GURU [THE MASTER]

Guru
The guru is Brahma, the guru is Vishnu, the guru is deva Maheshvara. Clearly the guru is the supreme Brahman, to that Shri Guru hail - traditional tantrik coupletBecause the guru gives mantra to a disciple and because she or he embodies the spirit and life of that mantra in an unbroken lineage to the Rishi who first perceived it, she or he is held in the utmost regard in the tantrik tradition. According to the 13th chapter of the influential Kularnava Tantra, there is no difference between devata, mantra and guru. "Devata in truth is the same as mantra; mantra in truth is the same as the guru. The fruit of the worship of the devata, mantra and guru is the same." (Ram Kumar Rai translation). Liberation cannot be obtained by reading the Vedas or studying the shastras (sacred texts), the same Kaula tantra says. Only knowledge (jnana) gives liberation and that depends on the grace of the guru, who is one with Shiva and Shakti. "If the guru first mentally awakens the pupil and then reveals to him this high knowledge of Kula, then both enjoy direct companionship of Yogini and Vira and even cross this worldly ocean effortlessly." (Kularnava Tantra, II. 39-40). But a Kaula guru may behave in a different way from a disciple or the ordinary world expects, because she or he is liberated. "One may be like a child, a madman, a king, or like one in a swoon, independent minded, like a lord hero, like a Gandharva, or like a naked person, a tridandin or like one who sells Veda for cash. Effulgent One, the way to be is to act howsoever one wills, knowing both Akula and Devi's Kula." (Kaula Jnana Nirnaya, XII. 3-6.)


This tradition of the "crazy" guru is embedded deep in the lore of the tantriks and the Nathas and has its value in shaking the conditioning of someone who aspires to be a Kaula, the tradition avers. For similar reasons, some elements of the tantrik tradition in India, such as worship in cremation grounds, the consumption of pig flesh and some sexual practices, were intended to rattle orthodox tendencies in tantrik pupils. (For a full exploration of this topic, see Holy Madness by Georg Feuerstein, Arkana 1992). While orthodoxy appeared to regard women as inferior to men, the Kaulas took a different approach. Initiation from a female guru is held in the highest esteem, as she is Shakti on earth. The female guru is Ananda Bhairavi and the male guru Ananda Bhairava, together in sexual union, drinking the intoxicating wine of consciousness which is bliss (ananda) itself. Below, we find a meditation (dhyana) and an armour (kavacha) devoted to the Stri or female guru, ascribed to the Brahmayamala. The armour in the first translation is made up from the vidya (mantra) of the female guru. After this is a short hymn (stotra) to the male guru from the Matrikabheda tantra, in which his identification with Shiva is plain. The bija or root mantra of the guru, is Hskphrem

Seeking a Teacher in Tantra Path

In seeking a teacher or a Tantra path, how does one proceed? How does one know a "good" teacher?It is said that you don't find the guru.Devi herself sets the meeting of a Guru and Sisya, for the Guru is Devi reincarnate in the physical form..Things do not happen just for the hack out of it. But the most important thing that we should have is this desire to be guided, and it must come from within. From this inner desire, listen by DEVI herself and she will choose a suitable "guru" for you. There are people who think that they do not need a guru, least they forget that their mother is the first guru. Book knowledge is good, but book will remain a book. Book too is a form of "guru" and is very sacred, but you can never compare bookish knowledge with experience.Swami Rama (the founder of the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy and of the Himalayan Institute Hospital trust and Medical College, India) remarked in one of his lectures: A time will come when the seeker goes through a period of argumentation with herself/himself and cannot decide. At this time a real preceptor is needed. How will you find the right master? No one can search for a preceptor. There is a saying in the Scriptures:" When the disciple is prepared, the master appears." This happens only because of samskaras. Teachers and student samskaras are very ancient and strong. To the intense devotee, the Divine Mother Herself acts as the great Guru and guides him if sincerely prayed for."If you are a devotee of the Mother, can you set limits on how she can help her children?someetimes we receive her help through a living teacher, who may be man or woman, eastern or western, well known or not. Sometimes we receive help through a teacher who is no longer incarnate. Sometimes we find guidance in written lore, sometimes in own dreams, visions and reflections