Query:
Can a shisya change his/her Guru?
Vijay
Kumar:
Every human
being has been endowed with that special power of discrimination that distinguishes
us from animals. Mounted with this power of discrimination every human being including
children has a right to do anything in life that we feel is correct for us. What
to say of changing a master... a spiritual guru... one can even change a religion
or belief in life!
Let
me explain by an example-
If
I need to go from New Delhi to Bombay, I can walk on foot, ride a bullock cart,
or catch a bus, a taxi, a train or an airplane! Everything depends upon my pocket
and the means available! If I start my journey on foot, I can subsequently change
the mode of transport to bus or as my pocket allows on the way!
Life
also has been endowed with freedom to work... the freedom of spirit within! Every
human being has a right to live life on ones own terms. None other including parents,
friends and well-wishers can dictate us to follow a certain path. As many human
beings... as many paths to god can there be!
Today
we trust our present master... the spiritual master... tomorrow we may not! Depending
upon the circumstances situations change... so do requirements! Life in the cosmic
system is not governed by rhetoric... it is logistics that governs the rule! It
is not the master who chooses a pupil... it is normally the pupil who chooses
a master.
However
best the teacher may try... all students simply cannot come first. Why? It is
for simple reason that unless the student tries hard... teacher can never succeed
in making a student come first! In whatever stage of life we may be... we always
remain the master and controller of our destiny.
In
search of God I could not find a spiritual master to guide me. Whatever I could
lay my hands upon became my guide. If I had something worthwhile to gather from
a Christian priest... one was welcome! If the Islamic teachings impressed me,
I welcomed them with an open heart! If Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism was to become
my guide in life... all the more better!
I
never shunned anything for it belonged to another religion, caste or belief! I
simply had a goal of finding God in this very life. Every single human being to
whatever religion, caste or belief one belonged... all were welcome in the fold!
I simply wanted to know everything related to god. A loner... a single spiritual
master carried no meaning for me.
It
is quite possible that we were initiated into the religious fold by a particular
spiritual guru... or a religious master! With passage of time things change. At
all moments of life I was always and ever free to change my inclinations... my
loyalties towards a particular teacher, religion or fold! That is a how the system
of God Almighty is!
Hinduism
never advocates sticking to a particular religious or a spiritual master. Nor
it ever abhors other religions and their teachings. The path can be any... the
goal must always remain fixed. For going from New Delhi to Bombay we have two
paths. One via Rajasthan and other through Madhya Pradesh!
Fixing
a goal is more important than the path. Almost 99.9% people world over never form
a goal in life. Their life is like a rudderless boat going round and round in
the ocean. Having a goal in life is journey half completed. Once we have goal...
choosing and finalizing the path is not that difficult. Stick to the goal and
not the path!
I
was born in a Jain family. Still I trust the sacred teachings of Bhagavad Gita
much more than the doctrine of Bhagwan Mahavira... the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism!
Lord Krishna who preached the doctrine of Bhagavad Gita to mankind in the battle
of Mahabharata came about thousand years earlier to Bhagwan Mahavira. His teachings
contain absolute purity.
With
passage of time teachings dilute. The Wisdom contained in the sacred Bhagavad
Gita is much more valuable than the teachings of Jainism. The Jaina doctrines
are much more powerful than the Buddhist teachings. Similarly the teachings of
Gautama Buddha are much more powerful than the teachings of Christianity... a
following of Jesus Christ!
In
the same rung... the teachings of Jesus Christ are more powerful than the sayings
of Islamic Dharma. All these enlightened masters gained enlightenment yet everyone
had a different experience and the path. For going from New Delhi to Bombay...
some may catch Rajdhani express, others a mail train and the masses a passenger
train.
Whatever
be the mode of transport... all reach their destination! Similar is the case with
the enlightened masters! All reached the 8.4 millionth manifestation... the last
in the cosmic system... gaining enlightenment (kaivalya jnana) and finally salvation
(moksha) in the end. Reaching the end of cosmic life... the stage of enlightenment
is the gist of life!
More
Spirituality and Religion related links...
Path
of Spirituality - Spiritual
Path - Spiritual Consultant - Spirituality
and Religion
May
God bless all!
Always
there to clarify your queries (send
your query),
Vijay
Kumar "Atma
Jnani"
Vijay Kumar... The Man who Realized God in 1993 on Spiritual Guru.
For more details on spiritual master visit -
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Full text of query:
Can a shisya change his/her Guru even though his/her Guru is still alive?
