Question: I have some questions on the topic of Guru.
Who is a GURU?
Who is a Siksha Guru?
Who can be called a Siksha Guru?
What is the difference between Siksha and Diksha and what is the difference between Siksha Guru and Diksha Guru?
What is their role in one’s life?
How do they help us in going back to Godhead (going near Krishna)?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
The bonafide guru (who comes in disciplic succession) is the external representative of Krsna. He is transparent via medium of Krsna, who distributes the instructions of Kåñëa without any change.
According to Vaishnava teachings, there are two equally respected kinds of guru – diksha guru or initiating spiritual master, and shiksha guru, or instructing spiritual master.
One may have many Shiksha gurus, but the initiating spiritual master is one; the shiksha guru(s) instructs the disciple either in consultation with the diksha guru or along the general guidelines given by the diksha guru.
The Guru instructs his disciples to take them out of darkness to light. At present everyone is suffering due to ignorance, and the role of the spiritual master is to dispel the darkness of our spiritual ignorance by illuminating us with spiritual knowledge.
Srila Prabhupada mentions in the purport to BG 2.7, “By nature’s own way the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without our desire. They are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such that perplexities of life automatically appear, without our wanting such confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we become perplexed. The Vedic wisdom, therefore, advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not, therefore, remain in material perplexities but should approach a spiritual master. This is the purport of this verse.”
The guru trains the neophyte devotees in all the essential aspects of practical devotional service (sadhana-bhakti). The conditioned soul not knowing the aim of life, perpetually wanders in material existence, struggling to get the necessities of life. The process by which the conditioned soul can get out of the material atmosphere is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But one needs guidance in executing the principles of Krishna consciousness. Without the expert guidance from the bonafide spiritual master, one cannot mitigate this material existence and revive one’s pure love and devotion for Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada writes in a letter to Mahapurusa das, Feb 12, 1968
“To stick to the principles advised by the Spiritual Master and serve Krishna under the direction of the Spiritual Master is the only hope of our advancing in Krishna Consciousness. The Spiritual Master and Krishna are two parallel lines. You have to make your progress on these two parallel lines, you cannot avoid one in preference of the other. The train, on two tracks, moves forward. The Spiritual Master and Krishna are like these two tracks, they must be served simultaneously. Krishna helps one to find a bona fide Spiritual Master, and a bona fide Spiritual Master helps one to understand Krishna. If one does not get a bona fide Spiritual Master, then how he can ever understand Krishna? You cannot serve Krishna without Spiritual Master or serve just a Spiritual Master without serving Krishna. They must be served simultaneously.”
