Guru-Purnima 2006

   

Guru-Purnima was observed on the 11th July 2006. Disciples arrived from all over to pay reverence to Gurudev. Photographs show Gurudev and Guruma being honoured on arrival, after which Gurudev lit the lamp. After Paada-puja, bhajans were chanted to sing the glory of Gurudev and thereafter the disciples were blessed with divine words.

 

Message from Baba on the occasion of Guru Purnima

Shambho Mahadeva! Ishwaro Raksha!!

 

Every human being is in search of peace. Knowingly or unknowingly we all seek peace. We thus start any occasion with a peace invocation. Gurupurnima is also observed for the attainment of peace. It is through peace and silence that can we attain what is contained in the silence.

 

Silence contains all knowledge and to know, to implement, one has to identify the silence, the shunyatha (nothingness).  A disciple who in true silence prays daily to the Guru gains the knowledge and bhakthi for aathmasaakshaathkaaram (self-realization). Gurupurnima is observed just once a year. Why do we not observe it every day? In fact, every day should be Gurupurnima for one who wishes to walk on the spiritual path. Observing it once in a year is a matter of convenience. Today there is no facility for Gurukula and Gurukula vidyaabhyaasa, so Gurupurnima becomes an occasion to pay respects to the Guru. It is an expression of gratitude for what one has received from the Guru. It conveys gratitude for the knowledge, for the path of upliftment that the disciple has received from the Guru.  Gratitude has to be expressed every moment. In this modern world, Gurupurnima is a representation of this gratitude, which in reality, should be lived every moment.

 

In the earlier days, whenever the disciple met the Guru, that was Gurupurnima for them. There were disciples who had undergone training under the aegis of a Guru. They were sent for various purposes like spreading spiritualism in the world, for spreading the message of the Guru and God amongst all. Such disciples met the Guru only occasionally even though they continued regular worship.  The day they could physically see the Guru, they observed Gurupurnima. There was no day or date specified for this. To make people conscious of the observance of the earlier days, today it has become a ritual to observe this occasion once a year. For a spiritual seeker, every moment is Gurupurnima. One has to live in the attitude of gratitude every moment in life.

 

What have you received from the Guru? Sahayoga – the Guru and the disciple walk the path together to reveal the Supreme power, the God, the Godliness from within. It is to have the Ishwara saakshaatkaara (vision of God). It is for this purpose that both the Guru and the disciple conduct discourse and shravana (listening through the mind) to it also. The Guru does not give discourses to teach the disciples. If the intention was to teach, many things would be left out, many things would be forgotten. The Guru would hold back many things from the disciple. A teacher never shares complete knowledge on any subject with the student. Nobody teaches hundred percent.

 

According to scriptures, a true Guru is the reincarnation of God, because nobody else can teach others. There is no human being capable of teaching spiritualism and Ishwara praapthi (how to attain God) to another human being. Only one who is superior to human beings, one who is above a human being, can teach you the path to the lord. This is the reason why the scriptures describe Guru as the reincarnation of God. Guru is the pratibimba (reflection) of the lord or an amshaavataara (reincarnation) of the lord. It is only the Supreme power that can project the knowledge to you. Guru does not teach; he does not ask the students to learn what has been taught. This is not a school where you are pulled up for not completing homework. The Guru merely shares what has been revealed to him during meditation. In fact, most often the Guru is not even aware of what he has been talking. The fact that he does not remember what he has talked confirms that he is not aware of what he has talked. He does not speak through his conscious mind. It is the voice from the inner self. It is hence known as imparting of knowledge. There is just one method to transfer knowledge and that is known as imparting the knowledge, give the part of knowledge.

 

Each one interprets to suit their convenience. Guru never insists upon what you are supposed to know or learn. The disciple walks upto the Guru and prays to attain divine knowledge. Again, knowledge is not the sole possession of the Guru. This divine treasure lies hidden within each individual. The Guru merely helps to reveals the knowledge hidden within; the Guru helps release the ahankara (ego) and the ignorance from within. These are obstacles to self-realization. People are not aware of the cause of their ego; they do not even know what is ego in the first place. There are many things we are not aware of and only the divinity can identify them. In the company of the noble, by being in satsang, one can wash off the impurities. You should have one-pointed concentration on the Guru and just carry his image within you. Concentrate on every move of his, on the way he eats, drinks, sleeps, walks or even prays. It is not his activities that are important, it is the reflection that is important. When you receive the Guru’s reflection in the mind, the knowledge comes along with it.

 

Why do people pray in temples, do moorthy puja, or worship the photograph? We have a firm conviction that God resides in that temple or the photograph. Wherever one has this faith, God exists there. If you call out to the lord full of devotion, faith, and one-pointed attention, you will experience godliness within you. You just have to call him once with belief and he comes. You should have no attachment, desires, or any specific purpose in calling him. The only purpose should be the revelation of the true nature, revelation of the inner self. One call from the antaraathma is enough. Many people wonder why they attain no benefits despite worshipping the lord all through their life. Puja is a physical activity and becomes a ritual. The mind is pre-occupied while the hands and mouth carry on their own activities. You keep chanting the same bhajans mechanically, offer flowers or light the lamp in the usual way, and you do not even remember whether you have performed the puja at all. Some days you feel the puja was through very fast while other days you feel it is a drag. This is because the mind is pre-occupied with something interesting and you did not realize how time elapsed. For many, puja is nothing but a time pass activity or it is done out of fear, as a family ritual or due to social bindings. These are futile activities.

 

It is essential to awaken the truth and the godliness within. Why are human beings born? When we were born, the Paramathma had given certain amount of bhakthi to each athman to utilize it in this world to experience the karmas. To help in difficult times, the daughter is given some jewelry in marriage and the son is handed over some money when he leaves in search of work. Similarly, the lord too gives bhakthi to his children, which is not available in the materialistic world. God gives it with a condition that it should be returned back intact because he does not believe in distributing things without values. This is why he gave bhakthi to every jivathma. It is something like an atom. If you take it and spend it, you will get all the riches, all the material in the universe.

 

Anything can be accomplished with bhakthi. Even the money that you earn is through bhakthi and shraddha. Your bhakthi turns towards attachment and desires. How did these desires arise within you? Why is it so intense? This intensity is because it is a part of bhakthi. The characteristics of bhakthi has converted to a form that suits your convenience. When you have a desire, you attain it. Where do you get this strength to fulfill your desires? Where does the confidence to attain this desire come from? It all comes from the bhakthi that has been given to the jivathma.

 

You need bhakthi to acquire anything in this world. This is the inherent knowledge in an individual. Out of six businessmen, two would fair excellently in life, two would be mediocre and two would not do well in their business. How does this differentiation come? All other parameters remaining the same, the difference lies in the way they have utilized bhakthi for the purpose of acquiring the materialistic benefits. If you utilize bhakthi to fulfill worldly desires, you attain that and even derive tripthi (satisfaction) but not samptripthi (contentment). You feel happy for a while. How did you find happiness in a material? When we receive some material, we are happy for a while. Where does this happiness come from? Happiness is the nature of bhakthi. When you spend bhakthi you attain this happiness. Once that is over, happiness too disappears. This is how we use bhakthi to attain all such things.

 

At the time of giving bhakthi, God imposed a condition – you have to return the bhakthi that you have taken from him. If you return more than you have taken, he is happy but at least it should not be less than what you have received. This is the principle. We spend most of the bhakthi for the procurement of materialism and the balance is 75 percent. When human beings return to God after death, God acknowledges that they have lost 25 percent and instructs them to go back and fetch the balance 25 percent. This is what leads to rebirth. We come back to the earth for bhakthi; we utilize the bhakthi and again spend it. When you spend and return to God, he again assesses your position. He thus sends us back each time until we return with 100 percent of the bhakthi that he had given us.

 

The truth is that whatever you do in life should only be to earn bhakthi. Anything that gives rise to feelings of bhakthi is the right karma and should be executed. That which takes you away from bhakthi should never be pursued. This would enable us to acquire more and more bhakthi and return to the lord once and for all. Otherwise, we keep struggling through out the life.  We have neither peace, contentment nor happiness in such a situation because we have misused the bhakthi at the wrong place. In the materialistic life you feel sad when you have exhausted the bank balance. Similarly, the antaraathma suffers when it is bereft of bhakthi. Hence, concentrate efforts where you get the feelings of bhakthi. Convert everything to bhakthi. To dilute and dissolve the sadness and sorrows from our life we have to gain bhakthi. A true bhaktha has no sorrows and problems. Whether he gets food or not he is not worried; he is not concerned where he sits or what he does. There is nothing that disturbs him. Hence, bhakthi should be the ultimate goal in life.

 

We are living in this world and we have to execute karmas. While executing karmas, be conscious to execute only that what converts to bhakthi. We eat because we need energy. The food is converted to energy for utilization. Similarly, antaraathma can survive only with bhakthi. Only then can the antaraathma merge with the Paramathma, is the principle. This necessitates that we follow a designated path. We do not know how to gain. We can do it alone also. The scriptures state that everyone is his own Guru. We do not require an external Guru provided we are able to reveal the inner self of us. At one point of time, even after Guru’s assistance, you will have to walk alone after receiving all the knowledge and bhakthi. When you walk alone, that is the time when you are your own Guru. You have understood everything. You and the Guru become one at that time. That is the feeling of merging with the Guru. Your thoughts and the Guru’s become same; your karmas and the Guru’s karmas are same. Your results and the Guru’s results become one. This is because the thought is just the revelation of the self and the Ishwarathwa. When you reach that status you are your own Guru. When the merging takes place you cease to exist. When you have no existence, you are in a position to be there, to be the lord, to be the Guru. Guru is the embodiment of knowledge of the lord, hence when you attain knowledge and bhakthi you merge with the Guru, is the meaning of you are your own Guru.

 

As I mentioned earlier, both the disciple and the Guru walk the same path and have a common goal – just to get the vision of the lord. The Guru too preaches or teaches for attaining the vision of the lord. Once he has revealed the godliness within, he always desires for the vision of the lord; he experiences a strange feeling to be with the lord at all times. To achieve this, the Guru has to share the knowledge of the scriptures with others; he has to impart this valuable knowledge to others.  Without this, he is unable to merge with the lord again. Whether the disciple learns or not, it is the disciple’s discretion. One who is full of bhakthi and shraddha, learns because the knowledge is imparted. Knowledge cannot be taught or told. When the Guru presents himself, knowledge just flows. He does not want to hold the knowledge with himself. When the knowledge is imparted to others, he gets the vision of the lord. The God instructs him to give away all that he has accumulated. He wants to distribute this knowledge to as many people as possible in the shortest possible time. He never holds back any knowledge because he would only delay the process of his merging with the lord. The Guru just has one desire – to attain the lord. His intention is to impart the complete knowledge, for which he has taken birth.  

 

Wherever the Guru is present, the knowledge flows even from the Guru’s aura. The river does not stop flowing at night; the Ganges cannot be stopped flowing at night. The nature of the river is to flow. If the river stops flowing it is not a river. Similarly, the Guru’s nature is to impart knowledge; he has to impart knowledge. The disciple should have the capability to absorb and accept the knowledge. You may want to wait but the river does not stop its flow. You have missed this and will have to wait for the next wave or flow.

 

In Narada Bhakthi Sutra, Devrishi Narada says, mahatsangatsudurlabho agamyoamoghascha. He says it is very difficult to get the company of the noble. It is impossible to know them; it is impossible to be with them. It is your chance, it is your karma, that will take you to those noblemen. Once you get such a chance, preserve them because it would be a great sin to lose such an opportunity. It is only occasionally that you get the right person to direct you in the right path, to take you towards the knowledge. There are so many people to advise or sell knowledge, there are many who use spiritualism to do business. Spiritualism is today used for entertainment, spiritualism is used in clubs and dancing floors. Entertainment means to entertain the mind, to please the mind. These are temporary pleasures, which you forget as quickly as you attained them. You may again remember a year later about what you had sung or what pleasure it gave you. This is nothing but entertainment of the mind. The mind is matter and temporary, so all pleasures connected to it are also temporary and perishable. For how long can the mind be impressed?

 

If we live in the right way it is spiritualism. We have to learn to live in the right way, not through the influence of the mind but through the influence of the antaraathma. We all know the right way of living but do not follow it. This is the reason we suffer physically and mentally. Devrishsi Narada says it is very difficult to get the right association. Even if you get it you neglect it.

 

He then says labhyathe abhitatkritaivcha. Nevertheless, by grace of God alone great souls are attained. The presence of the noblemen in your life comes by the grace of the God. All your experiences are also because of the grace of the God. Good and bad association is because of right or wrong karmas. Some people do not recognize when they are blessed with the noble association. They ultimately lose this valuable gift from God. They lose it not just in one life but for many lives. They do not know where and to whom the importance is to be given. Every small activity and thing has to be taken into account. You do not have to concentrate on big things. Each and every gesture is important. When we offer something to the noble people, what is important is the gesture, the way it is offered and not what is offered. When offering to the noblemen, care should be taken to offer it on a platter with some flowers strewn on it. We should then make a humble request to bless us by accepting the offering. This gesture is what makes the difference in how we give, how we live. He does not require anything from you; he does not need you either. Shraddhavaan labhathe jnanaam (the one who concentrates on the Guru receives complete knowledge).

 

Any samaarpana (offered) done is for your benefit alone. Wherever he stands he projects the knowledge. He cannot force knowledge on anybody. Anybody willing to accept, can take it. This is his nature. The more number of places he projects himself, knowledge is distributed faster. He longs to return to the abode of the lord as soon as he fulfills his mission here on earth. A disciple loses one janma (life) if he does not recognize the nobleman who has presented himself in front of the disciple. When you understand and follow the path shown by him, this is also your karma. He does not insist that you should follow or obey him. The scriptures preach that whoever comes to the lord seeking sharana (refuge) is taken care of. The Guru does not impose discipline of when to come or keep away. It is the disciple’s decision solely. Nobody can enforce discipline on another. Learning is the responsibility of the disciple. That is called receiving, accepting, and assimilating the knowledge.  This requires shraddha (attention) and bhakthi (devotion). 

 

One does not have to read the Upanishads, Vedas and the scriptures to become knowledgeable. The requirement of knowledge of sashtras and Vedas come to an end the day you have the realization of the God. This knowledge is necessary only for attaining God and until we attain Him. We need to inculcate the attitude of surrender. Transformation is absolutely necessary. Nature itself undergoes transformation every moment. When we plant seeds, first the flower blooms after which it turns to a fruit. When it becomes a fruit the flower loses its identity. When the fruit ripens and falls down it loses its identity too. When any substance changes its form from one state to another, it loses its identity. This is the attitude of surrender. When we surrender we should be transformed with no more desires and attachments. Only then is the surrender meaningful and complete. A fruit which is not matured fully is not palatable. Transformation has to be complete. Today people want to pay and do everything in installments including surrender. So lord says, I too will bless in installments.

 

To attain the status of total transformation and surrender dhyana (meditation) is necessary. You have to meditate on the Guru, on the knowledge of the Guru. Guru may be having any form, it should not matter at all. We cannot dispute why the mango does not look like any other fruit; we cannot change the way it looks. This is God’s creation. Similarly, the form of the Guru, the aakaara and the vikaara, are all blessings of the God. Do not try to perceive him or test him through your physical eyes; do not try to analyze or understand him. Just be Him, that is all that is required. You will only be wasting your time and energy in analyzing him or trying to understand him through out your life. You will merely be keeping an account of his likes, dislikes and attachments and suddenly you find he has vanished. You are where you were with no transformation holding on to an account of his attachments.

 

You have to understand things. There are various ways and methods in which the Guru tries to make you understand. We have to bring about changes in our pattern. It does not imply that you have to take sanyaasa and go to the Himalayas. We have to live here and exhaust the karmas. The good and bad, sorrows and happiness, troubles and pleasures are all given by God. Every position and time is given by God. All these depend upon your karmas. Do it very patiently in the right manner, with advice from the noble souls. You will be able to overcome all problems smoothly. No human being has attained only happiness all through his life. At the same time, there is nobody who has experienced only sorrows and no happiness through out the life.

 

As I always mention, when you are sinking in the bhavasaagara (wordly sea) and the lord shows you his hands, you will concentrate on his hands alone. It is just as you would take the refuge of the boatman who comes to you with a boat when you are in deep trouble at the sea. Your attention at that moment is to somehow get a grip of his hands. At that time you are least concerned who he is or what does he look like. Your life is at stake and you only see the hand. You surrender to him because you know he at least knows how to navigate the boat; you have the confidence that he can find his way to the shore and will firmly hold your hand and save you. The boatman knows of your troubles and has the confidence that he can save you. It is only because he is confident that he has extended his hands to save you. Surrendering your self to the boatman will not be a wrong decision at this juncture. You do not question whether his hands are clean or have the right grip or whether he can save you. You just surrender. This amounts to confidence. With lack of confidence, with lack of faith you will only end up drowning your self. You should remember the hand that has been extended to you when you were sinking, is very strong. Similarly, in this karma bhumi, when someone extends His hands towards you, you should recognize that He is a Guru. Hence, do not try to analyze or understand Him. Hold on to Him if you want to save your self. If you have avishwaasa, or lack of faith you can drown.

 

Just meditation on each and every gesture of the Guru. We must have profound respect for the Guru. Respect comes with faith. You have immense respect for your parents or for any other elders in the family. You do not look at their faults. Even if your father smokes, you do not consider it as wrong because you have immense bhakthi on him. I do not look at the smoking, but only at my father. The respect and attention is on the father and not at what he does. Do not bother your self with what the Guru does. Unless we have respect and faith on the Guru we can never surrender to Him. You need to have total attention and faith on Him. Neglecting attitude should not be there. Trying to be intelligent in their presence will not help. Your intelligence is of no use to him, it may be useful for you. Intelligence may help you to earn money, fame, appreciation. Honesty and the right path chosen through him is what is required. If you can identify the path, that is the best. If you do not know, then follow the Guru.

 

(All present were guided through a small session of meditation).

 

Eyes closed, sit in meditative posture. Take deep long breaths and relax your self. Calm the body and mind. Concentrate on your Guru. Concentrate on the Guru’s form because the mind understands only that. Visualize a small speck of light on the third eye chakra or the ajna chakra. The light is very bright. Keep calm. Let the breathing become very slow. With every breath, the light that you see on the third eye keeps increasing in size. Witness the bright light, the dot increasing in diameter with each breath. It is growing bigger and brighter. Gradually the entire head is enveloped with this bright light. Your whole body is immersed in this light, covered with this divine light. Now you are unable to see your own body. All you can see is the divine bright light. Your body has mingled with this bright light. Your breathing is natural and slow. Observe the breathing. Is it fast or is it slow? As your body relaxes, the breathing further slows down. The whole body is now enveloped with this bright light and you have absolute peace. You feel light and have a floating sensation. There is nothing connected to the earth. Now visualize a brighter light, very powerful, at a distance, a small dot like a missile traveling towards you. See it in the third eye chakra, between the eyebrows. A very powerful light is coming towards you. You have never seen such powerful light ever in your life. It is blinding bright. Feel it approaching you gradually. You might have expected the bright light to be very hot, dangerous or even hit you or destroy you. Did you get these thoughts? Were you scared of this light? Keep the answer with you. When it came close, you find that there is a sudden chillness all over your body. You experience cold breeze as on the top of a mountain. It is very pleasant. The light grows bigger and brighter now. It is now emitting a very strange and pleasing fragrance. As soon as you felt the coolness and the brightness of that light, you became peaceful as if there is nothing else that you desire except that this feeling should remain forever. Suddenly in the light in front of you, a powerful, form and shape appears. This is the shape and form of your Guru. Look at that bright smile, which is full of confidence and blessings. The smile emits happiness in meeting you. The smile is neither sarcastic nor authoritative. It is a smile full of love and compassion that receives you. You feel so happy as a child who sees his mother. It is an inviting smile, an accepting smile. His eyes wide, full of love and compassion, full of karuna, daya, blessings, powerful eyes. The depth of the eyes is unexplainable, his face is very peaceful, very pleasant as if there are answers to all your problems. A simple glance from the Guru, Guru’s kataksha can drive out all your problems. You remember nothing at this moment. The moment you see this form you become full of bhakthi and shraddha. Surrender your self with humility and without any hesitation at His feet. Nothing belongs to you – neither the body, nor the money or appreciation, or friends and foes – nothing is yours. Surrender your self completely and with full honesty and purity at His feet. Pray to Him to bless you with satbuddhi (wisdom) and satgathi, to direct you to the right path in life. Pray to Him to prevent you from committing mistakes. Pray to Him to release all those who are burdened by sorrows and problems. Pray for their peace and happiness. Ask for the incomplete to be completed. Those afflicted with diseases and difficulties may please be freed of them. Bless those who have nobody to turn to. These should be your feelings at this moment. Just have the feelings of samathwa bhaavna (equanimity).  Look deep into His eyes and narrate all your problems be they worldly or spiritual in nature. Release all your problems, emotions, reveal your innermost secrets in front of him. Express all your feelings without hesitation to him. He receives everything with smile, dayaa and karuna and he provides solutions for all your problems. You can receive answer to all your questions and solutions to all your problems right here if you are sincere in your surrender. Do not undermine that Mahaan shakthi, Onkarnath, the tatswarupa of the lord. We exist only due to His blessings; everything has been given by Him. Tell Him everything and seek the path to salvation. OM.

 

Once you have explained everything to Him, again look at Him. You can now see the saakaara in the niraakaara (form in the formless), the Mahaan Guru, the jnani, the mahapurush, the lord reincarnation, the lord himself. The Guru is the reflection and the shadow of Lord Shiva, God incarnated. Perceive this amazing form of the lord and in this divine light you have surrendered your self. You finally merge with this amazing divine light. Now there is nothing but this divine light all around.  Be in this status for some time. Gradually come back to the present moment. Become conscious of the body and whenever you are comfortable open your eyes slowly.

 

This was one of the smaller guided meditations. Everyone cannot meditate by themselves. The mind is under a constant turmoil and we are unable to meditate. This is why guided meditations have been introduced. As we get accustomed to it, gradually the mind will be able to meditate independently.

ISHWARO RAKSHA!!

 

Pravachan after the morning Puja

Sahayoga – the Guru-sishya samparka is known as sahayoga. There is no superiority or inferiority in this relationship. The Guru and the sishya try to attain the Supreme. There is no difference in the purpose since both are trying to attain the God. The only difference is that one has not yet attained God while the other is trying to attain once again. Who will not want to have the vision of God again and again? The Guru, having witnessed, wants it again.. He is the reincarnation of God but to attain the lord once again, certain discipline has to be maintained.

 

Maharishi Sukracharya is supposed to be the amshaavatara of Bhagwan Shiv because the asuras have to be guided by him. People misunderstand Sukracharya. He is a Maharishi and has been appointed to guide the asuras so that they do not become worse. Asuras are basically with asurik buddhi and pravrithi (demonic attributes). If they go beyond control, destruction would be inevitable. Sukhracharya has been appointed to instill sense into them. They should not take any step without their Guru’s consent. Bhagwan Shiva also plays maya in between. When Indra gets ahankara, he asks Sukracharya to put the asuras on the job. When the devas get ahankara let the asuras attack him so that they understand humility. Only when Sukracharya calls him or he is in trouble Bhagwan appears. Bhagwan does not appear without reason even for an amshavataara but the Guru is anxious to merge with lord. Once he knows the importance then he is attracted towards the lord, wants to be in the duty of the lord and always in the presence of the lord. This becomes a desire gradually and even being desirous is a negative attitude. Bhagwan asks the Guru to hold the desire, merging is inevitable. Let others enjoy this sight too. Since the Guru has experienced, he can explain the pleasure, Bhagwan cannot explain the pleasure of seeing Bhagwan. Who can explain the pleasure of seeing Bhagwan? Guru alone can do that. How much pleasure can be experienced on seeing Bhagwan can only be described by one who has witnessed and experienced this pleasure. That is amshavataara. Once merged, there is no distinction between the lord and the Guru. But since he has come out of God to fulfill certain responsibilities on earth, he always experiences God. One who experiences God only can become the Guru, according to the scriptures.

 

When does incarnation take place? Bhagwan Krishna represents Vishnu and Hanuman represents Shiva as does Sukhracharya. Hence, one who has come out of the lord can see the tatswarupa. That is my swarupa. When you look into the mirror, you see not the swarupa but tatswarupa. It is your reflection, not merely some reflection. This is the Guru. When you look at the Guru tatswarupa is visible. This is the reason he has been given this responsibility. This is why I said sahayoga.

 

Guru does not teach; he is merely trying to attain the lord. In the process, the student who is desirous to be with him learns. So they walk along together. Guru is no authority to teach. Guru imparts the knowledge. Guru cannot teach. If there is a human quality of desire, attachment, and ahankara, then he would say I am teacher, I am teaching. Guru does not have the ahankara of teaching. Guru thinks knowledge is a part of the Guru or the Guru is the embodiment of knowledge. One who presents himself merely reveals himself. This is the importance of imparting the knowledge and bhakthi. With the Ishwarathwa (Godliness) in him, he just presents whatever is there within him. He never thinks that something is being taught; he is not concerned whether someone learns or not. That is imparting the knowledge. When that knowledge is imparted, the desirous sishya, who is a seeker, who has acquired the qualities of the Guru by learning from him, by witnessing and experiencing him, by following each and every action of the Guru, attains the knowledge. There is a big thatwa involved in observing the Guru. One who sees through the physical eyes would only witness the Guru bathing just as anybody else would. Closer observation or perception through knowledge would reveal the difference when the Guru bathes. The way he talks, the way he eats and thinks, the way he puts a step forward is different too. This is an observance.

 

The one who seeks, the one who wants to attain, is known as a seeker according to the scriptures. Sishya is the sesha. Sesha means balancing. The attention of the one who is desirous is always on the lord. He is a spiritual seeker who wants to attain spiritualism. The one who is desirous of attaining spiritualism will maintain one-pointed concentration on the Guru that shows the path. The disciple does not know the path through which the Guru has attained the lord. The Guru does not and cannot explain how he has seen the God. Whether it is by having food or by drinking water, through bathing or by chanting, or by playing or by teaching or by learning, remains a secret not revealed by the Guru. So what should be done? Like Hanuman, when you do not know the right aushadhi (medicine), lift the entire mountain and carry it to the lord. Since we do not which is the right one, learn everything that he does. A seeker should be very attentive on the Guru’s movements. Even what the Guru thinks should be known to the disciple. The Guru may have taken a different path but your path may be different. The Guru projects different paths because each individual is different. The path may differ between individuals. One may attain through bhajans and another the jnana maarga (path of knowledge) and then proceed to the bhakthi maarga (path of devotion). All the margas are required and nothing can be eliminated by anybody. Karma yoga, dhyana yoga and bhakthi yoga – all are required. The sanyaasa yoga comes at the end. It has to be there, there is no other way. Which path has to be taken first is most often a matter of convenience. In order to find that one has to be a seeker. You cannot be confident of seeing the lord just because you have learnt the scriptures well or because you can chant bhajans well. Probably none of these activities like worship, chanting, and learning of the scriptures can make you see the lord.

 

Why are you asked to observe the Guru at every point? To teach you one-pointed concentration on the lord. At some point all that he has done will become immaterial – whether he has taken food or drank water, whether he has bathed or done the puja. Nothing is important – you ultimately see only him, not his activities. Initially you have to observe his activities and derive teachings from that. Finally, you see the antaraathma (inner self) where the lord resides. This is one way to purify your self by observing his movements and activities.

 

Human beings have a habit of imitating others. We imitate whom we like most. I make a small amendment here. Like the best to imitate. Just interchange of words in the sentence. Instead of deciding whom to imitate, imitate the best. We imitate our teachers and parents. We imitate whoever is in close contact. Every human being imitates. We imitate someone or the other. Why not imitate the best? You thus become observant. You can learn something only if you do not know it. There is nobody in this world who does not know the Ishwara thathwa (Godliness). We are ignorant about it, that is a different issue. It is all hidden within, you are as good as a Maharishi. He also sees the lord but unfortunately you are not seeing because the knowledge from within has not been revealed. This is why we say knowledge is not learnt; it is revealed. In order to reveal the knowledge and see the Ishwarathwa inside you, you have to imitate the Ishwara. The more you imitate, the more you become like that. At one point of time the imitation becomes the truth. You develop a habit, it becomes like you, and you become that. Why not imitate the Ishwara?  Guru has been appointed because you cannot see God and imitate. The moment you see the lord, there is nothing that he will do for you to imitate. He cannot express because he is the Supreme.

 

A bhaktha has to understand the lord. The lord will not make you understand him. For this reason the lord has created the Gurus to make us them see in the physical form. It is easy for human beings to accept someone in the same form and attitude. Suppose you confront a monstrous figure, will you be able to accept him as a Guru and imitate him? You will be either astonished, or will encounter fear. You will not accept him as one among you. To make it easy for human beings to accept, the lord has created Guru with a human body. He asked the Gurus to sacrifice. I am just analyzing from a human mind, it is not a fact. I am saying this only to make the human mind understand. Who would like to acquire a human body? Is there no way? Probably the Guru might be asking hey Bhagwan please show me one way that I can teach the others without having to acquire the human body. That is not possible because it is in the interest of both the Guru and the sishya. Bhagwan urges him to experience in a different way. You experienced the lord when you were a human being and a human body in a different way, by struggling, learning, imitating. Lot of process was undertaken. Now you witness others doing that and you attain the lord. Both are in two different planes. He is giving choices for each athma in order to experience the human body in a different way. Why does the Guru say that human body and mind are nothing, that they are only deceiving us? Because he has already experienced, he has been misled number of times. He finally realized  using the same body, mind, and the athman, that it is possible to attain the lord. To make him understand this, Bhagwan asked him to acquire a sharira. When he understood this thatwa he merges with the lord. That is called the amshavataara and imparting of this knowledge because when he is knowledge personified.  

 

When he talks to others, when he teaches, he is really not teaching. It is an intention of teaching. Every thought, action, word or karma that he executes, is meant for the disciple to have Ishwara darshana. There is no other purpose. Therefore one-pointed observation has been insisted upon. That highlights the importance of the Guru-sishya relationship. There is no relationship as pure and Supreme as this. That is the only relationship that is accepted by the lord. All other relationships are considered as emotions but this is Supreme. This relationship is one-sided and only for one purpose – for Ishwara darshana. When you look at the scriptures you will find the Maharishis have committed mistakes. Parashurama killed his mother. It has been criticized that a Maharishi beheaded the mother as per father’s instructions. People may consider it a sin but whatever the Guru does is not a sin. Through his act, Parashurama taught a lesson to his Guru who was also his father, and also to his mother. It was also a lesson for the Gurubrahthathwa – the Guru fraternity – which includes all disciples under the same Guru. It teaches them that Guru’s vaani is invaluable. The result of the action, be it a punya or a papa, belongs to the Guru. You do what you have been asked to do. His act of selecting someone to kill, or to give daana, are all according to Ishwara nischaya (lord’s decision). The mother had to be beheaded for a particular purpose; the Guru too had to realize his mistake. When his father asked him what vara (boon or reward) he wanted for obeying the Guru’s instructions, Parashurama asked that his mother be made alive again. He killed the mother and brought her back but in this process he taught lessons to so many people. Just follow the Guru, is the message here. Ishwara thathwa will automatically come to you. When he followed the Guru without any reluctance, he could revive the mother again. He did not want to lose the mother so Ishwara came in the form of Guru’s shantha bhaava (peaceful nature),  and again helped him to bring the mother back. This is the Guru-sishya samparka where there is no question in the mind whether one should do it or not. Is he telling for my benefit? The moment you have questions in your mind you have different relationships. The disciple tries to analyze the Guru. This is not possible. Just do what you are told. I have heard of a Swamiji who went to his Guru and complained that the job given to him was insignificant compared to his capabilities.  This implied that the Guru had not understood his capabilities. In other words he was analyzing the Guru. So the Guru asked him to learn to follow instructions first. He was disappointed that Guru had not paid heed to his words. He went about with his work but the next day when the Guru was strolling in the garden, this man on seeing the Guru approaching, started to run away. The Guru asked him why he was running away and he fumbled for an answer. When the Guru then asked him how much spare time he had now, the disciple revealed that he had not completed the work that was allotted to him. He confessed he had not realized the amount of time the job would take. The Guru knows what he should give. Do not try to analyze him. Or teach him. Every action, word, and thought of the Guru is meant for Ishwara darshana, and for the benefit of the disciple. This is how you create cleanliness and purity in mind.

 

When you have knowledge, one-pointed concentration automatically comes and the purification process starts. When you have one-pointed concentration on the Guru, it is not the deeds of the Guru that matters, the Guru comes and resides within you, and the purity automatically follows. It is not possible for any human being to remove thoughts and erase deeds physically. It is something like taking water from a pit from where it is continuously flowing. You take out one liter and two liters are added again. We keep doing this way because we do not know the technique of eliminating it. Yes, there are siddhas (the realized souls) who know about it but normal people do not. Instead, leave it to the one who knows. So what if I am not able to purify myself, I would try to get myself purified. My intention should be to purify. That purity comes only with ekaagrachitta (one-pointed concentration). That is why the reincarnations are here. When you have the ekaagrachitta, you will realize that all that he had been doing was for Ishwara darshana and for your aathmasaakhshaathkaara. Before that we did not know the purpose. As I said, when he comes out of this body and looks back, then he realizes it was all meant for Ishwara darshana. This is what one has to reveal. From the ancient days many people have told kuch jaan ke chalo kuch maan ke chalo. Some things you can understand because you have intelligence; beyond intelligence you just have to accept it, believe it. Since it is not possible to know and understand the Guru, just accept him. Why waste your time and complicate things? People waste the entire life trying to understand the Guru. And no self development takes place. Why did Guru have water in the morning, why not in the evening and things like people try to waste time on. Why is he wearing that particular cloth? Just accept ..your purpose is Ishwara darshana. What he does is for his Ishwara darshana and what you have to do is for your Ishwara darshana. He is at a higher plane, can you ever analyze him? This is why it is called sahayoga.

Shambho Mahaadeva!!

 

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