How can we know who is our real guru?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
how can we find out who is our real guru? see ultimately we have to know that there is god, there is a source there is someone higher than us who is going to guide us and if you get too much caught in this path or that path we will always stay fearful what if this path is wrong, what if that path is wrong what if that path is wrong rather you see that you are here and there is god, there is Krishna, whatever name we use there is a higher being who is there and he will guide you so you when you are putting faith in a particular path it is not you are putting faith in that path alone you are actually putting faith in Krishna with the intelligence that I have right now with whatever analysis I have done this is what makes sense to me and this is the way I feel I can move towards Krishna so we are putting faith in Krishna when we are choosing a path and with that attitude if we see various paths simply as horizontal this is one path, this is one path, this is one path, what should I do we will just stay confused but we see that it is not that I am choosing this path or this path or this path rather I am taking steps towards Krishna and with my intelligence this is what seems to be the sound step towards Krishna and you can pray to Krishna, Krishna you please guide me and what will happen is if a path helps you grow, you will realize it if it works for you if it doesn’t work for you, you will also realize it and you will be able to move on so basically for one who is searching it is important to get out of the head we need to use our head to understand but we have to get out of bed Prabhupada was in America in New York and he once gave a talk after which one hippie asked him Swamiji your philosophy sounds like that of the Buddha Prabhupada said do you follow Buddha no Prabhupada said follow Buddha follow Jesus, follow Krishna follow someone don’t just talk so the point is if you follow you will yourself start realizing so rather than thinking that should I follow this or should I follow that see that Krishna is ultimately in control of everything I am using the name Krishna whatever name you want to use for the absolute truth there is some source who is guiding all of us and by that arrangement of that ultimate guide you are put in a particular situation you have a particular opportunity right now you have association here you explore if this doesn’t work for you that’s fine you can explore something else in future but it is if you just keep exploring in terms of only reading not all answers come by just intellectual analysis there are many answers which come through purification through elevation of consciousness through transformation of the heart so I would say that you decide for yourself that ok for the next six months next one year I will focus on one thing and don’t bother too much at that time about other things try to get your questions answered but there are some questions even now I have been studying and sharing for twenty years but there are some questions also which I have kept in in suspended judgment these are answers which I will get later there are questions which I have kept five years ago which I have got answers now I keep getting answers also myself so what we do is you use your intelligence but at the same time start practicing and decide six months one year whatever it is basically it is like therapy there are many different doctors they are all offering their therapies which may work which may not work at this stage we can’t know so how do we do we take one treatment take it and if it helps well and good if it doesn’t help move on so basically start practicing something and don’t while you are practicing don’t get dissipated that means that if you decide to practice one particular at that time practice wholeheartedly I would say that it is by Krishna’s arrangement that you are here that you have the association of devotees that you have facility to ask questions get answers so see this not just as putting faith in a particular path see that as putting faith in Krishna and if that path is wrong Krishna will guide you see ok this doesn’t make sense this is how it is I want to move on fine move on at that time but if it is like while taking one treatment we keep dabbling in this treatment and that treatment and that treatment then the main treatment we are taking that will also not work so we can always learn from many sources by the same time if we want if we want transformation there has to be some commitment so you have to at this stage from what your questions what I could make out it’s not that your questions are silly it’s more that your questions are are reflecting that your study or your reading has not led to understanding rather your reading has led to confusion so therefore what I am telling you is that at this stage reading is not leading you to illumination so reading can lead to illumination but at this stage reading has led to confusion and more reading will only lead to more confusion so at this stage move on from the reading stage to the applying stage start practicing and you decide for yourself give a reasonable period of time and you apply and if it helps you move on continue with it I started for some time this Krishna chanting three things I would say associating with devotees regularly and yes asking questions is good don’t just focus on asking questions just try to learn sometimes some questions dominate our mind and that doesn’t allow us to learn other things sometimes if we understand some other things then that makes so much sense that ok this question is not all that important just associate in an open way and try to learn and read books but don’t focus only on reading for the sake of understanding focus on applying and chanting is very important along with chanting bhakti is a process of service so try to do some service some small service also if you do that itself is a big big step forward in applying and through that Krishna will be your intelligence from within by which you can grow on