fulfill this instruction and discharge this mission, and how does this impact you personally in terms of what you are doing and are planning to do in the future to comply with this order?
user [194] · 2007-10-17
Purity is the essence.Self-appointed "Acaryas",either dead or back to maya..
Some others,still commands worship from disciples...some qualified,others not:we deserve the guru that we get!
The second generation?It would be good to make a survey:what is left?
The 3rd generation,hopefully they could do better,as Srila Prabhupada predicted.Remember: dead devotees take birth again in this Movement to further progress...Can take many lifetimes!
Lets all try to do our best[concentrating on OUR services!]
user [149] · 2007-10-17
Sitapati, can you post the reference or references for the fallible uttama-adhikari you refered to in a different question. thanks.user [13] · 2007-10-23
"Another item is, you are married wife, so in that position you should serve your husband nicely always, being attentive to his needs, and in this way, because he is always absorbed in serving Krishna, by serving your husband you will also get Krishna, through him. He is your spiritual master, but he must be responsible for giving you all spiritual help, teaching you as he advances his own knowledge and realization.That is the vedic system: The wife becomes a devotee of her husband, the husband becomes a devotee of Krishna; the wife serves her husband faithfully, the husband protects his wife by giving her spiritual guidance."
http://prabhupadaletters1972.blogspot.com/2007_10_21_archive.html#6118276281025117513
The classical Vedic social system is that women are not initiated. They are instead discipled by their husbands. Having women initiated by a spiritual master other than their husband causes a complex social situation. I would work towards eliminating the necessity of this.
user [13] · 2007-10-23
Deena, please state your understanding of the meaning and relationship between "fallible" and "uttama-adhikari" and I can point you to references to illustrate it.user [13] · 2007-10-23
mmmmm.... you should probably read this: "please state *your understanding of what I said* about the meaning and relationship between fallible and uttama-adhikari".We have to make sure that we are on the same page in terms of what I am saying, first. We dont have to agree that what I am saying is correct, but we should both agree on what I am saying... if you know what Im saying.
And we should do it off-line, because otherwise were hijacking this thread. Please email me at sitapati(at)worldsankirtan.net, or open a new question for this.