What is a real guru? Prabhupada explains:

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His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the
Hare Krishna Movement

Accepting a guru really means learning the spiritual science from him and executing his instructions. As you say, life is hectic, so don't jump into a guru-disciple relationship blindly. If you continue chanting Hare Krishna and study Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabupada, I'm sure your path will become crystal clear. Dravinaksa dasa (11-06-07)

Dear devotees
Hare Krishna to you all I would like to know that i am confused about GURU because I would like to chant the Hare Krishna mantra, but I am so, so confused because they say that you have to have guru and we are so busy in this hactic life and it is not possible.
We have many samprdays or other temples coming for dakshin and they request you to chant eg.swaminrayan, or hare krishna and they confuse you so please give me the right advice for this fallen jiva.......thankyou for being so patient for all of us........IF YOU GIVE PEACE TO OTHERS SO WILL KRISHNA FOR YOU........
D...

Dear D..,
Sorry for the delayed reply to your excellant question.

What is a real guru? A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada gives the
following explaination:

"Even though we may not have the fortune to contact the Supreme Lord personally, the Lord’s representative is as good as the Lord Himself because such a representative does not say anything unless it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore gives a definition of guru. Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] the bona fide guru is he who advises his disciples exactly in accordance with the principles spoken by Krsna. The bona fide guru is he who has accepted Krsna as guru.

This is the guru-parampara system. The original guru is Vyasadeva because he is the speaker of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, wherein everything spoken relates to Krsna. Therefore guru-puja is known as Vyasa-puja. In the final analysis, the original guru is Krsna, His disciple is Narada, whose disciple is Vyasa, and in this way we gradually come in touch with the guru-parampara. One cannot become a guru if he does not know what the Personality of Godhead Krsna or His incarnation wants. The mission of the guru is the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: to spread Krsna consciousness all over the world."
[Srimad Bhagavatam 8.24.48, purport]

Accepting a guru really means learning the spiritual science from him and executing his instructions. As you say, life is hectic, so don't jump into a guru-disciple relationship blindly.

If you continue chanting Hare Krishna and study Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabupada, I'm sure your path will become crystal clear.
Sincerely,
Drav
on behalf of Krsna.org

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