27 July 2018, Shabad Surat Sangam Ashram, Malke, Moga: Well, it’s no more a secret that India is a land of festivals, and thus there are ongoing celebrations every now and then. While a) some of these celebrations are confined to the relationships that we ought to do for family and friends, i.e. birthdays, anniversaries, etc.; b) some of these we celebrate as a remembrance of deities, our idols i.e. Shivratri, Holi, Dussehra. But amongst all, c) for an aspirant of inner divine journey, the ‘Guru Poornima’ a symbol of the bond shared between a guru and disciple, tied with the fine knots of surrender, is the most special one. How? That is what Sadhvi Yoganjali Ji and then Sri Maharaj Ji himself spoke about. Let us explore too!
A glimpse of Sadhvi Ji’s discourse:
… The base of this relationship lies in the curiosity of aspirant and this happens but of course with His, the almighty’s grace alone. Just the way farmers cannot reap unless they sow, likewise this human birth formed earth would go in absolute vain unless we sow the seed of ‘practice of guru-mantra’; of which the by-product is awareness, and self-realization. However, if we tend to establish this relationship on the grounds of judgment, comparison, keeping our comfort on priority, our conditions – we seldom leave any room for learning, or for improvement for that matter.
No matter howsoever we think we are i.e. good or bad, rich or poor, egoist or down-to-earth; just one thing needs to be done – surrender one self unto Guru’s command; just the way a newly born, an innocent child has a total surrender at the expense of his caretaker. It is then and only then, would we be able to celebrate real ‘Guru Poornima.’
A glimpse of Sri Maharaj Ji’s discourse:
Each and everyone wish for an everlasting zone of happiness. And without a doubt, there does come a point in each one of our lives when we get tired of running here and there, tired of hunting for pleasure in petty substances around us. Right at this point, being aware of this very moment, to make the best out of it – surrender unto Guru’s command. Know this, a Guru is someone who is very much capable of opening the eyes of wisdom. Once there, curiosity blended with surrender is what that would give birth to a sadhak (a seeker, true aspirant of inner divine journey), in the womb of heart. While at it, the most important thing is to stay focused, to get over distractions and therefore, just keep on walking. Believe that this very insight of realizing one’s true self, or in other words, to explore the everlasting zone of happiness together with the guidance of Guru, the surrender, would itself direct us towards the right direction.
Just the way a seed of a tree full of fruits and flowers is capable of eventually transforming itself into yet another tree some-day; likewise being initiated, we get the technique so powerful that with hearty practice of Guru-mantra (received during initiation), with time we would come to realize that a) we are His very part, b) whatsoever separation we think that there is, is due to mere ignorance, that c) He resides within one and all. This practice is such an amazing experience that it self-dissolves the mountains of ego, while simultaneously directing our out-focused senses towards within, understandably depending on one’s practice.
Ignore the sort of thoughts such as this is tough, that there is ego to be dealt with at first. Wherever we are, whomsoever we are i.e. whether Brahmchari (student), a griahastha (householder), a vanaprastha (retired), or a sanyasi (renunciate), if we are blessed enough to have guru-mantra, keep on practicing remembering our true self, i.e. I am much more than this physical body; a part of the eternal!
And today, on the occasion of Guru Poornima, the real dakshina would be to share the bliss you yourself has received; how? Neither by giving out lectures nor by being proud in front of someone saying that ‘you must meet my Guru’. Let your behavior do all the talking. Family and friends should be able to notice the difference, i.e. how cum you are indeed a master of such a divine ecstasy all the time… Your lifestyle, your thought pattern, your every move should talk for itself… Tat Sat!
