Guru

[Jadranka Schauer]

These quotes are from the purports of His Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Srila Prabhupada in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam:

 If one is sincere he can find the guru and learn everything. One should
take lessons from the guru and find out the goal of life. Maharaja
Satyavrata, therefore, shows us the way of the mahajana. Mahajano yena
gatah sa panthah. One should surrender to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead (dasavatara) and learn from Him about the spiritual world and the
goal of life.
...
You must approach a person who is learned. You must find such a person, a
guru, and surrender to him. Then question him, and whatever answers you get
from him you must accept. That is the process for understanding God. You
must first find the guru; then you must satisfy him by service and by
surrendering unto him. The guru will explain everything. Krsna explains in
Bhagavad-gita (4.34):

                        tad viddhi pranipatena
                          partprasnena sevaya
                        upadeksyanti te jnanam
                        jnaninas attva-darsinah

     "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master.
Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The
self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the
truth."
...
The first process is that of surrender. We have to find an exalted person
and willingly surrender before him. The sastras enjoin that before we take
a guru we study him carefully to find out whether we can surrender to him.
We should not accept a guru suddenly, out of fanaticism. That is very
dangerous. The guru should also study the person who wants to become a
disciple to see if he is fit. That is the way a relationship is established
between the guru and disciple. Everything is provided, but we must take up
the process seriously. Then we can be trained to become a bona fide
disciple. First we must find a bona fide guru, establish our relationship
with him, and act accordingly. Then our life will be successful, for the
guru can enlighten the sincere disciple who is in darkness.

(c) 1991 by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

Your servant, Yashoda devi dasi

Alfredo Villarroel wrote:

> Dear List,
>
>         I hear my Sanskrit teacher once mentioned that guru is someone
> without questions, in the sense that a guru have understood everything.
> Does anyone knows a text where the concept of guru is so defined ?
>
> Regards,
>
> A. Villarroel