Hindu Festivals No.15.

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Dear friends and devotees,

 

Bhakti is eternal,

 

15. Guru Purnima

 

(Ashada suddha pournami)

 

THE FULL moon day in the month of Ashada (July-August) is an extremely

auspicious and holy day of Guru Purnima. On this day, sacred to the memory of

the great sage, Bhagavan Sri Vyasa, Sannyasins settle at some place to study and

discourse on the thrice-blessed Brahma Sutras composed by Maharishi Vyasa, and

engage themselves in Vedantic, philosophical investigation.

 

Sri Vyasa has done unforgettable service to humanity for all times by editing

the four Vedas, writing the eighteen Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad

Bhagavata. We can only repay the deep debt of gratitude we owe him, by constant

study of his works and practice of his teachings imparted for the regeneration

of humanity in this Iron Age. In honour of this divine personage, all spiritual

aspirants and devotees perform Vyasa Puja on this day, and disciples worship

their spiritual preceptor. Saints, monks and men of God are honoured and

entertained with acts of charity by all the householders with deep faith and

sincerity. The period Chaturmas (the four months) begins from this day;

Sanyasins stay at one place during the ensuing four rainy months, engaging in

the study of the Brahma Sutras and the practice of meditation.

 

Mark fully the deep significance of this great day. It heralds the setting in

of the eagerly awaited rains. The water drawn up and stored as clouds in the hot

summer now manifests in plentiful showers that usher in the advent of fresh life

everywhere. Even so, all begin seriously to put into actual practice all the

theory and philosophy that have been stored up in them through patient study.

Aspirants commence or resolve to intensify with all earnestness, their practical

spiritual Sadhana right from this day.

 

Generate fresh waves of spirituality. Let all that you have read, heard, seen

and learnt become transformed, through Sadhana, into a continuous outpouring of

universal love, ceaseless loving service, and continuous prayer and worship of

the Lord seated in all beings.

 

Live on milk and fruit on this day and practise rigorous Japa and meditation.

Study the Brahma Sutras and do Japa of your Guru Mantra, during the four months

following the Guru Purnima. You will be highly benefited.

 

The day of worship of one’s preceptor, is a day of pure joy to the sincere

spiritual aspirant. Thrilled by the expectation of offering his reverent homage

to the beloved Guru, aspirants await this occasion with eagerness and devotion.

It is the Guru alone that breaks the binding cords of attachment and releases

the aspirant from the trammels of earthly existence.

 

The Srutis say: “To that high-souled aspirant, whose devotion to the Lord is

great and whose devotion to his Guru is as great as that to the Lord, the

secrets explained herein become illuminated”. Guru is Brahma, the Absolute, or

God Himself. He guides and inspires you from the innermost core of your being.

He is everywhere.

 

Have a new angle of vision. Behold the entire universe as the form of the

Guru. See the guiding hand, the awakening voice, the illuminating touch of the

Guru in every object in this creation. The whole world will now stand

transformed before your changed vision. The world as Guru will reveal all the

precious secrets of life to you, and bestow wisdom upon you. The supreme Guru,

as manifested in visible nature, will teach you the most valuable lessons of

life.

 

Worship daily this Guru of Gurus, the Guru who taught even the Avadhuta

Dattatreya. Dattatreya, regarded as God and the Guru of Gurus, considered Nature

Herself as His Guru, and learnt a number of lessons from Her twenty-four

creatures, and hence he is said to have had twenty-four Gurus. The silent,

all-enduring earth with its lofty forbearance, the shady fruit-bearing tree with

its willing self-sacrifice, the mighty banyan tree reposing with patience in the

tiny seed, the drops of rain whose persistence wears away even the rocks, the

planets and the seasons with their orderly punctuality and regularity were all

divine Gurus to him. They, who will look and listen, will learn.

 

Become a personification of receptivity. Empty yourself of your petty ego. All

the treasures locked up in the bosom of Nature will become yours. You will

progress and attain perfection in an amazingly short time. Become pure and

unattached as the mountain breeze. As the river flows continuously, steadily and

constantly towards its goal, the ocean, so also let your life flow ceaselessly

towards the supreme state of absolute Existence-Knowledge-Bliss, by letting all

your thoughts, all your words and all your actions be directed only towards the

goal.

 

The moon shines by reflecting the dazzling light of the sun. It is the full

moon on the Purnima day that reflects in full splendour the glorious light of

the sun. It glorifies the sun. Purify yourself through the fire of selfless

service and Sadhana, and like the full moon, reflect the glorious light of the

Self. Become the full reflectors of Brahmic splendour, the light of lights. Make

this your goal: “I will be a living witness to divinity, the brilliant Sun of

suns!”

 

The Supreme Self alone is real. He is the Soul of all. He is all-in-all. He is

the essence of this universe. He is the unity that never admits of a duality

under all the varieties and diversities of nature. Thou art this immortal,

all-pervading, all-blissful Self. Thou art that! Realise this and be free.

 

Remember these four important lines of the Brahma Sutras:

 

1. Athatho brahma jijnasaa - Now, therefore, the enquiry of Brahman.

 

2. Janmasya yathah - From which proceed the origin, etc.

 

3. Sastra yonitwat - The scriptures are the means of right knowledge.

 

4. Tat tu samanvayat - For, That is the main support (of the universe).

 

Jaya Guru Shiva Guru Hari Guru Ram;

Jagad Guru Param Guru Sat Guru Shyam.

 

It is through the medium of the preceptor that the individual can raise

himself to Cosmic-Consciousness. It is through that medium that the imperfect

can become perfect, the finite can become infinite and the mortal can pass into

the eternal life of blessedness. The Guru is verily a link between the

individual and the Immortal. He is a being who has raised himself from this to

that and thus has a free and unhampered access to both realms. He stands, as it

were, upon the threshold of immortality, and, bending down, raises the

struggling individuals with his one hand and with the other, lifts them up into

the kingdom of everlasting joy and infinite Truth-Consciousness.

 

Do you realise now the sacred significance and the supreme importance of the

Guru’s role in the evolution of man? It was not without reason that the India of

the past carefully tended and kept alive the lamp of Guru-Tattva. It is

therefore not without reason that India, year after year, age after age,

commemorates anew this ancient concept of the Guru, adores it and pays homage to

it again and again, and thereby re-affirms its belief and allegiance to it. For,

the true Indian knows that the Guru is the only guarantee for the individual to

transcend the bondage of sorrow and death, and experience the Consciousness of

the Reality.

 

Give up the delusive notion that to submit to the preceptor, to obey him and

to carry out his instructions, is slavish mentality. Only the ignorant man

thinks that it is beneath his dignity and against his freedom to submit to

another man’s command. This is a grave blunder. If you reflect carefully, you

will see that your individual freedom is in reality, an absolute abject slavery

to your own ego and vanity. It is the vagary of the sensual mind. He who attains

victory over the mind and the ego is the truly free man. He is the hero. It is

to attain this victory that a man submits to the higher, spiritualised

personality of the Guru. By this submission he vanquishes his lower ego and

realises the bliss and freedom of the infinite Consciousness.

 

To strengthen and affirm the faith of the wavering man and to guarantee the

attitude that is necessary for the fruition of all worship, the ancients have

deified the personality of the Guru. To adore the Guru is indeed to adore the

Supreme. In this world of mortality, the Guru is verily like an ambassador in an

alien court. Just as an ambassador represents fully the nation to which he

belongs, even so, the Guru is one who is the representative of the sublime

transcendental state which he has attained. Just as to honour the ambassador is

to honour the nation that he hails from, even so to worship and to offer

adoration to the visible Guru is verily the direct worship and adoration of the

Supreme Reality. Even as a distant tree, though it cannot be seen is

nevertheless known by the fragrance its fully-bloomed flowers waft far and wide,

so also, the Guru is the divine flower who disseminates the Atmic aroma of

divinity in this world, and thus proclaims the immortal Lord who

is invisible to the physical eye. He is the standing witness to the Supreme

Self, the counterpart of the Lord on earth, and through worship of him one

attains the Self.

 

Remember and adore Sri Vyasa and the Gurus who are fully established in

knowledge of the Self. May their blessings be upon you! May you cut asunder the

knot of ignorance and shine as blessed sages shedding peace, joy and light

everywhere!

 

At the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, the Guru Purnima is celebrated every year

on a grand scale. Many devotees and aspirants come from all parts of the

country.

 

1. All aspirants awake at Brahmamuhurta, at 4 o’clock. They meditate on the

Guru and chant his prayers.

 

2. Later in the day, the sacred worship of the Guru’s Feet is performed. Of

this worship it is said in the Guru Gita:

 

Dhyaana moolam guror murtih;

Pooja moolam guror padam;

Mantra moolam guror vakyam;

Moksha moolam guror kripa

 

The Guru’s form should be meditated upon; the feet of the Guru should be

worshipped; his words are to be treated as a sacred Mantra; his Grace ensures

final liberation?.

 

3. Sadhus and Sannyasins are then worshipped and fed at noon.

 

4. There is continuous Satsang during which discourses are held on the glory

of devotion to the Guru in particular, and on spiritual topics in general.

 

5. Deserving aspirants are initiated into the Holy Order of Sannyas, as this

is a highly auspicious occasion.

 

6. Devout disciples fast and spend the whole day in prayer. They also take

fresh resolves for spiritual progress.

 

Wake up at Brahmamuhurta (at 4 a.m.) on this most holy day. Meditate on the

lotus feet of your Guru. Mentally pray to him for his Grace, through which alone

you can attain Self-realisation. Do vigorous Japa and meditate in the early

morning hours.

 

After bath, worship the lotus feet of your Guru, or his image or picture with

flowers, fruits, incense and camphor.

 

Fast or take only milk and fruits the whole day.

 

In the afternoon, sit with other devotees of your Guru and discuss with them

the glories and teachings of your Guru.

 

Alternatively, you may observe the vow of silence and study the books or

writings of your Guru, or mentally reflect upon his teachings.

 

Take fresh resolves on this holy day, to tread the spiritual path in

accordance with the precepts of your Guru.

 

At night, assemble again with other devotees, and sing the Names of the Lord

and the glories of your Guru.

 

The best form of worship of the Guru is to follow his teachings, to shine as

the very embodiment of his teachings, and to propagate his glory and his

message.

(By Swami Sivananda)

 

With love and regards,

 

Sastry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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