What is Guru?

April 23, 1999

Hi Marcus,

This is beautiful!

> List, If there exists any questions about what the Guru really

>is, this excerpt from The Sky of The Heart; Jewels of Wisdom >From

>Nityananda may be helpful: The guru has two aspects. Nityananda

>called these the primary (or action) guru and the secondary (or causal)

>guru. On the one hand, there is the physical teacher. This is a

>personality to be dealt with and talked to, a person who performs actions

>that have an effect in the world, a person viewed by some with admiration

>and by others with disgust; in other words, someone viewed by ordinary

>people as the same or less then they are. On the other hand, for the few

>people who are agble to, or care to, look deeply into the situation, what

>is really there is not a personality but an extraordinary field of

>spiritual energy from which they can draw nourishment for their innermost

>being. With this nourishment, they can attain complete maturity in the

>supreme state of pure consciousness. The secondary guru leads you to

>the well--the primary guru is the well.

Did Nityananda ever speak of what is called a spiritual guru, one who is

not incarnate? I read of this first in Carl Jung's autobiography. When he

began to explore the unconscious, an older man named Philemon appeared to

him... advised him and guided him... he recognized the Wise Old Man

archetype and knew that Philemon could be trusted completely. Some years

later he mentioned this to some people, and a man from India told him that

Philemon was "what we call a spiritual guru." I have always had such a

guru... when I was a child, I saw him as a little man like a gnome... I

knew he was watching over me. Now he guides me even in meditation.

Since Nityananda's body has died, I wonder if he is still with you,

functioning as a spiritual guru?

--------------

After writing this, I read your post on Nityananda... I think you have

already answered me. ) Thank you.

April 24, 1999

List,

If there exists any questions about what the Guru really is, this excerpt

from

The Sky of The Heart; Jewels of Wisdom From Nityananda may be helpful:

The guru has two aspects.

Nityananda called these the primary (or action) guru and the secondary (or

causal) guru. On the one hand, there is the physical teacher. This is a

personality to be dealt with and talked to, a person who performs actions that

have an effect in the world, a person viewed by some with admiration and by

others with disgust; in other words, someone viewed by ordinary people as the

same or less then they are.

On the other hand, for the few people who are agble to, or care to, look deeply

into the situation, what is really there is not a personality but an

extraordinary field of spiritual energy from which they can draw nourishment for

their innermost being. With this nourishment, they can attain complete maturity

in the supreme state of pure consciousness.

The secondary guru leads you to the well--the primary guru is the well.

The physical aspect of the guru, the secondary teacher, serves as a doorway.

Through our diligence, love, and devotion we pass through this doorway of the

physical teacher into the level of consciousness that Nityananda calls the

action guru.

The action guru is Parabrahma, Paramashiva, or chidakasha. At this level, we

express the infinite spaciousness, extraordinary power, and creative

intelligence that are characteristics of the essential state of unity from which

all experience takes its form.

The effort required if you sincerely seek God is to see through the form, to

pass beyond the personality, the individuality, and the eccentricity of the

teacher, and in so doing to reanscend your own personality and limitations.

The power inherent in the presence of the guru energized every level of a human

being. The transmission of this power is shaktipat, the transmission or descent

of grace.

Shaktipat brings about a quantum leap in awareness that puts us in contact with

the innate freedom and spontaneous creative power that is eternally and

everywhere present as the source of all.

It awakens the deepest potentiality within us, and the kundalini shakti begins

its extraordinary unfoldment. As this unfoldment continues, the entire structure

of the human being is refined and purified.

When subjected to fire, iron is freed of its gross crystalization and impurities

and reorganized as the finer, stronger metal of steel.

The human being also, through contact with the forge of the guru, becomes

purified by the inner fire of kundalini and is established in the supreme state

of awareness. Seeing past the form of the physical teacher brings awareness of

the power that is functioning as and through the teacher.

And stilling the mind in the flow of the power is liberation.

In all places and in every age, there are many good people who seek

spirituality, who have spiritual understanding, and who have some positive

concerns for humanity. Yet in any age there are only a few people, rare and

great beings indeed, who can communicate the gighest transcendent state of

consciousness to other human beings and who dwell in that state while still

functioning in this world as ordinary--and possibly eccentric--human beings.

Nityananda was such a rare and gifted being.

And because he spoke from a state of complete Self-awareness, his spiritual

presence flows through his words. By becoming aware of the ongoing pulsation and

remaining aware of it every day, the mind itself becomes a mantra. Whatever is

spoken in that state is sacred, pure, and uplifting.

In that state, the sounds that come and the way they are articulated and joined

to form images is something mysterious and magical, a manifestation of the

freedom of our innate, pure consciousness.

Nityananda's words came from that state,

They inspire us to open our minds and hearts to the extraordinary creative

energy that permeates our lives, and to experience, recognize, and appreciate

the miracles that happen to us.

Nityananda always said, "When the disciple calls with love, I am there."

For people who are willing to open their eyes and hearts, Nityananda is a symbot

of the enduring, ever present power of the Divine in the world. This dynamic

spiritual presence has the power to transform lives, to relieve suffering, to

grant freedom form poverty and disease, and most importantly, from

hard-heartedness.

When you are filled with this power, then even in the most simple circumstances

life becomes an experience of complete fulfillment and happiness. Our lives

become an act of service expressed in a state of detachment. As we begin

directing our lives toward the recognition of that supreme creative power that

is our essence, then we speak, think, and act from that power. Our lives are in

perfect harmony, perfect balance, perfect union with the power of Life.

Mahabhakti

M

April 24, 1999

Hi Dharma,

Yes. A short time before Nityananda took Mahasamadhi in 1961, a female

devotee, became upset when she figured out he would be leaving soon.

He replied, "Why do you cry? More work can be done in the subtle than from

here."

His statements, which are many, tell us that he took mahasamadhi so that he may

be accessible to all of the sincere at heart.

He has also said that where others gather in devotion that he would be there,

and made similar comments to the effect that he was present wherever the arati

lamps were waved in love.

He is more accessible in the subtle than he ever was in the gross form.

All one needs is a simple puja, a tray, some incense and a candle, and loving

devotion.

L