Who Are the Two Gurus?

Sometimes it is stated that we have two gurus. So who are these two gurus? This is very nicely described by Srila Prabhupada in a letter he wrote to Kancanbala devi dasi on 14 January 1968 from Los Angeles, in which he states:

"There are two gurus -- one internal and the other external. The internal Guru is Krishna Himself seated in everyone's heart, and the external Guru is the Spiritual Master. So a sincere devotee is helped both externally and internally. To the sincere devotee the internal Guru Krishna dictates, but the thing has to be conformed by the external Guru then it is all right. "

If we sincerely engage in Krishna consciousness under the guidance of these two gurus, our lives will be successful. We will go back to home, back to Godhead, back to our original identities in the spiritual world.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

Question: When Should I Seek a Guru?

Please accept my humble obeisances.

When is the right time to seek out a guru?

What does it mean to aspire for a certain guru?

How do we know who we should take shelter of when we feel we have more than one siksha (instructing) guru?

How important is external etiquette to bhakti? For example, the way we behave in temple, towards other, etc. and for women especially, things like tying up hair, dressing modestly and speaking softly, not mingling unnecessarily with males, etc.

What should I do when I sense doubt coming into my heart?

Thank you so much for your guidance,

S.

Answer: When You Are Serious About Krishna Consciousness

Here are your questions with answers:

Question: When is the right time to seek out a guru

Answer: When you are serious about becoming Krishna conscious.

Question: What does it mean to aspire for a certain guru?

Answer: It means when you are ready to accept a particular guru's instructions as your life and soul forever.

Question: How do we know who we should take shelter of when we feel we have more than one siksha (instructing) gurus?

Answer: You can have many siksha gurus who inspire you to surrender to Krishna. But out of them you must accept one guru whose instructions are absolute and final. In other words, you must accept one guru to whom you can fully surrender yourself.

Question: How important is external etiquette to bhakti? For example, the way we behave in temple, towards other, etc. and for women especially, things like tying up hair, dressing modestly and speaking softly, not mingling unnecessarily with males, etc.

Answer: External etiquette is a manifestation of your internal Krishna consciousness. It reflects your inner consciousness and reveals whether you are Krishna conscious or not. Men and women both are enjoined not to act in such a way as to sexually stimulate the opposite sex.

Question: What should I do when I sense doubt coming into my heart?

Answer: Write me.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari