The Guru-shishya tradition, also called Guru-shishya parampara, is an ancestral way in India of passing on knowledge from teacher (Guru), to disciple (shishya). It forms an ideal environment for learning by creating a spiritual bond between both student and teacher. By vowing a boundless respect to his Guru, the shishya is accessing a very direct way of absorbing the knowledge passed onto him. It is believed to be the most effective way of learning.
The way of teaching in Gurukul is the most ancient teaching method of India, in which disciples get knowledge for every aspect of life. In this method, the disciple develops his spiritual, physical and social levels, spending many years of his life close to his Guru and deeply studying the science of Sound. This is a fully spiritual practice.
The pure reverence of the disciple towards his Guru is its real strength. This bond (between Guru and shishya) is like a deep meditation between two souls, which still remains after the destruction of the physical body. This is one of the reasons why the Guru’s status is believed to be even higher than God’s. The Guru is the source from where the disciple gets the knowledge needed to go beyond the physical world in many different ways.
This method is still alive in Indian Classical Music. Here we have described the Guru-shyshia tradition in respect of music/sound. This way of passing knowledge is also alive in other spiritual practices.