Gurupoornima

Though our minds naturally turn to the sacredness of Gurupoornima, Baba has been telling us, “Every day is Gurupoornima; every day is Thursday, the day of the guru.” We should contemplate this truth with devotion and make this day a day of dedication, so that it may open for us the door leading to God-realization.

The word ‘guru’ means he who enlightens, he who removes the darkness; it means, a person who has transcended the three gunas [primary qualities], who has realized the ruparahita (the formless absolute), a person who can open your eyes to the perfection which you really are. No person who is afflicted with avarice, short temper, jealousy, self-esteem, and other worldly traits can be honored by that appellation. He should be able to come to the rescue of the seeker whom he has taken under his care, whenever spiritual difficulties arise. He must watch over him, at all times, whether he is far or near; he must be loving but firm; not hesitating to correct the pupil by reprimand, if necessary. He should be a good doctor, who has with him the correct antidote, ready to be administered, when any reaction sets in during the observance of his advice. In short, he must have realized the goal.

The guru does not confer upon you something new, Baba says. He only reveals to you your own reality. He takes away the veil that conceals the truth from you. He is like the man to whom you go for a loan of ten rupees, but who reminds you of a ten rupee note that you have placed between the leaves of the Gita that you read daily, rupees about which you have no recollection. He directs your attention to the treasure hidden in you.

The guru is a gift from God; sometimes when no human guru is available or needed, God himself takes on that role, and leads you on, from within or from without. He tests the disciple for viveka and vairagyam [discrimination and detachment]. He implants within the consciousness of the pupil an alarm, which warns him as soon as he strays from the straight path. His loving care can make the disciple climb to the heights, provided he has developed one-pointed intensity of faith. He shows the way; he gives a clear map of the road. The seeker, Baba says, has to tread the path himself. Of course the guru will exhort and encourage, until the final stage of nirvikalpa samadhi [blissful trance] is reached and the particular is merged in the universal.

The disciple must possess a healthy body, a strong mind, and a benevolent heart. For success in meditation, according to Baba, all three are essential. Word and deed should be coordinated or else, ashanti [turmoil] will ensue. If both are in harmony, shanti [peace] is ensured. Baba says, “Instruction of a pupil who has not got these three is as futile as trying to keep water in a leaky receptacle.” In order to obtain the grace of the guru, he must adhere to his dharma [righteousness] in the right spirit and keep cheerful under all conditions, and in the midst of the varied activities of life. The heart has to be cleansed of the qualities that clog it, and the vagaries of the mind have to be controlled.

Without concentration, the seeker cannot absorb the lessons that the guru is earnest to give. One with a wandering mind, unable to concentrate on the wisdom that the guru imparts and apply it in daily practice, is not worthy of being accepted as a disciple. While speaking on this point, Baba once told an interesting story. A pupil was sitting at his guru’s feet while the master was expounding profound truths. Though pretending to be listening reverentially, the young man’s attention was centered on a hole at the bottom of the wall of the hermitage, which a rat was struggling to enter in search of prey. When almost the entire rat had made its entrance, the guru, who was unaware of the pupil’s lack of attention, asked the class, “Now let me know how much has gone in.” The pupil, who was watching the rat, blurted out absent-mindedly, “All but the tail, guruji.”

And Baba asks, “Are not most men inclined to be like that pupil?” To keep the mind on God, not letting it wander into the rat holes of the world requires tremendous will power and perseverance. “The monkeys,” Baba once said at Brindavan, pointing to the capering groups on the trees, “are good teachers; they teach you what not to do!” Jumping from tree to tree, their attention is not focused on any single object; like monkeys, people parade and scheme through life, the mind wandering behind the senses into the jungle of sense objects.

With the guru’s help, the mind can be stilled. He is the supreme doctor. He can help us to get rid of unrest, anger, desire, vanity, and avarice. He administers the medicines of meditation, prayer, recital, and remembrance of the name of the Lord, and He restores the pupil to the state of ananda [bliss], which is native to him.

When Gurupoornima nears, these words from Baba’s divine discourses at Brindavan to the group of sadhakas [devotees] there come to mind, and one would like to share them with all fellow pilgrims. Why drink the drugs of life, when Bhagavan offers us the sparkling clear living waters of truth?

~Hilda Charlton
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, July 1965