The Dangers In Treating The Guru As God

“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.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

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तद् विद्धि प्रणिपातेन
परिप्रश्नेन सेवया
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं
ज्ञानिनस् तत्त्व-दर्शिनः

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

“Perhaps this is a reflection of the society in which I was raised, but don’t you see some obvious red flags in the recommended interaction between guru and disciple? This is within the Vedic tradition, which is no longer isolated to a particular subcontinent of the world. Because of the kind efforts of those in the line of instruction of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the golden avatara, we have a kind of outreach taking place, primarily through the sankirtana-yajna, which is the congregational chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

“Before you get upset, I am aware that the recommendations are not made up or drafted on a whim. They descend from within the tradition itself, through the parampara system. You have the direct words from Krishna Himself, who is the adi-guru. He is the original spiritual master, and so obviously He would know the formula for success. For both the teacher and the student. For the guru to be pleased and for the disciple to advance in their understanding of the self.

“The thing is, we have recent history to lean upon as an argument for caution. You see, so many people have been burned by fake gurus. I need not mention the sordid details, but just think of the worst things that an adult human being can do. Stretch the boundaries of your imagination and you still would likely come up short in identifying the transgressions of these spiritual leaders, who sometimes have thousands of so-called disciples. One cause people point to is this tendency towards obsequiousness, wherein you treat an ordinary human being like a divine figure.

“You don’t question. You don’t challenge. You just go along. You do whatever the guru asks. You throw out common sense, logic, and reason. Is that not a recipe for disaster? Do you see the contradiction here? I am not trying to cause trouble. I want every person to be respected. I have the highest opinion of teachers, in general. It is just that we have too many people burned lately to not take a step back and reassess the situation.”

These tragic results tend to occur when the guru is chosen by someone outside of the relationship. When the disciple has no other choice. When they are eagerly serving in an institution, enthusiastically waking up early in the morning, chanting the holy names, reading sacred literature, and the like for a considerable period of time. The institution that runs the local facility then strongly recommends that the person find a guru. Can they pick the person who is making the recommendation? Can they view the local leader as their guru? Of course not. They must choose from a list. Several decades back, there was no choice, even. The guru was determined based on the geography. You had to view someone as good as God based on what zone they covered. You had to go along with the farce, lest you risk expulsion.

Later on, those gurus might fall down. Not down the stairs, mind you. The society comes to learn of transgressions, sometimes of the heinous variety. The installed gurus then scramble to maintain their positions. The emergency solution is to offer a compromise. They will allow others into the exclusive society of gurus. They will gradually name others to the post. They will mend the policies so that future students can now pick from a list instead of being restricted based on geography. Any sort of licensing system, where the relationship is not genuine, is sure to produce inferior results.

The original recommendation for humble service and submissive inquiry aligns with both shastra and common sense. Imagine the situation where you are a teacher. You have knowledge that you learned from your own teacher. The interaction you had was personal. It was also voluntary. You chose your teacher and your teacher chose you as a student. Mature in the discipline, you want to now teach others. You want to keep the succession going.

What kind of student are you going to look for? Moreover, what kind of student will have the best chance of success? Is it someone who will pick apart every word that you speak? Will it be a student that misbehaves? Will it be someone who thinks they know it all already, that they just want a certificate of completion, to share with their friends and family?

If you were to receive such a student, why would you teach them? It is a giant waste of time. It cheapens the knowledge, as well. This is in the hypothetical case of a teacher, in general, but now imagine a base of knowledge so vast that it deals with identifying duality and rising above it. This duality is what plagues mankind, right now and since before anyone can remember. You wouldn’t want to share this knowledge with someone who is intoxicated, not paying attention, or not serious in the least.

इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत
सर्वभूतानि संमोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप

icchādveṣasamutthena dvandvamohena bhārata
sarvabhūtāni saṃmohaṃ sarge yānti parantapa

“O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conquerer of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.27)

If the teacher chooses the student and the student chooses the teacher, then the conditions are ideal. For someone who accepts the highest wisdom, there is a lifetime’s worth of appreciation that follows. They are keenly aware of the before-and-after. They remember being in illusion, confused and hopeless. They now feel a renewing enthusiasm, utsaha, which is based on reaching a higher experience. They have seen something superior, and it is all because of the influence of the guru.

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते
निराहारस्य देहिनः
रस-वर्जं रसो ऽप्य् अस्य
परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते

viṣayā vinivartante
nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaṁ raso ‘py asya
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

“The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.59)

In Closing:

All to his influence due,
Words and example too.

Despite physically at a distance,
Sacred words like targeted assistance.

Such that in darkness no more,
Enthusiastic for future in store.

Of course appreciating day and night,
That person who showed me the light.