GURU

== Who is a Guru, The need of a Guru, Qualities of a Sadguru ==

Who Is A Guru ?

गुकारश्चान्धकारो हि रुकारस्तेज उच्यते।
अज्ञानग्रासकं ब्रह्म गुरुरित्यभिधीयते॥
[स्कन्दपुरण गुरुगीता 1.32]

‘Gu’ stands for darkness and ‘Ru’ stands for light. That Brahman (Truth) which dispells the darkness of ignorance is known as ‘Guru’.

Therefore one who removes darkness of our ignorance is a Guru. The Guru is none other than Satchidananda. God Himself is the Guru. If a man in the form of a guru awakens spiritual consciousness in you, then know for certain that it is God the Absolute who has assumed that human form for your sake. The Guru is like a companion who leads you by the hand. After the realization of God, one loses the distinction between the Guru and the disciple.The relationship between them remains as long as the disciple does not see God.

It is Satchidananda that comes to us in the form of the Guru. Man can learn only from man, and hence God teaches through a human body. In your Guru, you have your human ideal of perfection. He is the pattern into which you wish to mould yourself. Your mind will readily be convinced that such a great soul, is fit to be worshipped and revered.

If a man is initiated by a human Guru, he will not achieve anything if he regards his Guru as a mere man. The Guru should be regarded as the direct manifestation of God. When the disciple has the vision of the Ishta, through the guru’s grace, he finds the Guru merging in Him.

Acharya Sri Adi Shankara echoes a similar injunction:

"If a person, despite possessing: a handsome, disease-free body, fame, a mountain of wealth, and even if he has studied the Vedas and all other scriptures, and has himself composed many scriptures , but has not surrendered himself at the feet of a Guru, then he has achieved nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing."

To see the Guru is to see God. The Guru is united with God. He inspires devotion in others. His presence purifies all. The Guru is verily a link between the individual and the immortal. He is a being who has raised himself from this into That, and thus has free and unhampered access into both the realms. He stands, as it were, upon the threshold of immortality; and, bending down he raises the struggling individuals with his one hand, and with the other lifts them up into the realm of everlasting joy and infinite Truth-Consciousness.

The Guru is both external and internal. From the exterior he gives a push to the mind to turn it inwards. From the interior he pulls the mind towards the Self and helps in the quietening of the mind. That is Guru’s grace. There is no difference between God, Guru and the Self.

‘Iswaro Gururatmeti’- Iswara, Guru and Self are identical. So long as the sense of duality persists in you, you seek a Guru, thinking that he is different from you. However, he teaches you the truth and you gain the insight.

You are not the body, nor is the Guru. You are the Self and so is the Guru. This knowledge is gained by what you call Self-realisation.

The Need Of A Guru :

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत ।
क्षुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥
[कठ उपनिषद् – 1.3.14]

"Arise, awake, and learn by approaching the exalted ones, for that path is sharp as a razor’s edge, impassable, and hard to go by, say the wise. "

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया।
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्वदर्शिनः॥
[ भगवद्गीता 4.34]

" Know That by prostration, questioning, and service. The wise, who have realised the Truth, will instruct you in (that) Knowledge. "

From The MAHABHARAT :
Santi Parva, Section CCCXXVII
Translated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Addressing Suka, Janaka said:

" Without the aid of an understanding cleansed by study of the scriptures and without that true conception of all things which is known by the name of Vijnana, the attainment of Emancipation is impossible. That cleansed understanding, again, it is said, is unattainable without one’s connection with a preceptor. The preceptor is the helmsman, and knowledge is the boat (aided by whom and which one succeeds in crossing the ocean of the world). After having acquired that boat, one becomes crowned with success. "

दुर्लभं त्रयमेवैतत् देवानुग्रहहेतुकम्।
मनुष्यत्त्वं मुमुक्षत्त्वं महापुरुषसंश्रयः॥
[ विवेकचूडामणि ३]

" There are three things that are very difficult to obtain and they are only possible with the special grace of the Lord - human birth, yearning for liberation and the company of Men of Wisdom."

For a beginner in the spiritual path, a Guru is necessary. To light a candle, you need a burning candle. Even an illumined soul alone can enlighten another soul.

There are eight fetters. Shame, hatred, fear, caste, lineage, good conduct, grief, and secretiveness – these are the eight fetters. And they cannot be unfastened without the help of a Guru.

The scriptures are like a forest. There are passages which may seem to appear apparently contradictory. There are passages which have esoteric meanings, diverse significance, and hidden explanations. There are cross-references. You are in need of a Guru or Preceptor who will explain to you the right meaning, who will remove doubts and ambiguities, who will place before you the essence of the teachings.

A Guru is absolutely necessary for every aspirant in the spiritual path. It is only the Guru who will find out your defects. The nature of egoism is such that you will not be able to find out your own defects. Just as a man cannot see his back, so also he cannot see his own errors. He must live under a Guru for the eradication of his evil qualities and defects.

Cases of those who had attained perfection without study under any Guru should not be cited as authority against the necessity of a Guru; for, such great men are the anomalies of spiritual life, and not the common normality. They come into existence as spiritual masters as a result of the intense service, study, and meditation practised in previous births. They had already studied under the Guru. The present birth is only its continuative spiritual effect. Hence, the importance of the Guru is not lessened thereby.

Svetaketu learnt the nature of Truth from Uddalaka, Maitreyi from Yajnavalkya, Bhrigu from Varuna, Narada from Sanatkumara, Nachiketas from Yama, Indra from Prajapati; and several others humbly went to wise ones, observed strict Brahmacharya, practised rigorous discipline, and learnt Brahma-Vidya (the science of God) from them. Lord Krishna sat at the feet of His Guru Sandeepani. Lord Ram had Guru Vasishtha who gave Him Upadesha (spiritual advice). Lord Jesus sought John to be baptised by him on the banks of the river Jordan. Even Devas (celestial beings) have Brihaspati as their Guru. Even the greatest among the divine beings sat at the feet of Guru Dakshinamurti.

The Qualities Of A Sadguru :

" TEERATH NAHAYE EK PHAL, SANT MILE PHAL CHAR (Dharma, Artha, Kaam, Moksha). SADGURU MILE ANEK PHAL, KAHAT KABIR VICHAR. "

............ Sant Kabir

Only if the guru himself has attained Perfect Knowledge can he show they way to others. To be a Guru, one must have a command from God. Mere study of books cannot make one a Guru.

One who has studied the Vedas, and who has direct knowledge of the Atman (Self) through Anubhava (experience), can alone be enrolled as a Guru. A Jivanmukta or liberated sage is the real Guru or spiritual preceptor. He is the Sadguru. He is identical with Brahman or the Supreme Self. He is a Knower of Brahman.

Steady abidance in the Self, looking at all with an equal eye, unshakable courage at all times, in all places and circumstances are the characteristics of a Sadguru. He should be endowed with tranquillity, patience, forgiveness and other virtues; he should be capable of attracting others even with his eyes just as a magnet attracts iron; he should have a feeling of equality towards all. He who has these virtues is the true Guru

A Sadguru is endowed with countless Siddhis (psychic powers). He possesses all divine Aisvarya (powers), all the wealth of the Lord.

Possession of Siddhis, however, is not the test to declare the greatness of a sage or to prove that he has attained Self-realisation. Sadgurus generally do not exhibit any miracle or Siddhi. Sometimes, however, they may do so in order to convince the aspirants of the existence of superphysical things, give them encouragement, and instill faith in their hearts.

परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायान्नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन। तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम्॥
[मुण्डक उपनिषद् 1.2.12]

" Let a student, after he has examined the worlds gained by Karma, acquire freedom from all desires, reflecting that nothing that is eternal can be gained by Karma. Let him, in order to obtain the knowldege of the Eternal, take sacrificial fuel (samit) in his hands and approach that Guru alone who is well-versed in the Vedas and is established in Brahman. "

The teacher should not be an ‘anya’, or an ‘other’, but must be an ‘ananya’, a ‘non-other’. An ‘ananya’, is one who is ‘not different from that which he teaches’. Knowledge becomes valuable when it becomes ‘ananya’ with one’s own life. Knowledge becomes meaningful when it is lived, and not merely taught, or heard, or read about.

So, this knowledge can be imparted only by one who is established in a practical knowledge of Truth, one who is a Brahmanishtha. A Guru is supposed to be a shrotriya and a Brahmanishtha. A shrotriya is one who has a thorough insight into the meaning of the scriptures and has the capacity to express it in the best form of language. A Brahmanishtha is one who is established in the knowledge of Truth. It is said that the Guru should be both a Brahmanishtha and a Shrotriya for a practical reason. A Brahmanishtha is one who is in union with God, but one who is in such union may not always be in a position to teach, because of his transcendence of all means of communicating knowledge.

He is above normal body-consciousness, above the empirical means of expression. And a mere shrotriya is like a pundit or scholar. Unless he is a Brahmanishtha, he will not carry conviction when he teaches.

Guru – Accepts the disciple’s karma :

A Guru who awakens spiritual consciousness of his disciple, has to accept the burden of their sins too.

One must see the Guru in all living beings. It is the same with God. You must look upon all objects as God’s rupa (form).

He need not be in a human form. Dattatreya had twenty-four Gurus including the five elements- earth, water, etc. Every object in this world was his Guru.

"Om Shanti Shanti Shanti