I was just listening to the East Coast talks. In the third one (9/11/04 pm), a devotee brings out some very powerful discussion of regard for guru. I have to get back to grading papers, but I intend to listen to this one again and seek some discussion among the members who have heard the talk and/or read the Bg. 4.34 commentary that inspired the question.
Another tidbit from this talk I'd like to discuss when I have a chance: "Bhajan is about longing to love Krishna in a particular way. So longing is the higher side of prayer."
This corresponds nicely with a couple of things I heard from Srila Prabhupada. Somewhere I heard him say, "Bhajan means service in separation." And my old friend Upendra, who spent much time personally attending Srila Prabhupada, told me that one night, after giving Srila Prabhupada his massage while they listened to a tape of Srila Prabhupada singing bhajans, Prabhupada asked him what he thought of the song. Upendra replied, "I hear a deep loning in your voice."
Srila Prabhupada said, "Yes, all our songs are longing."
More later, I hope.
Here's the quotation from the commentary to Bg. 4.34 the questioner asked about. I've read this several times, including when I was helping to edit it, but its significance didn't strike me until this morning:
Identification with a particular guru is the recognition of a specific direction valid for oneself in spiritual life. This identification involves glimpsing one's own spritual potential.The practitioner's own heart free from the clutter of material desire appears before him in the form of sri guru.
I welcome any discussion of this wonderful insight among the members here. Although I was swamped with so many duties today, my mind kept coming back to this. I'd like us to tease it out as fully as we can.
I really liked image of Srimat Bhagavatam completely highlighted with yellow marker -- changing perception of the Sri Guru, message which is changing with your spiritual advancement, fluidity, dance, same but not same. Simply beautiful!