Recently, I had the chance to watch Wild Wild Country, a documentary by Netflix on Osho (though to be frank, I felt that the documentary was more on Ma Anand Sheela). I had not the slightest idea about the extent of the Rajneeshee movement until I saw the documentary. Off late, there has also been a lot of discussion in India about Godmen. Asaram Bapu and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh have had their bruises with the Indian legal system. In Delhi, several girls were rescued from an 'Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya'. Suffice to say that all is not well. Much is done in the name of religion/faith/spirituality, which is far removed from these lofty ideals.
It is in this background that I am writing this post. But before I begin, I want to put out a disclaimer. I have principally experienced only Hinduism and therefore the contents of this post are restricted to Hinduism. I have had some exposure to Sikhism, but I would not count that as sufficient to write a post. For that matter, I would not call myself an अधिकारी (authority) to write on Hinduism either. Therefore, what you have below are only some stray strings and thoughts.
In Hinduism, there is a strong emphasis on श्रद्धा (faith). श्रद्धा is defined as गुरूक्तवेदान्तवाक्येषु विश्वासः श्रद्धा (belief in the Vedantic words spoken by the Guru). It is is the Guru that takes the disciple from ignorance to knowledge. The Guru enjoys the same (if not higher) place as that of the Gods. Therefore, doubting the Master is tricky business. Instead, it is desired that there be intense faith towards the Guru.
Perhaps, this is where most persons find themselves at odds with Hinduism (and maybe other religions as well). Non-believers mock श्रद्धा as stupidity. At times, श्रद्धा is viewed from the lens of blind faith. But such a narrow vision keeps out the internal controls and checks that Hinduism provides for श्रद्धा.
The first control is that of enquiry. Anyone familiar with Hindu texts would see the emphasis on debate, reason and dialogue. The whole framework is based on asking questions, seeking answers, reflection, meditation and enquiry. श्रद्धा and विवेक (faculty of distinguishing and classifying things according to their real properties) come together. It is not the case that one turns off and the other activates. Both are applied together and are cultivated together.
The second control (which is really the focus of this post) is the qualities of a Guru. Hinduism provides for a stringent and difficult qualification to be a Guru. In my humble opinion, this requirement has completely gone away from today's equation. By way of illustration, following are some examples of the qualities of a Guru.
मणिरत्नमाला is a text composed by Adi Shankaracharya. The text is a unique composition and is in a question-answer form. While the question-answers are simple, the message conveyed is deep and profound. The first part of Verse 7 is directly on point:
को वा गुरुर्यो हि हितोपदेष्टा
शिष्यस्तु को यो गुरुभक्त एव ।
Translation: Who is a Guru? One who gives only the most favourable teaching (for the benefit of His student). Who is a student? One who is a devoted to the Guru.
Therefore, the qualification for a Guru is that He is must act in the best interests of the student. His own self-interest is immaterial.
Thereafter, Verse 10 deals with the question - Who is a Mahatma/संत (saint)?
के सन्ति सन्तोऽखिलवीतरागा
अपास्तमोहाः शिवतत्त्वनिष्ठाः।।
Translation: Who is Mahatma/Saint? One who has dispassion towards the whole universe, whose ignorance has ended and who is fixed upon that Supreme Being.
Thus, in addition to the qualification in Verse 7, three more qualifications are added, which to my understanding are attributes of a realised soul.
भज गोविन्दं is another minor text composed by Adi Shankaracharya. In this text, Shankaracharya makes an emotional appeal to all students to rise up to the goal of मोक्ष (liberation). He emphatically repeats भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं (Seek Govinda, Seek Govinda) after the end of each verse. Verse 14 specifically highlights the problem faced today:
जटिलो मुण्डी लुञ्छितकेशः
काषायाम्बरबहुकृतवेषः ।
पश्यन्नपि च न पश्यति मूढो
ह्युदरनिमित्तं बहुकृतवेषः।।
Translation by Swami Chinmayananda ji : One ascetic with matted locks, one with shaven head, one with hair pulled out one by one, another parading in his ochre robes - these are fools who, though seeing, do not see. Indeed, these different disguises or apparels are only for their belly's sake.
The above verse from भज गोविन्दं shows that the problem of disguises is not a new one. The problem may have expanded and/or taken newer forms. Since time immemorial, dishonest people have taken the shield of outer appearances (such as ochre robes) to fulfil their own material goals. Adi Shankaracharya, in categorical terms, warns us of such persons. In His commentary on भज गोविन्दं, Swami Chinmayananda ji points out that even in the time of the Ramayana, Ravan took the guise of a saint to abduct Sita.
विचार सागर of Swami Nischaldas describes the qualification of a Guru as follows:
वेदअर्थकूं भलै पिछानै।
अातम ब्रह्मरूप इक जानै।।
भेद पंचकी बुद्धि नसावै।
अद्वय अमल ब्रह्म दरसावै।।
भव मिथ्या मृगतृषा समाना।
अनुलव इम भाखत नहीं अाना।।
सो गुरु दे अद्भुतउपदेसा।
छेदक सिखा न लुंचित केसा।।
Translation by Lala Sree Ram - He who knows well the drift of the Vedas, recognises self as the only Reality, non-different from Brahma; who is capable of removing the five differences by analysis and analogical inference; and by clearing Ignorance and other defects, brings Brahma vividly into the mental conception of his pupil, as something tangible, and reduces the objective world into its actual condition of non-reality, similar to the illusion of a mirage; and who speaks not of things other than Brahma, is a real and unrivalled preceptor; unlike those who simply cut away the forelock of their pupils hair, to turn them into their followers.
I cannot hope to explain the exact meaning of the above verses. But based on the digests that I read, to my understanding, the above verse puts forth two primary qualities of a Guru - (i) that He must have knowledge of the Vedas/scriptures; and (ii) He must be a realised/enlightened soul. Both qualifications are necessary. A knower of the Vedas, but who has not experienced the Self, is not fit to be a teacher. Furthermore, even a realised soul, who has not studied the Vedas is not the ideal teacher, as such a person would not be able to fully clarify the doubts that arise in the minds of the students/disciples (since that can be done only through the study of the Vedas). Hence, both qualifications must be met. The verse ends with the same warning of outer appearances.
A reading of the above would show that a true Guru is completely dispassionate towards the world. Such a person will not think of His own self-interest, but only the best interest of His students (which would be to end their ignorance). He is also one who is enlightened and has experienced the Self. He is a knower of the Vedas. He's not be identified through merely outer appearances such as ochre robes. Indeed, it is extremely rare (दुर्लभ) to find a true Guru. And it is on such a Guru that one must have श्रद्धा.
In the end, I will refer to the स्कन्द पुराण -
बहवो गुरवः सन्ति शिष्यवित्तापहारकाः।
दुर्लभोऽयं गुरुर्देवि ! शिष्यहृत्तापहारकः।।
Translation by S. Bhuvaneshwari - There are many teachers, who grab the wealth of the student. O Devi! Such a teacher is very difficult (to obtain) who destroys the pang in the heart of the student.
ॐ
***
Acknowledgements
Sanskrit Documents - मणिरत्नमाला and भज गोविन्दं
An Ocean of Enquiry (English Translation of the Sanskrit Vicharsagar) by S. Bhuvaneshwari
Kedarnath (October 2017)