More Thoughts on Guru Gita

[Guest guest]

Spurred on by the latest transcript of the on line class, here are

some thoughts that have been rattling around in my head of late.

 

The first is about the essence of the guru tattwa. I think, like most

people, I'm so used to thinking of the guru as a teacher that I have

trouble relating to the perspective of the Guru Gita, which seems to

extend its discussion of guru outward from a foundation that is

Universal, rather than individual - from the Reality of guru, which is

universal, to the particular, which is a representation, an embodyment

of that tattwa, Shree Maa, for instance.

 

The fundimental aspect of the guru tattwa is that of illumination. In

the beginning of the Guru Gita we are asked to deeply intuit the

meaning of the two words Gu and Ru, illuminating the darkness.

Consider that without this function of illumination there could be no

universe, no creation. The play between polarities that is the essence

of manifestation, the intrinsic movement toward the Truth of unity in

the midst of diversity and seeming dissolution, is the very basis of

creation, is guru.

 

The group asked, and Swamiji answered:

 

chandimaakijai: remember

chandimaakijai: we had the qstn

chandimaakijai: how is perceivable existence true ?

kaliananda_saraswati: yes

chandimaakijai: didnt we say that the world is Maya and therefore untrue

chandimaakijai: so I requested swamiji to explain

kaliananda_saraswati: yes, think I read that

chandimaakijai: how perceivable existence is true

chandimaakijai: And swamiji says

chandimaakijai: "The Guru is the Truth of Infinite Consciousness. By

means of this

Truth, the truth of all perceivable existence becomes manifest."

 

Truth is another way of describing illumination. It is guru who

illuminates, therefore guru is the "truth of infinite consciousness."

To the extent we are "awake", even if we have never had a "spiritual"

inclination in our lives, we owe that awareness to guru.

 

All of life is said to be involved in the struggle toward ultimate

realization, and will some day attain it. It is said to have been

planned that way from the beginning. Guru is that force of truth

(illumination) which moves us continually forward on the path to

eventual enlightenment.

 

The nature of guru as universal illumination of truth, as the

foundation of manifested existence, is exemplified in this next answer

from Swamiji:

 

chandimaakijai: verse 37 - we had a qstn

chandimaakijai: Verse 37.. (The Guru is one )By whose establishment

exists this

truth.

> Can you please shed some light on this verse. Thank you for your

time.

 

 

chandimaakijai: so we wanted to know

chandimaakijai: what it meant by "by whose establishment exists this

truth"

chandimaakijai: and swamiji says

chandimaakijai: The establishment of the Guru, establishes all. The

Guru is eternal, so

the substance of all is eternal. When the Guru becomes manifest, all

becomes manifest. The Guru is the eternal truth manifest is[n] all

manifested existence.

 

This next verse again describes guru as illuminator:

 

chandimaakijai: " Verse 38. says " By means of whose instigation

consciousness

illuminates

the object of awareness, while consciousness itself is not

illuminated. "

 

Can you please help us understand "consciousness itself is not

illuminated" ? Thank you."

chandimaakijai: huccome consciousness itself is not illuminated ?

chandimaakijai: and swamiji says

chandimaakijai: "Consciousness is the mirror, the reflector. Only the

reflection can be

illuminated. The reflector cannot be illuminated."

 

In the sphere of manifestation, consciousness has two primary

operations acting on it, to obscure, and to illuminate. In both cases

consciousness itself remains the same. It is the ability to perceive

that changes. To continue with the simile of the mirror, if the mirror

is absolute consciousness, and one obscures its brilliance with dust,

that is maya. If one then removes that dust, that is illumination.

 

The guru is Shiva. The guru is the very basis of existence. The guru

is the quality of light. In this manifested existence there are many

forms of life, but of them all, only the human has the capacity to

manifest divinity. In the human body there can be no higher expression

of divinity than that of the guru deva, the true expression of the

principle of guru. In the book of John, one of the first things said

about Jesus is that he was a light to the world.

 

Therefore we bow down to the respected guru.

 

Therefore we bow down to Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

 

Jai Gurudeva!

 

Chris