Passing The Spiritual Baton Of A Realised Guru

Discourse: Swami Kriyananda
Some gurus leave behind a legacy of spiritual writings. Others establish organisations. In both cases, the legacy is more spiritual than philosophical or material: It is of their vibrations of consciousness. Even a stone that has been blessed by a spiritual master becomes infused with his spiritual vibrations.
To hold that stone with reverence and faith is to draw blessings from it. People of spiritual sensitivity understand that true scripture contains holy vibrations, not only ideas. When i told my guru that his autobiography had affected me deeply, he replied, "That is because it contains my vibrations".
While a book's vibra-tions may uplift, they cannot guide. For wise guidance, a wise guru is needed. My guru said to me, "No scripture can take the place of a true guru. If someone misunderstands a point, the scripture will be unable to correct his perception. The guru, on the other hand, can show him the way".
The same is true of any organisation the guru founded. Paramhansa Yogananda, speaking of his headquarters, remar-ked, "I have meditated everywhere on these grounds".
Indeed, any sensitive person can feel the moment he steps onto that pro-perty that its vibrations are sacred. Yet the same teaching applies to this property as to scripture: It may inspire, but it cannot guide. It cannot even teach.
Supposing everyone in that ashram were to fall from the guru's ideals. (Such things have been known to happen.) In this case, while the vibrations would still inspire, the place itself would have no more power than a museum with sacred relics.
A master's true legacy, then, cannot be a mere physical structure, as it cannot be limited to his writings. Such endowments are primarily vehicles for his consciousness that must be kept alive by living disciples.
Some gurus leave behind a legacy of spiritual writings. Others establish organisations. In both cases, the legacy is more spiritual than philosophical or material: It is of their vibrations of consciousness. Even a stone that has been blessed by a spiritual master becomes infused with his spiritual vibrations.
To hold that stone with reverence and faith is to draw blessings from it. People of spiritual sensitivity understand that true scripture contains holy vibrations, not only ideas. When i told my guru that his autobiography had affected me deeply, he replied, "That is because it contains my vibrations".
While a book's vibra-tions may uplift, they cannot guide. For wise guidance, a wise guru is needed. My guru said to me, "No scripture can take the place of a true guru. If someone misunderstands a point, the scripture will be unable to correct his perception. The guru, on the other hand, can show him the way".
The same is true of any organisation the guru founded. Paramhansa Yogananda, speaking of his headquarters, remar-ked, "I have meditated everywhere on these grounds".
Indeed, any sensitive person can feel the moment he steps onto that pro-perty that its vibrations are sacred. Yet the same teaching applies to this property as to scripture: It may inspire, but it cannot guide. It cannot even teach.
Supposing everyone in that ashram were to fall from the guru's ideals. (Such things have been known to happen.) In this case, while the vibrations would still inspire, the place itself would have no more power than a museum with sacred relics.
A master's true legacy, then, cannot be a mere physical structure, as it cannot be limited to his writings. Such endowments are primarily vehicles for his consciousness that must be kept alive by living disciples.