Guest guest Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 >From today's Times of India. I don't think the Sri Ravi Shankar who wrote this piece is the famous sitarist. THE SPEAKING TREE Guru, God & Self Are Synonymous SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR [ SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2003 12:00:28 AM ] Indian culture has always held the guru in a high esteem. Having a master was not just considered a matter of pride, but it was mandatory to have a guru. Not having a master was looked down upon as being an orphan, being poor and a sign of misfortune. The word anatha in Sanskrit means one without a master. 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 raj guru (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 Gurupoornima. 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 sanchitha 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 and me), but of advaita. It is not a river moving from somewhere to somewhere, but is the ocean moving within itself. So, gratefulness on Gurupoornima symbolises that fullness of the student or the disciple. While celebrating Gurupoornima, the disciple or devotee reviews their spiritual growth of the whole year. The purpose of celebration is to turn back and see in this last one year how much one has progressed in life. For a seeker, Gurupoornima 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. SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 The Sri Ravi Shankar who wrote this piece is a Guru of another vast organization. He is not the same as the sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar You probably have heard of the 'Art of Living' organization; he is the Guru of that organization. They have brances in over 140 countries, and like Amma, he has a large following too. They practise 'sudarshana kriya', a set of breathing techniques and other meditation activities to reach the goal. He strongly emphasizes the practice of singing bhajans too. In India, you get a channel called Sanskar (meaning culture), where Ravi Shankar's devotees are regularly featured singing bhajans etc. Check out www.artofliving.org for more info on the organization and how they work. He looks a little bit like how Jesus Christ is pictured in today's books. Jai Ma! Ammachi, Mike Brooker <patria1818> wrote: > From today's Times of India. I don't think the Sri > Ravi Shankar who wrote this piece is the famous > sitarist. > > > THE SPEAKING TREE > Guru, God & Self Are Synonymous > SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR > > [ SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2003 12:00:28 AM ] > > Indian culture has always held the guru in a high > esteem. Having a master was not just considered a > matter of pride, but it was mandatory to have a guru. > Not having a master was looked down upon as being an > orphan, being poor and a sign of misfortune. The word > anatha in Sanskrit means one without a master. > > 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 raj guru (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 Gurupoornima. 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 sanchitha 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 and > me), but of advaita. It is not a river moving from > somewhere to somewhere, but is the ocean moving within > itself. So, gratefulness on Gurupoornima symbolises > that fullness of the student or the disciple. > > While celebrating Gurupoornima, the disciple or > devotee reviews their spiritual growth of the whole > year. The purpose of celebration is to turn back and > see in this last one year how much one has progressed > in life. > > For a seeker, Gurupoornima 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. > > > > > > SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! > http://sbc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Sri Sri Ravishankar is the founder of the Art of Living Foundation. http://www.artofliving.org/Sri-Sri-Ravi-Shankar.html -girish On Sat, 12 Jul 2003, Mike Brooker wrote: > From today's Times of India. I don't think the Sri > Ravi Shankar who wrote this piece is the famous > sitarist. > > > THE SPEAKING TREE > Guru, God & Self Are Synonymous > SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR > > [ SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2003 12:00:28 AM ] > > Indian culture has always held the guru in a high > esteem. Having a master was not just considered a > matter of pride, but it was mandatory to have a guru. > Not having a master was looked down upon as being an > orphan, being poor and a sign of misfortune. The word > anatha in Sanskrit means one without a master. > > 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 raj guru (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 Gurupoornima. 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 sanchitha 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 and > me), but of advaita. It is not a river moving from > somewhere to somewhere, but is the ocean moving within > itself. So, gratefulness on Gurupoornima symbolises > that fullness of the student or the disciple. > > While celebrating Gurupoornima, the disciple or > devotee reviews their spiritual growth of the whole > year. The purpose of celebration is to turn back and > see in this last one year how much one has progressed > in life. > > For a seeker, Gurupoornima 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. > > > > > > SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! > http://sbc. > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > Ammachi > > > Your use of is subject to > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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