On the Variations of Guruji’s Teachings (Audio)

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One of the major challenges that many practitioners run into, when they take on Guruji’s teachings, is the existence of many variations of the same teaching, idea or practice. For instance, in the practice of ṣaṭcakra japa one may find number of different ways to position the cakras in the body (i.e. symmetrical, centred and mixed). By going through his teachings on yantra pujas one may notice different variations of the same mantra or different sequence of steps. This can be quite challenging for a person who is looking for consistency and logic to be present in his writings.

All of this stems from Guruji’s unique free spirited nature, his intellectual curiosity and the incessant drive for experimentation which can be seen in many facets of his life.

Physics: Guruji thoroughly enjoyed pure physics and fondly remembered the free experimentation environment at TIFR early on in his career. “‘The motivation came from inside, and once it came there was no stopping us,’ Guruji said. ‘We were at it from 6 o’clock in the morning until 12 o’clock midnight, and then coming back for more.’ His direct supervisor Professor B.V. Thoson was… a staunch advocate of complete intellectual freedom for his scientists. Without it, he believed, they would devolve into mere wage-earners doing their bosses’ bidding. He wanted his scientists to break boundaries, not submit to them.”

Food: Guruji was a major foodie. "He possessed no natural culinary talent but loved experimenting in the kitchen, trying to discover new flavors by “combining the most bizarre ingredients”—while often forgetting the most common ones, such as salt. “Dad would constantly pester us to sample his latest creations,” [his daughter] Radha laughed. 'Needless to say, we were less than enthusiastic to do so!' At one point he was researching and experimenting with the art of baking pakodas rather than frying them."

Social Projects: "One project that particularly captures the breadth of Guruji’s intellectual curiosity—as well as his willingness to experiment with real-world techniques and get his hands dirty applying them—was his design and construction of 'low-cost, fire-retardant geodesic dome houses for pilgrims and other visitors at Devipuram,' with the underlying goal of demonstrating the viability of such designs in rural India.'"

Sri Vidya: "Guruji took radical attempts to popularize Sri Vidya and conservative practitioners continually questioned the legitimacy of his efforts. They complained that his lack of secrecy, his openness to other traditions, and his free mixing of eclectic influences (from nuclear physics to Reiki) created an ungainly, unholy hybrid that was no longer truly Sri Vidya at all. Indeed, Guruji’s open-minded ease with hybridization often surprised even Western seekers—many of whom had, after all, sought him out precisely because he was an acknowledged guru in an ancient, authentic Hindu lineage, and his teachings carried a corresponding authority. But Guruji was not interested in preserving some abstract conception of “purity” for its own sake—his criteria for any practice always focused primarily on the question of what worked and why. In an effort to popularise Sri Vidya and bring it to the masses, he constantly looked to distill and simplify rituals. He went through numerous versions of a simplified Sri Chakra puja ritual (i.e. Triveni Kalpam) before eventually coming to one called Kalavahana, which itself had number of different variations.

sources: "Goddess and the Guru"

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Guruji on the various versions of his teachings:

The audio was extracted from this video of Guruji teaching a Śrī Vidyā class.

Transcription:

I must remind you that 50 years ago I was 50 years younger, and 30 years ago I was 30 years younger, and 10 years ago I was 10 years younger, and today I’m 80 years old. I’m growing, I’m evolving, I’m changing. My understanding 50 years ago was different from my understanding 30 years ago, and different from the understanding I had 10 years ago, and is different from the understanding I have today.

So when some disciple asked me a question 50 years ago I would have given him an answer. That answer would have changed when asked 30 years ago and would have changed again when asked 10 years ago. So there are different versions of answers. The Guru has a right to be inconsistent. Amongst all the fundamental rights, the Guru reserves right to change his version based on his understanding and current understanding level. So we won’t have to fight about different versions. Every version is right, no matter what version you use, stick to that one version. There are small deviations here and there, small difference in interpretation. Don’t worry about difference, stick to one damn thing whatever it is - and that’s right.

If you have picture here and some portion is dark here, and some portion is red here, and some portion is white. Dark is right here, red is right here, white is right there. So they can be different. Because dark is not the same thing as red and not the same thing as white - they are not in conflict. This one is right, that one is right, and that one is also right. Even though they may appear to contradict each other. Their purpose, the intent, the experience they deliver is the same. So don’t worry about small differences.

I have number of teachers here, who have been trained at different times and they have different versions. I request all teachers to stand up. I request all people who are acting as teachers, demonstrators please stand up. Everyone who’s teaching here please stand up. Or anyone who has interest in teaching - stand up. Now find a chair near you and please stand up. Amongst these different teachers you pick your teacher. The number of volunteers, number of students here, whom you are comfortable, whom you like, the one who you are attracted to, you pick that one and stick to that one; do not change your teacher. Don’t change your book, don’t change your teacher. Stick to that.

The teachers may fight, let them fight, but we don’t fight. And I think the first time you are learning by watching this video, it may or may not correspond with the version that you got, and the version that you are using may be different from the one given. So you are getting confused whether what is there in the book is same thing that was there in that and what the teacher is saying. The teacher says one thing, the book says one thing and the procedures that are being followed are one thing. So there’s a confusion in our minds.

So I suggest, as one of my Guru’s has told me, that you [4:16 indiscernible] takes place first, one person does the actual puja, at that time you don’t do the puja, just observe the person doing the puja. And you have the grace to choose your teacher. The teacher doesn’t have the choice to his disciples, but you have the choice to choose your teacher. If you are Spanish speaking person I suggest you choose Ximena [4:47 indiscernible] depended upon whom you think represents the truth and being closest to Guru is the latest version. And after they do the [indiscernible] you try to follow that, try do it yourself. Don’t try doing the first time.