Guru Shishya Parampara
Why a Guru/ Teacher/ Coach?
Sa Esa Purvesaam Aapi
Guru Kaalena Anavaccedaat
Patanjali and Shankara explain that an aspirant of yoga should look for a teacher whose learning and teachings are from an unbroken lineage of thousands of years.
These teachings and traditions come from those who are fully enlightened, known as yogis, rishis, sadhus, mahats, munis, prophets, or messengers such as Saptarshi Vasista, Nava Brahma Sanat Kumara, and recent masters such as the Prophet and Jesus.
A guru imparts a great depth of knowledge to the pupil, in the same way a senior surgeon trains a junior surgeon, a senior engineer trains a new recruit or a master sculptor trains an apprentice. The only way to learn new technology developed through scientific understanding is by direct experience with a teacher’s guidance and teaching.
This is the great science of yoga.
Who is called a Guru/ Coach?
Dharmo rakshatha rakshithaha
The more one understands science, the more one may develop technologies. Absolute realization is the complete truth experienced by yogis who have a complete understanding of science or Sanatana Dharma, the eternal science of observation called Darshana.
Yoga Darshana is the technology that leads to self-realization, the ultimate objective of all science.
Yoga is purely a technology or Tantra, of this human machine or Yantra to reach the destiny of eternal happiness. Shankara says a teacher who realizes the ultimate is the only one to be called a Guru.
GururBrahma, GururVishnu: A guru is one who realizes the entire field of impermanence and has gone beyond to experience permanence or singularity.
Patanjali qualifies a Guru in his words:
Klesa Karma Vipaka Asayaih Aparmrstah Purusavisesah Isvarah
A guru is the Eswara who has dissolved his entire karma, without enjoying the fruits of his labor does nothing for fame, serves without ambition, is selfless in service to others, is free from perception, has realized absolute purity and is fully enlightened. He would never run a corporate institution for profit in the name of yoga.
Every student must understand the above criteria for choosing a guru; that the teacher knows the technique of Athma or Brahma Vidya, also called Siddhantha Vicharana, Viveka Kyathi Jnana, Pragnya, discriminatory knowledge or wisdom, which is the only path to salvation or full liberation.
Should a student come across such a yogi, guru or coach, they should never leave such a teacher until the final goal of becoming a yogi is achieved.
But even when a student finds such a teacher, accepting the student as a disciple follows a standard criterion that must be fulfilled for acceptance.
What is the criteria that a student needs to qualify?
That is called Sadhana Chatushtaya. A student has to fulfill a four-fold criteria to be accepted by such a teacher. A student’s duty is to understand the teachings without commenting on the teacher or the teachings.
1. Nitya, Anitya Vicharana
A student needs a scientific temperament to understand that existence is impermanent and constantly changing, so clinging to anything will not bring permanent happiness; the absolute can only be achieved by leaving behind impermanence.
Darkness and light cannot exist together, when we understand they are not separate but are one it is called Advaita or singularity. Dwaita is two separate entities or duality. All elementary particles have duality, only when we are ready to become an observer does duality vanish and singularity sets in.
2. Iha Vairagya and Para Vairagya
Krishna says to Arjuna:
Abhaseyatu kaunteya, Vairagyena cha Grihyate:
Hey Arjuna! The only way to make your Athma reach its home is ‘Practice to Detach’.
Patanjali tells us:
Tatra stitau Yatnaubhyasa:
That stage of Nirodha Samapathi, Chitta Vritthi Nirodhaha will come only with practice.
Abhyasa Vairagyabhyam Thannirodaha:
The entire Sadhana or Practice is only to detach. That is the only way to decondition the mind.
A student who thinks he already knows need not go to the teacher. A student should go with an empty mind to accept the teachings the way they are. A student should not question the ways or practice of the enlightened ones. A student should not cling to their own views, perceptions or thinking because they are based in Viparya, delusion.
As Patanjali says:
Mithya jnanam matadrupam pratishtayam, Viparyayam:
A student should be open minded and not looking for any particular benefit or experience, but for a higher goal because every small goal will be achieved in the process. They should not cling to sense door pleasures which are the root cause of unhappiness, weakness and disease.
Living should become quality-based rather than perception, taste or choice based. Paravairagya is the most important criteria for spiritual progress, meaning that one should not cling to or look for any Samadhi or Siddhi experiences, and even if they come must renounce them with absolute vairagya. Unless one detaches from the world of experience of higher-level conscious states, Sabija Samadhis, Nirbija Samadhi or Singularity will never be realized.
Dr. Vrushakapi’s teacher, the great Krishnamacharya always said that the yoga aspirant should practice detachment and leave behind all experience of physical, physiological, psychological and super conscious states in order to progress. A student should leave behind all their choices in order to become choiceless and to accept the moment without question.
3. Shadguna
A student should acquire six qualities to progress in his yoga practice.
a. Damamu - Avoid getting distracted
b. Shamamu - Ability to focus
c. Uprathi - Ability to concentrate
d. Titiksha - Ability to not react
e. Shraddha -Total surrender, self-motivation, devotion, interest.
f. Samadhana - Gratitude, what begins to end successfully, humility, egoless, selfless.
4. Mumukshtwam
Burning desire to become enlightened, to realize Allah, The Holy Spirit or Paramatma, perseverance in spiritual progress.
Why there is Dukkha?
-Because of some cause.
What is the cause?
-Some impurity (Chitta Vritthi).
Why impurity?
-Due to lack of quality inputs.
Why lack of quality?
-Not knowing standards (Pramana).
Why Pramana is not known?
-Due to delusion (Viparya).
Why Delusion?
-Due to Illusion (Vikalpa).
Why Illusion?
-Sleeping or conditioned living (Nidra)
Why conditioned?
-Bad and unscientific living practices (Acharas) at home coupled with bad culture (Smrithi).
How to break it?
-Knowing the standards of yoga is the only way that living becomes scientific. When one’s inputs are of the correct scientific standard, it results in living also becoming scientific with standards:
The absolute science behind one’s food (ahara)
Exercise
(vihara)
Habits of mind and body
(vyavahara)
Vehaviour or attitude (vichara)
Culture
(acharas)
Destiny
(grahachara)
Guru Shishya Parampara (GSP)
Now one can understand who a Guru is, and who a student, Shishya. When they meet, the lineage begins. The tradition of learning science and practising technology continues.
For thousands of years, scientific living has been practiced in India to ensure that every individual remains healthy and happy. This is called Ved, Vidya or wisdom.
What is Purvashrama Sampradaya?
3000 years ago, the only known university in the world at that time was called Takshashila. 1500 years ago, it was renamed Nalanda. The Vice Chancellor of Nalanda, Acharya Nagarjuna, who saved the university from financial difficulties did so by studying the alchemy of metal conversion to gold by means of secret technology, maintaining an unbroken lineage in the tradition of teachings, still available today in their entirety in Tibet. Profound yoga spiritual techniques and practices are still preserved today by Tibetan Lamas.
Having the opportunity to learn directly from original gurus of the Purvashrama Sampradaya allows you to learn authentic yoga compared to learning from their disciples and/or novice teachers. Original gurus have years of practicing the deeper aspects of yoga and are able to teach yoga in its original form without modification or omission.
Find your Guru, Dr. Vrushakapi from the unbroken lineages.
