Gurupurnima Special : A tribute to the guru’s who shaped our lives
Religion and spirituality are two things that are probably the most difficult to define. It would not be wrong to say that spirituality and religion go hand in hand, religion pays homage to a god, where as spirituality is something that does not need a deity to define the person’s spiritual conduct.
Throughout history there have been people who have played the roles of, both, spiritual and religious leaders for their societies. Today on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, Religion World has decided to pay a tribute to few of them, who have guided the society in the path of Humanism in modern times. The names are listed in no Particular order:
Swami Vivekananda
He is responsible for revitalizing Hinduism and building its stature as a major world religion. He not only introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the foreign soil but is solely responsible for the enthusiastic response of these Indian spiritual self-improvement techniques in the West. He is none other than Swami Vivekananda – a Hindu monk and chief disciple of Ramakrishna. Born in a noble Bengali family, Vivekananda espoused the path of spirituality early in life. Right from a young age, he was fascinated by ascetics and took to practicing meditation. However, life wouldn’t have been the same for this spiritual genius had he not met his mentor and guide – Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna was the powerful force behind Vivekananda who channelized the commanding intellect and power of this young man to unite with God. The two shared an extraordinary bond amongst themselves which became one of the most unique guru-disciple relationships in the history. Vivekananda spent most of his life preaching the Vedanta philosophy to people across the world. A globe trotter, he became a sanyasi at the young age of twenty five and since then devoted his life for the betterment of mankind. He advocated the importance of secular and spiritual education, which he thought was the only way to enrich and inspire the life of the masses.
Mother Theresa
Clad in a white, blue-bordered sari, she along with her sisters of the Missionaries of Charity became a symbol of love, care and compassion for the world. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, known the world over as Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-born Indian citizen who abided by her religious faith of Roman Catholicism to serve the unwanted, unloved and uncared people of the world. One of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century, she led all her life serving the poorest of the poor. She was a ray of hope for many, including the aged, the destitute, the unemployed, the diseased, the terminally ill, and those abandoned by their families. Blessed with profound empathy, unwavering commitment and unshakable faith since young, she turned her back to the worldly pleasures and focused on serving the mankind ever since she was 18. After years of service as a teacher and mentor, Mother Teresa experienced a call within her religious call, which changed her course of life completely, making her what she is known as today. Founder of the Missionaries of Charity, with her fervent commitment and incredible organizational and managerial skills, she developed an international organization that aimed towards helping the impoverished. For her service to the humanity she was honored with Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She was canonised by Pope Francis on 4 September 2016.
Dalai Lama
The longest living Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th and the present Dalai Lama and holds the profile of a spiritual and political leader of Tibet. Head monk of the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, Dalai Lamas are said to be reincarnated souls in the line of tulkus, who are considered to be manifestations of the bodhisattva of compassion. Spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and in the tradition of Bodhisattva, Dalai Lamas are said to spend their entire life committed to promoting humanity. These souls chose to be reincarnated instead of attaining ‘nirvana’ for the benefit of the society and mankind. Dalai Lama is a combination of Mongolian word, Dalai and Tibetan word lama. While former means ocean, the latter stands for teacher. Since 1391 until date, there have been 14 Dalai Lamas, from the first Gedun Drupa until the present Tenzin Gyatso. Coming back to the 14th Dalai Lama, he was appointed at the age of two and was formally recognized when he was 15. Fearing assassination, he fled from Tibet and stationed himself and thousands of refugees in Dharmasala Himachal Pradesh. He established the Tibetan Parliament in Exile and has been an advocator for the Tibetan across the globe. Ever since his enthronement, he has strived to make Tibet an independent and democratic state, free from the dominance by People’s Republic of China. He strongly preaches as well as practices the importance of non-violence and peace and significance of compassion. For his outstanding achievements and relentless work on peace, he has been bestowed with the Nobel Peace
Pope Francis
The 266th and the current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis is known the world over for his great humility and approachability. Ordained as Pope at the age of 76 on March 13, 2013, Pope Francis is the first citizen from the Americas, the first non-European and first Jesuit priest to be named Pope. Before taking up the honourable appointment, he served as the Archbishop and Cardinal of Buenos Aires. He was originally christened Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Ever since his attainment of priesthood, Pope Francis has continuously and tirelessly worked for the well-being of the poor, which he claims to be his foremost concern. Furthermore, he is committed to bridge the gap between people of various backgrounds, class, beliefs and faith through peaceful talks. Unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis has chosen an informal approach to office since the Papal elections. He has declined to most luxuries offered to a Pope and instead prefers to live a simple and humble lifestyle. A few examples of the same include his decision to put up at the Vatican guesthouse rather than the papal residence, choosing a simple car rather than flashy popemobiles, wearing the white Cossack instead of the red mozzetta and iron pectoral cross instead of the gold one on his first appearance as a pontiff. Pope Francis strongly supports and considers social outreach, rather than doctrinal battles, to be the essential business of the church. While his radical thought on humbleness, practice of simplicity and austerity towards working out a robust defense of the poor has garnered positive accolades and acclaim, it is his staunch orthodox discerning against abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraception that has drawn criticism from a select few.
Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei is the current Supreme Leader of Iran, serving in this position since 1989. Once named as the 21st in the list of ‘The World’s Most Powerful People’ by Forbes, he is considered the most powerful political authority in Iran, even more powerful than the President of the country. A Shia Cleric, he has called human rights a fundamental principle underlying Islamic teachings. Prior to becoming the Supreme Leader of Iran he had served as the President of Iran for several years. He played a key role in the Iranian Revolution of 1979 in which the Pahlavi dynasty under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was overthrown and an Islamic Republic was established under the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. As a close confidant of Ruhollah Khomeini, Ali Khamenei achieved considerable political power. He assumed the post of the president in 1981 following the assassination of Mohammad-Ali Rajai and became the first cleric to serve in the office. Shortly before becoming the president he was badly injured in an attempted assassination that paralyzed his right arm, but nothing could thwart his political ambitions. He eventually succeeded the first Supreme Leader of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini, upon his death to become the second individual to hold this position
Gautham Buddha
Buddha meaning ‘the Enlightened One’. Most of us know about the life story of the prince Gautham who became the prophet of compassion and founder of Buddhism and its best to know the real teachings that will benefit us rather than legendary story. Gautham Buddha is said to be born around 563 BCE and passed away around 483 BCE but left a profound impact on the world with his teachings.
According to Gautham Buddha there are very few certainties in life but one thing that will remain consistent through your life is, – you will continually have challenges and problems to overcome and while these challenges will differ from person to person, the Buddha taught that the solution for any problems can be broken down into 7 key areas for development in sacred text called the Sabbāsava Sutta.
Buddha’s self discovery of the ultimate universal under the Bodhi Tree was that the cause of human suffering is ignorance. Forty-nine days after Buddha attained enlightenment he was requested to teach. As a result of this request, Buddha rose from meditation and taught the first Wheel of Dharma (Dhamma). The teachings include the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths and his prescribed eightfold noble path, among other teachings.
The Four Noble Truths are
· Suffering is an inherent part of living in this world
· The origin of this suffering is ignorance and that is due to attachment and craving
· Attachment and craving can be ceased
· Following the Noble Eightfold Path will lead to the end of suffering.
The Noble Eightfold Path prescribed by him are –
· Right understanding
· Right thought
· Right speech
· Right action
· Right livelihood
· Right effort
· Right mindfulness and
· Right concentration
The Buddha never believed in blind faith and taught that his teachings should not be accepted unless they are borne out of our experience. He said ‘Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.’ He taught that all things are impermanent and that all beings suffer from all situations due to unclear mind.
Mahavira
Mahavira was the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism. Also known as Vardhamana, he was an Indian ascetic philosopher and one of the principal figures of Jainism which is one of the major religions of the Indian subcontinent. Mahavira was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha, the primary figure in Buddhism on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. Mahavira was born into a royal family of Kshatriyas in present day Bihar, India. As the son of a king he had a privileged childhood and was raised in the lap of luxury. He grew up to be a brave lad and is once said to have controlled a fierce serpent. However, with time he realized that his luxurious life did not provide him any satisfaction and at the age of 30 he renounced all his worldly ties and embarked on a search for the ultimate spiritual truth. He underwent severe penance for twelve and a half years following which he finally attained ‘Kevala Jnana’, the highest stage of perception. He spent the next several years travelling all over India teaching his philosophy. He also established the rules of religious life for Jain monks and nuns
Dayananda Saraswathi
Dayanand Saraswati, a prominent Hindu religious leader and a Vedic scholar was the first Indian to voice his right for freedom of India from British rule in 1876. A highly intelligent and rational personality, he was way ahead of his times. He was a staunch believer in the Vedic tradition and denounced idol worship and the rituals that were very wide spread during him time. A scholar in Vedic lore and Sanskrit he aspired to wean the Indians away from meaningless rituals and guided them towards true Vedic ideologies. Even as a young boy he was inclined towards asceticism and ran away from home when his parents tried to arrange his marriage with a girl of their choice. He was deeply devoted to God and translated the Vedas from Vedic Sanskrit to Sanskrit and Hindi so that the common man could also read them. A visionary, he called for the equality of rights of all human beings irrespective of gender, religion or social standing. Among his biggest contributions to mankind was the founding of the Arya Samaj, a socio-cultural movement that promoted true Vedic learning and worked for the upliftment of the society.
Paramahamsa Yogananda
Paramhansa Yogananda’s mission was to help usher the whole world, with greater understanding and spiritual insight, into Dwapara Yuga, the new Age of Energy in which we live. Some even consider him the avatar of Dwapara Yuga.
His teachings were revolutionary, few of his teaching were well known in India but created a revolution in the West. And few of his teachings were completely new to this age. Let’s look at some of both.
Only God exists. God is both beyond and within all manifestation. He dreams this world into existence, and every atom and star is created from His consciousness. The goal of life is to awaken from the dream and realize our unity with Him.
Daily meditation, is the way to see behind the dream. Meditation consists of withdrawing outwardly directed prana (subtle energy or life-force) and focusing it at the spiritual eye, concentrating on God or on one of His qualities: light, sound, joy, peace, calmness, love, wisdom, or power.
Prana keeps us alive, keeps us healthy, makes us magnetic, and allows us to succeed. All aspects of life are improved when we learn to control it, for to control energy is to gain control also over all things material. Yogananda taught the techniques of Kriya Yoga and the Energization Exercises to help us gain this control.
Karma- Every thought, feeling, and action creates a wave of energy that is destined to return to us: As we give, so shall we receive. The results of our own past actions create the circumstances and events of life. The way to free ourselves from this karmic cycle is to accept life, control our reactive processes, be even-minded and cheerful, and dissolve the ego.
No need of Renunciation– We don’t need to leave the world. Yogananda’s mission was, in part, to help us see God in every person and activity.
Desire to be happy and to avoid pain is the universal motivation behind every action. Over lifetimes our definition of what makes us happy evolves. At first happiness is sought in laziness and sensuality, then in ego-centered accumulation of possessions or power. Gradually this evolves into an altruistic desire to help others and, finally, the yearning for Self-realization, which alone brings the joy we have always sought.
Spiritual communities provide the optimal environment for the pursuit of happiness and God. Why revolutionary? The spiritual community movement is only now starting with the Ananda communities as forerunners.
Paramhansa Yogananda’s revolutionary teachings need to be applied both culturally and personally. While these seven points only scratch the surface of what he taught, each is worth a meditation or two to see how they might apply to your life.
Shri Ram Sharma Acharya
Shri Ram Sharma Acharya was born on 20th September 1911, at Awalkheda, in Agra District. Since his childhood, he had such a keen and unswerving inclination towards spirituality that was very uncommon for the children of his age. He scrupulously carried out the biddings of his Guru, a Great Himalayan Yogi, who appeared to him in his prayer cell, when he was 15 years of age. He predicted the golden future for mankind and gave an optimistic vision to his disciples. In the long, slow, tedious and meandering march of evolution of human consciousness, culture and civilizations over the millennium, it has been only on rare turning points that an ‘Avatar’- like multifaceted genius with superhuman attributes has appeared on the human scene to raise human consciousness to a higher nobler plane.
Amritanandamayi
Revered as a saint, Mata Amritanandamayi, more popularly called Amma, Ammachi and the Mother, is one of the most widely respected and appreciated women in the world. Also known as the ‘Hugging Saint’, Amma is known to hug and bestow her unconditional love on people from all walks of life. Starting her spiritual practice from the small district of Parayakadavu (Kerala), Amma has become world-famous today and is known for her humanitarian activities across the globe. It is believed that receiving a hug from Mata Amritanandamayi relieves a person from all the pain, anxiety and tension. Some of the people also believe her to an avatar of the Great Mother.
Jaggi Vasudev
Jaggi Vasudev is an Indian yogi and mystic who founded the Isha Foundation, a non-profit organization which offers yoga programs around the world. A multi-faceted personality, he is also an author, motivational speaker, and philanthropist along with being a spiritual master. Born as the son of an ophthalmologist who worked with the Indian Railways, he was used to frequent moves from one city to another and this kindled in him a love for travel, adventure and a curiosity to explore the unknown. As a child he became fascinated with nature and would often escape to the jungle near his home and spend hours—even days—at a stretch there. He also developed a life-long love for snakes and reptiles as a result of his childhood experiences. As a youngster he fell in love with motorcycles and travelled to various places in the country on his motorcycle. Along with being a fun-loving youth he was also a bright young man who matured into a successful businessman. A spiritual experience at the age of 25 made him rethink his life’s purpose and eventually he realized that his calling was to become a yoga teacher. He went on to open the Isha Foundation to teach yoga and the foundation also became involved in various social and community development activities with time.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
My vision is a violence free, stress free world’, stated the spiritual leader and humanitarian ambassador, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has long been working towards building peace among nations. He is the founder of the ‘Art of Living Foundation’, which is one of the world’s largest humanitarian, non-governmental organizations and is known for its great services to mankind. As a child, he was extremely gifted and always dreamt of building a peaceful world. Today, he propagates his ideologies through the countless ‘ashrams’ and Art of Living institutes all around the world. A universally revered saint, Ravi Shankar is a multi-faceted social activist and his humanitarian initiatives include conflict resolution, trauma relief and poverty assuagement. He claims deep meditation and a potent breathing technique known as the ‘Sudarshan Kriya’ can be directly integrated in one’s daily life to calm the mind and to bring about positivity and vigor. His preaching and ideologies have reached out to over 300 million people around the world through personal teachings, social interactions, public events and Art of Living workshops. Numerous honors have been bestowed upon this great personality for his unequivocal contributions to humanity.
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