Here Gurumaharaj is talking about Bartamana Sadhana and the importance of Guru in this spiritual practice.
Gurumaharaj : In the cosmic perspective our opinion is absolutely inconsequential. You can never correct a man’s mind. Can you even convert your family to your opinion? You can never do that. Now you must have realized that everything is decided by Him. If a seeker of any spiritual order performs his spiritual practices religiously and follows every instruction of his Guru, higher consciousness will definitely be awakened in him. If the present Guru is not spiritually advanced, the founder of the order must be an advanced seeker. So, blessings will be showered on that seeker by the master of that order. Otherwise the ancient Guruparampara is also there to guide such seekers without a Satguru.
All the spiritual traditions are alive in the present times by God’s grace. Without His blessings those traditions would have been extinct. They still exist because they serve the humanity in some way or the other. There must be some higher beings who look after the progress of the seekers of those traditions. So, the spiritual progress of such sincere seekers who hold their Guru in high esteem is never impeded even if their Guru himself is not so much spiritually advanced.
Like the Sun, the Master of the universe is the Guru of all. He carries everyone’s burden. He is always there to help us and guide us.
Bartamana Bhajana is very difficult. It’s not at all easy to conceive of a human being as God and completely surrender oureselves to him. After being born as a human being, the body is affected by all the forces of Nature. So, a proverb goes, ” Under the sway of the five basic elements of nature , even the God is not spared any suffering.” In reality all the creatures on earth are the embodiments of God. But still they cry out in pain. When God incarnates into human forms he also experiences excruciating pains. When Sri Ramakrishna was inflicted with cancer, his numerous disciples left Dakshineawar for good. That apart, think of Dasya, Sakhya and Vatsalya Bhav ( When you are a servant, friend or parents of a God incarnate). During Sri Krishna’s time the Gopis at Vrindavan were the seekers with Madhura Bhav. They forced Sri Krishna to touch their feet. When they heard that without the dust of their feet Sri Krishna’s headache would not be cured, they sent that by Narada. The shepherds of Vrindavan climbed on Sri Krishna’s shoulders and made him run while playing. In Bartamana Bhajana it is called Avaidhi Bhakti. You can’t explain these things through the rule of Veda.
At Dakshineswara Rakhal Maharaj behaved like a breastfed baby with Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna also pampered him fondly. He said,” He is one of the shepherds of Vrindavan.” Will you be able to explain such behaviour by any means? Will a Vaidhi disciple under the regulative discipline ever dare to do this? In Vrindavana Leela many such things happened with Lord Sri Krishna. So, a couplet goes, ” The nectar of Vrindavana leela is unique, / No rule of Veda applies there.” Even if a seeker practises strict spiritual exercises for hundreds of years, will he or she ever be able to climb on God’s shoulders? If I ask you to climb on my shoulders, can you do that? You will be much too embarrassed.
Translated by Amitava Saha
Gurumaharaj : In the cosmic perspective our opinion is absolutely inconsequential. You can never correct a man’s mind. Can you even convert your family to your opinion? You can never do that. Now you must have realized that everything is decided by Him. If a seeker of any spiritual order performs his spiritual practices religiously and follows every instruction of his Guru, higher consciousness will definitely be awakened in him. If the present Guru is not spiritually advanced, the founder of the order must be an advanced seeker. So, blessings will be showered on that seeker by the master of that order. Otherwise the ancient Guruparampara is also there to guide such seekers without a Satguru.
All the spiritual traditions are alive in the present times by God’s grace. Without His blessings those traditions would have been extinct. They still exist because they serve the humanity in some way or the other. There must be some higher beings who look after the progress of the seekers of those traditions. So, the spiritual progress of such sincere seekers who hold their Guru in high esteem is never impeded even if their Guru himself is not so much spiritually advanced.
Like the Sun, the Master of the universe is the Guru of all. He carries everyone’s burden. He is always there to help us and guide us.
Bartamana Bhajana is very difficult. It’s not at all easy to conceive of a human being as God and completely surrender oureselves to him. After being born as a human being, the body is affected by all the forces of Nature. So, a proverb goes, ” Under the sway of the five basic elements of nature , even the God is not spared any suffering.” In reality all the creatures on earth are the embodiments of God. But still they cry out in pain. When God incarnates into human forms he also experiences excruciating pains. When Sri Ramakrishna was inflicted with cancer, his numerous disciples left Dakshineawar for good. That apart, think of Dasya, Sakhya and Vatsalya Bhav ( When you are a servant, friend or parents of a God incarnate). During Sri Krishna’s time the Gopis at Vrindavan were the seekers with Madhura Bhav. They forced Sri Krishna to touch their feet. When they heard that without the dust of their feet Sri Krishna’s headache would not be cured, they sent that by Narada. The shepherds of Vrindavan climbed on Sri Krishna’s shoulders and made him run while playing. In Bartamana Bhajana it is called Avaidhi Bhakti. You can’t explain these things through the rule of Veda.
At Dakshineswara Rakhal Maharaj behaved like a breastfed baby with Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna also pampered him fondly. He said,” He is one of the shepherds of Vrindavan.” Will you be able to explain such behaviour by any means? Will a Vaidhi disciple under the regulative discipline ever dare to do this? In Vrindavana Leela many such things happened with Lord Sri Krishna. So, a couplet goes, ” The nectar of Vrindavana leela is unique, / No rule of Veda applies there.” Even if a seeker practises strict spiritual exercises for hundreds of years, will he or she ever be able to climb on God’s shoulders? If I ask you to climb on my shoulders, can you do that? You will be much too embarrassed.
Translated by Amitava Saha