Special Article on Gurupurnima : “Guru Tattva”
- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
We come into the world through our mother and she becomes the one to give us our first birth. But our second birth is through the Guru, the master who delivers us the knowledge and the skill.
An acharya (teacher) gives knowledge; a Guru gives awareness and makes you alive. Acharya gives information; Guru gives awakened intelligence. When spiritual knowledge seems so total, one is called a Satguru.
Guru comes in your life in spite of your refusing or being rebellious.
Guru is a tattva – an element, a quality inside you. It is not limited to a body or a form. Guru comes in your life in spite of your refusing or being rebellious. The Guru principle is so vital in life. There is an element of the Guru in every human being. That wisdom in each has to be invoked, awakened. When this element is awakened, misery in life disappears. In our consciousness, wisdom comes to life when the Guru tattva comes to life. When we have no desires of our own, then the Guru tattva dawns in our life. Wake up and see that our life is changing every moment and feel grateful for whatever you have received. Give all your garbage to the Guru and be free.
Guru encourages you to be in touch with yourself.
A Guru is just like a window. Guru simply means one who brings more joy, more alertness, and more awareness into your life. A Guru is not one who holds any authority over you. He is not one who dictates terms to you. Rather, a Guru encourages you to be in touch with yourself. He reminds you to live in the present moment, and takes away the guilt, agitation, sorrow, and anguish. That in the true sense is the meaning of Guru.
The adulation for Gurus has come down the ages. Why does somebody adore someone else? In college, rock star, movie stars, sports players are adored. This adulation is part of human nature. Deep inside it is your nature to appreciate and honour good qualities. In the East, people took pride in their Gurus. There was a lot of respect but it’s missing in the students now.
Everything is venerated
In India there is a festival in the month of October when people worship everything from cars, scooters etc. Everything is venerated. Divine dwells in every particle. Whenever you praise, the praise goes to the Divine and your own consciousness expands. If you praise your Guru, the praise goes to the Divine.
Gratitude and humility together blossom a genuine prayer inside you!
That is why we celebrate Guru Purnima. Guru Purnima is the day when the devotee arises in full gratitude. It is the day to feel grateful for the great knowledge you have received from your Master. It is time to review how much knowledge you have ingrained in your life and how you are growing in knowledge. This may bring about a realization for scope of improvement, which in turn will bring humility in you. Be grateful for the way this knowledge has transformed you. Just think how you could have been without this. Gratitude and humility together blossom a genuine prayer inside you!
On Guru Purnima, remember all Gurus of the past. When your life is full, you get a feeling of gratitude then you start with the Guru and end up adoring everything in life. On Guru Purnima the devotee wakes up in full gratitude. Devotee becomes like an ocean moving in itself. Guru Purnima is a time to celebrate rise in devotion and gratitude.
