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We have seen that self-realization means achievement of right faith, right, knowledge and right conduct, collectively called ratnatraya . For achieving ratnatraya, most important requirement is the association, and grace of a pious teacher. If an aspirant is fortunate enough to have such teacher he has to totally surrender to him and obey his dictates for achieving self-realization. Let us now discuss the nature and importance of a pious teacher on the path of selfrealization.
5. Pious Teacher ( Sadguru )
We have already discussed the concept of an ideal teacher in the preceding chapter. Keeping in view the significance and the importance of the subject and the special importance attached to it by Śrīmad, we discuss here in detail the various aspects of an ideal teacher
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• Śrîmad in his poem “Mūlamārga' has defined right knowledge, faith and conduct in a very brief and apt manner. The three together constitute the pathway to liberation. In stanza 6 of the poem while defining right knowledge he has said that right knowledge is to know, with the help of the preachings of a pious teacher, that
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