Continuing our quest to identify a genuine Saint or Guru<https://www.deardevotees.com/How to Recognise a Genuine Guru, we previously discussed how a true Saint would never bestow material wealth and refrains from interfering in one’s destiny. Let's explore additional indicators:
Refrains from Performing Miracles: A Saint has the power to perform miracles but refrains from doing so. Some of the spiritual powers or siddhis exercises produce many supernatural effects, but a true Saint refrains from putting on a show. The greatest miracle a true Saint performs is inspiring love for God in one's heart.
Radiates Divine Love: Associating with a true Saint increases one’s love for God and decreases worldly attachments. The radiance of divine love is a hallmark of a genuine Guru.
Fidelity to Scriptural Teachings: A true Saint doesn’t introduce new concepts about the form of God or devotion. They follow the teachings of past Saints and scriptures, introducing the same name and form of God to their disciples, and explain the original devotional truth of the Vedic scriptures.
Powerful Words: The words of a true Saint leave a profound impact on listeners, for they are divine in nature, dispelling doubts that a lifetime of study couldn't clear.
Consistent Devotion: A true Saint doesn’t initiate disciples with multiple names and forms of God. They embody the divine experience of a particular form of God and teach devotion to that form alone.
Exemplary Humility: A genuine Saint exhibits humility, a feature of the Divine, never displaying pride in their behavior.
Flexible Order of Life: A true Saint can be renounced or a family person with children, showing no preference for a particular order of life.
External Expressions of Divine Love: A Saint’s heart is always filled with God’s bliss, sometimes overflowing into ecstatic expressions during the chanting of the Divine name. There are eight manifestations as described in the scriptures–becoming stunned, profuse perspiration, horripilation, faltering of the voice, trembling of the body, changing of bodily color or turning pale, shedding tears of love, and state of devastation resulting in unconsciousness.
Lord Krishna describes these ecstatic states in the Bhagavatam: "My devotee (the realized Guru) sings My glories in a voice choked with loving emotion. His heart melts due to extreme love for Me and flows out in the form of tears. Sometimes he laughs, thinking Me to be near him; other times, thinking Me to be far, he cries uncontrollably. Sometimes he sings loudly and sometimes dances to please Me. Such a devotee purifies the entire world."
A Saint exhibiting these symptoms should be approached with reverence and faith. Spending time in their association will reveal their genuine nature through these divine expressions and the other practical experiences discussed, guiding the aspirant to identify a true Saint.
However, the question remains: with our limited and uncertain life, busy schedules, worldly responsibilities, and entanglements, where and how can we find such a saint? Is there any other reliable and quicker way to find them? Absolutely. Stay tuned for more insights!
Suggested Reads:
Radha Govind Geet Mahapurusha The Saint: https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/radha-govind-geet-mahapurusha-the-saint-english
The Philosophy of Divine Love–English: https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/prem-ras-siddhant-1
Guru Tattva-Hindi: https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/guru-tattva
Continuing our quest to identify a genuine Saint or Guru<https://www.deardevotees.com/How to Recognise a Genuine Guru, we previously discussed how a true Saint would never bestow material wealth and refrains from interfering in one’s destiny. Let's explore additional indicators:
Refrains from Performing Miracles: A Saint has the power to perform miracles but refrains from doing so. Some of the spiritual powers or siddhis exercises produce many supernatural effects, but a true Saint refrains from putting on a show. The greatest miracle a true Saint performs is inspiring love for God in one's heart.
Radiates Divine Love: Associating with a true Saint increases one’s love for God and decreases worldly attachments. The radiance of divine love is a hallmark of a genuine Guru.
Fidelity to Scriptural Teachings: A true Saint doesn’t introduce new concepts about the form of God or devotion. They follow the teachings of past Saints and scriptures, introducing the same name and form of God to their disciples, and explain the original devotional truth of the Vedic scriptures.
Powerful Words: The words of a true Saint leave a profound impact on listeners, for they are divine in nature, dispelling doubts that a lifetime of study couldn't clear.
Consistent Devotion: A true Saint doesn’t initiate disciples with multiple names and forms of God. They embody the divine experience of a particular form of God and teach devotion to that form alone.
Exemplary Humility: A genuine Saint exhibits humility, a feature of the Divine, never displaying pride in their behavior.
Flexible Order of Life: A true Saint can be renounced or a family person with children, showing no preference for a particular order of life.
External Expressions of Divine Love: A Saint’s heart is always filled with God’s bliss, sometimes overflowing into ecstatic expressions during the chanting of the Divine name. There are eight manifestations as described in the scriptures–becoming stunned, profuse perspiration, horripilation, faltering of the voice, trembling of the body, changing of bodily color or turning pale, shedding tears of love, and state of devastation resulting in unconsciousness.
Lord Krishna describes these ecstatic states in the Bhagavatam: "My devotee (the realized Guru) sings My glories in a voice choked with loving emotion. His heart melts due to extreme love for Me and flows out in the form of tears. Sometimes he laughs, thinking Me to be near him; other times, thinking Me to be far, he cries uncontrollably. Sometimes he sings loudly and sometimes dances to please Me. Such a devotee purifies the entire world."
A Saint exhibiting these symptoms should be approached with reverence and faith. Spending time in their association will reveal their genuine nature through these divine expressions and the other practical experiences discussed, guiding the aspirant to identify a true Saint.
However, the question remains: with our limited and uncertain life, busy schedules, worldly responsibilities, and entanglements, where and how can we find such a saint? Is there any other reliable and quicker way to find them? Absolutely. Stay tuned for more insights!
Suggested Reads:
Radha Govind Geet Mahapurusha The Saint: https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/radha-govind-geet-mahapurusha-the-saint-english
The Philosophy of Divine Love–English: https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/prem-ras-siddhant-1
Guru Tattva-Hindi: https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/guru-tattva
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