(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 31 March 2012, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.26)
The etymological meaning of the word ‘guru’ is heavy. So is it, that there is some personality sitting on the vyasasana who is a heavy dude, ‘Okay guys, get your act together! With all this sense gratification, you are just attached to material things! When are you going to get serious in Krsna consciousness?’
Is that the meaning of a guru being heavy? Well, sometimes maybe but not necessarily. The meaning of guru being heavy is that the guru is ultimately so heavy that you cannot move him from his position, since he stays fixed at the lotus feet of Krsna! I mean, others are light; so light that sometimes they get shaken on the path if you give them a little push, like a boat which has been put out of its course by the wind…
But, the spiritual master is heavy and he is there, at the feet of Krsna. As time goes by, he has not changed since he is still there; still serving Krsna; still talking about Krsna; still chanting Hare Krsna and so many things have happened:
Disciple, ‘I mean, oh Lord, I didn’t see you for a long time. So many things have happened!’
Guru, ‘And in the course of that, what about Krsna?’
Disciple, ‘Yeah, I’m still into that but things have changed a bit.’
But for the spiritual master, nothing has changed, nothing! It is just the same and it is a great relief to know that there is someone who is still just doing it! There is someone who is still a devotee, and is still chanting Hare Krsna; someone who just did not change and that we find shelter at his lotus feet. It is not about, ‘Is he the greatest intellectual on the planet? Can he quote more verses than anybody else? Can he explain the most complicated philosophy? Does he know the most stories?’
I guess with this, it speaks for itself – this is all kindergarten. That is all I will say about it. We are not taking these things too seriously. And it is also not about the external, ‘My guru is skinny and your guru is fat.’
These things do not matter since it is mentioned that one should not judge the spiritual master by his external appearance. One should see that he is firmly fixed onto the lotus feet of Krsna. Therefore by connecting with him, we will also be fixed because he is always there. Anytime we connect to him then we are also automatically connecting to the lotus feet of Krsna!
