Guru, God and Self are Synonymous

Guru, God and Self are Synonymous : Guru Poornima

published in Times of India July 12, 2003

An acharya (teacher) gives shiksha, which means knowledge; Guru gives diksha, which means heightened awareness.A guru does not simply stuff you with knowledge but he kindles life force in you.

In the presence of the guru you become more alive. The pinnacle of intellect is awakened intelligence. The guru invokes not only intelligence but also the intellect in you. Knowledge may not invoke intelligence, but in intelligence, knowledge is inherent.

Whether you like it or not, the guru principle pervades your life. Your mother is your first guru and then from science to spirituality, from birth to death, guru principle permeates your life.

There is a guru for every discipline - a religious guru (dharma), a family guru (kula), a rajguru (guru for
the kingdom), a vidya guru (guru for a particular discipline) and a sat guru (spiritual guru).

In the Upanishads five signs of sat guru are mentioned. In the presence of the sat guru; Knowledge flourishes (Gyana raksha);

Sorrow diminishes (Dukha kshaya); Joy wells up without any reason (Sukha aavirbhava); Abundance dawns (Samriddhi); All talents manifest (Sarva samvardhan).

Mind is connected with the moon and full moon is a symbol of completion and pinnacle of celebration.
Among the 12-13 full moons in a year the vaishakha full moon is dedicated to Buddha (his birth and
enlightenment), jyeshtha full moon to mother earth and the aashadha full moon is dedicated to the memory of
masters. This is Guru-poornima.

Gurupoornima is also called Vyasa Poornima. Vyasa is the embodiment of scriptural knowledge as well as
experience. When a guru or acharya delivers a talk the seat is called Vyasa peetha. Vyasa is familiar with
every avenue of existence, both material and spiritual. There is a saying Vyaso chishtam jagat
sarwam that means there is nothing under the sun that Vyasa has not touched upon.

As no sanchita karma is left in an embodied guru, self shines through, which becomes very obvious in the
presence of the guru. But all those qualities that you appreciate in a guru are also in your very nature.
Being with the guru is like being with one's higher self. Guru, God and one's own self are synonymous.

Often one recognises wisdom but sees a gap between wisdom and one's own life. The purpose of becoming a
disciple is to bridge that gap. Being with a guru means spontaneous integration of
life and wisdom. Respecting the guru simply means honouring your innermost nature.

Gurupoornima is the day when the disciple wakes up in his fullness and in the wakefulness he can't be but
grateful. This gratitude is not of dwaita (you andme), but of advaita. It is not a river moving from
somewhere to somewhere, but is the ocean moving within itself. So, gratefulness on Guru-poornima symbolises
that fullness.

The purpose of the Guru poornima celebration is to turn back and review and see in this
last one year how much one has progressed in life. For a seeker, Guru poornima is a day of significance.
It is the day to review one's progress on the spiritual path and renew one's determination
and focus on the goal. As the full moon rises and sets, tears of gratitude arise and repose into the
vastness of one's own self.