GURU POORNIMA MESSAGE

[Guest guest]

GURU POORNIMA MESSAGE

The moon starts growing from the New Moon day increases its digits and grows in

splendour, beauty and blissfulness from day to day till it reaches Full Moon.

That is the time all creatures rejoice in its light and Nature even laughs out

hilariously. The Pounima has its importance not merely for the worldly comforts

it imparts but also for its spiritual side. The Moon stands for the mind; and

the fullness of the mind, especially to reach what Mankind exists for, can only

be got with the help of those who reached perfection of mental strength. The

mind practically is the soul. That is the largest sense of the term ‘mind’; but

did not Hamilton say there is nothing great in the world but man and nothing

great in man but mind. For a soul to attain perfection it is hardly possible to

depend upon itself alone. Hardly one in a thousand attains to anything like

perfection without a Guru’s help. The importance of the Guru is recognised in

every religion, including Hinduism.

Every ordinary pournima is the day for the Guru Worship. But several saints like

Sai Baba insisted on the importance of approaching the Guru in Guru Pournima day

on which Vyasa started writing the Brahma Sutras. The Full Pournima is also the

day which marks the beginning of the Monsoon roughly. After the Monsoon sets

in, in a wild forest covered country like ancient India, travel was hazardous,

and Jnanis and Sanyasis who were directed by Sastras to round from place to

place to obtain their food could hardly venture to cross the fallen trees and

broken paths that they would encounter for approaching even a near village.

During Monsoon time and in parts like Malabar and western range of Hills, the

rains are so frequent and continuous as to dissuade people who want to travel.

For these and similar reasons, hermits, saints, and sadhus were compelled to

stay in one place and depend upon the charity of that place for their

sustenance during the Monsoon. Gratitude is the hallmark of

Saints. Their very presence may be the means of repaying their generous donors.

Their very acceptance of the food of the donors destroys the evil karma of the

donors. The Bhagavata says:

Bungte Sarvatra Bhoktrunaam

Dahan Prag Uttaraaseubham...

i.e. the Muni like fire devours (without fear of being tainted) every food

offered by the donors and thereby burns up the evil karma of the donors both

past and future. But apart from this natural and involuntary reaction, there is

the direct desire of the hermits or the saints to benefit those who support

them. These are the Gurus who can impart spiritual benefits and help greatly in

uplifting those who come near them prepared to receive their teaching or

stimulation or unseen influence. Hence it is during Chaturmaasya which begins

with the Guru Pournima that people with the proper frame of mind make spiritual

advance with the help of the Guru. At Shirdi roughly about 1908 this practice of

Guru Pournima was begun. One day Baba told Dada Kelkar, "You know this day is

the day to approach Gurus. Bring your worship articles." Then Kelkar and his

friends looked up the calendar and found the day was Guru Pournima. And then on

the Guru Pournima day, they began worship of

Sai as their Guru Deva, and that practice has continued from that day up to now

for worship of Sai Deva not only at Shirdi but also in all places where Sai is

worshipped.

The importance of a particular day for Guru Worship is not enough to note. One

must carry out everything necessary for the success of the celebration. The

purpose of Guru Puja on that day being special illumination, the earnest Bhakta

must observe all rules, forms, and procedures that are best fitted for

development of spirituality – early bath, purity, reduction of attention to

worldly concerns, abstemious diet, or a careful fast (or phalahara), devotion

of every available minute to contemplation on and immersion in the Guru Deva.

Every reading, parayana, manana, stotra, keertana, bhajans, Katha etc., that

tends to develop and deepen one’s bhakti should be strenuously and scrupulously

adopted. Frivolities, idle gossip, indulgence in every form of loose and low

mentality should all be shunned. Above all, meditation, preferably in solitude

or at least in holy company under an auspicious and favourable circumstances

such as proximity of the Guru Deva, should be

developed. If on the Guru Pournima day, for instance, 30 minutes of intense

unbroken concentration on Guru Deva is achieved, that ought to be maintaining

or increased during subsequent periods. The end of concentration is Tanmayatva

(becoming that). Thinking of Brahman, the soul becomes Brahman. In fact we are

nothing but our thoughts. The more we avoid loose and worthless thoughts and

confine ourselves to noble thoughts preferably on the noblest thought of Guru

Deva, the more assuredly we shall achieve the goal of life, namely, our

transformation into the likeness of the Guru Deva. This is the basis of

Tukaram’s famous sayings that Saints turn their ardent bhaktas into their own

likeness. Apana Sarika Karitaat tatkal, i.e., immediately they (Saints) make

them (the adorers) like unto themselves. That is the grandest achievement

possible for us, and the Guru pournima day is the day when we should not only

recall that fact but also make every possible effort to help on that

consummation.

Sri Sai Baba is ever present and near us and will assuredly respond to our call.

(This Guru Poornima message was delivered by HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

on July 10, 1955. Published by All India Sai Samaj, Chennai 600004.)

 

SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!