Importance of a Guru
When we read the scriptures, we don’t see more in the book than we did before. Rather we see more in us and more of us in a different light altogether than we did previously, with the help of a Guru.
Learning is accomplished by reading books or listening to discourses. Wisdom is attained by reading the book that is you. Not an easy task at all, for every moment of the day brings a new edition of the book!! The task is made easier by a Guru.
On the spiritual path, every key that can open a door can destroy the lock also if we use it wrongly. Therefore, Guru’s guidance is needed.
“At certain stages in the spiritual journey, there is a quickening of the spirit which is brought about through the grace of the Guru.” — Ram Das
The teacher and the taught, together produce the teaching.
He is the Guru who takes God-ward and along the path to peace the jeeva (conditioned self / finite ego), burned by the fire of threefold miseries of life — aadhidaivik taapa (those due to natural causes), aadhibhautik taapa (due to other things and beings) and adhyaatmik taapa (due to afflictions of the body and the mind).
The relation between the Guru and the disciple is that of a spiritual father and a son or a daughter. The worldly father begets a son. The Guru delivers the disciple from the cycle of birth and death by indicating to him the Supreme Truth.
The paternal debt can be repaid by continuing the family line by performing the shraaddha ceremonies (the sacramental ceremonies done by a son after his father’s death for his welfare hereafter). But the debt to the Guru cannot be repaid even by offering one’s all, for he delivers the disciple from limitations and bondages caused by avidyaa (nescience / ignorance).
It is an incomparable journey where the Guru leads you from the manifest to the unmanifest, from the mundane to the divine, from the ephemeral to the eternal, from the finite to the infinite.
No known comparison exists in the three worlds for a true Guru. If the philosopher’s stone be assumed as truly such, it can only turn iron into gold, not into another philosopher’s stone. The venerated teacher, on the other hand, creates equality with himself in the disciple, that is, he turns a disciple into a Master!
vimalchand Shrishrimal
Respected Swamiji,
Sadar Pranam and Hari Aum,
Excellent article makes importance of the Guru clear in our progress on the spiritual path.
On the eve of Guru Purnima my shat shat Naman to you and express my sincere gratitude to you that whatever little progress i have made on my spiritual journey is only because of you.
With warm personal regards,
Vimal
Rita
Hari Aum!
Swami-ji,
Today’s article is a guidance for our life. Yes, worldly father gives birth, but only a Guru teaches us how to live and he delivers us from the cycle of birth and death to end our miseries permanently. I am lucky that you are my guru. Swami-ji your blessings are always with me and my family members.