GURU PURNIMA 25-JULY-2010

saba QartI kagaja kao$

laoKna bana rayao

saat samaud` kI masa k$

gau$ gauna ilaK na jaayao

Sab Dharti Kagaz Karu, Lekhan Ban Raye.

Sath Samundra Ki Mas Karu Guru Gun Likha Na Jaye

“Even if the whole earth is transformed into paper with all the big trees made into pens and if the entire water in the seven oceans is transformed into writing ink, even then the glories

of the Guru cannot be written. So much is the greatness of the Guru.”

A&anaitimaranQasya &anaaMjana Xalaakyaa

caxau: ]ima-ilatma\ yaona tsmyaO EaI gau$vao nama:

Agyan timir-andhasya Gyananjan Shalakaya. Chakshur-oonmeelitam yena tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Agyan - Ignorance; timir – cataract; andhasya – blinded; Gyananjan – medicinal collieries; Shalakaya – collieries stick; Chakshur – (my) eyes; oonmilitam – opened; yena – by whom; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

My Salutations to that reverential teacher, who opened my eyes, by applying the divine collieries of self-knowledge in my eyes, which had got blinded by the cataract of ignorance.

About Guru Purnima

Today’s festival is called Guru Purnima It is a name full of meaning. Purnima means, the

effulgent full moon. Guru means (Gu- ignorance, Ru-destroyer) he, who removes the

darkness and delusion from the heart and illumines it with the higher wisdom.

• There is no guru other than the one divine as long as you consider yourself as a

disciple. But when you realize that you are the embodiment of the Atma, you become you

own Guru.

• What is real Guru Purnima day? Is it simply the full moon day in the month of

Aashaada (4th month in the Hindu calendar). This is the common view. But the great ones

have given other meanings to it. One meaning is that it was on this day Vyasa began

writing the Brahma Sutra. It was also on this day that the Buddha attained enlightenment

and taught his disciples, "All is sorrow All is transient; All is void". For these reasons, the

day is known as Guru Purnima. On this day, one should try to transform his heart making

it pure and sacred. The realisation of that wholeness is the real guru Purnima not the

offering of pada puja to some guru and obtaining a mantra from him. One should resolve

today to turn his thoughts to God; to strive for the purification of his heart and to seek self-

realisation.

• There is only one guru. He is God. That Guru is within you. You are seeking the guru

all over the world. Your qualities are in you in the form of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara

and can protect you, elevate you or ruin you. when you act righteously and pursue the right

path, they will protect you by their divine potency

• The real significance of Guru Purnima does not consist in worshipping the guru

(preceptor) with some offerings, but in getting rid of the darkness of ignorance. "Purnima"

refers to the full moon, but the full symbolises the mind filled with delight. There is a close

association between the mind and the moon. Guru Purnima signifies the elimination of all

darkness and evil from the mind. The true Guru is in our heart. Purify the heart to let the

Divinity dwell in it. Guru Purnima is an occasion for cleaning the mind to make it

absolutely pure.

• What does Purnima (full-moon) signify? It signifies wholeness. When the mind is

filled with love, it achieves fullness. As long as the mind is filled with darkness (evil

thoughts) there is no meaning in celebrating Buddha Purnima. Get rid of this darkness.

• Guru has a unique place in Hinduism. He is equal to bramhan in Hindu Philosophy.

The holy land of India has given birth to millions of such gurus who with their disciplic

succession have succeeded in preserving the vedic traditions and made it possible for

future citizens to taste the nectar of devotion.

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshwara

Guru Sakshath Parambrahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha

• Meaning, Guru is creator Brahma; Guru is preserver Vishnu; Guru is also the

destroyer Siva and he is the source of the Absolute. I offer all my salutations to the Guru.

• Guru(teacher)-sishya (disciple) relation has played a vital role in hindu philosophy

making it a centre stage in preserving the knowledge for future generations. Not only

preserving the knowledge sisyas have stood has setting examples for humility and

servitude. Adi Sankara called padma pada; just by listening to the voice of the guru he

crossed the high flowing river with an ocean of trust in guru. Sankara made flowers to

appear and float where ever his disciple let his feet. This is the Guru-Sisya relation.

• When disciple was asked who would he greet first GOD or GURU, disciple replied he

would first salute GURU as guru is the one who taught him to reach God.

Ramanujacharya and Khuresh, Yamunacharya and ramanujacharya, Bhakti

siddhantha saraswathi and a.c.bhakti vedanta swami are a few to note in this kind of

relation.

Their relations have not only inspired many future generations but preserved the etiquette

of a Hindu. Guru is not just a teacher but he is the one who will lead to the liberation and

lead unto the pathway to God. Once asked Khuresh what he would do once he gets the

liberation, he replied he would serve his guru once he reaches the celestial planet. Guru is

the direct representative of the supreme personality of God.

• Guru-sisya relation though seems externally serving. Spiritually they are serving

each other. When disciple is serving a guru he must not be on physical level thinking why

should he serve another body but he must be a ready soul to serve this significant soul, a

guru. Krishna begins bhagavad geeta that we are not the bodies but souls. This is how one

should be. This Guru-sisya relation has been exemplarily shown by many many great men.

• Following are verses from guru astakam written by Adi Sankaracharya. These

define the importance of a guru.

XarIrM sva$pM tqaa vaa kla~M

yaXa:caa$ica~M QanaM mao$ tulyaM

gauraor=iGa` pd\mao mana:Scaonna lagnaM

tt: ikma\ tt: ikma\ tt: ikma\

Sareeram suroopam thadha va kalathram,

Yasacharu chithram dhanam meru thulyam,

Gurorangri padme manaschenna lagnam,

Thatha kim Thatha Kim, Thatha

One has got good looking body, best wife, fane and name, wealth; but he is not surrender

unto feet of ‘Guru’, then all what he posses is useless’

• We must remember that the whole purpose of the practice is to destroy arrogance.

When we submit to the Guru, it is not to lose our freedom; it is to gain full freedom.

Through the practice of Dharma and Enlightenment, we gain full freedom. It is not just

about getting money, long life or protection from obstacles. We gain full freedom - we gain

control of where we go, what we do, our rebirth and how we benefit. We gain full benefit.

• If, in our next rebirth, we want to have money, we will be born into money. We will

be born where we want to be born. We gain full control. This is why we submit to the Guru.

It is just like submitting to school, to training, to our teachers, to our parents, to our

counselors, to our psychiatrists and doctors.

• We all submit, we are already always submitting! We submit to our doctors to

invade our bodies. We only have one body - if he messes up, we're finished! We submit to

our beautician. One wrong jab and some of the muscles in our face will never move again!

We submit to our teachers, we submit to our wives and husbands, we submit to our

children. Some of us even submit to our dogs and cats; our lives are controlled by them! We

cannot go anywhere nor do anything because we are completely controlled by our pets. We

put ourselves into those situations, whether we do it deliberately or not. We are always

submitting to others. It is nothing new to submit. Only now, it is to a person who helps us

on the ultimate, highest level.

• Devotion to and submission to our Guru is the beginning of us becoming

independent - of our ego, of samsara and of our inflictive emotions. It may look like we

have imprisoned ourselves, but if he is a real Guru, the minute we submit to him, believe,

trust, let go and do as he says, it is the first step towards total freedom. The Guru will push

us, give us assignments and design work for us that will help us achieve the six paramitas,

Bodhicitta and compassion, which are the necessary prerequisites of higher practices that

give us total freedom.

• When you sacrifice, submit and do things for the Guru that you ordinarily would not

do, you collect merit. Psychologically, you open up because this person will challenge you

to become better. If we look at people who are close to the Guru, we will see that no matter

how bad they are, they become better or they get some benefit - physical, monetary or

emotional - most of the time. We will also see people who are forthright, improving and

becoming better and better, year after year when they are around the Guru.

The minute you submit to your Guru, you immediately win your first day of independence.

The day you meet a real Guru is the day he starts to separate you from him, to make you

independent of him.

• Real Gurus do not become clingy with us. They make us more and more

independent. Their goal is to make us a Buddha, not to have companions around him. You

may think you were working with your Guru last year, doing this and that with him, and

question why you are not this year. You think, "Poor me, poor me. I did so much for you but

you don't let me do anything anymore this year. It's so unfair. It's so bad." This shows that

the student does not know the purpose of a Guru-disciple relationship.

• Do you think the Guru has to be clingy with you? Do you think that the Guru does

not like you or that he has rejected you when he switches your job or responsibilities

around? Perhaps the initial methods were not working, so he does something else to help

you. Perhaps you have already done and mastered a task so he may give you something

else to help you develop your mind. Sometimes a Guru will let you be clingy, sometimes the

Guru will make you not be clingy - it is your level that the Guru is looking at.

• People do not understand Guru Devotion. They think it is slavery. They think it is

indoctrination or a loss of freedom but it is absolutely the opposite. When I hooked up with

my teachers, I gained freedom. Look what I am doing now. Guru devotion was and is my

main practice. When I had obstacles and problems, because I had so much faith in my Guru,

my Dharma Protector in Gaden told me in an audience with him, "Don't recite any mantras,

recite your Guru's mantra and you will be fine." So I did; I recited my Guru's mantra

100,000 times and my sickness healed. I did not need to do any pujas.

• If you think this is slavery or induction, or the forcing of another culture, you are

absolutely wrong. I will not be diplomatic about it. I will be diplomatic with everything else

and give concessions because I know we are all trying, but not in the case of Guru devotion.

There are no concessions. That is the pith of the path. Without an instructor, without a

teacher, without someone to guide you, and without your cooperation with this person,

what benefit can you derive?

• If you are studying under a music teacher but you are always late, you forget your

music scores, you do not do your homework, you do not practice, you break your guitar,

you do not restring it, you forget your appointment, you are rude to your teacher, you pick

your nose in front of him, you do not listen to instructions, how is he going to teach you

how to play the guitar? And that is just for playing a guitar! Imagine how much more alert

we must be if we want to learn how to attain Enlightenment.

• Even with normal teachers who teach us writing and arithmetic, we have to be

respectful because arithmetic and writing will benefit us. But we want benefit that will help

us in many lifetimes. If we have an instructor for that - our Guru - and cannot be respectful

or submissive, or even trust or try, then how will we gain that benefit?

GURU STOTRAM

(Prayerful glorification of the Spiritual Teacher)

A selection from 'Guru Gita' as given in Uttarakhand section of 'Skanda Purana' in the form of a dialogue between Shiva and Uma (Shakti).

AKNDmaNDlakarM vyaaPtM yaona sacaracarma\ | t%pdM diXa-tM yaona tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||1||

1. Akhand-Mandalakaram vyaptam yena characharam. Tatpadam darshitam yena tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Akhand – unfragmented; Mandalakaram – one infinite whole; vyaptam – pervades; yena – by which; characharam – movable & immovable; Tadpadam – That state; darshitam – has shown; yena – by whom; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – guru, teacher; Namah – my salutations.

My Salutations to that Guru who revealed to me that Truth, which is un-fragmented, infinite, timeless divinity, and which pervades the entire universe – movable or unmovable.

A&anaitimaranQasya &anaaHjanaXalaakyaa | caxau$nmaIilatM yaona tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||2||

2. Agyan timir-andhasya Gyananjan Shalakaya. Chakshur-oonmeelitam yena tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Agyan - Ignorance; timir – cataract; andhasya – blinded; Gyananjan – medicinal collyrium; Shalakaya – collyrium stick; Chakshur – my eyes; oonmilitam – opened; yena – by whom; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

My Salutations to that reverential teacher, who opened my eyes, by applying the divine collyrium of self-knowledge in my eyes, which had got blinded by the cataract of ignorance.

gau$ba`*maa gau$iva-YNau: gau$do-vaao mahoSvar: | gau$rova prba`*ma tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||3||

3. Gurur-Brahma Gurur-Vishnu Gurur-Devo Maheshwarah. Guru-sakshat Para-Brahma tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Gurur - Guru; Brahma – Creator; Gurur - Guru; Vishnu – Sustainer; Gurur - Guru; Devo – the divine; Maheshwarah – the Destroyer; Guru Sakshat – the Guru is verily; Para-Brahma – the transcendental divinity (which is the very basis of all the three); tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

Guru himself is the creator, sustainer and the destroyer. He is verily the very transcendental divinity, (the timeless life-principle, which is the very essence of the creator etc.) My reverential salutations to that glorious teacher.

sqaavarM jaMgamaM vyaaPtM yai%kMica%sacaracarma\ | t%pdM diXa-tM yaona tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||4||

4. Sthavaram jangamam vyaptam yat kinchit sacharacharam. Tatpadam darshitam yena tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Sthavaram - animate; Jangamam – inanimate; Vyaptam - pervades; yat – that which; kinchit – every vee-bit; sacharacharam; inclusive of everything movable or immovable; Tadpadam – That state; darshitam – has shown; yena – by whom; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – guru, teacher; Namah – my salutations.

My Salutations to that reverential teacher, who revealed to me that which pervades everything in this world, whether animate-inanimate, or movable-immovable.

icanmayaM vyaaip ya%sava-M ~Olaao@yaM sacaracarma\ | t%pdM diXa-tM yaona tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||5||

5. Chinmayam Vyapi yat-sarvam trailokyam sacharacharam. Tatpadam darshitam yena tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Chinmayam – The self-effulgent diviity; Vyapi – pervades ; yat – that which; sarvam – everything; trailokyam – the three worlds; sacharacharam – inclisive of everything which is movable or immovable; Tadpadam – That state; darshitam – has shown; yena – by whom; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – guru, teacher; Namah – my salutations.

My salutations to that glorious Guru, who revealed to me that self-effulgent divinity (the pure unconditioned consciousness) which pervades all the three worlds, with all its movable and immovable objects.

sava-EauitiXaraor%naivaraijatpdambauja: | vaodantambaujasaUyaao- ya: tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||6||

6. Sarva-Shruti shiro-ratna virajit-padambujah. Vedantambuja Suryo yah tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Sarva-Shruti – Of all Vedas; Shiro-ratna – crown jewel; virajit-padambujah – abide at his lotus feet; Vedantambuja – the lotus of vedanta; Suryo - sun; yah – he who; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

My Salutations to that reverential teacher, who is like a sun for the blossoming up of the lotus like mantras of upanishads; and at whose lotus feet lie the beautiful flowers, symbolizing the best of jewels of vedas.

caOtnya:XaaSvat:Xaantao vyaaomaatItao inarMjana: | ibandunaadklaatIt: tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||7||

7. Chaitanya Shashwatah shanto vyomatito niranjanah. Bindunaad kalatitah tasmai shri Gurave Namah.

Chaitanya – Consciousness; Shashwatah - eternal; Shanto – of the very nature of peace; vyomatito – transcending space (& time); niranjanah – taintless; Bindu – the concept of zero; Naad – the primordial sound; kala – parts; atitah – transcending; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

My Salutations to that reverential teacher, who is verily the eternal consciousness, which is of the nature of peace. He transcends space (& time), the concept of zero, the primordial sound and all parts.

&anaXai>samaa$Z: t<vamaalaaivaBaUiYat: | Baui>maui>p`data ca tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||8||

8. Gyanshakti-samaroodhah tattwamala vibhooshitah. Bhukti-mukti -pradata cha tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Gurur - Guru; Brahma – Creator; Gurur - Guru; Vishnu – Sustainer; Gurur - Guru; Devo – the divine; Maheshwarah – the Destroyer; Guru Sakshat – the Guru is verily; Para-Brahma – the transcendental divinity (which is the very basis of all the three); tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

My Salutations to that glorious Gurudev, who is established in Knowledge and Power, who is adorned with the garland-of -Knowledge and who grants both worldly prosperity and spiritual liberation.

AnaokjanmasaMp̀aPtkma-banQaivadaihnao | Aa%ma&anap`danaona tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||9||

9. Aneka-janma-sampraptah-karma-bandha-vidahine. Atma-gyan-pradanen tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Aneka – Of many; Janma – births; sampraptah - accumulated; karma-bandha – the bondage of action; vidahine – burns down; Atma-Gyana - The Self-Knowledge; pradanena – by imparting; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

My Salutations to that reverential teacher who by imparting the Self-Knowledge, has burnt away the very bondage of actions in a whiff, which had even though taken infinite lives to accumulate.

XaaoYaNaM BavaisanQaaoSca &apnaM saarsaMpd: | gaurao: padaodkM samyak\ tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||10||

10. Shoshanam bhavsindhoshcha gyapanam saarsampadah. Guroh-padodakam samyak tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Shoshanam – drying up; Bhava-sindhosh-cha – the endless sea of seeking; Gyapanam – by enlightening me about the; saarsampadah – the true wealth; Guroh – of the guru; padodakam – the water left behind after washing the feet; samyak – fully; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

Even by the very sipping of the charanamruta (the water with which the feet of guru are washed), we get blessed by the eternal wealth (of liberating knowledge), and which dries up the endless ocean of seeking & the subsequent sorrows. My Salutations to the lotus-feet of that glorious Gurudev.

na gauraoriQakM t%vaM na gauraoriQakM tp: | t<va&anaa%prM naaist tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||11||

11. Na Guror-adhikam tattvam na Guror-adhikam tapah. Tattva-gyanat-param nasti tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Na – There is no; Guror – than Guru; adhikam – higher; tattvam – truth; na – there is no; Guror – than Guru; adhikam – higher; tapah – penance; Tattva-gyanat-param – higher than the knowledge of truth imparted by the guru; nasti – does not exist; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

There is no higher truth than the Guru, no higher penance than (service to) the Guru, and there is nothing higher than Realisation of the Knowledge of the truth imparted by the Guru. My salutations to such a Gurudev, who is himself that very timeless truth (and who has taken up a form to bless his disciples like us with real knowledge).

mannaaqa: EaIjagannaaqa: mad\gau$: EaIjagad\gau$: | mada%maa sava-BaUta%maa tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||12||

12. Man-naathah Shri Jagan-nathah Mat-guru-shri jagad-guruhu. Mad-atma sarva-bhutatma tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Man-naathah – My Lord; Shri Jagan-naathah – is the Lord of the universe; mat-guru – My teacher; Shri-Jagad-Guruhu – is the Teacher of the entire universe; Mad-atma – My Self; Sarva-bhutama – is the Self of all; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations.

My Lord is the Lord of Universe; My teacher is the teacher of the entire universe; and my Self is the Self of all. My salutations at the lotus-feet of such a Guru, who has revealed such knowledge to me.

gau$raidrnaaidSca gau$: prmadOvatma\ | gaurao:prtrM naaist tsmaO EaIgaurvao nama: ||13||

13. Gurur-adir-anadish-cha Guruh-param-daivatam. Guroh-parataram nasti tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.

Gurur – Guru; adir – is the beginning of the universe; anadish – yet, he himself is without any beginning; Guruh - Guru ; param-daivatam – the highest diety; Guroh – than the Guru; parataram – higher; nasti – does not exist; tasmai – to that; Shri – glorious; Guruve – Guru; Namah – my salutations. The Guru is the beginning of the Universe, yet he himself is without a beginning, the Guru is the highest deity, and there is none higher than the Guru. My reverential salutations at the lotus-feet of such a Gurudev.

%vamaova maata ca ipta %vamaova, %vamaova banQauSca saKa %vamaova | %vamaova ivaVa d`ivaNaM %vamaova, %vamaova sava-M mama dova dova, %vamaova sava-M mama dova dova ||14||

14. Tvameva mata cha pita tvameva tvameva bandhushcha sakha tvameva.

Tvameva vidya dravinam tvameva tvameva sarvam mama-dev-deva.

Tvameva – You alone; Mata – the mother; cha – and; pita-Father tvameva – you alone are the father; tvameva – You alone; bandushcha – are the brother, and; sakha tvameva – you alone are my friend; Tvameva-vidya – You alone are the knowledge; dravinam tvameva – you are the wealth; tvameva sarvam – you are everything for me; mama-dev-deva – O My ultimate God

You alone are my mother, my father, my brother, and my friend. You alone are the knowledge, my real wealth. You are everything for me. You are verily my God alone.

(Compiled)