Swami Shivapadananda explains who, what, why and where the Guru is.
In this audio clip, Swamiji gives step by step answers to questions about the Guru. Using the analogy of a walking stick being there to support and provide stability, until one no longer needs that specific kind of support.
Swamiji addresses the questions: Who is the Guru? What is the Guru? What is the role of the Guru? How should we regard the physical form of the Guru? How does the Guru fit in with our Ishta Devata? and more. Even for sadhakas and spiritual aspirants well along the path, this is an instructive and an excellent refresher.
For those of you who didn't have the joy of meeting our beloved Mother Radha, who made the original recordings which provide these talks, you'll hear her asking Swamiji some questions about the Guru.
[Admin: There are various categories of Guru. The big 'G' Guru, is a God-realised individual who is capable of leading others to the same destination. Or at least along the path, perhaps to reach the destination some births from now.
Any other form of teaching also makes the individual passing on the information or knowledge, a 'guru' – but with a lower case 'g'. Then the term 'upaguru' applies. They may be teachers of a multiplicity of skills or imparters of information. But they are not the qualified mountaineers who can lead us to the pinnacle of God-realisation.]
The second part of the audio recording, is Swamiji speaking about God as 'the wish-fulfilling tree.' Listen carefully to Swamiji saying that God will give us whatever we desire. [Maybe not in this birth] but if the desire is there, the wish must be fulfilled.
Remember that Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi (pictured) said that if we end this life, wishing for so little a grain of rice, we will have to be reborn to satisfy the desire. It's a metaphor for the dominant or prevailing desire pattern in the mind at the time of bodily death, Swamiji told me.
The key take-away in this latter part of the recording, is Swamiji saying that we need to be very careful what we wish for. Because we seldom think it through, to understand the baggage and/or consequences that automatically accompany the fulfilment of a particular wish. He gives examples that we can all relate to.
Please click on the link below to listen. Jai Sri Ramakrishna!
Duration 09:34
The original audio recordings of these posts were made by close Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa and Swami Shivapadananda devotee, Mother Radha. The audio editing and noise reduction of the original 1970s tapes has been lovingly crafted, over many years, by her son and our dear gurubhai, Brother Tim. May Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji bless them both.
Admin tip: If the picture accompanying each posting doesn't automatically open on your device, please click on the little link indicating the presence of the picture. Different devices will respond differently when opening the blog. Also, underlined words or words in colour, are links. If you click on them, they'll take you to an explanation of the particular word or term.
Dear reader, if you spot typos or or other errors, please feel free to email the site admin on info@imbizo.com with your suggested correction/s.
Links to broaden your knowledge: Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, Sri Sarada Devi ashram, Durban