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Re: neo-Sadhus

From the Bhakti List Archives

Pradeep Janakiraman • July 5, 2001 


I agree partly with Sreedhar's views. If one is truly
devoted and has the right goal (paramapadam) then God
will send the right Guru to the aspirant. 

Infact, there are no standard metrics that some
ordinary person can use and put a stamp on someone and
say he/she is a Jnaani/Guru. When our intelligence is
limited even in worldly matters, how can this
intelligence be applied to understand something
super-natural ? 

But if the desire is true, the goal is right and the
aspirant is sincere, then who else can guide better
than God himself ? He knows we're seeking him, so he
sends the right person to take us to him. 

> A person who does not belong to a particular lineage
> can never be a guru.

Well I take exception to this. Its quite obvious that
even when we take any long lineage of acharyas, we
mention that some of them were very great, some of
them were a gift to the lineage itself etc. When we
say some were great, then obviously it means that not
all had reached the highest order. They were
nonetheless Madaathipathis...but not the Poornam. 

And those who are of the highest order need not come
in any lineage. An ashram is not a factory that churns
out Jnaanis. Ashram/Mutts etc. help the masses, and
some may be better than the other...but doesnt
necessary imply that a Madaathipathi has to be the
highest Jnaani. 

And there's no difference in the state of an attained
person whether he roams as a beggar or has disciples
or he is a Madaathipathi or he does nothing. 

If we were to go by the metric of Madaathipathi, then
would that mean Chaitanya, or Ramakrishna Paramhansa
or Ramana (i chose 3 who were completely different)
were not true Gurus ? 

Leave alone these saints of a bygone era. I dont even
know how many would acknowledge the greatness of Sri
Krishna Premi, who doesnt belong to any lineage. 

-- Pradeep 


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