Guru Bazar Hazards Whom to Trust? and Why? ------An Independent Report Berlin, July 2018
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Guru Bazar Hazards Whom to trust? And why? ------------------------------------------------------ An Independent Report Berlin, July 2018 Dear Reader, In the last decades many gurus from India have established themselves with centers as spiritual advisor all over the world, also in Germany. What is the interest of these gurus? After an independent, extensive research and local examination by a group of international students, this is a short, deep summary of the situation with historical insight and a social overview: The obedient, hardworking, sophisticated and honest Germans care for their health, environment and Nature, greatly. They are not greedy and therefore feel satisfied in their daily life. May be due to their history, they have a deep longing for something beyond the physical, perhaps “something godly.” Hence they become easy targets for the “preying gurus" in the esoteric market. In India, the tradition of Gurus is since a long time the foundation of the society. However, now the greed-driven majority of people in India do not respect their religion, their religious guru or their tradition. In the last decades anybody there just can call himself a guru and exploit whomsoever he can. These unscrupulous crooks hiding in the robe of a guru, holy-man or spiritual teacher want only “Fame and Fortune” – and they can go to any extreme to get it. Reportedly, most of these people are installed and established by ruthless politicians to manipulate the voters, mint money, launder and hide unaccounted money, or to execute other crimes under the disguise of social and charity work. There is a wide range of gurus: From the well-educated, well-dressed, philosophically- English-speaking-clever-orators with huge establishments in India and worldwide, who suite themselves to the well-trained modern, intellectual mind - to the petty “pundits” in the back-lanes for the naïve and poor slum dwellers. “Wie gesagt, zu jedem Topf passt ein Deckel!” (As it is said, to every pot fits a lid!) Their business is lucrative and their talent for deliberate deception unlimited! Now, not only Indians, even many of their western followers have caught fancy to become gurus to get "Fame and Fortune" - by hook or by crook. To study the consequences and effects of these gurus’ establishments and misleading guidance on an individual and the entire society is a serious matter. Traditionally, the Vedic teachings were passed on in India only by an authorized guru to his disciples in personal teachings that ran over decades. These gurus came from an unbroken lineage and tradition of ancient Vedic teachers (Acharyas) or Gurus. The Vedic scriptures are not books of hocus-pocus “philosophy” but are mathematically encrypted texts of ancient sciences. They deal with many subjects: from atoms to space and astronomy; politics, economics and warfare; art, music and dance; physiology and psychology; disease prevention, treatment, surgery and health; to the soul, energy and metaphysic - basically everything happening in the Existence, including its mysteries. Just as we need today qualifications to gain access to scientific research, only under the tutelage of a senior and experienced professor or doctor - similarly, in the ancient Vedic tradition, the students were authorized to study the subject in which they excelled. Their study was strictly carried out under the personal guidance of their Gurus. And only when they reached a degree of maturity, they were given authority to become an Acharya (Guru), or to research further on their own authority. It was necessary to respect the laws, order and prohibitions laid down by the founders of these priceless Vedic scriptures – just as we today respect and follow our laws and rules. Those laws were not imposed by mundane intentions or personal emotions, but they were meant to protect the students, mankind, the environment and Nature - also to protect the valuable information from falling into the wrong hands. It was absolutely necessary to respect the tradition and have the highest reverence for the Gurus. It is documented that the Yogis, Sages and Gurus were so extremely revered for their wisdom that even Alexander the Great had to meet the naked-jungle-dweller Gurus Diogenes and Dandi-Swami (Dandamis). He even forcefully tried to take Swami Kalyanak (Calanus) to Greece as his personal teacher. The sciences of Meditation, Yoga, Pranayama, Mantra, Tantra, Vedic rituals/festivals, Indian classical Music/Dance, Ayurveda and more are integral parts of the Vedic scriptures and therefore their laws, order and prohibitions are applicable to them, unquestionably. Nowadays, the unauthorized, untrained people seeking "Power, Fame and Fortune," trading in these subjects has led to the complete loss and deformation of the valuable Vedic scientific information, which is now a loss to the entire humanity and subsequently to all other life on earth. The wrong guidance by these unqualified teachers poses also immediate danger on an individual level. For example, the practice of particular Pranayamas (yogic breathing exercises) and particular Yogasanas were meant only for a Vedic student with a particular capacity, during a particular phase of his study and practiced only under the Guru’s observation. They are spiritual experiments at the highest level! The traditional Gurus knew how to handle the situation if something went wrong in the practice of their disciple. Similar it is the case with Meditations, Yogasanas and Ayurveda, which have become today without any regard booming commercial businesses. As mankind is suffering more and more physical and psychological abuse by the reckless modern developments, leading to an ever increasing unhealthy body and mind, these holistic Vedic sciences have become very popular. In today’s world, it is apparently wise to submit yourself to this supreme wisdom, but at the same time it should be very important to have a mature teacher (Acharya) or Guru, who has the authority to guide you within your personal limits with all Do's and Don’ts, correctly. As per my studies, there are only four Peethams (Authorities) of the four Vedas, each Peetham attributed to one Veda. Their highest authority is revered as Shree Jagadguru Shankaracharya. They are from an unbroken lineage of Shree Adi Shankaracharya, since 2500 years (since 507 BC, five hundred years before the Christ – please disregard Wikipedia and other texts for incorrect information about the historical dates). This lineage of Gurus and personally instructed disciples actually started even long before Shree Adi Shankaracharya, but since the past 2500 years the chronology of all Shankaracharyas is documented in their Peethams. Shree - The meaning of the word "Shree" in the Vedic language is probably, the ultimate source of the energy which drives the Existence." But as I mentioned before, Vedic words and writings are all encrypted, scientific, and their exact and actual meanings can only be learned from an authorized Guru, who himself has learned it from his Guru. So this will apply to the next two explanations of the titles, as well. Jagadguru - Is the highest Authority in the world for the Vedic scriptures, but also the highest worldly authority, even above the ruling king. Shankaracharya - An Acharya in the revered unbroken lineage of Shree Adi Shankaracharya, is equal to Shree Adi Shankaracharya himself. (Adi stands for first or beginning) The post of Shree Jagadguru Shankaracharya Maharaj is the highest in the world, may be not everybody knows this, but certainly for people who understand the values of the Vedas. Currently, there are three Shree Shankaracharyas, though there are four Peethas or Peethams (also called as Math or Mutt which means monastery) in four cardinal directions of India: Peethas/Mathas Location Founder Present Peethadhishwar Peethadhishwar Acharya anointed Shankaracharya by Shree Adi Shankaracharya 1 Govardhan East Shree Swami Peetham Puri, Odisha Padmapadacharya Shree for Rigveda (Padmapada) Nischalananda Saraswati 2 Sringeri Sharada South Shree Swami Shree Peetham for Sringeri, Sureshwaracharya Bharati Tirtha Yajurveda Karnataka (Sureshwara) Mahaswami 3 Dwarka West Shree Swami Shree for Samaveda Dwarka, Hastamalakacharya Swaroopananda Gujarat (Hastamalaka) Saraswati 4 Jyotirmath North Shree Swami Shree Peetham Jyotirmath, Totakacharya Swaroopananda for Atharvaveda Badrikashram, (Totaka) Saraswati Uttarakhand Relevant : Peethadhishwar = Peetha (the seat or throne, the seat of highest authority) + Adhi (first and highest/authority) + Ishwar (Lord) Maharaj = The king of kings / the Ruler of the Rulers. Traditionally, “Shree” is pronounced before the names and titles. “Govardhan” = “Gau गौ” (Bos Indicus) + “Vardhan” means thriving, flourishing, prospering. Shree Adi Shankaracharya is also referred as “Shree Adi Shankara.” …………………………….. It is of highest importance to adhere to the disciplines of the authentic Vedic teachings, if one wants to benefit from them and avoid harm or harmful results. People like the Hippies and their unwise “Wegweiser,” who had reduced the ancient Vedic wisdom to mere sex and drugs, degraded the encrypted supreme Mantra “Hare Krishna” to the lowest rung possible. Such acts are certainly shameful and perhaps only the experts can assess the damage caused by this. Originally, these young people from the West may have been interested in the Indian philosophy, but they fell quickly into the hands of wrong Wegweiser, wrong gurus. As said earlier, the short-sighted, majority of Indians have no more