Sri Guru Tattva: Focused to Sri Guru

by Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja

In Srimad-Bhagavatam Narada Muni gives the following advice as a general recommendation as to how to get free from unwanted desires, kama:

asankalpaj jayet kamam, krodham kama-vivarjanat
arthanartheksaya lobham, bhayam tattvavamarsanat
(Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.15.22)

We are not to allow ourselves to contact or enter any plan of life. We are to be always open to deal with the present, not with any plan for the future. If we do not have any kama, any plan, then anger may not come. When there is some obstruction in fulfilling a plan we become angry in life, but if there is no plan of life then we are always open to serve the present and in that way we are clear – free from debt and obligation. Whatever comes in the present we do as our duty. But when there is a plan we become angry if any disturbance will come in carrying that out. Arthanartheksaya lobham – and lobha, greed, can be conquered just by seeing the reactions of money. If we collect energy from outside, that money comes with the sin and mentality of the man from whom we collected it. It is contaminated with their particular mentality. If we have this conception we may not have greed for any energy that comes under our command.
Bhayam tattvavamarsanat – we apprehend so many good and bad things – we fear. In order to conquer fear we are to cultivate understanding of the real nature of this plane: it all runs by the Lord’s will but we are throwing in our separate interest which comes back to us as reaction. We are to accept that our individual opinion may not be successful here. Everything that comes in clash with the Absolute Will shall have to vanish.
With this idea we will be open in the present and free from any future plans.
All these advices are expressed, but in the end it is given:

etat sarvvam gurau bhaktya
puruso hy anyasa jayet
(Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.25)

“There is only one thing by which we can conquer all these abnormalities. What is that? Guru-bhakti. ‘I am a servant of my Guru. Whatever he shall say, I shall do.’ Concentrate on this point.” We are to withdraw all plans and put everything just in this one point: “Whatever will come through the Guru, the representation of the Lord, I shall do that.” There is no necessity of any other thinking, planning, designing, etc.: “I want this, I shall do that,” is all unnecessary. We are only to concentrate on one point. The representation of the Supreme is there – the Guru – and what is wanted by him, we shall do that. Everything is focussed to that one point without seeing anything else.
Exclusive focus is illustrated in the example of Dronacharya testing his students by asking them to aim their arrows at the eye of a toy bird placed in a tree. Each aimed in turn, and Dronacharya asked, “What do you see?”
The first replied, “The bird, the tree, etc.”
Dissatisfied, Dronacharya said, “Stand aside.”
But when it came to the turn of Arjuna, he replied, “I can see the bird.”
“Can you see the whole of the bird?”
“No. Only the head.”
“The Whole of the head?”
“No. Only the eye of the bird.”
“You cannot se anything else?”
“No. I can see only the eye of the bird.”
Only then was Dronacharya satisfied.
In this way all should be concentrated to one point, “I have connection with the representation of the Supreme, the Guru, and I am at his disposal. Whatever he shall say, I shall do. I am not a servant of anyone else.”

etat sarvvam gurau bhaktya
puruso hy anjasa jayet
(Bhagavatam 7.15.25)

In that way there will be no anger, no lust – nothing. If one can do such exclusive Guru-bhakti it will strongly keep him in a safe position, and that is the key to very easy and quick success.

yasya deve para bhaktir, yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah, praksante mahatmanah
(Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)

A person who serves Guru and Krsna can understand the real meaning of the Scriptures, otherwise the real meaning will not be revealed and one will not be able to follow their real purpose. That is the apriori method of studying the Vedas. Acharyyavan puruso veda – the meaning of the Upanisads can be understood only by those who have their Guru. Not everyone can understand the real meaning of the Upanisads, but only those who are at the disposal of a real Guru can have access there. By intellectualism we cannot understand their real meaning. Only by approaching the Guru with a serving attitude will the meaning be revealed. He will come and express Himself to us, and we are to have the mood, “I am unqualified and low, but He will come and give admission irrespective of any intellect, study or anything else on my part.”
Research scholarship in the illusory world is all quite a different approach. Scientific research is going from one misconception to another misconception. It is all misconception. It is error and has falsehood at the root. Acintya-bhedabheda. The centre is such that everything is at His command: “Let there be light”, and there was light. “Let there be water,” and there was water.
The research scholars try to research the nature and cause of everything, but ultimately it is all His sweet will. Neglecting that, they simply research, research, research, but if His will is withdrawn, everything will be falsified.
We do not want to apparently deep knowledge of the researchers. We have no concern with what is actually this partial, infinitesimal, surface knowledge which is so attractive to those floating, giving and taking, in that section. It is all false and black-marketeering. Everyone’s money is black and they are transacting with that. In this society false notes are being circulated as real currency.
Acintya-bhedabheda. Everything is His will, and it is the greatest adventure to search for Krsna, to search for the root of the whole infinite. It needs sufficient courage and preparedness to face the risk. To go to discover the North Pole or the highest peak of the Himalayas needs so much courage and involves risk, then what to speak of the courage necessary to find out the Absolute Cause of the Whole. Internal courage – spiritual courage – is necessary. We are to have soul’s courage and have the confidence of deep faith. We are to understand the noble character of the faith within us.
Without electricity we cannot have connection with the moon and other planets. Our hands and eyes cannot contact there. Faith can connect us with the farthest things. All other methods fail. Faith is substantial, it is not part of an illusion of the mind. The whole mind is a concocted thing: it is a source of forgery. Faith is not to be found there. Faith is a function of the soul.
We cannot even see what is within our own body without the help of some apparatus. Through faith, sraddha, the soul can approach and see the higher world.
By faith we can approach the highest, noblest thing, not by our hand or by the help of any mundane elements.