19
votes
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What is the Guru Parampara of Kashmiri Shaivism?
In chapter 36 of Sri Tantraloka, Sri Abhinavagupta describes in detail how the Guru-Shishya Transmission took place:
1) Bhairava
2) Bhairavi Devi
3) Swachhanda Bhairava
4) Laakul
...
- 48k
16
votes
Accepted
Can I have more than one Guru?
Yes you can have.
See the following verse which i have used in this answer:
MadhuluvedhA yathA bhringah pushpAt pushAntaram vrajet | JyAna luvdha
stathA shishyah guro gurvantara vrajet ||
...
- 111k
12
votes
Accepted
Does God love us?
1- Yes, God loves.
The virtuous ones who worship me are of four kinds, the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth, and the man of knowledge, O Lord of the Bharatas. (BG 7.16)Of ...
- 15.6k
12
votes
Accepted
What is the date of Adi Shankara, 8th century AD or 400 BC?
Summary: Adi Shankaracharya belonged to the 5th century BC only and this has been corroborated by various authentic records. As discussed here, the person dated to the 8th century is Abhinava Shankara....
- 10.9k
11
votes
Where can I find a guru?
Who is a Guru?
Guru is the God come in human form to help you realize Him.
The Guru is God Himself manifesting in a personal form to guide the aspirant. Grace of God takes the form of the Guru. To ...
- 4,385
11
votes
Why did rAmAnuja abandon his first guru?
Ramanujacharya did not abandon his Guru Yadava Prakasha. Yadava Prakasha himself ordered to leave the school. So, he was following the command of his teacher.
Let's see what happened.
Hearing that his ...
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11
votes
Awakening of Kundalini is possible without mentor/guru?
Whether it is possible with asanas and related practices?
Yes it is technically possible. Some basic and advanced yogic methods can make Kundalini awakening or activation of chakra.
It can also ...
- 19.1k
10
votes
Awakening of Kundalini is possible without mentor/guru?
It is usually impossible to achieve any form of success in Yoga without the Guru.
Every bit of the practice has to be done under the guidance of the Guru only. See few verses from various chapters of ...
- 111k
10
votes
Accepted
Side effects of Initiation by a Guru?
Quoting the verse from this answer:
Mantridoshascha rAjAnam jAyAdoshah patim yathA |
TathA prApnotyasandeham shishyapApam gurum priye ||
Just like a king gets affected by the sins committed by his ...
- 111k
10
votes
Accepted
Can a Shudra/Mleccha become a Guru if he is self realised?
As Pradip sir mentioned, anyone who knows Spiritual truth can bestow Knowledge. Ramanujacharya accepted Kanchipurna a Sudra as Guru. Nammalvar another Sudra wrote Divya Prabandham which is known as ...
- 7,260
9
votes
Accepted
World is real even according to Advait Vedanta?
Prof. Dr. Chandradhar Sharma gives an excellent writing on this often confusing aspect of Advaita in his book The Advaita Tradition in Indian Philosophy: A Study in Buddhism, Vedanta and Kashmira ...
- 23.7k
9
votes
Can I have more than one Guru?
As per tantras, You can change until your purnadiksha (higher/highest initiation). I.e in the initial initiations it is allowed to change. But it is recommended to have a single guru. But today there ...
- 19.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Why reading Bhagvad Gita without Guru can be dangerous?
Many people here are aware of the fact that Sruti(the Vedas) should be learned and studied only under the guidance of a Guru.But the necessity of a Guru is not limited to Veda study only.
All the ...
- 111k
8
votes
Who are all the Gurus of Abhinavagupta and what Paramparas did they come from?
Durvasa Rishi created one mind-born daughter, whom he initiated completely in the monistic way. Known as the Ardhatryambaka school of the Bhairava Tantras, this teaching manifests itself secretly from ...
- 19.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Who did incarnate as AchArya Abhinavgupta?
Yes, He is considered to be an incarnation of Dakshinamurthy form of Lord Shiva.
The following verses are known as the dhyana shlokas, taken from Madhuraja’s ‘Gurunatha Paramarsha’...
“May the ...
- 15.6k
8
votes
Accepted
Who was the Guru of lord Krishna?
Lord Krishna's guru was Sāndīpani. It is said multiple times in the Bhagavatam. In Skandha 10 chapter 45, the activities Balarama and Krishna did were explained.
After getting the eligible age for ...
- 25.7k
8
votes
Accepted
Awakening of Kundalini is possible without mentor/guru?
Yes, Kundalini can be aroused without the help of Guru also.
Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda / Volume 1 / Raja Yoga / Chapter IV / The Psychic Prana:
The rousing of the Kundalini is the one ...
- 5,291
7
votes
Accepted
Who is the greatest personality for an individual?
Mother, Father, Teacher and Guest all should be given same respect. Because they play important role at different stages of our life. Taittiriya Upanishad, Chapter 11 convey the same.
मातृदेवो भव । पि...
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7
votes
Accepted
Who was Srividya upasaka Sri Bhuvanananda Natha?
He was a well known name in the upasana mandalis of Sri Vidya in the southern india. He was also the guru of Kanchi Paramacharya before his sanyasa.
Many people from his parampara has become well ...
- 19.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Can unenlightened person initiate people?
In the most ideal situation, a Guru himself should be self-realized. Because, the end-result of all forms of initiation (DikshA) is Mukti or liberation and one who himself is not self-realized can not ...
- 111k
7
votes
Can a saint who is not in physical plane be called a Guru?
NO. Not in the strict scriptural sense of the word Guru.
In both Vedic and Agamic Dharmas, a Guru has to be someone who is alive. I too have one friend who considers Adi Shankara as his Guru.
But ...
- 111k
7
votes
Accepted
Procedure to make God(s) our Guru
This page gives a reasonably easy to follow and a scriptural method by which one , who does not have a Guru Diksha but desperately in need of one, can make Lord Dakshinamurthy his/her Guru.
As ...
- 111k
7
votes
Accepted
Will he be considered as Guru on teaching spiritual/meditation practices?
Yes, one who teaches the spiritual disciples like- Yoga, Pranayama, meditation (which all have emerged from Parashiva) is also called a Guru.
The very 1st verse of Hatha Yoga Pradipika's 2nd chapter ...
- 111k
7
votes
Accepted
Who were the main disciples of Sri Lakulisha?
According to Linga Purana, Volume 1, Chapter 24, Translated by J.L.Shastri, there are four disciples having name as: Kusika, Garga, Mitra and Kaurusya. This chapter talks about the twenty eight ...
- 23.7k
7
votes
Is it allowed for a guru to wear western clothing?
I appolozize for my answer is going to be in little tough tone.
And even in religion, special field, there came the most horrible
degradations. What can you expect of a race which for hundreds of
...
- 7,260
7
votes
Regarding a shloka similar to a shloka in guru gita
As per some books that I have, the said Shloka is part of a Guru Stotram. This Stotram is originally from Viswasara Tantram. At present, this text is lost as a whole. Only some portions of it are ...
6
votes
Accepted
What is the story behind Lord Dattatreya giving spiritual guidance to Parshurama?
Parashurama is considered an incarnation of Vishnu and so is Dattatreya. If you mean spiritual guidance or salvation then you might have heard from Tripura Rahasya.
The Tripura Rahasya (त्रिपुरा ...
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6
votes
What is Dīkṣā (दीक्षा)?
I am answering only this part: What is Diksha? Definition of Diksha or initiation is described in Devi Bhagavata Purana, 12th Book, Chapter 7 as follows:
4-41. Nârâyana said :-- O Nârada! Listen. I ...
- 23.7k
6
votes
Accepted
What is Dīkṣā (दीक्षा)?
So can I initiate myself, if possible how?
NO.
See what Lord Shiva says on this:
VinA dikshAm na mokshah syAttaduktam shivashasane | SA cha na
syAdvinAchArjya mityAchArjyaparamparA ||
...
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