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A guru ( ) is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a certain area, and who uses these abilities to guide others. In Sanskrit Gu, darkness/denseness/obscuration, and Ru, light/lightness/radiance; literally a preceptor who facilitates a shift in consciousness. It also means "teacher" or "guide" in the religious sense, and is commonly used in Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism as well as in some new religious movements.
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Quotations
Rely on the teachings to evaluate a guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism.
:The Dalai Lama speaking of the importance of the guru.
I have been saying for many years that we are using the word guru only because charlatan is too long to fit into a headline.
Peter Drucker, (quoted in D James, "Peter Drucker, the man who changed the world", Business Review Weekly, 15 September 1997, p.49)
Category:Belief
Encyclopedia
A guru ( ) is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a certain area, and who uses these abilities to guide others. In Sanskrit Gu, darkness/denseness/obscuration, and Ru, light/lightness/radiance; literally a preceptor who facilitates a shift in consciousness. It also means "teacher" or "guide" in the religious sense, and is commonly used in Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism as well as in some new religious movements. The nearest word in English for guru is "great". In Sanskrit Guruttar and Garishth are similar to greater and greatest. The gravity force is known as Gurutwa.
In the eastern traditions, mothers are held to be the primordial guru of each human being, and human gestation is considered a highly relevant phase of spiritual learning and adept potential. Thus, the mothers of any saints, mahatmas, or yogins are revered and even meditated upon. The guru is seen as a conduit for sacred wisdom and guidance, and finding a true guru is often held to be a prerequisite for attaining self-realization. The gurudev is the concept of one's highest consciousness as an inner teacher or intuition within the student.
The dialogue between guru and student is a fundamental component of Hinduism, established in the oral traditions of the Upanishads (c. 2000 BC). In the Upanishads, the guru-disciple relationship appears in many settings. Sometimes the sages are female, and sometimes the instruction is sought by kings. Examples include the relationship between Krishna and Arjuna in the Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita), and between Rama and Hanuman in the Ramayana.
In contemporary India, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, the word "guru" is widely used with the general meaning of "teacher", including by schoolchildren. In Western usage, the meaning of guru has been extended to cover anyone who acquires followers, though not necessarily in an established school of philosophy or religion. In a further Western metaphorical extension, guru is used to refer to a person who has authority because of his or her perceived secular knowledge or skills.
The guru-shishya tradition
The guru-shishya tradition is the transmission of teachings from a guru (teacher, ) to a '' (student, ). In this relationship, subtle and advanced knowledge is conveyed and received through the student's respect, commitment, devotion and obedience. The student eventually masters the knowledge that the guru embodies, creating an exponential increase of wisdom on the earthly plane. In the Vedas, the brahmavidya or knowledge of Brahman is communicated from guru to shishya through the spoken word.
Classification of gurus
According to the Deval Smriti there can be eleven kinds of gurus and according to Nama Chintamani there are ten types.
In his book about neo-Hindu movements in the Netherlands, Kranenborg distinguishes four types of gurus in India:
- the spiritual advisor for higher caste Hindus who also performs traditional rituals and who is not connected to a temple (thus not a priest);
- the enlightened master who derives his authority from his experience, such as achieving enlightenment. This type appears in bhakti movements and in tantra and asks for unquestioning obedience, and can have Western followers. Westerners can even become one, as have, for example Andrew Cohen, and Isaac Shapiro.
- the avatar, a guru who considers himself to be an incarnation of God, God-like, or an instrument of God, or who is considered as such by others.
- A "guru" in the form of a book i.e. the Guru Granth Sahib in the Sikh religion.
Etymology
Guru is composed of the syllables 'gu' and 'ru', the former signifying 'darkness' or 'denseness', and the latter signifying 'the destroyer of that [darkness/denseness]', hence a guru is one characterized as someone who dispels spiritual ignorance with spiritual illumination -as per Advaya-Tăraka Upanishad (verse 16),
The word , a noun, means "teacher" or Spiritual Master in Sanskrit and in other languages derived from Sanskrit.
As a noun the word means the imparter of knowledge (jnana) . As an adjective, it means "heavy," or "weighty," in the sense of "heavy with knowledge," "heavy with spiritual wisdom," "heavy with spiritual weight," "heavy with the good qualities of scriptures and realization," or "heavy with a wealth of knowledge." The word has it roots in the Sanskrit gri ("to invoke", or "to praise"), and may have a connection to the word gur, meaning "to raise, "to lift up", or "to make an effort." Barnhart's "Dictionary of Etymology" compares gravis (Latin: grave, weighty, serious) as cognate with the Sanskrit "guru."
The removal of the darkness of ignorance in the heart is indicated by the word "guru'" (Note: Guru Gita is a spiritual text in the Markandeya Purana, in the form of a dialog between Siva and Parvati on the nature of the guru and the guru/disciple relationship.) [...] the meanings of gu and ru can also be traced to the Panini-sutras gu samvarane and ru himsane, indicating concealment and its annulment. In some texts it is described that the syllables gu and ru stand for darkness and light, respectively.
Reender Kranenborg disagrees, stating that darkness and light have nothing to do with the word guru. He describes this as a "peoples' etymology."If we look at the phenomenon of gurus in India guru then we can see that there at least four forms of guruship can be distinguished. The first form is that of the 'spiritual adviser'. Before we will elaborate on this, first something about the etymology. The word guru comes from Sanskrit and is written as 'guru' en means 'being heavy', 'being weighty', especially metaphorically. In that way, the concept of guru gets the meaning of 'big', 'great', or 'important' and somewhat further it also gets aspects of 'respectable' and 'honorable'. Soon it is applied to the 'spiritual adviser'. In various popular literature, in India herself too, the word 'guru' is explained in the parts 'gu' and 'ru', as descriptions for light and darkness: the guru is then the person who bring the student from the material darkness into the spiritual light. A guru may indeed do that, but it has nothing to do with the meaning of the word, it is people's etymology."
Another etymology of the word "guru" found in the Guru Gita, includes gu as "beyond the qualities" and ru as "devoid of form", stating that "S/He who bestows that nature which transcend the qualities is said to be guru". The meanings of "gu" and "ru" can also be traced to the Sutras indicating concealment and its annulment.
In Western Esotericism and the Science of Religion, Pierre Riffard makes a distinction between "occult" and "scientific" etymologies, citing as an example of the former the etymology of "guru" in which the derivation is presented as gu ("darkness") and ru ("to push away"); the latter he exemplifies by "guru" with the meaning of "heavy".
"Guru" also refers in Sanskrit to Brihaspati, a Hindu divine figure. In Vedic astrology, Guru or Brihaspati is believed to exert teaching influences. Indeed, in many Indian languages such as Hindi, the occidental Thursday is called either Brihaspativaar or Guruvaar (vaar meaning day of the week).
Guru in Sikhism
The title Guru (Gurmukhi: ????) is fundamental to Sikhism. Indeed, the Sikhs have carried the word to an even greater abstraction, while retaining the original usage, and use it to relate to an understanding or knowledge imparted through any medium. The core beliefs of Sikhism are of belief in one God and in the teachings of the Ten Gurus, enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. For Sikhs, the Gurus were not in the Christian sense "Sons of God". Sikhism states that everyone is the child of God and by deduction, God is the parent.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first guru of Sikhism, was opposed to the caste system prevalent in India during his time, and he accepted Hindus, Muslims and people from other religions as disciples. His followers referred to him as the "Guru" (teacher). Before his death, he designated a new Guru to be his successor and to lead the Sikh community. This procedure was continued, and the tenth and last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (AD 1666–1708) initiated the Sikh ceremony in AD 1699. In addition to the ten human Gurus of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, was made the eleventh perpetual guru of the Sikhs. Together they constitute the Eleven Gurus of Sikhism. At present, Sikh children are sometimes named Guru.
The guru in Hinduism
The importance of finding a guru who can impart transcendental knowledge (vidya) is emphasised in Hinduism. One of the main Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita, is a dialogue between God in the form of Krishna and his friend Arjuna, a Kshatriya prince who accepts Krishna as his guru on the battlefield, prior to a large battle. Not only does this dialogue outline many of the ideals of Hinduism, but their relationship is considered an ideal one of Guru-Shishya. In the Gita, Krishna speaks to Arjuna of the importance of finding a guru:
In the sentence mentioned above, guru is used more or less interchangeably with satguru (literally: true teacher) and satpurusha. Compare also Swami. The disciple of a guru is called a si?ya or chela. Often a guru lives in an ashram or in a gurukula (the guru's household), together with his disciples. The lineage of a guru, spread by disciples who carry on the guru's message, is known as the guru parampara, or disciplic succession.
Some Hindu denominations like BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha hold that a personal relationship with a living guru, revered as the embodiment of God, is essential in reaching nirvana. The guru is the one who guides his or her disciple to become jivanmukta, the liberated soul able to achieve salvation in his or her lifetime.
The role of the guru continues in the original sense of the word in such Hindu traditions as the Vedanta, yoga, tantra and bhakti schools. Indeed, it is now a standard part of Hinduism that a guru is one's spiritual guide on earth. In some more mystical traditions it is believed that the guru could awaken dormant spiritual knowledge within the pupil. The act of doing this is known as shaktipat.
In Hinduism, the guru is considered a respected person with saintly qualities who enlightens the mind of his or her disciple, an educator from whom one receives the initiatory mantra, and one who instructs in rituals and religious ceremonies. The Vishnu Smriti and Manu Smriti regard the teacher and the mother and father as the most venerable influences on an individual.
See also the list of Hindu gurus.
In Indian culture, a person without a guru or a teacher (acharya) was once looked down on as an orphan or unfortunate one. The word anatha in Sanskrit means "the one without a teacher." An acharya is the giver of gyan (knowledge) in the form of shiksha (instruction). A guru also gives diksha initiation which is the spiritual awakening of the disciple by the grace of the guru. Diksha is also considered to be the procedure of bestowing the divine powers of a guru upon the disciple, through which the disciple progresses continuously along the path to divinity.
Guru in Buddhism
Guru (sanskrit) has the same meaning as Lama (tibetan) what both means Spiritual Guide (or Spiritual Teacher).
Using these expressions refers completely to language and not to a geographical region or spiritual kind of practice. These words therefore (correctly) are used in all religions all over the world.
It is not the person who calls him-(or her-)self Guru, or Lama, or Spiritual Guide; who however relies upon the instructions of such a Spiritual Teacher regards this person as a Guru.
In Buddhism, the Spiritual Guide is a valued and honoured mentor worthy of great respect and is a source of inspiration on the path to Enlightenment, however the teacher is not generally considered to be a Guru but rather a Spiritual Friend or Kalya?a-mittata.
The Guru is seen as the Buddha, the very root of spiritual realization and the basis of the path. Without the Spiritual Teacher, it is asserted, there can be no experience or insight. In Root Texts, great emphasis is placed upon praising the virtues of the Guru. Blessed by the Guru, whom the disciple regards as a Bodhisattva, or the embodiment of Buddha, the disciple can continue on the way to experiencing the true nature of reality (emptyness; the lack of inherent existence of all phaenomena).
The Dalai Lama, speaking of the importance of the Guru, said: "Rely on the teachings to evaluate a Guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism." He also observed that the term 'living Buddha' is a translation of the Chinese words huo fuo. In Tibetan, he said, the operative word is lama which means 'guru'. A guru is someone who is not necessarily a Buddha, but is heavy with knowledge.
Succession and lineage (parampara)
The word parampara (Sanskrit ???????) denotes a long succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture. The Hinduism Dictionary defines parampara is "the line of spiritual gurus in authentic succession of initiation; the chain of mystical power and authorized continuity, passed from guru to guru." In Sanskrit, the word literally means: Uninterrupted series of succession.
The Guru (teacher) Shishya (disciple) parampara or guru parampara, occurs where the knowledge (in any field) is passed down undiluted through the succeeding generations. It is the traditional, residential form of education, where the Shishya remains and learns with his Guru as a family member. The domains may include spiritual, artistic (kala ??? such as music or dance) or educational.
David C. Lane, a professor of sociology, and, since 2005, an ex-member and critic of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, argued in 1997 that based on his research of the Radha Soami movement that few gurus have a flawless and well-documented lineage, and that there is quite often conflict between different disciples claiming to be the only legitimate successor of their guru.
Gurus in the West
As an alternative to established religions, some people in Europe and the USA who were not of Indian extraction have looked up to spiritual guides and gurus from India, seeking them to provide them answers to the meaning of life, and to achieve a more direct experience free from intellectualism and philosophy. Gurus from many denominations traveled to Western Europe and the USA and established followings. One of the first to do so was Swami Vivekananda who addressed the World Parliament of Religions assembled in Chicago, Illinois in 1893.
In particular during the 1960s and 1970s many gurus acquired groups of young followers in Western Europe and the USA. According to the American sociologist David G. Bromley this was partially due to the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act (United States) in 1965 which permitted Asian gurus entrance to the USA. According to the Dutch Indologist Albertina Nugteren, the repeal was only one of several factors and a minor one compared with the two most important causes for the surge of all things 'Eastern': the post-war cross-cultural mobility and the general dissatisfaction with established Western values. According to the professor in sociology Stephen A. Kent at the University of Alberta and Kranenborg (1974), one of the reasons why in 1970s young people including hippies turned to gurus was because they found that drugs had opened for them the existence of the transcendental or because they wanted to get high without drugs. According to Kent, another reason why this happened so often in the USA then, was because some anti-Vietnam war protesters and political activists became worn out or disillusioned of the possibilities to change society through political means, and as an alternative turned to religious means. Some gurus and the groups they lead attracted opposition. One example of such group was the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON) founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966, many of whose followers voluntarily accepted the demandingly ascetic lifestyle of bhakti yoga on a full-time basis, in stark contrast to much of the popular culture of the time. "Devotees don't have such an easy time. They who choose to live in the temples – now a very small minority -chant the Hare Krishna mantra 1,728 time a day. […] Those living in an ashram – far fewer than in the 1970s – have to get up at 4am for worship. All members have to give up meat, fish and eggs; alcohol, tobacco, drugs, tea and coffee; gambling, sports, games and novels; and sex except for procreation with marriage […] It's a demanding lifestyle. Outsiders may wonder why people join."
List of gurus in the West
Gurus who established a sizeable discipleship or who are/were spiritual leaders of notable organizations in Western countries include:
lama (Tibetan Buddhist religious teacher)Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai LamaVen. Geshe KELSANG Gyatso Rinpoche The Spiritual Guide for worldwide Modern Kadampa Buddhism.Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo the first western woman to be recognized and enthroned as a tulku in Tibetan BuddhismJiddu Krishnamurti groomed to be a world spiritual teacher by the Theosophical Society Adyar but publicly renounced this role in 1929Maharishi Mahesh Yogi brought his message to the West in 1959, and lived his later years in Voldrop, HollandMeher Baba who travelled to the west numerous times in the 1930s and 1950's and had many western followersMuktanandaParamahansa Yogananda settled in the USA and wrote the book Autobiography of a YogiA.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (the 'Hare Krishnas') in New York in 1965, an organization following the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, though notedly declared ISKCON a non-Hindu organization.Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja, Acarya of Pure Bhakti, an organization based on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Gaudiya VaishnavismPrem Rawat was known as Guru Maharaj Ji until he dropped the title "guru" from his name in 1980.Anandmurti Gurumaa conducts meditation retreats in India, USA, UK, Canada, Turkey & Australia.Bhagwan/Osho/Rajneesh settled temporarily in the USASathya Sai Baba never went to Europe or the USA but acquired a substantial number of followers thereSadhguru Jaggi Vasudev founder of Isha Foundation and the Isha Yoga Centre has a strong volunteer force in India, US and LebanonSant Sri Asaramji Bapu founder of Sri Yog Vedanta Sewa Samithi.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar founder of the Art of Living Foundation.Sri AurobindoParamahamsa Sri Nithyananda has a temporary ashram in Los Angeles, California and many followers outside of India as well.Ruchira Adi Da Samraj Born in the US founded the new Tradition of Adidam, based on Guru Devotee RelationshipMuhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was a revered Sufi saint from the island of Sri Lanka who shared his knowledge and experience with people of every race and religion and from all parts of the world.Shree Maa founder of Devi Mandir in USA with followers in US, Europe and India. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi founder of Sahaja Yoga, lived in the United Kingdom for many years.Rudrabhayananda founder of Soul Searchers and the Atma Sadhana Kendra Reginald Ray, vajracarya of Dharmaocean, senior student of Chögyam Trungpa Yogiraj Sri Swami Satchidananda Invited to the West in 1966 by artist Peter Max. Coaxed to stay on, founded Yogaville and Integral Yoga International with senior disciples in solid worldwide network. U Thant Peace Award, B'nai B'rith Antidefamation League's award, and many more championing interfaith and world peace. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of the Kauai Aadheenam and of the Hinduism Today Magazine.
Viewpoints
Gurus and the Guru-shishya tradition have been criticized and assessed in the West by secular scholars, theologians, anti-cultists and skeptics.
The Guru Papers, authors Diana Alstadt and Joel Kramer reject the guru-disciple tradition because of what they see as its structural defects. These defects include the authoritarian control of the guru over the disciple, which is in their view increased by the guru's encouragement of surrender to him. Alstadt and Kramer assert that gurus are likely to be hypocrites because, in order to attract and maintain followers, gurus must present themselves as purer than and superior to ordinary people and other gurus.
- Rob Preece, a psychotherapist and a practicing Buddhist, writes in
The Noble Imperfection that while the teacher/disciple relationship can be an invaluable and fruitful experience, the process of relating to spiritual teachers also has its hazards. He writes that these potential hazards are the result of naiveté amongst Westerners as to the nature of the guru/devotee relationship, as well as a consequence of a lack of understanding on the part of Eastern teachers as to the nature of Western psychology. Preece introduces the notion of transference to explain the manner in which the guru/disciple relationship develops from a more Western psychological perspective. He writes: "In its simplest sense transference occurs when unconsciously a person endows another with an attribute that actually is projected from within themselves." In developing this concept, Preece writes that, when we transfer an inner quality onto another person, we may be giving that person a power over us as a consequence of the projection, carrying the potential for great insight and inspiration, but also the potential for great danger: "In giving this power over to someone else they have a certain hold and influence over us it is hard to resist, while we become enthralled or spellbound by the power of the archetype".
- The psychiatrist Alexander Deutsch performed a long-term observation of a small cult, called
The Family (not to be confused with The Family/Children of God), founded by an American guru called Baba or Jeff in New York in 1972, who showed increasingly schizophrenic behavior. Deutsch observed that this man's mostly Jewish followers interpreted the guru's pathological mood swings as expressions of different Hindu deities and interpreted his behavior as holy madness, and his cruel deeds as punishments that they had earned. After the guru dissolved the cult in 1976, his mental condition was confirmed by Jeff's retrospective accounts to an author.
- Jan van der Lans (1933-2002), a professor of the psychology of religion at the Catholic University of Nijmegen, wrote, in a book commissioned by the Netherlands based Catholic Study Center for Mental Health, about followers of gurus and the potential dangers that exist when personal contact between the guru and the disciple is absent, such as an increased chance of idealization of the guru by the student (myth making and deification), and an increase of the chance of false mysticism. He further argues that the deification of a guru is a traditional element of Eastern spirituality, but, when detached from the Eastern cultural element and copied by Westerners, the distinction between the person who is the guru and that which he symbolizes is often lost, resulting in the relationship between the guru and disciple degenerating into a boundless, uncritical personality cult.
- According to the journalist Sacha Kester, in a 2003 article in the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, finding a guru is a precarious matter, pointing to the many holy men in India and the case of Sathya Sai Baba whom Kester considers a swindler. In this article he also quotes the book
Karma Cola describing that in this book a German economist tells author Gita Mehta, "It is my opinion that quality control has to be introduced for gurus. Many of my friends have become crazy in India". She describes a comment by Suranya Chakraverti who said that some Westerners do not believe in spirituality and ridicule a true guru. Other westerners, Chakraverti said, on the other hand believe in spirituality but tend to put faith in a guru who is a swindler.
According to Kranenborg (1984), Jesus fits the Hindu definition and characteristics of a guru.
Notable scandals and controversies
Some notable scandals and controversies regarding gurus or the groups that they founded are:
- The lifestyle of Osho/Bhagwan/Rajneesh with his 93 Rolls Royces at his disposal (though as a gift from his followers), a bioterrorist attack at The Dalles, Oregon by some of his followers, the group's successful effort to take control of the city of Antelope, Oregon, his unusual teachings that contradicted both traditional morality and Hindu norms, the group therapy sessions with little restraints, and the liberal sexual freedom that he promoted.
- Accusations of sexual abuse and false miracles performed by Sathya Sai Baba that resulted in a front page article in the magazine India Today, questions in the British parliament and European parliament, critical TV documentaries produced by the BBC and Danish Radio that were aired in the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark and Australia.
- The Karmapa controversy in which the recognition of the 17th Karmapa of Tibetan Buddhism is contested by candidates having been proposed by different authorities, and there is deep division among followers all over the world, with each side accusing the other of lying and wrongdoing.
See also
Further reading
- Arjun Dev, Guru, Guru Granth Sahib, Amritsar-1604 AD., Rag Bhairo
- Aurobindo, Sri, The Foundation of Indian Culture, Pondicherry, 1959
- Brown, Mick The Spiritual Tourist Bloomsbury publishing, 1998 ISBN 1-58234-034-X
- van der Braak, André (2003). Enlightenment Blues: My Years with an American Guru. Monkfish Book Publishing. ISBN 0-9726357-1-8
- - 2003 ISBN 1-877059-50-1 *Gupta, Dr. Hari Ram. A Life-Sketch of Guru Nanak in Guru Nanak, His Life, Time and Teachings, Edited by Gurmukh Nihal Singh, New Delhi, 1981
- Thomas Forsthoefel and Cynthia Ann Humes, Eds. Gurus in America. Albany, New York: SUNY Press, 2005
- Gurdev Singh, Justice, Perspectives on the Sikh Tradition. Patiala-1986
- Holtje, D. (1995). . Temecula, CA: MasterPath, Inc. ISBN 1-885949-00-6
- Isliwari Prasad, Dr. The Mughal Empire, Allahabad-1974
- Jain, Nirmal Kumar, Sikh Religion and Philosophy. New Delhi- 1979
- Kapur Singh, Parasarprasna or The Baisakhi of Guru Gobind Singh (An Exposition of Sikhism), Jalandhar-1959
- Kovoor, Abraham Dr. Begone Godmen published by Shri Aswin J. Shah Jaico Publishing House, Bombay - 1976
- Majumdar, Dr R.C., The History and Culture of the Indian People, Vol. VI, Bombay-1960
- Mangalwadi, Vishal World of Gurus by India's Vikas Publishing ISBN 0-940895-03-X (1977)
- Mcleod W.H. (ed.). The B40 Janam Sakhi, Guru Nank Dev University, Amritsar, 1980
- Mehta, Gita Karma Cola: Marketing the Mystic East Simon and Schuster, New York, NY, first published in 1979 ISBN 0-679-75433-4
- Sister Nivedita, The Master as I Saw Him, Kolkata: Udbodhan Office, 1993.
- Olsen, G. (1999). MasterPath: The Divine Science of Light and Sound, (Vol. 1). Temecula, CA: MasterPath, Inc. ISBN 1-885949-01-4
- Padoux, André The Tantric Guru, in: Tantra in Practice, Ed by David Gordon White, MLBD, New Delhi
- Singh, K. (1999). . Blaine, WA: Ruhani Satsang Books. ISBN 0-942735-94-3
- Singh, Jaideva, (Ed.), Ďiva Sútras, The Yoga of Supreme Identity, MLBD, Delhi, 1979
- Swami Tejasananda, A Short Life of Vivekananda, Kolkata: Advaita Ashram Publication, 1999.
- Swami Satyananda, Devi Mandir, "Shree Maa:Guru and Goddess" (ISBN 1-887472-78-9 )
- Tarlo, Luna The Mother of God, SCB Distributors (1997) ISBN 1-57027-043-0
Video
- Understanding Hindu Traditions Educational Video Network, Inc. (2004)
- Origins of India- Hindu Civilization Educational Video Network, Inc. (2004)
- Meditation & the Thinking Machine Krishnamurti (2004)
- Short Cut To Nirvana (2004) directed by Maurizio Benazzo. Featuring encounters with some of India's most respected holy men and exclusive footage of the Dalai Lama.
- Dalai Lama on Life and Enlightenment (2004)]
- Guru Busters documentary directed and produced by Robert Eagle(1995)
- Mysterious Miracles, Aliens from Spaceship Earth, A Spiritual Odyssey, directed by Don Como (1977)
Film
Holy Man,
External links
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