Lesson 10     Guru Vapu and Väëé-sevä

Aim

To help students:

  • appreciate the importance of both guru vapuh and vani-seva, and their inter-relationship
  • avoid neglect of either, especially vani
  • appropriately serve the guru’s vapuh and vani

To nurture students’ skills and attitudes for behaving appropriately in the presence of the guru.

Objectives

By the end of the lesson students should be able to:

  • Explain, in their own words, the aspects of vapuh and vani in regard to guru-seva.
  • Identify methods of guru vapuh and vani-seva.
  • Discuss the respective importance of guru vapuh and vani-seva.
  • Discuss the importance of guru vapuh and vani-seva in the case of departure of the guru.
  • List examples of disciples who perfected their spiritual lives through guru-vani-seva
  • Demonstrate appropriate behavior for a disciple associating with the guru:
    • according to one’s position in ashrama and one’s gender.
    • in the presence of both one’s diksha and shiksha gurus.
    • in the presence of the guru’s godbrothers/godsisters.
    • in the presence of the guru’s family members, if the guru is in the grihastha-ashrama.
  • Demonstrate appropriate behavior for inquiring from the guru.
  • Differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate issues on which to seek advice
  • Discuss the importance of behaving appropriately in the presence of the guru.
  • Give appropriate reference to the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, the broader Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.