Guru Purnima: A Reflection Of An Enduring Bond Of Knowledge, Wisdom And Trust

Think about any great act or mastery in your life taught by parents, teacher, guide or guru, that you did with confidence. Why did you need their guidance and instruction to carry out that great task? Did you ever feel the need for a guru who could transcend you from the worldly confusions to the enlightened state?The metaphysical kinship between guru and shishya is like the bond of a cowherd with cattle for guidance, protection and responsibility. A cowherd leads the cattle to safe pastures, guards it from predators and dangers, and cares for every cow, buffalo and calf, especially the weak and those that have strayed off cowherd’s watch. In return, the herds trust, do not go astray from the direction for its survival, and well-being. This relationship symbolizes selfless service and unwavering compassionate commitment of a caretaker.Guru’s job is to remove darkness as the meaning of the word ‘Gu’ darkness and ‘Ru’ remover depicts. Guru nurtures noble thoughts, provides conducive and protective covering, conditions, and environment for existence without having to struggle much by the shishya. But the shishya has to flourish on his own inner urge, through the fountainhead of his everlasting graceful consciousness.The conundrum, however, is, how a guru is chosen and how a shishya is chosen by the guru? It is not a question of selecting or choosing. Instead, the process is closer to leaning towards whose energy and teachings resonate with seeker’s heart. Likewise, the guru chooses his shishya by seeker’s natural penchant driven by his own inner urge, and whose own readiness has been instinctively recognized by the guru.“The true Guru is recognized not by blind faith but seeker’s intense spiritual yearning. When the soul is ready, it instinctively knows it has found the truth,” says Swami Vivekananda . When young Narendra first visited Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar temple, Ramakrishna told him he had been searching for him for a very long time. On asking whether he could prove the existence of God, Ramakrishna gently touched him. Instantly, Narendra experienced the physical world dissolving as he was drawn into the spiritual state of Samadhi.The Guru –shishya are united by an indissoluble kinship of consciousness, where knowledge becomes lineage, wisdom becomes inheritance and trust becomes an act of surrender. This relationship is entrenched in diksha, shiksha, gurudakshina and gurugotra. In paramapara, not only immediate guru is revered, the three preceding gurus are also worshiped. They are: Guru, who is immediate; Parama-guru who is a founding guru of the specific parampara, e.g., for Sankaracharyas is Adi Sankara; Paratpara-guru is he who is the source of knowledge for sampradaya (tradition), e.g. for the Sankaracharya’s this is Vedavyasa; Paramesthi-guru is the highest guru, who has the power to bestow moksa, e.g. for the Sankaracharya’s this is usually depicted as Lord Shiva being the highest Guru.The guru is followed for consolation, inspiration, transformation, enlightenment, and self-realisation. Likewise, seeker is one who seeks from guru wisdom, understanding, character, realisation, liberation, self-discovery, inner awakening and truth.The morning prayer drawn from the Guru Gita of Skanda Purana, chanted by every devotee: Dhyana mulam, guru murtiḥ; puja mulam guroḥ padam; mantra mulam guru vakyam; moksha mulam, guru kirpa.Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnh, Guru saksat Mahesvarah; Guru eva jagat sarvam, tasmai sri gurave namaḥ — meditation has its foundation in the Guru's form; worship has its foundation at the Guru's feet; the Guru's words are the source of all sacred mantras; the Guru's grace is the source of liberation, moksha. The Guru is Brahma, the creator; the Guru is Vishnu, the Preserver; the Guru is indeed Maheshwara (Shiva), the destroyer and transformer; the Guru is verily the entire universe. To that revered Guru, i offer my humble salutations.A guru is one who inspires, whose presence elevates and absence connects to the Supreme. The true guru is the Lord who lives in everyone’s heart and who talks through his messenger, prophet or spiritual master. Scriptures say the only one guru is He, who is manifest in many forms. The Lord alone is the guru for all everywhere and at all times.Authored by: Vijay Hashia( Guru Purnima is observed on July 29)