What is the Guru?

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(From debu7366)

 

What is the Guru? A short talk by Prahlad Chandra Brahmachari -May 4, 1975 Once

long ago we had a great king, Janak. Janak Maharshi. He made a vow: "He who can

give me the knowledge of Brahma in the wink of an eye, he will be my guru."

That knowledge of Brahma, which cannot be had even after doing penance for many

lifetimes, to get that knowledge edge in the wink of an eye is impossible!

Sanak and other sages and rishis, sixty thousand great rishis came and sat,

motionless, and whoever would give King Janak the knowledge of Brahma in the

wink of an eye would be his guru. They all sat motionless and silent.

At that time there was one rishi named Ashtavakra, who was deformed. He came,

stooping over, to the guru seat which King Janak had prepared. King Janak

asked, "Will you be my guru?"

Ashtavakra Rishi said, "Yes, I will be your guru."

"You will give me the knowledge of Brahma in the wink of an eye?"

"Indeed, I will give you that," said the Rishi.

Then King Janak asked him, "So, you will give me initiation?"

Ashtavakra Rishi answered, "Yes, I will give you initiation. But first you must

give me the guru-fee. Because after I have become your guru, I cannot take any

fee from you. Our Vedantic religion, our Hindu Sanatan Dharma, is very strict.

There is no getting a guru before giving the teacher’s fee."

Then Ashtavakra Rishi said, "Maharaj, there are three things you must give me

for the guru-fee. The first is the body, the second is the mind, the third is

your wealth. You have to give me these things first."

In the presence of those sixty-thousand rishis King Janak promptly and

ungrudgingly gave these gifts. First he gave his body, meaning the physical

body. Secondly he gave his mind. And thirdly, he gave all his wealth. By wealth

we do not mean gold, pearls, or gems. Our real wealth is our eyes, our ears, our

tongue, our nose. Within this body there are great riches. These riches King

Janak gave ungrudgingly.

After taking the gifts, Ashtavakra Rishi, sitting on the guru seat said, "Tell

me now, King Janak, just who will take this knowledge of Brahma? Who will

receive this knowledge of God"?

Then Janak said, "What? "I!" And again he exclaimed, "I!"

Ashtavakra said, "What does ‘I’ mean? All that you gave me: your body, your

mind, your riches, if this is not 'I' then where else is ‘I’?" King Janak

became very thoughtful.

Then Ashtavakra Rishi said, "Maharaj, that knowledge of God, which you are

getting in the wink of an eye, we chant everyday, like this:

Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu,Guru Deva Maheshvara,Guru Sakshat, Param Brahma,Tasmai Sri Guruve Namah.

Guru means Brahma, guru means Bhagavan. Bhagavan is formless, and he is also

with form, standing right in front of us. He gives the mantra in our ear, or he

writes it on our tongue. He removes the darkness of our ignorance.

If the guru gives his grace, of course we will attain to God! Here the need

arises for complete and total faith. In this way we must have faith: a faith in

which there are no faults or failings what so ever. No error at all. There is a

saying, ‘Faith will get you the truth but debate takes for ever.’ What is the

meaning of guru? He in whom there is no ignorance.

Agyana Timirandhasha, gyananjano sholokoyaChokkumilitong Jeno, Tasmai Shri Guruve Namah.

Then King Janak had the knowledge of Brahma in the wink of an eye. What was it?

Guru God! Guru Bhagavan! You cannot get that knowledge of Brahma without the

Guru’s Blessing and the Guru’s Grace.

In the same way, we cannot see our own face. We need a mirror. We see our face

in a mirror. We shave the beard, we can see the face, or we put on the tilak,

or we can just get a very good look at the whole face. We can see it very well.

This looking-glass or mirror is the guru’s blessing. We cannot see our own face

by ourselves. We can see the face of another, but we cannot see our own face.

With the help of the mirror, we can see. This first story is from the "Guru

Gita."

May the Merciful Sri Sai Baba always shower His grace on us and our families and

remove our problems and anxieties by giving us all - strength , goodluck,

success and happiness with peace of mind.

Sai bhakt,

Deepa H Tired of

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