Provoking a self-reflection

[Prashant Parikh]

Harih Om. I'd like to ignite a certain self-reflection among our satsanga group here. Please read carefully till the end.

Given that we are assembled for the study of Vedanta, we can safely presume the following holds true:

 
1. I (‘I’ meaning any of us here) take Vedānta as the teaching that reveals the truth of jīva–jagat–īśvara as the akhaṇḍa Ātmā.

2. Just as eyes are the pramāṇa for form/colour and ears for sound, the Veda is the pramāṇa for knowing the truth of oneself.

3. Therefore, I accept the Veda-śāstra as the sole pramāṇa for this knowledge—and the same texts also prescribe how this knowledge is to be gained.

Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: tadvijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
“For the sake of that knowledge, one should indeed approach a Guru—fuel in hand—who is well-versed in the Veda and established in Brahman.”
Here, Adi Śaṅkara explicitly notes the force of “evā / alone”: even one learned in śāstra should not try to independently ‘get’ Brahman without a Guru’s unfoldment

Bhagavad Gītā: tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā | upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ ||
“Learn this by approaching the Guru with reverence, by sincere inquiry, and by service; the knowers of truth will teach you this knowledge.”

Bhāgavatam: tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
“Therefore, one who seeks the highest good should take refuge in a Guru—one deeply grounded in śāstra"

4. Yet, we find a disconnect, wherein a large number of seekers accept the import of the Vedantic teaching, but not the clear instruction that the teaching is not a matter of independent study minus a Guru.
Different reasons for this have been offered, all really having to do with psychological blocks

Is it fear? ("the Guru might be too strict"...)
Resolution: The Guru teaches, sometimes the teaching can take the form of self-reflection, for which one has to be open and receptive. The Guru's role is not to constantly validate. If we seek constant validation use ChatGPT. If you seek growth, go to a Guru
 
Is it guilt? ("I am not good enough or worthy of being associated with a Mahatma")
Resolution: The very sambandha or relationship with the Guru is about making the individual "good enough", or in other words, qualified. So let the fear of not being "good enough" get in the way of actually being "good enough"

Is it commitment phobia? ("I'm not ready for a guru-shishya relationship... ")
Resolution: Lack of readiness is something one needs to work on, and not embrace

Is it a detest for authority? ("Why can't I do this on my own...")
Well, Shastra explains one cannot. See verses above

Does the Guru need to be local? ("What if I'm in a different country"...)
That's OK, the Guru need not be local. My own Gurus aren't, either. What's important is that you are in touch with the Guru, and there are many forms of staying in touch.
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While these questions may exist, and I'm not dismissing them, one will find they melt away upon the recognition that these are nothing more than irrational fears that get in the way of the teaching, even though one may stubbornly hold on to them. There is no true dilemma, there are only misapprehensions.

It really boils down to- What am I resisting? What's stopping me? What's blocking me?
 
If I trust śāstra enough to seek Vedānta, why do I distrust śāstra when it is most explicit about the necessity of a sampradāyavit Guru?

I appeal to your intellectual honesty in resolving this dilemma for yourself. If you find a resolution, and that resolution takes the form of: "Maybe I should seriously consider approaching a sampradayavit teacher to be my Guru", then this group has served its purpose, and I'd love to hear from you privately about where that journey takes you, and whether it ignited a search. Happy to provide guidance on how to refine that search, as well.

om tat sat