Guru-Poornima – A divine day that marks the celebration of a beautiful bond shared between the Guru & a disciple. While worldly relationships are based on a) give and take, b) me and mine, c) eventual cycle of life & death; the foundation of this divine bond evolves out of unconditional love (= surrender), blissfully powerful enough to get us through this ever-running ignorant cycle of birth after birth. How? Let us explore through the empowering discourses of Sadhvi Yoganjali Chaitanya Puri Ji and thereafter, His Holiness Swami Buddh Puri Ji.
Insights into the discourse by Sadhvi Ji:
It wouldn’t be so strange to say that in today’s world, the computer has become our Guru. Whatsoever information we seek, it is readily available for us to get our hands-on. And therefore, it is said that ‘Seek is believing.’ However, we tend to miss on an important sutra, i.e. how, a computer (which is ‘jad’) can possibly be the Guru of a human being (who is ‘Chaitanya’)? The wholesome reason that suggests otherwise is without a doubt, our Ego. Now, what about it? How to be aware of it?
Well, surrender unto a Chaitanya Guru’s command is the one and the only solution stated by Holy Scriptures of ours for centuries. In other words, the inner path belongs to those who preach, ‘Believing is seek’.
For those who talk about proof, who believe in logical judgments – what better proof does one need than this ‘human body’, the most beautiful creation of His? Does it ever cross our minds? No; because of the limited vision of ours. A vision confined in the walls of ‘me and mine’!
Let’s bring our attention to some of the practical tips. Such tips, those if watchfully adopted can embolden our vision multifold and thence let us connect deeper within, with one’s real self.
1) Do Not Judge; i.e. avoid indulging oneself in believing/proving others to be right or wrong, almost every other minute of the day. Everything is not just black and white.
2) Do Not Criticise; i.e. no matter how bad a person is considered to be (maybe it’s just our viewpoint), understand that he/she would definitely have a good side to him/her too. Remember, more the negativity we eat (through eyes, ears, or mouth for that matter), the more disturbed we are to be!
3) Do Not Compare; i.e. are we some kind of robots who should be all alike? Each one is unique in his/her own respective way. And what’s more, sometimes we tend to have a comparison with the Gurudev too!
4) Do Not Complaint about the Circumstances; i.e. ‘it is because that person I had to suffer…’ is a common misconception. Absolutely nobody has control over our lives. It is because of our own deeds that circumstances turn out to be in a respective manner. The more we accept this fact, the more content we would be!
Once we learn this art of peeking within, i.e. u-turning our out-focused mind into the realms of the inner world, then and only then we would embark on a journey to celebrate Guru Poornima.
Insights into the discourse by Sri Maharaj Ji:
What does it mean by celebrating Guru Poornima? We have n number of worldly relationships. And it is not just in the present lifetime; this has been the ongoing cycle for ages. But do we remember the relative ones from the earlier times? No! But why? Because each one of us has a very special relationship with someone that beholds utmost importance over any other sort of relationships we might have over the time. What is that relationship? Who can help us seek the truth behind that? Well, Guru is the bridge to embrace the eternal relationship with that special someone we often refer to as Paramatma or God. Complete and unconditional surrender in the lotus feet of Guru is a key step towards celebrating the real Guru Poornima.
Does it mean that all the other relationships are a big lie? If these relationships are confined in the zone of me & mine, then yes! However, surrendering unto Guru’s command if we own a firm belief in-stored deep within that each one of us is a part of Him, the Almighty and it is Him who is within one and all then every relationship would be as significant as we have with ‘The One’.
When does someone surrender unto Guru’s command or in other words, become a disciple, a seeker of the divine journey within, in its true sense?
Myth: So and so must have done a great number of good deeds in the previous lifecycle. That’s why he/she is blessed with divine grace.
Truth: Divine grace is not a sale-purchase commodity that could be bought with good deeds. ‘He’ is unconditional when it comes to ‘whom to be blessed with the divine grace’. But, so long as there is ‘I’ (i.e. ‘I’ want to be liberated), we wouldn’t be able to withstand the divine grace long enough. Therefore, ‘divine grace’ and ‘surrender’ go hand in hand.
On one side, we claim to be a disciple while on the other hand, our actions fortify kaam, krodh, lobh, moh and ahankar; and what’s more we are effortless when it comes to avoiding indulging in such activities and rather allow them to multifold like an unconscious addict; then even the divine grace would not fructify. Prevention holds more significance over the cure.
Speaking of the cure, the consistent and persistent practice of Guru-mantra is the ultimate cure one can have! This practice ought not to be like a parrot; rather like a watchful aspirant who holds on to the gist, i.e. the mantra’s very meaning – 1) I am yours, 2) In its true sense, ‘you and me’ is actually just the one and same.
Be it any circumstance; allow this mantra to be your only true friend. Even if nothing seems to be working out, cry-out like a baby and keep on chanting the mantra as if that’s the only solution available; eventually we are bound to get through not just the momentarily demanding situation but the eternal puzzle of life and death.
From this, if we ought to conclude that ‘sadhana is tough’ then we must understand that it would remain to be so, as long as we do not stop playing the game called as hide & seek with the Gurudev. Whether today or tomorrow, one has to be innocent like a baby; a baby whose heart, no matter what, finds solace in the mother’s lap; a baby whose inside out is single-faced. (Here, innocence like a baby should not be mistaken with acting kiddish.)
