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Saints and Swindlers (Part 1 of 4)
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To: alt-hindu@cis.ohio-state.edu
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Subject: Saints and Swindlers (Part 1 of 4)
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From: susarla@rice.edu (H. Krishna Susarla)
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Date: 20 Jan 1995 23:20:27 GMT
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From news@larry.rice.edu Fri Jan 20 18: 08:01 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: Rice University, Houston, Texas
Saints and Swindlers
>From the book "The Science of Self Realization"
By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(c) 1984 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International
Used with permission
Part 1 of 4
Ever day the number of people interested in practicing yoga and meditation
increases by the thousands. Unfortunately, a person looking for a suitable
guide is likely to encounter a bewildering array of magicians, self-styled
gurus, self-proclaimed gods. In an interview with the London Times, Srila
Prabhupada explains how a sincere seeker can tell the difference between a
counterfeit and genuine spiritual guide.
Reporter: Your Grace, it seems that more people than ever are seeking
some kind of spiritual life. I wonder if you could tell me why this is so.
Srila Prabhupada: The desire for spiritual life is an absolutely natural
hankering. Because we are spirit souls, we cannot be happy in the material
atmosphere. If you take a fish out of the water, it cannot be happy on land.
Similarly, if we are without spiritual consciousness, we can never be happy.
Today, so many people are after scientific advancement and economic
development, but they are not happy, peoople are realizing this, and they
are rejecting materialistic life and are trying to search for spiritual life.
Actually, this is the proper search. Krsna consciousness is the proper goal
of life. Unless you take to Krsna conscuousness, you cannot be happy. That
is a fact. Therefore, we invite everyone to study and understand this great
movement. Reporter: What frankly worries me is that since the arrival in
Britain some time ago of an Indian yogi, who was the first "guru" that most
people had ever heard of, a lot of "gurus" have suddenly appeared out of
nowhere. Sometimes I get the feeling that not all of them are as genuine as
they ought to be. Would it be right to warn people who are thinking of
taking up spiritual life that should make sure that they have a genuine
guru to teach them ?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Of course, to search out a guru is very nice, but if
you want a cheap guru, or if you want to be cheated, then you will find
many cheating gurus. But if you are sincere, you will find a sincere guru.
Because people want everything very cheaply, they are cheated. We ask our
students to refrain from illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and
intoxication. People think that this is all very difficult - a botheration. But
if someone else says, "You may do whatever nonsense you like, simply
take my mantra," then people will like him. The point is that people want
to be cheated, and therefore cheaters come. No one wants to undergo any
austerity. Human life is meant for austerity, but no one is prepared to
undergo austerity. Consequently, cheaters come and say, "No austerity.
Whatever you like you do. Simply pay me, and I'll give you some mantra,
and you'll become God in six months." All this is going on. If you want to
be cheated like this, the cheaters will come.
Reporter: What about the person who seriously wants to find spiritual life
but who happens to finish up with the wrong guru ?
Srila Prabhupada: If you simply want an ordinary education, you have to
devote so much time, labor, and understanding to it. Similarly, if you are
going to take to spiritual life, you must become serious. How is it that
simply by some wonderful mantras, someone can become God in six
months ? Why do people want something like that ? This means that they
want to be cheated.
Reporter: How can a person tell he has a genuine guru ?
Srila Prabhupada: Can any of my students answer this question ?
Disciple: Once I remember John Lennon asked you, "How will I know who
is the genuine guru ?" And you answered, "Just find out the one who is
most addicted to Krsna. He is genuine."
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. The genuine guru is God's representative, and he
speaks about God and nothing else. The genuine guru is he who has no
interest in materialistic life. He is after God, and God only. That is one of
the tests of a genuine guru: brahma-nistham. He is absorbed in the
Absolute Truth. In the Mundaka Upanisad it is stated, srotriyam
brahma-nistham: "The genuine guru is well versed in the scriptures and
Vedic knowledge, and he is completely dependent on Brahman." He should
know what Brahman [spirit] is and how to become situated in Brahman.
These signs are given in the Vedic leterature. As I said before, the real
guru is God's representative. He represents the Supreme Lord, just as a
veceroy represents a king. The real guru will not manufacture anything.
Everything he says is in accordance with the scriptures and the previous
acaryas. He will not give you a mantra and tell you that you will become
God in six months. This is not a guru's business. A guru's business is to
canvass everyone to become a devotee of God. That is the sum and
substance of a real guru'sguru.
Reporter: What about a Christian priest ?
Srila Prabhupada: Christian, Muhammandan, Hindu - it doesn't matter. If
he is simply speaking on behalf ofGod, he is a guru. Lord Jesus Christ, for
instance. He canvassed people, saying, "Just try to love God." Anyone - it
doesn't matter who - be he Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, is a guru if he
convinces people to love God. That is the test. The guru never says, "I am
God," or "I will make you God." The real guru says, "I am a servant of God,
and I will make you a servant of God also." It doesn't matter how the guru
is dressed. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Whoever can impart knowledge
about Krsna is a spiritual master." A genuine spiritual master simply tries
to get people to become devotees of Krsna, or God. He has no other
business.
Reporter: Bur the bad gurus....
Srila Prabhupada: And what is a "bad" guru ?
Reporter: A bad guru just wants some money or some fame.
Srila Prabhupada: Well, if he is bad, how can he become a guru ? [Laughter.]
How can iron become gold ? Actually, a guru cannot be bad, for if someone
is bad, he cannot be a guru. You cannot say "bad guru." That is a
contradiction. What you have to do is simply try to understand what a
genuine guru is. The definition of a genuine guru is that he is simply
talking about God - that's all. If he's talking about some other nonsense,
then he is not a guru. A guru cannot be bad. There is no question of a bad
guru, any more than a red guru or a white guru. Guru means "genuine
guru." All we have to know is that the genuine guru is simply talking about
God and trying to get people to become God's devotees. If he does this, he
is genuine.
(continued)
