Synopsis
The dynamic between a wise and compassionate preceptor and a committed student is the human foundation for many of the world's great spiritual traditions. The Guru & Disciple Book examines the traditional identity, character, roles and methods of the spiritual teacher and student in the classical and contemporary world. In forty-five accessible chapters, the author describes the nature of spiritual relationships and the spiritual community created by them, together with the occasional struggles that can occur, through history and in modern times. There are detailed sections on the definition of guru , a word first found in India's ancient Sanskrit scriptures , the Vedas , and subsequent chapters explore the traditional guidance, pastoral care and counselling techniques of these spiritual masters. The book examines the transplantation of the guru-disciple tradition from India to firstly America and Europe, and then throughout the world. That transplantation, the author argues, has produced both spiritual enlightenment and scandal as westerners adopted, struggled with, and adapted tradition for their contemporary setting. Later chapters explore the origins and mixed fortunes of the order of orange-wearing monks the sannyasis or swamis - which came to embody the principle of guru in post-mediaeval India. The book is written by an English convert to India s spiritual tradition of bhakti, the devotional culture at the heart of Vaishnavism, best known in modern times through the colourful members of the Hare Krishna movement, formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON. That movement is approaching its 50th anniversary in 2016, and the author a member for 40 of those 50 years - reflects on the successes and occasional failures of the continuation of the guru-disciple culture started by its founder, Srila A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Yet the book remains positive about the benefits of having a spiritual teacher, and concludes with several chapters that make up a step-by-step guide to personal introspection, finding and carefully testing a guru, practising spiritual life, and the nature of the guru-disciple relationship. "This is a very helpful and beautiful book. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any spiritual seeker, to anyone who offers spiritual guidance as a service to others, and especially to those spiritual seekers and guides who are treading the path of Krishna consciousness"
About the Author
Kripamoya Das is a senior teacher, author, and spiritual leader within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), with nearly five decades of dedicated service to the global Hare Krishna movement.
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