DwarkaMai - Sai Baba Forum

Indian Spirituality => Philosophy & Spirituality => Topic started by: SS91 on November 03, 2005, 09:43:35 AM

Title: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on November 03, 2005, 09:43:35 AM
Guru -Being Guru's day just wanted to share with you all.
   
Once, an young daughter had gone to her village home for the first time from her city-dwelling. At night before retiring to bed, her mother opened a pot in which there was good cow's milk and poured a little buttermilk. The girl asked her mother: "Mother, that was butter milk; and why have you mixed it with milk? The milk may get spoiled!"

 

"Child!", answered the mother, "that is the way to prepare the milk in order that we might get butter out of it."

 

"But where is butter in it, mother?"

 

"It is in every drop of the milk, dear; but you can't see it now. I will show you in the morning."

In the morning the daughter saw that what was liquid the night before had become solid overnight. Mother put a churning rod into it and started churning the curd vigorously.

 

Butter began to float on the surface of the curd. Then she gathered it all up and presented it to the astonishment of the daughter. The mother explained: "The addition of the buttermilk curdles the milk. Milk is transformed into curd. Then you have to churn it. By this process the butter which was all-pervasively hidden in the milk is obtained. At first you were not able to see it; it was hidden. From where has it come now? Only from the milk. Therefore, you understand now that it was there all the time. It awaited the process of churning to reveal itself to your great joy." The daughter, too, followed the same process and got the butter, for herself.

 

Similarly, a worldly man approaches a Mahatma and asks him: "O Sadhu, why have you renounced the world, and poured this new element of 'Vairagya' and 'Tyaga' into your life? Why don't you let the life take its natural course?"

 

The Sadhu replies: "Brother, I do so in order to realise God?", "Where is God?", "He is all-pervading." The worldly man does not see and is not convinced. The Sadhu then explains how the inner personality, which is fickle and outflowing should be made solid and firm. Then the churning rod of one-pointed concentration and meditation should be taken hold of, and this solid 'Antahkarana' should be very well churned. Then God is realised. He is all-pervading, in every atom of creation. But He is not visible to the naked eye nor is He realisable by a man except through this process called 'Sadhana'.

 

Just as a mother was necessary for her daughter to learn that butter exists in milk and that churning will bring it out, even so a Guru is necessary for a man to know that God is, that He is all-pervading, and that He is attained through Sadhana. If the aspirant follows the Guru's instructions, he too, can realise God.  

(Story from the Tales of Guru Sivananda)

Jaisairam!!!!!!!!!!!!!


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Suchitra on November 03, 2005, 02:32:38 PM
Thanks Dear Hemadpanth of this mandir, for sharing this valuable thing with us.

OmSai SriSai JayaJayaSai!

Suchitra
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on November 04, 2005, 11:28:01 AM
THE JOURNEY TO THE GURU, FINDING THE GURU; AND ALSO THE JOURNEY ONCE YOU'VE FOUND THE GURU, TRAVELING WITH HIM.

They are two steps of the same process -- going to the Guru and then being with the Guru.

Going to the Guru is far more difficult than the second step. The first step is always more difficult, because going to the Guru means leaving your ego, leaving your mind, leaving your expectations, putting everything aside, traveling very light, with no load, no burden.

All those things you have cherished all your life -- maybe for many lives -- and to detach yourself from them is difficult. And who knows? For whom are you leaving all your cherished things? You are risking for an unknown person. So the first step is difficult -- more difficult if you are going to the Guru with intellectual conviction, less difficult if you are going with a heart full of love.

The heart can do miracles. It can see where mind is blind, it can understand where mind fails. It has its own way of reaching to the mysteries of life. If you are going as if you have fallen in love, then you can leave everything.

Just by the way, all over the world, whenever a girl marries she has to go to her husband's house. Strange -- nowhere have they tried the other way, that the husband goes to the wife's house. But there is a tremendous wisdom in it -- because man thinks from the intellect. He may not be able to leave behind his family, his father, his mother, his brothers.

That may be difficult.

But the woman loves from the heart. She can leave the father, she can leave the mother; she can leave everything of the past and go into the unknown with the man she loves.

So this is a folk wisdom prevalent all over the world. Logically the conclusion would have been different. Because man is stronger, he should leave his family and go to the girl's family -- she is more delicate. But no, that has not been done.

The same is true when you go to the Guru. If it is a heart-to-heart connection, you can leave everything aside, and even the first step becomes light, easy. Otherwise it is difficult, it takes time. For the intellectually converted person it sometimes takes years. He may hang around, think again and again, go a little further and come back.

The second step is not difficult. Once you have reached the Guru, for both -- those who have come from the mind and those who have come from the heart -- for both the second step is easy. The first step you were taking alone; the second step you are not alone, the Guru is already with you. In fact the second step is being taken by the Guru -- he simply gives you the appearance that you are taking it.

To be with the Guru is in fact something totally different. The Guru is with you, and only when the Guru is with you, is there revolution. Just your being with the Guru will not do anything.

There are many people who think they are with the Guru, and nothing happens to them -- for the simple reason that the Guru is not with them; they are not yet ready.

But the last thing again to be reminded of: if a person has come to the Guru with love being the first thing and logic the second thing, he will find that to be with the Guru is absolutely easy. And the Guru will find that to accept the person to his innermost being is without any difficulty.

But the person who has come with logic -- the Guru has to wait. He has to see whether he drops his logic and remains with love; then only can he be taken with the Guru on the journey. Otherwise he can back out from any point, and the whole work and the whole effort would have gone down the drain. And no Guru wants to waste his time, his work, his energy.

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Dipika on November 04, 2005, 11:36:16 AM
OMSAIRAM!OUR DEAREST HEMADPANT.........I HAD ATTENDED A SATSANG FEW WEEKS BACK AND THIS STORY WAS TOLD...........AMAZING HOW WE BOTH GET CONNECTED..........SAI BABA YOU ARE GREAT AND SO ARE YOUR LEELAS.
THANKYOU SUBHADRA DEAR FOR REFRESHING MY MEMORY .

JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!


Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM

dipika duggal
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: mata on November 04, 2005, 01:30:53 PM
Respected Brothers and Sisters,

This is indeed an interesting topic and members seem to agree that love is more important than reason. The question is does love not create blindness through attachment?

In the Mahabharat we see King Dritarashtra taking unrighteous actions because his all consuming love for his son Duryodhan blinds him to the truth. Is it not a truism that love is blind?

We see Shri Krishna uninfluenced by emotion so action takes place based on truth.The power to reason with the divine pure intellect is an act of leadership resulting in righteous action.

Arjuna falters on the battlefield because he is overcome with love and compassion for his brothers and sisters. Yet Shri Krishna removes his doubts with knowledge.He speaks truth.

It does not seem right to assume that reason and love are mutually exclusive.

Love on its own is surely blind, reason on its own is surely dry and unfeeling.

Truth lifts the veils of illusion does it not?

We have the gift of the divine intellect, the ability to reason.Is it really wise to dismiss the gift of the divine intellect, is it wise to assume the power of reason is of lesser importance than love?



Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Astrid on November 05, 2005, 07:03:28 AM
Sai Ram

Mata, dearest, you ask:

quote:
Originally posted by mata

We have the gift of the divine intellect, the ability to reason.Is it really wise to dismiss the gift of the divine intellect, is it wise to assume the power of reason is of lesser importance than love?




To acknowledge the power of love does not per se mean to dismiss the power of reason. This is dual thinking and what we all strive for, you just as much as any of us, is what I'd like to call - using a nice word I came across recently - a duality-free view of life. [;)][:)]

The point was motivation, and I think, a quote from beloved Ramesh Bhai's post answers your question:
<<But the last thing again to be reminded of: if a person has come to the Guru with love being the first thing and logic the second thing, he will find that to be with the Guru is absolutely easy. And the Guru will find that to accept the person to his innermost being is without any difficulty.>>
If love is our motivation, we'll see that everything else falls into place -- and it becomes an even ever greater joy to use the divine gift of reason.

Om Sai Ram

Astrid


Restless was my heart till it found rest in THEE
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: mata on November 05, 2005, 05:14:58 PM
Respected Sister Astrid,

It is good to share some spiritual thoughts once again.

A duality-free view of life is of course a view that will bring happiness.Our perspectives are not quite in tune here though in the meaning of duality.

 By duality we mean where brothers and sisters, children of God are  following the different directions of many heads, the many different heads of the many different religions.

 Oneness is where there is one Father and none other, one religion, one way of thinking,one direction.This is the Father who is the Teacher and Satguru, the Father of all the religious fathers. How can he be recognised? He can be recognised by the depth of the knowledge he speaks.

Brother Ramesh's point:

"if a person has come to the Guru with love being the first thing and logic the second thing, he will find that to be with the Guru is absolutely easy"

The question I ask is, what exactly is it that the person loves when he comes to such a Guru, is it the message or the messenger?

The message of love has been given throughout the ages, yet the world still sinks deeper into degredation, irreligiousness and unrighteousness.

Gurus leave their bodies, become glorified and the world still sinks deeper into degradation.

The world is in a perilous state, so these questions are of paramount importance to all of us.

These questions are asked seriously and of course with respect for your chosen path.

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on November 06, 2005, 04:52:32 AM
Dear respected Brothers and Sisters and Mata shree.  This is the First and Foremost Little Message about Love I could learn from MY MATA, MY PITA and MY SADGURU AND MY ALL -MY SAI BABA.

Prem means love and morari is one of the names of the god, Krishna. It means god, god of love. And to me the god of love is the only god. In fact love itself is the only god -- all else is ritual. Love is the only true religion; and if you can love, you start growing. You can forget God, you can forget the church, you can forget the temple; you can forget everything. If love remains, then everything is there and will grow in its own time. But if you forget love, all the temples and all the churches and all the bibles and all the vedas are not going to do anything whatsoever.

So love is the essential religion. If you can become more and more loving, that is your prayer. And love does not need any preparation. It is not that you will love tomorrow. You can love right now, this very moment; it needs no preparation. It is our intrinsic capacity, we are born with it -- it is our natural fragrance. We can destroy it, we can create hindrances, obstacles, but we cannot produce it. We can only remove the hindrances and then it starts flowing.

So this name will become a remembrance to you -- that love is the only growth there is, the only maturity. When a child is born, he receives love. He cannot give it back. He does not know what it is. He is so helpless, he is so dependent. So he learns how to receive love from the mother, from the father, from the family, then from the society.
Many people then remain in that childish state. They are always asking for love. That is immature.

A man becomes mature when he starts giving love. And when you start giving love, you start growing. If you simply go on asking and asking and asking.... And everybody is asking: the husband is asking from the wife, the wife is asking from the husband. Everybody goes on asking, 'Give me love!' and everybody goes on complaining that nobody seems to be loving.

The whole world is in tremendous misery because people ask for love and they have completely forgotten that unless somebody gives, it is not going to help. This happens because of the natural situation. The child receives love without giving anything on his own. He simply learns how to receive; he becomes receptive. By and by he completely forgets that love has to be given also. So start giving unconditionally. Even if you are passing by the rock, give love to the rock. It is real energy. If you start sharing it, you will feel that you are becoming fresh and new every moment. It actually happens that when you look at somebody -- maybe a rock, a tree, a person, anybody -- if you look with love, a chunk of energy is thrown from your eyes onto the object of your love. The object of your love receives your juice, and a great process sets in.

When you give love to somebody, an emptiness is created in you.

That part, that chunk of love that you have shared with somebody, creates an emptiness in you, a void. And in this existence, voids are not possible. Once there is a void, from the whole universe energy flows into you and fulfills that void.

So whenever you love somebody, you will feel energy flowing into you from unknown sources. You will feel refreshed, renewed, rejuvenated. A lover is always young -- that is the secret of a lover. If you don't love, there is no need for God to flow into you, for the universe to flow into you. You don't have any space inside; you are a hoarder, a miser, who goes on hoarding the small amount of energy that you have. That energy goes on becoming stale, stagnant; it starts stinking. It becomes hatred, jealousy, possessiveness, anger. It becomes violence, destructiveness. And energy, to remain creative, needs to flow. If it is not flowing, it will become a cancerous thing inside you.

People are suffering because they have love to share and they don't know how to share it. They have completely forgotten the language of sharing, and they are afraid that if they share they will be losing something. But the moment you share energy, suddenly from all over the universe, energy starts flowing in you -- you have created a situation.

And once you know this secret, then you know that in giving you get, in sharing you become richer.

Then you start sharing unconditionally. It is not a question then of whom to share with -- with the trees, with the sky, with the clouds -- you start sharing with everybody. If there is nobody and you are sitting in your room, you share it with the emptiness of the room. But you fill the whole room with energy because you know that this is the only way to renew your own energy and to go on getting it from God.

Become empty and God will fulfill you. Become a void, and God will rush into you -- and that is eternal juice. So go on sharing ~~~~~

First something has to be done within us. First We have to change and then we will become capable of helping people and changing people.

Unless a man changes from within, nothing changes. You can change the social structure, you can change the economic structure, but if the man remains the same nothing is going to change, because man is the basic reality.

Things are wrong in the society because something is basically wrong in man -- it is not vice versa. There is so much wrong in the society because so many people are projecting their inner wrong on the society. The society has no soul, only man, the individual man, has a soul. And the real revolution can only happen in the soul.

Is it the faults of the Gurus, Sadgurus? That time too the world was in those precarious state - is it not strange? We all are responsible for this world and we all have made it to be so precarious. The real problem remains the same.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: mata on November 07, 2005, 02:49:55 AM
Respected Ramnesh Ramnani,

Of course we agree with much of your post. Love is simply wonderful, giving love, sharing love is the greatest joy.

You say:

"We all are responsible for this world and we all have made it to be so precarious. The real problem remains the same"

The question is though, if the problem remains the same, and the solution remains the same,i.e.love is the only answer , is anything going to change?

Is love alone going to bring about a Golden Age.

The world sinks deeper and deeper into degradation. Surely this shows us that love alone is not the complete answer.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Astrid on November 07, 2005, 05:30:43 AM
Sai Ram

dearest Mata, in defining the term non-duality we may really be far apart, seemingly at least [;)]
Non-duality to my understanding is to see the One in the many, to understand that everything is interlinked and intertwined through that spark of divinty in all.
Change, again to my understanding, is not brought about from outside but only from inside. It may be commonplace but it is still true that we cannot change others but only ourselves. And once we've begun to change ourselves - like for instance change from a deficit-oriented to an asset-oriented view of life - we will see the responses ... it's like throwing a stone into a calm lake.
And as a motivation for that change in ourselves I can think of nothing better but love. Where there is love the desire for knowledge will follow to enable us understand and from there act in better, more understanding, more loving ways ...
What else could ever bring about a Golden Age?

And did not the ancient Greeks allude to that same fact when they called their science philosophy? Philos being the ancient Greek word for love and sophia being the ancient Greek word for wisdom.

Love to you and all.

OM SAI RAM

Astrid


Restless was my heart till it found rest in THEE
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on December 23, 2005, 05:53:29 AM
Usually the disciple thinks -- and has been made to think for centuries -- that the master gives his wisdom to him. That is absolutely untrue. The master simply takes away all that you think wisdom but which is not wisdom, only borrowed knowledge.
 
.. it looks like wisdom but is phony, because it is not rooted in your experience.

The true master, or the true wise man, takes away all that is false in you -- and your wisdom is false, your knowledge is false. You know nothing of life, you know nothing of God; all that you know are mere words without any content, hollow, rotten, but just because they have been handed to you by your parents, by your teachers, by your priests, you have been preserving them as if they are great treasures. In fact, they are the burdens that don't allow you to fly in freedom in the open sky of existence.

The master takes away everything that is false in you -- and what is not false in you? Your whole personality is given by the society. You came into the world innocent, full of wonder, knowing nothing but longing to know everything. The society has filled your minds with all kinds of knowledge. And one thing has to be remembered here: Knowledge is significant when it grows within you; it becomes poisonous and dangerous and murderous when it is forced upon you.

All that you know -- have a look at it. Has it grown within you? Or has it been forced upon you? Is it a conditioning from the outside, or just an overflowing of your own being, of your own spring of life?

You don't know anything about your own being. Hence the true wise man takes away all your wisdom and leaves you again in the same space as you were born -- in wonder, knowing nothing.

That's why a true master is going to be condemned by the whole world, for the simple reason that he does not give anything to you -- on the contrary, he goes on taking things away from you. He leaves you utterly naked, in a state of innocence like a child. The function of the master is to help you unlearn everything so that you become again an innocent child.

Only from there your real growth starts. Only from there is the true beginning. From there, your authentic journey can start.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 26, 2005, 06:47:17 PM
Devotion - Love of God


Experiences show that intellectual endeavors, howsoever potent and mighty they may seem, have not catapulted or thrown or raised any human being to spiritual heights.

History shows that the highest spiritual masters are those who were uneducated in formal sense. For example, Ramkrishna Paramhans, Shri Shirdi Sai, Namdev, Tukaram, Paltu Maharaj etc. It obviously means that there is something self-limited in the intellectualism in the path of spiritual progress. All that the spiritual masters learnt in their life and spread among others is 'Bhakti' or devotion. "Bhakti" means love of God. Since God is not sitting in a throne like an individual, therefore, how to love Him. The answer is that God is in everyone and if one has the capacity to love others, he is doing real devotion. Even doing all the worship, yoga, pranaayaam (breath control) etc., for one's own improvement is not 'Bhakti'. It is one activity for fulfilling spiritual/occult ambition like any other ambition.

People in the path of devotion develop certain qualities that manifest in their daily life activities. They become humble, sacrificing, more universal and sensitive to the pain of others. They love Baba and flow in that stream unknowingly carrying along with them all that come in their contact. They don't try to pray to Baba for the fulfillment of any material requirements. Baba has a role to play to lead them ultimately to the correct path and correct goal. They have nothing to prove and, therefore, do not allow 'ego' to assert itself. This is the correct path towards Baba.

(by Guruji Shri C.B. Satpathy ji)  



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on December 26, 2005, 11:33:02 PM
JAI SAI RAM!!!

quote:
Originally posted by subhasrini

Devotion - Love of God

<<People in the path of devotion develop certain qualities that manifest in their daily life activities. They become humble, sacrificing, more universal and sensitive to the pain of others. They love Baba and flow in that stream unknowingly carrying along with them all that come in their contact. They don't try to pray to Baba for the fulfillment of any material requirements. Baba has a role to play to lead them ultimately to the correct path and correct goal. They have nothing to prove and, therefore, do not allow 'ego' to assert itself. This is the correct path towards Baba.>>

(by Guruji Shri C.B. Satpathy ji)  

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.


Subhadra dear very very true.  This is it!

OM SAI RAM!!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 27, 2005, 05:31:39 PM
Utter Darkness without Guru


Without a Guru we are in utter darkness. The reality remains a mere miasma and a mirage. The glamour of the world is so great and overbearing that passing phantoms appear stable and substantial, the untrue puts on the mantle of Truth, and we cannot possibly tear aside the magic veil and escape from the false charm in which we are enveloped. It is the Master's Grace that can pull a spirit out of the physical sheath right above the plane of senses.

A jiva is always in stark darkness. If he closes his eyes, there is darkness within. Again, he is enveloped in total ignorance. He who can dispel this darkness of jivas is called a Guru. The term Guru consists of two words: Gu meaning darkness and Ru meaning Light. Hence Guru means one who can lead us from darkness to Light, from untruth to Truth, and from death to immortality. The nails of the Guru's feet shine like a crest jewel in the head of a toad that shines forth like a flashlight in darkness.

To succeed on "Spiritual Path", we must find One who has explored it to its utmost limits. A Living Master is an indispensable need, and an indispensable means to the attaining of Self-Realisation. On the purely physical level, He serves as a living example of a Perfect Life. He tells us of our True Home and the way that leads to it. On the spiritual side He gives us details of the inner Path, its intricacies and difficulties, provides His Attention with an actual experience of withdrawal from the body and of the inner Light and Sound, and guides us through the more difficult part of our inner journey until we reach our Goal.

JAISAIRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 27, 2005, 05:34:23 PM
Baba Said....

"The function of mind is to think, it cannot remain for a minute without thinking.

If you give it a sense object, it will think about it.

If you give it Guru, it will think about Guru.".
 


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 28, 2005, 09:03:22 AM
Why a Guru ?


Hindu scriptures have extensively extolled the virtues and role of the Sadgurus and Gurus. In Buddism, Jainism and Sikhism also, the role of the Gurus in evolving the devotees, in ushering in a better social order and their spiritual and miraculous powers has been accepted. In Christianity and many other religions in the world the divine role of these magnificent personalities, variedly known as Apostles, Perfect Masters, Masters, Qutubs, etc. has been accepted.

Ever since the human civilization developed its consciousness, there always have been some who opened the treasures of knowledge in different fields of knowledge including the spiritual field. The methods of imparting such knowledge have not always been in a formalized manner. That is why the parents, who teach the infant to grow are held as the first Gurus of the child and are held in the highest esteem in Hinduism. The parents have been eulogized in the Hindu literature and scriptures.

Thus, in the formal systems of education starting from the stage of Baby sitting in a nursery to the stage of super-specialization in any field, imparting knowledge has been made the responsibility of the teachers, Professors, etc. The Hindu society, in earlier times also had a formalized educational system under the Gurus. We had Gurukula Ashramas. However, the modern education system does not prescribe for such Gurus.

The difference is that whereas in the earlier Hindus system of education a lot of religious sanctity was attached to these Gurus, in today's society, the religious sanctity is not there. The Gurus of the past have been depicted as highly honorable personalities of a lofty nature.

Besides opening the different vistas of knowledge, the teacher or the Guru is supposed to be a role model for the pupils. Even today, good teachers are highly appreciated by the students and the society.

Thus the "Guru" has been a universally accepted and respected concept of the society from whom the society drew wisdom. In a way one can say that a society will be what its teachers are. History lends evidence that the best societies of the world had the best teachers and the worst societies had the worst teachers or Gurus.

However, except the spiritual Guru, the job of the other Gurus ends with the imparting of knowledge in certain fields.

The role of the spiritual Gurus or Sadgurus is much more expansive and is much above the ordinary Gurus. A Sadguru or Guru is a unique phenomenon of nature. The Kulgurus, Siksha Gurus, the Mantragurus, etc. impart knowledge within their limits.

The Sadguru, on the other hand using his spiritual powers can evolve the human souls by leading them through a path of piety, discipline and conduct. Not only this but by awakening the inner spiritual potentialities of the pupils or devotees through a method called 'Shaktipaat' they prepare the devotees to become the instruments of God to serve others. Whereas in the formal system of education, the teachers are paid for the duties they perform, in the spiritual field these highly evolved beings do not want any material returns. The only thing they seek is evolution of the souls of the devotees so that they became the agents to carry out Gods will.

When they take care of any devotee, they give them training through a series of direct experiences. Therefore, formal education when compared with the knowledge imparted by the Gurus is very limited.

It is basically meant for giving knowledge, skill and an attitude (an exercise in the personality building of the students). Such teachings are basically meant to carry-out a liveli-hood or to enhance their intellectual creativity in a certain field. The Sadgurus however, give direct knowledge through a chain of experiences leading to the purification of the souls.

These Masters are themselves evolved souls having gone through a process of evolution through a series of births and deaths and therefore, are competent enough to lead the devotees in the path of God realisation.

Some people have a wrong concept that these Gurus, who sometimes do not adorn the garb of a modern man, are unintelligent and emotional propagators of an imaginary concept of God. What they fail to understand is that an evolved species of the human race will not be governed by the rules of a society which they had left far behind in time. Further, their consciousness is highly evolved to comprehend any issue on which their consciousness is focused. Their powers of concentration and performance are the highest and their brain capacity is immense.

Every human being not only wants to learn the biggest things of life but also the smallest ones. To get the best results from such teaching some factors are essentially required. They are; the time spent both by the teacher and the pupil together, the eagerness of both the student and the teacher to learn and teach respectively, the emotional relationship between the teacher and the pupil and most important of all, the capacity of the pupil to receive the teachings.

 When one wants to specialize in only one out of the thousands streams of knowledge, one spends a considerable number of years in different academic institutions. From this one can imagine how much of time it would take to learn and practice spiritualism and what quality of relationship is required between the Guru and the disciple.

It is because of this reason that, in the early Hindu society, the pupil (Sishya) and the Gurus used to live together for a number of years tied in an emotional bond.

The outer forms of societies may go on changing but the inner spiritual essence of the human beings always remain the same. The real Spiritual Masters of today are playing the same role but in different forms, adapting to the existing societal ethos. All the creations of God are changeable but the essence of divinity never changes. Therefore, the vital and divine role of these Sadgurus, the agents of knowledge and compassion will never change. Human society will always need them.

(Gurupoornima message from Guruji Shri C. B. Satpathyji )  



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 28, 2005, 05:33:38 PM
T h e   N e e d   F o r   G u r u

     For a beginner in the spiritual path, a Guru is necessary.

To light a candle, you need a burning candle.

Even an illumined soul alone can enlighten another soul.

Some do meditation for some years independently.

Later on, they actually feel the necessity of a Guru.

They come across some obstacles in the way.

They are unable to know how to obviate these impediments or

stumbling blocks.

Then they begin to search for a Master.

Only the man who has already been to Badrinath will be able to tell

you the road.

In the case of the spiritual path, it is still more difficult to

find your way.

The mind will mislead you very often.

The Guru will be able to remove pitfalls and obstacles, and lead you

along the right path.

 He will tell you: "This road leads you to Moksha (liberation);

this one leads to bondage".

Without this guidance, you might want to go to Badrinath,

but find yourself in Delhi!

The scriptures are like a forest.

There are ambiguous passages.

There are passages which are apparently contradictory.

There are passages which have esoteric meanings, diverse

significance, and hidden explanations.

There are cross-references.

 You are in need of a Guru or Preceptor who will explain

to you the right meaning, who will remove doubts and ambiguities,

who will place before you the essence of the teachings.

 A Guru is absolutely necessary for every aspirant in the spiritual

path.

It is only the Guru who will find out your defects.

The nature of egoism is such that you will not be able to find out

your own defects.

Just as a man cannot see his back, so also he cannot see his own

errors.

He must live under a Guru for the eradication of his evil qualities

and defects.

The aspirant who is under the guidance of a Master or Guru is safe

from being led astray. Satsanga or association with the Guru is an

armour and fortress to guard you against all temptations and

unfavourable forces of the material world.

All the sages, saints, prophets, world- teachers, incarnations,

great men, have had their own Gurus, however great they might have

been.

Svetaketu learnt the nature of Truth from Uddalaka, Maitreyi from

Yajnavalkya, Bhrigu from Varuna, Narada from Sanatkumara, Nachiketas

from Yama, Indra from Prajapati; and several others humbly went to

wise ones, observed strict Brahmacharya, practiced rigorous

discipline, and learnt Brahma-vidya (the science of God) from them.

Lord Krishna sat at the feet of his Guru Sandeepani.

Lord Rama had Guru Vasishtha who gave him Upadesha

(spiritual advice).

Lord Jesus sought John to be baptised by him on the banks of the

river Jordan.

 Even Devas (celestial beings) have Brihaspati as their Guru.

Even the greatest among the divine beings sat at the feet of Guru

Dakshinamurti.

A neophyte must have a personal Guru first.

He cannot have God as Guru to begin with.

He must have a pure mind.

He must have ethical perfection.

He, must be intensely virtuous.

He must be above body-consciousness.

Then alone can he have God as Guru.


JAISAIRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 30, 2005, 09:00:00 AM
Guru-God

'Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheshwara, Gurur Sakshat Parabrahma, Tasmai Shri Guruve Namaha! Guru is verily the Representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. A guru has to take on all the three functions of the trinity - Creation (of good qualities), Sustenance (of higher nature) and Destruction (of negative qualities).

The true meaning of Guru is "One who dispels darkness of Ignorance". "GU" means " Darkness of Ignorance " and "RU" means "One who removes". The word Guru also means "One who is beyond Attributes and Forms". GU stands for Gunaatheetha - One who transcends the three Gunas ( Satva, Rajas and Thamas ) RU stands for Rupavarjitha - One who is formless. The One who is beyond all attributes and forms is none other than the Supreme Self who is resident within each of us.

There are several instances where Great Avatars like Rama and Krishna, who had to submit themselves to their Gurus, Vasishtha and Sandipani respectively, for getting self- realization and that the only virtues necessary for such progress are Faith and Patience. The Guru-Shishya Parampara honours the teacher as God and promotes reverence for Vidya (knowledge). It inculcates humility in the student and respect and gratitude in him for the dispenser of knowledge. Other noble virtues like discipline, dedication, sense of duty, sacrifice and compassion also evolve with the Guru's help. He shows the Path of Enlightenment to seekers.

In Sri Sai Satcharitra a seeker asks Baba: "Where to go?" Baba replies "High up". The seeker then asks "How to go there?" Baba answers: "Take a guide, he will take you straight to your destination, avoiding wolves, tigers and ditches etc. on the way. If there be no guide, there is the danger of your being lost in the jungles or falling into ditches." In Baba's words, No Sadhanas, nor Proficiency in the six Shastras, are necessary.

Have faith and confidence in your Guru. Believe fully, that Guru is the sole Actor or Doer. Blessed is he who knows the greatness of his Guru and thinks him to be Hari, Hara and Brahma (Trimurti) Incarnate." (Sri Sai Satcharitra Chap18/19) Sri Sainath also urged that bookish knowledge is worthless and added, "Let us do our prescribed duty and surrender our Body, Mind and Five Pranas (Life) to the Guru's feet. Guru is God, all pervading. To get this conviction, strong unbounded Faith is necessary." (Sai Satcharitra Chap 32) Neither the senses, nor the mind and intellect reach the Self. Modes of proof, such as Perception and Inference will not help us in the matter. It is the grace of the Guru that counts. The objects of our life such as Dharma, Artha and Kama are attainable with our effort, but the fourth object, Moksha (Liberation) can only be had with the help of the Guru.

Having experienced that Sadguru Sainath is our Guru God; we should develop undiluted devotion with unshakable Faith in Him with utmost Patience. Let us purify our hearts to let the Divine dwell in it. Let us install God, our Sadguru in our hearts.

(Contributed by devotee Sai Eshwari)  



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 02, 2006, 07:32:20 AM
Guru-God

Narasimha Swami ji once said: "Poor Saadhakas (aspirants) struggling by themselves in their chambers and trying to steady their rambling thoughts resort to pranayama (a Yogic exercise involving control of breathing)".

But in Baba’s school the panacea for all ills is Bhakthi and guru bhakthi.

The Lord speaks to us through Guru and we should have intense faith in our Guru. One should be able to see Guru-God everywhere and in everyone.

Thus one will see Guru-God as omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

This means one should convert Guru’s finite form into infinite form. The elevated souls who are called "apantaratmas" like Baba and Ramakrishna always live in God.

They always think of the welfare of humanity.

These great souls are present everywhere and they are all one.

There is no difference between one saint and another.

 They have shown us different routes to reach the same goal.

Their mere glance at us is enough.

That will uplift us.

Apantaratmas come into the world at the command of the Supreme Lord.

By following any of them we can reach Supreme Goal.

(From - Apostle of Love Sai Padananda by Sri Rangaswami Parthasaarathy)  



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 02, 2006, 09:17:35 AM
GURU NEVER DIES


"The Guru never dies because he lives in the disciple. That he may so live, he spends his life entering into the disciple in the form of his idealism, his ideas, his vision, his attitudes, his sense of val­ues. His aim and objective for living is to ceaselessly and continuously strive and work so that he may live forever in and through each and every one of his disciples. The bright light of a candle never ceases to shine once its flame has lighted another candle. It itself may be snuffed out, but it is already burning brightly upon another candle through another wick - the selfsame light.

Ponder this well! You are the being through whom the Guru lives. This is an honour. This is a privilege. This is a great good fortune. It is also a responsibility ; it is a duty ; it is a truth to be known and kept in mind always : "I must be what the Guru has taught me to be. I must be what the Guru was".

You must make the vibrant spirituality of the Guru live within you, the sublime idealism of the Guru live within you, the spiritual teachings of the Guru live within you. His loftiness and character and conduct should live within you. His divine nature and the divine way he lived his life should be relived in you. Looking at you, the world should understand the divinity of your Guru".

If you revere some being, you would also wish to carry out his instructions and orders, to walk the way that he wants you to walk, the way that he has shown by his teachings as well as by his living. To live fully in accordance with, and not contrary to, his will, would be the genuine manner of showing reverence in a practical way.

The devotee who has devotion and reverence for God does this. He tries his level best to live his life in accordance with the will of God. He does not go contrary to the will of God. Reverence and devotion and contrariness to His will cannot coexist. They cannot both exist at the same time in the same person. If there is reverence there is obedience. If there is reverence, there is the attempt to carry out His will in thought, word and deed. If we say that we revere and do not do this, then it means that there is something wrong. There is an essential inner contradiction.

Similarly with the Guru. Our life should be a Guru - oriented life. Our life should be a life of harmony with his will and teachings. That would be, therefore, the way we express our reverence for the Guru. And that we should do daily. We should live a Guru - oriented life in close accordance with his teachings to us, not only daily but hourly from morning till night.

We must be aware that this orientation in our life is one of the essential ingredients of discipleship. Then indeed all blessings will be ours. Then indeed, day by day, we will proceed and progress towards the goal. The Guru's teachings will find fulfilment in the disciple's living, and all blessedness will follow.

To this end we must sincerely, earnestly and diligently strive without ceasing. Our supreme good and highest welfare lies in this. May the divine grace of the supreme and the benedictions of the Guru enable us to do so and live so.


(Courtesy "THE VISION" July 2003)



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 03, 2006, 03:33:09 PM
Guru Is God
 
 
 
 The Need For Guru
 
     
       The insatiable spirit of inquiry, investigation and discovery to make life totally happy and worth living has led man to unravel many secrets of creation and to make his life more and more comfortable.   But, eclipsing all these achievements is the constant fear of old age, disease and death from which no mortal can escape; and all men are mortal! Evidently, man's quest remains incomplete as long as he cannot extricate himself from the clutches of mortality and attain eternal peace and bliss. How can he do it?
        God alone, who is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient, possesses these prerogatives of immortality and eternal peace and bliss. If, therefore, man wishes to acquire these qualities, he should attain Godhead.
        How can a mortal gain immortality? How can an ignorant man
acquire knowledge?  It is only possible through the guidance of a teacher, who has already acquired that knowledge. Similarly, the mortal man should seek the guidance of one who has already acquired Godhead; that is; a Guru.

       Sri Hanumath Kali Vara Prasada Babu explains the difference between a Mahatma and a common man thus: Two copper wires one conducting electric current and the other without electricity, looks alike. But the difference can be easily felt on contact. Similar is the difference between a Satyaguru and an ordinary person. Guru should therefore be identified with the universal self and not with the mortal body. One who identifies his Guru with his mortal body can never hope to attain spiritual progress even after taking many births.

 
JAISAIRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 03, 2006, 03:34:19 PM
Who is Guru?





        Obviously Guru is one who has attained Godhead. He is immortal, and is the very embodiment of peace and bliss. Not only that; he is capable of elevating man to Godhead. Maharshi VedaVyasa, Sri Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhwa Charya, GuruNanak, Mahavir Jain, Gouthama Buddha, Ramakrishna   Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi, Jesus Christ, Mohammed and all such Gurus of different times and cults are those who attained Godhead and who took upon themselves the sacred task of elevating man to Godhead.


        Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi says "God and Guru are not different in reality. First a person thinks that there is a superior among all, knowing all powerful God to control his own and the world’s destiny and worships Him or does Bhakti. When he reaches a certain stage and becomes fit for enlightenment, the same God whom he was worshipping comes as Guru and from outside pushes his mind inside. While being inside as self, He draws him there from within. Such a Guru is needed generally though not for very very advanced souls. God, Guru and self are the same".


        Talking about the role of Sadguru, Sri Rama Krishna Paramahamsa once said "We should not consider our Guru to be a mere man. Before the disciple sees God, he sees the Guru who afterwards shows God, having himself been mysteriously transformed into the form of God. Then the disciple perceives that the Guru and God are one and the same. Whatever boon the disciple seeks, the deified Guru grants. The Guru even takes him to the highest bliss of ‘Nirvana’. Many people, after being tossed about for long, like the rudderless barge, in the shoreless ocean of ignorance, found in Sri Hanumath Kali Vara Prasad Babu such a Sadguru. A true master that he was, he took them all into his fold, showered unbounded love upon them and guided them step by step into the path of realization.

JAISAIRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 03, 2006, 03:37:23 PM
                     
Guru (Master)  



 
           Guru is the God incarnate (Trinity)  

              One who considers Guru as a mere mortal will never attain salvation.  

              It is a sin either to listen or to say an insulting word about Guru.  

              The Master or Guru is one who lets you know the truth.  

              A sacred land is one where “Mahatmas” (holy-men) live  

              The disciple who completely surrenders and entrusts all his cares to Guru is fortunate.

              The sense of surrender is noble.

              Guru is likened to a steamer, which not only crosses the ocean but helps others to cross the ocean of life.  


JAISAIRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 04, 2006, 01:48:24 PM
GURU OR SPIRITUAL TEACHER


On the question of the necessity of a Guru there is amongst many people a good deal of speculation.

Some of them assert with vehemence that a Guru is not at all necessary for the spiritual progress of an aspirant and that his own personal effort is sufficient; others, with equal emphasis declare, that no spiritual progress in an individual, however hard he may strive for himself, can be possible except through the grace and guidance of a Guru.

Before we discuss this important subject, it is essential in the first place to understand the true significance of the term "Guru"

Guru is understood to be the awakener of the dormant spirit of the aspirant to the consciousness of the immortal Self or God.

Guru is the guide and the leader.

Guru is the Truth personified.

Guru imparts the knowledge of the highest Truth, leading the thought of the aspirant to the comprehension of the deathless life.

Guru is he whose life has mingled with God's life, who is intoxicated with the bliss of the external and whose heart is overflowing with compassion and love for all creatures and beings in the world.

The touch, society or even a sight of such a great and illumined personality would at once bring a sense of indescribable relief to the struggling soul, and set him on the path of immortality, peace and bliss.

 What does the Guru say to the soul in tribulation? He exhorts:
"Go within yourself and behold therein the splendour and glory of the eternal Truth.

Therein resides your ultimate home of perfect release, happiness and peace. Therein find the life that never fades, that never changes, but ever blesses and sanctifies.

Be in tune with that Reality, if you sincerely crave for the highest consummation of life". It is thus the Guru awakens you, and thereafter you are always awake.

This is the real conception of a Guru.

Now to return to our question, let us consider whether it is possible for a person to evolve physically, mentally or spiritually without the help of a teacher.

It is admitted on all hands that development on the physical and mental planes requires the aid of a proficient guide or master. This is the law of nature holding true in all cases of mental and physical revival and progress of mankind.

To flout or deny this universal law in matters spiritual is to deliberately ignore the lessons which his or her own experiences have held out.

From the time the child is born until it departs this life, having passed through its various stages of growth to old age, it does inevitably become both the teacher and the taught.

He who argues against the need of a teacher invariably assumes the role of a teacher himself. This is a paradox which he alone would be able to explain if he could.

It is an incontestable fact that a great mother, a great professor or expert or a great saint is responsible for the enlightenment of the heart, head and soul of a human being.

If we, with a clear vision, study the lives of all the great men and women of the world, past or present, we cannot fail to observe that a dominant power for good at the back of them had influenced and moulded their career.

Sometimes, this power may have acted in such a subtle and mysterious manner that the recipients of it could hardly have recognised it. These cases of non - recognition are happily very few. It is these that contend that a Guru or a spiritual teacher is a superfluity.

Based on this averment, many ignorant people, who have neither the initiative nor the humility for the spiritual adventure, parrot-like repeat the words of the above masters. They forget that by so doing they are also blindly and unconsciously accepting those great Ones as their teachers. But those who are distinctly alive to the transforming influence of a great Soul on them, which brought about a permanent change in their angle of vision from the ephemeral to the eternal valurs of life, boldly declare that without the healing and elevating touch of a spiritual teacher there is no hope for the de­luded soul.

It is light of the above presentation of the problem, everyone who would take thought may judge for himself or herself whether a Guru is an absolute necessity or not for the progress of the soul towards God.

(courtesy "The Vision July 2004)

By Swami Ramdas



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 04, 2006, 02:55:07 PM
How Sai Baba Met His Guru, and Their Life Together

Example of the profundity of Sai Baba and the symbolism of his

speech [cf. 31]

"Once I was arguing with three friends how to attain Self-realization.
      One said the Bhagavad Gita says "Raise yourself."
      The second said, "Keep the mind free from thought."
      The third said we would have to discern constantly between the Eternal and the transitory.
      The fourth said, "Let us surrender to a Guru in faith."
      As they roamed through the forest they met a labourer who warned them that they should get lost in the trackless thickets, and invited them to stay and share his food. But they rejected his offer and advice and walked on, only to lose their way in the vast, dense forest.
      The labourer met them a second time and invited them to share his food, but the same think happened. But as the four continued on their way, one of them felt hungry and went back and accepted a piece of bread from the labourer and drank some water.
      Then the Guru appeared. I bowed down to him reverently. He took me to a well, tied my legs with a rope, and suspended me head downwards from a tree that was growing beside it. My head was about a metre above the water, so that I could not touch it. My Guru returned four or five hours later and asked me how I was getting on. I answered that I had passed my time in great bliss. He was delighted with me and embraced me, passing his hand over my head and body. He made me his disciple.
      I loved to gaze on him. I had no eyes except for him. I did not want to go back." [14-16]

Comment


"The whole story is symbolical." - Arthur Osborne. [16]
The forest is the mind.
The four friends are four modes of approach.
The labourer is the Guru
The food offered is the Guru's grace.
The appearing Guru is a real Guru.
The sadhana (Way) stands for absorption of the Guru inside.
etc.



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 04, 2006, 03:01:34 PM

Sai Baba - the guru of gurus


JaiSaiRam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 06, 2006, 08:39:04 AM
The Sadguru or Perfect Master or Qutab or Adept as he is called

differently, is the pivotal point in the administration of the

perceptible and the imperceptible universe around us.

In fact the word ‘Qutab’, itself means pivot.

Many visible and invisible activities stretching to aeons of time

are conducted by these sadgurus or masters working in unison with

each other for the evolution of the living and non-living aspects of

Universe.

It is difficult to believe that the human civilization on this earth

of our’s progressed exactly on the darwinian presumptions of

evolution.

Modern historical research does not have the mechanism to delve into

the vital role of these sadgurus in changing the history of human

societies in all its aspects.

Some historians have briefly touched upon this subject, but none has

really undertaken any serious research with this hypothesis or

postulation that behind every temporal ruler there is a spiritual

ruler or that all major changes in this world are programmed and got

executed by the Sadgurus, directly through the rulers and indirectly

through certain unknown methods and spiritual workers.

Therefore, historical research on the visible and invisible roles of

the spiritual masters or other spiritual personalities working under

the command of the Sadgurus in bringing about fundamental changes on

the earth is a need of the day.

In rare cases like the effect of Sadguru Ramdas on the Maratha rule

of Shivaji in India, one gets a glimpse of the overt influence of a

Sadguru on the political, social and moral life of a society.

Similarly the effect and influence of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti of

Ajmer and of Nizammuddin Auliya of Delhi on the rulers of that time

can be historically established.

Even if a scholar has access to all the available historical data on

the subject, yet a total comprehension of the role of these Sadgurus

will be eluding him unless he has learnt about the secrets of

spiritual science under the guidance of a Sadguru.


 Article by Guruji Shri.C.B.Satpathy


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 08, 2006, 05:26:37 PM
Guru's Two-Fold Mission


Sai Baba is Guru and Sadguru.

He is not one that just preached but He is the one that practiced.

It is said that Sainath was awake when the whole world slept.

He commanded respect from all the forces of nature since He is one

that controls them.

It was a practice then and is now to question the veracity of

manifestations of God.

Smt. Mani Sahukar writes in Sai Baba: The Saint of Shirdi,

"The human soul, even though initiated in the spiritual path,

cannot love an abstract power: and it is for this reason that the

scriptures advise us to venerate those who lead us to God and to

love their physical presence as the Divine itself manifesting in

human form".

She continues, "The Guru’s mission is two-fold. First and the more

important is to help the aspirant to achieve a total surrender to

himself as God’s true representative. Knowing fully well that the

human mind cannot be awakened without an altar of dedication, the

Guru projects himself as an ideal.

For, to constantly contemplate on some Divine embodiment establishes

a divine channel of reflection, which automatically leads to

meditation.

The second purpose of Guru is rather paradoxical in that

he helps the seeker to transcend the state of complete dependence

which the Guru himself has taken pains to foster!

The final spurt of realization is exclusively the devotee’s job,

and the Guru withdraws his tangible hold on the one who is now ready

to go beyond all that is personal and individual to a universal

realization of Truth".  

saibaba.com

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on January 09, 2006, 10:06:11 AM
JAI SAI RAM!!!

MY BABA SAI IS GURU OF THE GURUS - THE GREATEST GURU - SADGURU

OM SAI RAM!!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on January 11, 2006, 02:59:48 AM
JAI SAI RAM!!!

Buddha used to say that once it happened: Five idiots were travelling. They came to a big river. They purchased a small boat. They crossed the river. Then they thought: This boat is wonderful. It has helped us to come across the river, otherwise it would not have been possible for us to cross it. So we should be grateful to it.

So they carried the boat on their heads into the marketplace.

People enquired: What is the matter? Why are you carrying this boat? They said: We are very grateful. This boat helped us to cross the river otherwise we would still have been on the other shore. Now we can never leave it!

Buddha said: Always remember that the Master is a boat. Cross the river, but don't carry the boat on the head otherwise one who was going to free you will become your bondage.

That's how when a boat is carried, the boat of Christ is carried, you become a Christian, not a Christ. If you drop the boat you become a Christ; if you carry the boat you become a Christian.

If you drop the boat of Buddha you become a Buddha yourself; if you carry the boat you become a Buddhist. Which is foolishness.

So don't be one of those five idiots. -

Love Guru only to drop him one day. And love him so deeply that you can drop without any grudge without any clinging without any complaint.

It looks difficult because you can understand love only in terms of attachment. You don't know that love is deep unattachment. You can understand love only as possessiveness. You don't know that love is the greatest freedom, non-possessiveness.
 
If you allow him to create the situation and you don't create resistance, first you will start clinging to him -- that's how the journey starts, one has to enter the boat. But when the other shore is reached he should be the first to tell you to leave the boat completely and forget about it. The purpose is fulfilled. You move ahead.

The last step has to be taken in the divine, in God, and the Master has to be dropped.

The Master is naught but a door.

OM SAI RAM!!!

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 12, 2006, 03:03:35 PM
Silence of Guru  
 

Silence is the most potent form of work.

However vast and emphatic the Scriptures may be, they fail in their effect. The Guru is Quiet and Grace prevails in all.

This Silence is more vast and more emphatic than all the Scriptures put together.

The devotee surrenders himself to the Master and it means that there is no vestige of individuality retained by him.

If the surrender is complete, all sense of self is lost, and then there can be no misery or sorrow.

The Eternal Being is nothing but Happiness.
That comes as a Revelation.


 
JAISAIRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on January 15, 2006, 09:10:29 AM
JAI SAI RAM!!!

The whole existence is full of God. And it is not that somebody is more of a God and somebody else is less of a God -- God is not a quantity. It can't be 'more' and 'less'. The idea that only one or two or three or four or five Masters are there makes it appear as if God also has limitations. There are no limitations.

The Master is hiding in everybody; the real Master is never outside, the real Master is inside. The outside Master is just to provoke the real Master within you, that's all. Somebody has awakened, and you are fast asleep -- but you have as much capacity to be awake as the one who has become awakened. The capacity is there, intrinsic in you. And the outer Master, the person who is awakened, cannot give you awareness; he can only shake you -- awareness will well up within you. He is not going to give it to you; nobody can give anything to you. You need not have anything from anybody; God has given you all that you need, all that you will ever need.

When you shake up somebody, when you call him, and he opens his eyes and becomes awake, have you given him anything. You have not given him anything, you have simply created an occasion in which his capacity to be aware started functioning.
 
A Master is just a device.

There are thousands of Masters around the world, and the people who claim 'I am the only one', be certain that they at least are not, because how can the person who has arrived claim that 'I am the only one'? He will know -- at least this much he will know -- that there are others; the earth is big. And life does not exist only on the earth, it exists on at least fifty thousand more planets. Just one Master?... It will be too much for him to manage. The world is vast. There are thousands of Masters, and not only on the earth but on other planets too. Wherever there are people asleep, there are always a few people who are awake.

And, remember, the person who is awake cannot claim anything about his awareness, about his awakened state, because he knows that he is awake only because he is capable of falling asleep. And those who are still asleep are capable of becoming awake: you can fall asleep only because you can have awareness, otherwise how can you fall asleep?

Awareness is a must. Sleep and awareness are both manifestations of awareness. In sleep, the awareness becomes a seed form; it closes itself just as you close your windows and doors in the night and you go to sleep. In the morning you wake up, you open the doors and windows again, and you allow the light to enter again.

And people who are asleep sometimes become awake even without a Master, because life itself sometimes can pro-voke you into awareness. The Master is not a must. There are people who have become awakened without any Master: just by going deeply into the misery of sleep, into the night-mares of sleep, they have become awakened. The very agony has disturbed their sleep.

The Master is only one of the situations, and nobody who has arrived can claim 'I am the only one.' If the claim is there then it shows only one thing: that this man is fast asleep and dreaming.

OM SAI RAM!!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 15, 2006, 03:55:31 PM
A True Guru

The true Guru is your own inner self (consciousness) but for those of us, who still need a physical Guru to help us realize this divinity latent in us, we need to find one...here are the traits to look for....

1. A true Guru will only be concerned about disciples spiritual progress and nothing else like, building and growing his ashram etc...through inner controls, introspection and spiritual practices he will grow your self awareness of your own Godhood (divinity latent in you). Many Gurus may make you fly through meditation and see great things but those are all temporary gains and may even inhibit your spiritual progress as these gains bring a greater sense of ego in you. The true gain is only self realization of your divinity.

2. True Guru will never ever ask the disciple for any money...not even Guru Dakshina (which is given after the education is over)...His satisfaction will be the progress of the disciple and that will make him happy. A true Guru will only give and never take. So no donations should be asked.

3. A true Guru will teach atmic knowledge (knowledge of the soul) and will increase self confidence of the disciple, expand the mind and will teach only dharmic qualities like, non-violence, unity in diversity, Love for all, peace, righteousness (dharma), etc....he will not mislead you for selfish purposes...

May you find such a guru....grace of God is needed to find such a Guru...to get the grace of God, we have to surrender, like Arjuna did and ask him to be the charioteer of our hearts...then he will show you the way....do not rely on your mind to find a Guru but first step is to forget your ego, intellectualism and surrender to God....




JAISAIRAM!!!!!!!!!!!


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 17, 2006, 09:21:31 AM
Guru-God


Narasimha Swami ji once said: "Poor Saadhakas (aspirants) struggling by themselves in their chambers and trying to steady their rambling thoughts resort to pranayama (a Yogic exercise involving control of breathing)".

But in Baba’s school the panacea for all illness is Bhakthi (devotion) and guru bhakthi.

The Lord speaks to us through Guru and we should have intense faith in our Guru.

One should be able to see Guru-God everywhere and in everyone.

Thus one will see Guru-God as omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

This means one should convert Guru’s finite form into infinite form.

The elevated souls who are called "apantaratmas" like Baba and Ramakrishna always live in God.

They always think of the welfare of humanity.

These great souls are present everywhere and they are all one.

There is no difference between one saint and another.

 They have shown us different routes to reach the same goal.

Their mere glance at us is enough.

That will uplift us.

 Apantaratmas come into the world at the command of the Supreme Lord.

By following any of them we can reach Supreme Goal.

(From "Apostle of Love: Sai Padananda" by Sri Rangaswami


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 17, 2006, 02:34:22 PM
CHANTING GURU'S NAME


Merely chanting or remembering Lord Hari's or Guru's Name can confer Self Realisation.

To be FREE from all shackles, always chant 'SAI'SAI', shedding all cleverness, arrogance or egoism and brazenness.

Only the fortunate few, free from blemish, take seriously to My Worship. Even if you merely chant 'SAI', 'SAI', I shall take you across the ocean. For I always drag My Devotee towards Me from far off places, or even across the seven seas like a sparrow heading to its nest with a string tied to its feet.

Believe these words and you will certainly be benefited. My Worship needs no elaborate rituals like SADHANAS (Spiritual Practices). I only rest where there is full sincere devotion and love.

Even if you merely utter My Name with Love, I shall fulfill all your wishes and increase your devotion. But if you earnestly sing about My Leelas Deeds or spread My MESSAGE, you will merge in My Grace. Have Patience (Saburi) Faith (Shraddha) in Me.

My sincere devotees shall always be saved or pulled out even from the jaws of Death. I run to help My Devotees in times of danger. All diseases shall vanish when My Leelas (Stories Teachings) are listened to respectfully, assimilated and meditated upon.

While attending to your worldly duties daily, the mind should THINK of the Sadguru and His Leelas and be blessed by Him.

If the devotee has sincere complete Faith in Me, his Mind will MERGE with the Supreme Consciousness. Even mere chanting of My Name, as Sai, will do away with the sins of speech and hearing. It will remove FEAR of the worldly existence and will lead you to the spiritual path, regardless of your caste, creed, or class.

Without God's Grace, there is no desire or even urge to listen to the Saint's stories. But with God's Grace everything is smooth and easy. Hearing these stories, one keeps company of the Saints that helps one become less conscious of one's body or its problems. It cuts asunder all attachments, destroying cycles of births and deaths and lifts one up to God who is pure Consciousness. In turn, detachment to the sense objects is increased, which makes one indifferent to the Pleasure or Pain and leads to Spiritual Path.

If you take refuge in the Saints, without any reservations, you will be carried off safely across the Ocean of Worldly Existence.


SHIRDI SAIBABA.







subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 17, 2006, 05:54:59 PM
Is there a substitute to Guru?



The concept of Guru is unique. With careful observation, one might appreciate the existence of the concept of Guru in every way of life, in one form or the other. This includes all civilizations and cultures mankind has seen thus far. Could there be a substitute to Guru? If we can say that books can substitute teacher, we could probably say that one needs no Guru.


Could exercises such as meditation or just performing rituals compensate the benefits of having a Guru? Experiences can be felt or realized through several sources.

However, pursuit of such an experience without the right objective does not constitute a spiritual experience. On the other hand, it may just be a temporary state of well being, without any permanent gains.

Exercises such as meditation have been scientifically proven to exert a positive influence on the human mind and body. Several great men have practiced and preached different ways of such activities.

However, temporary spurts of feeling good do not lead to any permanent transformations. This is evident from the rate with which such phenomenon have arrived and vanished. One reason for the failure to accomplish any thing major through these exercises may be the fact that enough importance is not placed on the importance of completely understanding the concept of Guru.

Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji during a discourse challenged, "Is it possible to meditate upon something unseen or unheard?". How many of us can truthfully do this? If this could be possible, then where is the necessity for Guru, for the objective of a meditation is the merger of meditator and the object meditated upon. Human intellect responds to attributes that it can easily relate to. Such an object makes the pursuit of the unknown easier.


In fact, it becomes absolutely necessary for some, given the frivolous nature of the mind. Reference to Satan in some religions and Maya in some others probably indicate the same predicament.

The necessity for a Guru is well explained in scriptures. Guru's manifold functions, and the fact that Guru is the closest to God one can experience is also well illustrated. Realization that Guru is none other than God and He is nothing but the all pervading conscious, is truly a blissful experience. We find several examples for this phenomenon in Sri Sai Satcharitha including the episode of Madrasi Bhajani Mela and Dr. Pandit.

Who might say that there is no need for Guru? The Guru Himself? How could a soul that personifies humility and modesty say such a thing? Baba said always, "Allah Malik, God is great!" and yes, He Himself has referred to His Guru many a times!  



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on January 18, 2006, 09:38:11 AM
JAI SAI RAM!!!

THE REAL MASTER NEVER FITS WITH YOUR EXPECTATIONS. And if he fits he is not a master. The real master cannot fit with your expectations, your expectations come out of your mind. Your mind is the problem: it has to go down the drain, in toto.

A real master never fits with your expectations. And those who fit with your expectations are just businessmen, not real masters. They fit, they HAVE to fit -- that's how they depend on you. A real master is always a shock, a shattering. He will not in any way allow himself to fit with you. Then only can he destroy you.

A real master is not a consolation. A real master has to UNCREATE you -- how can he be a consolation? He has to demolish you; he is not a renovation.

He is not just patching up things, he has to uproot you from the very roots and transform you to another dimension. He is a transmutation. Nothing will ever fit with a real master.

OM SAI RAM!!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 21, 2006, 08:39:22 PM
Guru is verily the representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance.


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 21, 2006, 08:40:27 PM
Guru can guide us to the supreme knowledge of THAT which pervades

all the living and non-living beings in the entire Universe

(namely Brahman).


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 21, 2006, 08:41:36 PM
A Guru can save us from the pangs of ignorance (darkness) by

applying to us the balm of knowledge or awareness of the Supreme.


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 21, 2006, 08:43:22 PM

The Guru has neither beginning nor end;

the Guru is the ultimate God (in the visible form).


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 21, 2006, 08:59:24 PM
Is Guru Diksha necessary? Does Guru Diksha has many forms? One can learn even without Diksha. Then why is Guru Diksha so important?

   For a common man nothing is important or necessary. But if a human wishes to rise high in life, if he wants to stop leading an animal existence and become really human then he needs a powerful medium to guide him. He needs a guide who could tell him which Sadhana is good for him, which Mantra best suits him, how he should chant the Mantra and how he can get rid of the obstacles that might arise in life.

Only a Guru can explain all this correctly. Every person has two paths to follow in life. A Guru is like a milestone who guides the Sadhak onto the right path and tells him that this is the path for you. Just as a married life is important in this world, similarly to progress in spiritual life one needs the guidance of a Guru.
 


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on January 29, 2006, 04:09:01 AM
JAI SAI RAM!!!

Once upon a time, a teacher by name of Paramanandam lived in a small village. He was a married person with a wife and children. He had ten students under him. These students were very naive and used to behave in foolish way. Most of the time, they used to misinterpret the teacher's words and they used to create confusing situations. The teacher knew their defects and always tried to help them. Days were passing on like this. One day, a difficult, problematic situation had cropped up. The problem was that the ten students had to cross a river to go to the other side. The teacher told them all the precautions to cross the river safely. The ten students, by holding hands together, crossed the river and went to the other side. Then suddenly, they got a doubt that someone in them was missing. So, they wanted to count each other. They selected a person among themselves to do the counting. The person who did the counting (he did not include himself in the counting) counted only nine people. This created tension in them. Another one was selected to do the counting; he also repeated the same mistake as the first one did. He also reconfirmed that only nine people were left. Now, it became clear for them that one among them was drowned in the river. They felt very sad. They started crying loudly for the lost one. A passenger going by listened to their cries. He went near and asked them about their problem. They explained to him the situation. This passenger was an intelligent person. He understood their foolishness completely. He asked the ten students to stand in a line. He started counting them one by one until he counted the tenth person. The students felt very happy and thanked the passenger.

In this story, even though there is a tenth person, because of ignorance, the presence of that person could not be appreciated. Then, the teacher who came as a passenger, (teachings of the teacher) showed them that the tenth person was present. The ignorance is two-fold. It makes us not to appreciate the real and also makes us to misinterpret the real. A Guru is essential for us to bring us out of the darkness of ignorance. The Guru makes us to experience the 'Real' in a clear way. The Grace of our Sri Sai who is a perfect master and a mother that knows the real needs of her children blesses all of us.

OM SAI RAM!!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 30, 2006, 09:12:27 AM
Make it sure and keep it safe in the mind that Shirdi Sai is not an

ordinary Guru and he is an extraordinary Ultimate Guru,

Shirdi Sai is not an ordinary Yogi but an uncommon Ultimate Yogi,

and that

Shirdi Sai is not a part incarnation but he is PERFECT NCARNATION.

Baba bless us all!

Sri Satchitananda Samartha Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Khi Jai!


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on February 13, 2006, 11:06:17 AM
Guru's Role


There was a poor man in a village who had desire to become rich.

God took the form of a fortune-teller and told the poor man to dig a

pit near the wall at the back of his house to find a rich treasure-

trove in it.

The poor man did the same and obtained much wealth and thereafter,

he became relaxed and careless even for the maintenance of the

wealth.

Coming to know of his carelessness, one day a thief entered the

house and carried away the treasure-trove.

 The poor man found that his wealth was gone and ran here and there

in search of the treasure-trove.

 In the meantime, the same fortune-teller caught hold of the thief

and duly returned the treasure-trove to the poor man.

 From that moment, he never relaxed his vigilance, was ever guarding

the treasure-trove, and exerted himself to add to it.

Similarly, God sends a Guru to the Spiritual Aspirant who shows him

that God resides within the chambers of the heart in the form of

Supreme Bliss.

The Spiritual Aspirant exerts himself and attains some measure of

success in the sadhana.

This success turns his head and makes him relax his efforts.

Finding this, Maya overpowers him and carries away his spiritual

progress.

He suddenly discovers the truth and laments over his fate.

The Guru comes to him again and recaptures for him the experiences

he had previously gained by Sadhana.

 He also warns him against relax in Sadhana.

Once having known the consequences of non-vigilance, viz., great

misery, he never relaxes his vigilance once again.

The basic teaching of our ancient scriptures says that you are child

of Immortality (Amrithasya puthraah).

Man is not a product of slime or mud but he is the one who manages

to live with viveka so that he is able to attain the divinity latent

in him.

Man is frittering his energy on collecting tawdry tinsel

(Materialistic things) and forgetting the diamonds (God's Grace).

Both are available on earth but man is led by glitter and not by

worth.

The most desirable form of wealth is the Grace of God.

The bliss that bestows due to God's Grace is experienced by many

saints and sages who had faith in their hearts and withstood the

onslaughts of poverty, neglect and cruelty.

The sky and the sea are blue in color because of their vast depth.

Similarly, God is described in blue color because of his greatest

mystery.

Remove from the heart the darkness of vice and ignorance so that,

the Meghashyama (whose color is that of a rain-cloud) can easily be

seen in that white background.

Do not further darken your consciousness by blaming God due to your

materialistic problems.

Better live a moment as hamsa (swan) on milk than live for a century

as crow by feeding on carrion.

Man is the repository of vast power.

The body encasing you is the means to enable you to realize the

Reality.

Use the opportunities in the householder life as a training ground

for spiritual life and develop detachment and self-sacrifice.

You must remove the fibrous matter that encases his heart i.e.,

lust, anger and envy.

You must Draw inspiration from the Divine in you and earn the glory

by being good, sincere, honest, self-sacrificing and lovable.

Use your tongue for spelling the name of the Lord but not for

hissing like a serpent or for growling with intention to strike

terror.

Do not start blaming the God if your wish is not fulfilled because

the fault lies in you for not having the needed qualification to

earn the fulfillment.

The sorrows of life will yield only to nobler and higher thoughts

and experiences.

Our dharma insists that every act must be done as efficiently as act

 of worship and true love must forget all differences of status, age

and wealth and man cannot claim humanity without self-control and

detachment.

Hear good things, see good, do good, think good and uproot all the

evil tendencies will be uprooted otherwise, you are like the fool

who puts on wrong glasses and spoils his vision.  

JAISAIRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on February 22, 2006, 10:07:12 PM
JAI SAI RAM!!!

The sadgurus, the perfect masters, say that God is attained by grace alone and not your endeavors. He would be small compared to you if He could be attained by your endeavors. He is infinitely greater. No sooner are you empty than you are filled.

When the rains come it rains equally on the mountains as in the valleys. The valleys get filled; the mountains remain dry. The mountains are filled and have no place for water, but the valleys are empty, so they fill with water and form lakes.

God showers on all alike. He shows no discrimination. Existence is the same for everyone, without any differentiation. There is no question of the worthy or unworthy, sinner or saint. God's grace showers on all alike just as the skies cover everything beneath. But those who are filled with themselves miss his grace, because there is no room within. Those who are empty inside become filled, because there is enough space.
When the I-ness falls He himself comes, and the I-ness persists as long as there is hope for attainment.

OM SAI RAM!!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: OmSaiRamNowOn on March 01, 2006, 02:11:28 PM
Jai Sai Ram.

Guru Brahmaa Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheswara
Guru Saaksaat Param Brahma
Tasmai Shri Guruve Namaha

Meaning

Guru Is Brahmaa (Who plants the qualities of goodness)
Guru Is Vishnu (Who nurtures and fosters the qualities of goodness)
Guru Is Maheswara (Who weeds out the bad quality)
Guru Is Supreme Brahman Itself
Prostration Unto That Guru

Om Sai Ram.



OM SAI RAM !
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI !!

-Anju
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 10, 2006, 03:16:54 PM
A guru shows the path of enlightenment to seekers.

Gu denotes darkness (ignorance) and

ru denotes the removal of that darkness.

The word guru has two other meanings.

In the first one,

gu signifies guna titha (one who has transcended the three gunas)

and ru signifies the formless aspect (one who has grasped that).

Gur means heavy or weighty, signifying the weight of the guru's wisdom, which can benefit others.

Jaisairam.


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 10, 2006, 03:18:22 PM
The guru is both a formal teacher and a spiritual preceptor.

He is a storehouse of spiritual energy, which he can transmit to

other.

He helps the aspirant to polish his inner self till it reflects

the light of truth.

 In the Shirdi Sai Satcharita a seeker asks Shirdi Baba:

"Where to go?" Baba replies: "High up".

 The seeker then asks: "How to go there?" Baba answers:

"Take a guide, he will take you straight and make you avoid the

ditches and wild beasts in the jungle".

Even avatars like Rama and Krishna subjected themselves to the

tutelage of worthy gurus like Vashishta and Sandipani.

The guru-shishya parampara honours the teacher as God and promotes

reverence for Vidya (knowledge).

It inculcates humility in the student and respect and gratitude in

him for the dispenser of knowledge.

Other noble virtues like discipline, dedication sense of duty,

sacrifice and compassion also evolve with the guru's help.

Jaisairam!!!!!!!!!



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 10, 2006, 03:19:30 PM
A true guru guides you on the spiritual path to salvation.

He promotes your furtherance on the Godward path.

He is also the one who grants great inspiration to good orks.

'Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Mhaeshwara,

Gurur Sakshat Parabrahma, Tasmaye Shri Guruvay Namaha'.

 In this sloka the guru is compared with the trinity of Gods –

Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara – because a sincere guru has to

take on all the three functions of the trinity – creation

(of good qualities), sustenance (of higher nature) and

destruction (of negative qualities).

Jaisairam!!!!!!!!!!

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 30, 2006, 06:40:14 AM
One who has no separate identity,

one who is disciplined towards the Guru,

is a disciple.


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 19, 2006, 01:37:22 AM
The form of Guru is the root of meditation,
The feet of the Guru are the root of worship,
The teaching of the Guru is the root of all hymns and
The Grace of the Guru is the root of salvation.




subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 10, 2006, 12:33:18 AM
Guru is beyond gender, beyond form, and is the Supreme Divinity.

Guru is in your heart, in the heart of all living beings.


JAISAIRAM!!!!!!!!!

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 12, 2006, 08:39:07 PM
"The teachings of a Guru are of no use to a man who is full of egoism and who only thinks about the material objects.

Purification of mind is absolutely necessary.

Without it, all our spiritual endeavors are nothing but a useless pomp.

 My treasury is full and I can give anyone what he wants but I have to see whether he is qualified to receive it" - Sai Baba of Shirdi.

Jaisairam.


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on June 03, 2006, 11:46:44 PM
JAI SAI RAM!!!

Gur Dhobi Sikh Kapda, Saboo Sirjan Har
Surti Sila Pur Dhoiye, Nikse Jyoti Apaar

Guru the washer man, disciple is the cloth. The name of God liken to the soap wash the mind on foundation firm to realize the glow of Truth

My Understanding :

In this Doha, Kabir shows the quality of a good teacher, the Guru. Like only by following the technique of washing clothes, the washer man cleans the cloth, same way the preceptor or the teacher takes upon himself to cleanse the mind of his disciples and guide them to realize the Truth within.

Viewed in context of our day to day life, we can observe that only when we are totally involved in our actions, only then we can be assured of achieving results.  Diligence, dedication and total intensity is required while performing any act, only then one finds the true joy, the fulfillment.

OM SAI RAM!!!

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 04, 2006, 06:07:01 AM
Without a Sadhguru..

A life without a spiritual perfect master (Sadhguru) is incomplete. Though one may acquire immense wealth, have a nice family, lots of friends and relatives; yet there is always something missing deep inside. During our life time a few will remain with us from birth and a few will part in between. But when the time comes for us to depart no one except the Sadhguru can come to our aid. After birth, mother and father are with us. In the course of life, friends and relatives are with us. But when we leave the mortal coil only the Sadhguru can safely guide us to the shore of unknown oceans.

Without the Sadhguru's teachings and sayings, knowledge of the spirit cannot be acquired. Without the master's love, there is no devotion. It is the spiritual power of the master that leads one to atonenment. Without the Sadghuru, how helpless is one! On one, who longs for the masters holy feet, whose eyes always yearn to see the face of the master and who takes shelter at the door of the masters abode, falls the grace of the master that will safely anchor the soul.

While there is still time left, flock to the Sadhguru and seek mercy for acts of speech, word and deed done knowingly or unknowingly in the three states of existence. For out of Sadhguru's mercy arises the rest!  

Jaisairam.



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2006, 10:46:51 PM
Guru is God. A word from him is a word from God. He need not teach anything.
Even his presence or company is elevating, inspiring and stirring. The very
company itself is self-illumination. Living in his company is spiritual
education. Read ‘Sri Granth Sahib’. You will come to know the greatness of
Guru.

Jaisairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2006, 10:48:27 PM
The Need For A Guru


For a beginner in the spiritual path, a Guru is necessary. To light a
candle, you need a burning candled Even so, an illumined soul alone can
enlighten another soul.

Some do meditation for some years independently. Later on, they actually
feel the necessity for a Guru. They come across some obstacles in the way.
They do not know how to obviate these impediments or stumbling blocks. Then
they begin to search for a Master.

Only the man who has already been to Badrinath will be able to tell you the
road leading to it. In the case of the spiritual path, it is still more
difficult to find your way. The mind will mislead you very often. The Guru
will be able to remove pitfalls and obstacles, and lead you along the right
path. He will tell you: “This road leads you to Moksha; this one leads to
bondage.” Without this guidance, you might want to go to Badrinath, but find
yourself in Delhi!

The scriptures are like a forest. There are ambiguous passages. There are
passages that are apparently contradictory and others that have esoteric
meanings, diverse significance and hidden explanations. There are cross
references. You are in need of a Guru or Preceptor who will explain to you
the right meaning, who will remove doubts and ambiguities, who will place
before you the essence of the teachings.

A Guru is absolutely necessary for every aspirant in the spiritual path. It
is only the Guru who will find out your defects. The nature of egoism is
such that you will not be able to find out your own defects. Just as a man
cannot see his back, so also he cannot see his own errors. He must live
under a Guru for the eradication of his evil qualities and defects.

The aspirant who is under the guidance of a Master or Guru is safe from
being led astray. Satsanga or association with the Guru is an armour and
fortress to guard you against all temptations and unfavourable forces of the
material world.

Cases of those who had attained perfection without study under any Guru
should not be cited as authoritative against the necessity for a Guru; for,
such great men are the anomalies of spiritual life, and not the common
normality. They come into existence as spiritual masters as a result of the
intense service, study and meditation practised in previous births. They had
already studied under the Guru. The present birth is only its continuative
spiritual effect. Hence, the importance of the Guru is not lessened thereby.

Some teachers mislead their aspirants. They say to all: “Think for yourself.
Do not surrender yourself to any Guru.” When one says, “Do not follow any
Gurus,” he intends to be the listeners’ Guru himself. Do not approach such
pseudo-Gurus. Do not hear their lectures.

All great ones had their teachers. All the sages, saints, prophets, world
teachers, incarnations, great men have had their own Gurus, however great
they might have been. Svetaketu learnt the nature of Truth from Uddalaka,
Maitreyi from Yajnavalkya, Bhrigu from Varuna, Narada from Sanatkumara,
Nachiketas from Yama, Indra from Prajapati; and several others humbly went
to wise ones, observed strict Brahmacharya, practised rigorous discipline,
and learnt Brahma-Vidya from them.

Lord Krishna sat at the feet of His Guru Sandipani. Lord Rama had Guru
Vasishtha who gave Him Upadesa. Lord Jesus sought John to be baptised by him
on the banks of the river Jordan. Even Devas have Brihaspati as their Guru.
Even the greatest among the divine beings sat at the feet of Guru
Dakshinamurti.

A neophyte must have a personal Guru first. He cannot have God as Guru to
begin with. He must have a pure mind. He must have ethical perfection. He
must be intensely virtuous. He must be above body-consciousness. Then alone
can he have God as Guru.


Jaisairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2006, 10:50:12 PM
Choosing The Guru


If you find peace in the presence of a Mahatma, if you are inspired by his
speeches, if he is able to clear your doubts, if he is free from greed,
anger and lust, if he is selfless, loving and I-less, you can take him as
your Guru. He who is able to clear your doubts, he who is sympathetic in
your Sadhana, he who does not disturb your beliefs but helps you on from
where you are, he in whose very presence you feel spiritually elevated—he is
your Guru. Once you choose your Guru, implicitly follow him. God will guide
you through the Guru.

Do not use your reason too much in the selection of your Guru. You will fail
if you do so. If you fail to get a first-class Guru, try to follow the
instructions of the Sadhu who is treading the path for some years, who has
purity and other virtuous qualities, and who has some knowledge of the
scriptures. Just as a student of the Intermediate Class will be able to
teach a student of Third Form when a professor with M.A. qualification is
not available, just as a sub-assistant surgeon will be able to attend on a
patient when the civil surgeon is not available, this second-class type of
Guru will be able to help you.

If you are not able to find out even this second-class type of Guru, you can
follow the teachings contained in the books written by realised saints like
Sri Sankara, Dattatreya and others. You can keep a photo of such a realised
Guru, if available, and worship the same with faith and devotion. Gradually
you will get inspiration, and the Guru may appear in a dream and initiate
and inspire you at the proper time. For a sincere Sadhaka, help comes in a
mysterious manner.


Jaisairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2006, 10:54:30 PM
Siksha Gurus And Diksha Gurus



Man has a twofold duty here on earth—to preserve his life, and to realise
his Self. To preserve his life, he has to learn to work for his daily bread.
To realise his Self, he has to serve, love and meditate. The Guru who
teaches him the knowledge of worldly arts is the Siksha Guru. The Guru who
shows him the path of Realisation is the Diksha Guru. Siksha Gurus can be
many—as many as the things he wishes to learn. Diksha Guru can be only
one—the one who leads him to Moksha.

Stick To One Guru
>From a doctor, you get a prescription. From two doctors, you get
consultation. From three doctors, you get your own cremation. Even so, if
you have many Gurus, you will be bewildered. You will be at a loss to know
what to do. One Guru will tell you: “Do Soham Japa.” Another will tell you:
“Do Japa of Sri Ram.” A third Guru will tell you: “Hear Anahata sounds.” You
will be puzzled. Stick to one Guru and follow his instructions.

Listen to all, but follow one. Respect all, but adore one. Gather knowledge
from all, but adopt the teachings of one Master. Then you will have rapid
spiritual progress.


Jaisairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2006, 10:55:30 PM
Guru-Parampara

Spiritual knowledge is a matter of Guru-Parampara. It is handed down from
Guru to his disciple. Gaudapadacharya imparted Self-knowledge to his
disciple Govindacharya; Govindacharya to his disciple Sankaracharya;
Sankaracharya to his disciple Suresvaracharya. Matsyendranath imparted
knowledge to his disciple Gorakhnath; Gorakhnath to Nivrittinath;
Nivrittinath to Jnanadeva. Totapuri imparted knowledge to Sri Ramakrishna,
and Ramakrishna to Swami Vivekananda. It was Ashtavakra who moulded the life
of Raja Janaka. It was Gorakhnath who shaped the spiritual destiny of Raja
Bhartrihari. It was Lord Krishna who made Arjuna and Uddhava get themselves
established in the spiritual path when their minds were in an unsettled
state.


Jaisairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2006, 10:59:20 PM
Na guroradhikam tatvam na guroradhikam tapah
Tatvajnanat param nasti tasmai Sri gurave namah


There is no higher truth than Guru.

There is no stronger purification than to serve Guru.

There is no greater knowledge than to know God,
who is indivisible one.

Therefore I bow to my honest, reverend Guru.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2006, 11:14:25 PM
A guru or Preceptor is indespensible for any spiritual practice. The scriptures say that the guru is Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Siva the destroyer. He creates new samskaras, the longing for moksha. He preserves the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the disciple. He destroys the effects of bad karma and base desires and leads the disciple towards light. The guru is God in His manifest and personal aspect. `Gu´means the Invisible,i.e. God, while `ru´ means the visible. The Invisible uses the visible as Its instrument. The relationship between the guru and his disciples is eternal. He is responsible for his disciples until they attain moksha (liberation).

Jaisairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2006, 11:16:26 PM
ba`*maanandM prmasauKdM kovalaM &anamaUit-ma\ WnWatItM gaganasadRSaM t<vamasyaaidlaxyama\ .
ekM ina%yaM ivamalamacalaM sava-QaIsaixaBaUtma\ BaavaatItM i~gauNarihtM sad\gauruM tM namaaima ..


Brahmanandam parama sukhadam, kevalam jñana-murtim, dvandvatitam gagana sadrisham tat twam asyadi lakshyam; ekam nityam vimalam achalam, sarva-dhi sakshi bhutam, bhavatitam tri-guna rahitam, sad gurum tam namami.

Salutations to the Sadguru who is the embodiment of the bliss of Brahman and the bestower of supreme happiness, who is one-without-a-second, knowledge personified and beyond duality, who is like the blue sky, and is indicated by Vedic statements such as "thou art that"; who is one, eternal, pure, immovable, the witness of all thought and intelligence, beyond all states of being and beyond the three gunas, the forces of Nature (sattva, rajas, tamas - purity, passion and darkness).


Jaisairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2006, 11:20:12 PM
The guru is the ultimate ego buster. Even while having immense sympathy for the disciple, who still thinks of himself as a finite island unto himself--an illusion that is fraught with suffering (duhkha)--the guru constantly and patiently attempts to draw the disciple out of himself and into the supra-individual and universal Self. In this task the guru is governed by wisdom (prajna) and compassion (karuna), which are themselves supra-individual or "transpersonal" capacities that are oriented toward the Self rather than the finite human personality

Jaisairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 08, 2006, 03:29:56 AM
According to the tradition of Sai Baba, the disciple or devotee who comes to the feet of a Guru in complete surrender has, no doubt, to be pure. chaste and upright, but he does not need to continue any active practice of japa or meditation. On the contrary, any such practice or any intellectual process which involves the postulate "I am doing this" is a handicap. All sense of ahankara or ego in the devotee has to be wiped out, swept out of the memory and mind, as it is an obstruction to the Guru's task. The Guru does not teach, he radiates influence. This influence is poured in and is absorbed with full benefit by the soul which has completely surrendered itself, blotting out the self, but it is obstructed by mental activity, by reliance on one's own exertions and by every kind of self?consciousness and self?assertion.

This great truth must have been grasped by all observant visitors to Sai Baba. He himself sometimes said to devotees: "Stay with me and keep quiet. I will do the rest." ? that is secretly and inwardly...

So the duty of a devotee or aspirant is firstly to keep himself chaste, pure, simple and upright, so as to be fit to receive the Guru's Grace, and secondly to have full faith in the beloved Master to raise him to various higher and higher experiences till at last he is taken to the distant goal, whatever that may he. `One step enough for me' is the right attitude for him now. He need not trouble to decide upon complicated metaphysical and philosophical problems about ultimate destiny. He is as yet ill prepared to solve them. The Guru will lift him up, endow him with higher powers, vaster knowledge and increasing realization of Truth. And the end is safe in the Guru's hands.

Says Narke, All this was not uttered by Sai Baba at one breath either to me or within my hearing, but the various hints I got from his dealings with people and his occasional words about it add up to this. And common sense points the same way.  



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 15, 2006, 10:23:25 PM
Guru—Disciple
By
Sri Swami Venkatesananda


"I always bow to the Guru who is bliss incarnate, who bestows happiness, whose face is radiant with joy. His essential nature is knowledge. He is aware of his true self. He is the Lord of yogis, he is adorable, he is the physician who cures the disease of birth and death."

Sri Guru Gita—verse 93.

Who is a Guru? Or what is a Guru? There is a beautiful text called the ‘Guru Gita’. If you read it, you will probably dismiss all these Gurus as non-Gurus. What you and I often refer to as Guru is in fact a teacher. There are millions of teachers in the world. There are academicians, professors, school masters. Then there are your own parents, they teach you something or the other. But Gurus? No. They are not found in such profusion as we pretend they are. A Guru is a very rare phenomenon. On the other hand I may contradict myself by saying that if the disciple is ready, it is possible he finds the Guru, not in the conventional sense, but in a different sense.

There is a beautiful story in the eleventh section of the ‘Srimad Bhagavatam’, where a king encounters a naked ascetic and he says: "You appear to be a vagrant, a mendicant, a madman, but the radiance of your face belies all this. You have found something, what is that? If you are an enlightened person, tell me, who was your Guru?" The naked ascetic says, "Gurus, I have many. I have twenty-four Gurus. So I learn from everybody and everything." When can that happen? When I am a good disciple. You must seek wisdom from several Gurus, only then is the knowledge complete.

Who is a Guru? What is a Guru? A Guru is one who removes the darkness of ignorance. Ignorance refers to ignorance of God or ignorance of the self. Has anyone done that to you? If not, you have not met a Guru. You might have met a dozen of Swamis but that is of no consequence whatsoever. If he has not touched your heart, sorry, leave him alone. Of course learn from him as a teacher but not as a Guru. Guru is one who has been able to remove darkness of self-ignorance, or ignorance of God from your heart and enabled you to attain self-knowledge.

Why am I labouring this point about the Guru? If we don’t understand this, the relationship becomes terribly perverse. It starts when you say: "He is my Guru." Why is he your Guru? God alone knows for nothing has happened to you. A Swami said once that a stone lies at the bottom of a lake.

You take it out, put it in the sun and it dries immediately because it hasn’t been influenced by the water. So it is possible that your heart is like the stone. It doesn’t respond to this Guru, and yet, because you have decided that he is your Guru, you have forged this kind of relationship. You are convinced that you are the proper seeker. Then you find some kind of Swami and decide that he is your Guru.

One lady said to me in Sydney: "I would like to be your disciple because I think I can work in harmony with you. It is easy to work with you, so I would like to be your disciple." This is a very clever way of looking at it. The other people are hard task masters but you seem to be an easy man, cheap, so I would like to be your disciple. I told her: "I am only a disciple myself, I am still trying to be a disciple to my Guru. I don’t know what it is to be a Guru." Why do you appoint the other man as your Guru? Because you think he is easy to please, or he is cheap, inexpensive.

The whole thing was a hoax right from the start. You are not a proper disciple and the other person is not a qualified Guru. These two people enter into a funny relationship which is based on falsehood, on untruth. Then begins the tug-of-war. I will obey my Guru as long as he tells me what pleases me. If he says something that doesn’t please me, then I begin to doubt. Probably he is not the right type of Guru. Then perhaps you pick up one of Swami Sivananda’s books and quote from somewhere where it says: "Be careful in your choice of a Guru and accept him only after testing him severely and finding out that he is the proper one to be your Guru." First he says that you cannot become a Guru without attaining self-realisation, secondly he says you must obey your Guru implicitly, and thirdly he says that you must examine your Guru before accepting him.

I keep these three quotations in three different pockets and pull each one out where it is applicable. When I look at you as my Guru, I pull out the quotation that says a Guru is necessary. When I am endeavouring to obey you, I pull the one out that says. I must obey the Guru implicitly. But when the third period comes along and I am given some instructions which I cannot obey, I pull the third one out and say: "I am sorry, I didn’t examine my Guru properly. Now that I have examined him thoroughly I dismiss him." The whole thing is ridiculous.

He must be the man who has opened my inner eyes. In his presence it is like the sun. In his presence the inner darkness must go. If it does not go he is not my Guru, he is a teacher. I learn from him. In the Bhagavad Gita this becomes very clear and beautiful. In the first chapter, the person who later became a disciple, Arjuna, literally and actually teaches Krishna. He says, "I know what is right, what is wrong, and I am telling you that this is not right. What you are asking me to do is not right. I want to stop this whole game." Then early in the second chapter Arjuna says:

sisyas te’ ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam.(II. 7)

"I am your disciple, please instruct me." Not: "You are my Guru." The expression ‘Guru’ comes later, when in the eleventh chapter Krishna reveals the cosmic form to him. Then he says: "Jagat Guru, Hey Bhagavan. You are not only my Guru, you are the Guru of the whole universe."

That is the sequence. First I must realise my inadequacy, and then I must look for someone who will dispel the doubts in my heart, who will show me the inner light, who will enable me to attain self-knowledge. The person or the event, or the thing, or the object that enables you to attain self-knowledge, is the Guru. If it has not taken place, sorry, wait. Don’t declare: "You are my Guru, I am your disciple." It leads to unnecessary complications. That is the most important thing to remember. Until then go on learning.

You see a great master like Swami Sivananda. So many people go to him and suddenly their lives are transformed. A rogue suddenly becomes a saint, a fool becomes a wise man. You are standing looking at the whole thing and you say: "My God, nothing has happened to me." This means I am still the same old fool. He seems to be alright because the others are benefiting by his teaching, but nothing is happening to me.

This means there is something wrong with me. So I must work a little harder on myself, because the knowledge that the Guru imparts to the disciple is essentially non-verbal. It is incapable of being verbalised.

There is a very beautiful incident in the ‘Yoga Vasistha’, when Vasistha goes on hammering the same idea into the heart and mind of Rama. "All this is your own thought. You think you are so and so, you think you are this. You are not this. You think the world is this, the world is not this. All this is your own thinking process, mental activity. Drop that." Suddenly Rama turns around and says: "In that case are you also my mental creation, my imagination? If so, why are you teaching me. Who are you teaching?" Vasistha keeps quiet. Rama turns to him again and says: "Hey, what kind of a Guru are you? I ask you a question and you are not answering." And Vasistha responds in a very beautiful way. "It is not because I could not answer that I was quiet, but because silence was the answer to that question." Ramana Maharishi has also said quite often that silence is the most eloquent language. But am I, the student, the aspirant (I am not yet a disciple) capable of listening to that silence or not? That is the problem. So instead of appointing somebody as the Guru, I realise that Gurus are extremely rare in this world.

If I am a perfect disciple, then it is possible that the first person I meet may become my Guru. He may be a tramp, or it may not even be a human being, it may be an animal. It may be a tree or a plant or it may be a natural phenomenon. So if I am an ardent disciple, an ardent seeker, then it is possible for me to reach enlightenment with the help of human and non-human beings, because I have trained myself in non-verbal communication.

When is this non-verbal communication possible? Only when I have learned to remain absolutely silent within myself. When I have trained myself in such a way that I am able to enter into this inner silence, then it is possible that even a stone might teach me, even a stone might become my Guru.

There is a story, which I will give you in brief. A hunter, during the time of the Mahabharata, went to the Guru of Arjuna, the great archer, and requested him to teach him also. This old man refused. So the hunter went away, but his impression of the Master was so clear that he built a clay model of him and learnt everything from that clay model. His zeal, his devotion and his aspiration was so intense, that the clay model could teach him. We are very far away from that discipleship.

So here, both these seem to be necessary and both must arise simultaneously. I must be an ardent aspirant, a first class disciple and I must be entirely receptive. I must have entered into this inner silence which means that my ego must have been completely destroyed already. Then, when I go and stand in front of an enlightened person, there is instantaneous non-verbal communication, otherwise there is danger.

This danger is pointed out in one of the Upanishads, where Brahma himself was the teacher—not the Guru but the teacher. The gods and the demons (this distinction exists only in our dictionary, in reality they were all God’s children) were sitting and listening to Brahma, the Creator. Brahma was telling his children to strive for self-knowledge, because if they attained self-knowledge they would go beyond hunger and thirst, pain and sorrow, and they would be the rulers of the three worlds. The demons only heard the last part of the sentence, that they would be the rulers of the three worlds. So as soon as the discourse was over, the chief demon approached Brahma first and said: "Father, please tell me, what is self-knowledge. Because I want to be the ruler of the three worlds." And the Upanishad says that Brahma asked him to look at the mirror. "What do you see there?" "I see myself," said the demon. "That’s it," said Brahma. "You said so."

Do you understand the trouble of using language? The Guru is supposed to impart self-knowledge, so he asks the disciple to look into the mirror. "What do you see?" he says. "I see myself," says the disciple. "That’s it," says the Guru. But then what is the disciple’s understanding of "that’s it?" The demoniacal disciple’s understanding was that the body is the self.

So eat, drink and be merry, fight, quarrel, and kill others and you will be powerful and rule the three worlds. What he forgot was the comprehensive definition, that the self is beyond hunger and thirst, pain and sorrow.

A little later the other fellow, the chief of the gods, comes along and asks the same question, and Brahma the teacher also gives him the same instruction. "Look into the mirror. What do you see?" Indra replies, "I see myself." "That is the self," says Brahma. "Go." So Indra goes away but begins to reflect. "I can fight with all and become the emperor of the three worlds, but this old man mentioned that the self is beyond hunger and thirst, pain and sorrow. This body is not like that. It is subject to all these and more." So he goes back to Brahma and asks: "Please can I have some instruction." Brahma replies: "If you want to ask another question, go into the backyard and serve me for the next thirty-two years, then you will be allowed to ask a question." Did Brahma the creator need a domestic servant? No.

There is something in you which misunderstands, misinterprets. What is it? Your mind. Your mind is not on a level with the Guru’s mind, with the other person’s mind, never mind whether he’s a Guru or a teacher. Your mind is not on the same wavelength. Your face may be beautiful but when you hold a funny little thing in front of you it distorts your figure. Why? The mirror has not been ground and polished. If that mirror had been ground and polished, it would reflect your beauty entirely. Therefore service of the Guru was prescribed, not because the Guru wanted your service, not because he wanted to enslave you, but because it was the only way in which this mirror could be polished. There was something marvellous in our Gurudev, Swami Sivananda. He insisted on Guru Seva. He insisted that if you wanted to be a disciple, if you wanted to attain enlightenment through the instruction of a Guru, you must serve the Guru. The Guru, not me. How do we know that he did want people to serve him? Two stories illustrate this. A Swami, who had already established an ashram in South India, visited Swami Sivananda once.

While talking to Swami Sivananda he expressed some difficulty, in that although he did not lack good ideas, he did not have workers, somebody to execute his ideas. Swami Paramananda was there with Swami Sivananda at that time as his disciple, but there was no ashram in those days, they were both mendicants. It seems that Swami Sivananda looked at Swami Paramananda and said: "Go with him and serve him as you would serve your own Guru," the idea being that Guru Seva is necessary. It does not mean that I want your service, but service of the Guru is necessary. Serve the Guru, whoever it is.

There is another example which is the reverse. A disciple of some other Swami in South India came to Gurudev’s ashram, liked Gurudev and stayed as Brahmachari. Later the Swami from South India visited the ashram and told Gurudev he would like to initiate his disciple into sanyas. Gurudev said: "Very good, he is your disciple, initiate him." He didn’t say that the disciple was now with him, so he must initiate him. Even after that the disciple continued to stay with Gurudev until the end of his life.

So there is no distinction here between ‘I am the Guru’ or ‘you are the Guru’ or ‘so and so is the Guru’. But this much is definite, that you must serve the Guru. Why? Only then is this mirror ground and polished nicely, otherwise it doesn’t reflect the truth. Here we are talking of non-verbal communication. The inner spiritual experience cannot be put into words, cannot be communicated by means of language. Language is totally inadequate. This is a realm in which language has no application at all. You may read all the books in the world, you may listen to a million talks, all this is useless. You may meet thousands and thousands of Swamis, holy men and prophets, even avatars, incarnations of God himself. All this is also totally useless. I am not trying to discourage you, but I hope you realise that in the time of Jesus Christ how many were enlightened? How many believed in him? He only had a small bunch of people. Ten of them ran away, one of them betrayed him and the other one denied him. If this could happen to Jesus Christ, how many real disciples do these Swamis and Gurus have? The same thing happened to Krishna. Only two or three people were able to respond to him.

His divinity was recognised by half a dozen people and he had two proper disciples whom he taught. Arjuna, who learnt the Bhagavad Gita from him, and there was another wonderful man called Uddhava, who learnt from him later, just before Krishna left the world.

Even Arjuna it seems came back to Krishna much later after the war and said: "You know, I remember that you gave me some marvellous instruction during the war, but I have forgotten the best part of it. It was inspiring, that much I remember, but I have forgotten it. Can you repeat it?" Here I am not telling you the story of Mr. So and So, who listens to Swami So and So and then forgets the story. We are both mortals and subject to error. But here was God almighty teaching Arjuna, who was supposed to be a fantastic person, and Arjuna says: "I have forgotten what you taught me." What kind of a disciple is that?

So it is not easy. I am not saying anything derogatory about us or the Guru, but this thing is extremely sacred and extremely difficult. Otherwise millions of people would be claiming to be disciples of Gurus and all of them would have attained enlightenment. So service is necessary in order that the heart may literally reflect the Guru’s teachings, so that from there on you are one. It is the most sacred and beautiful relationship. There is no relationship, you are one. In oneness there is no relationship. Oneness is not called a relationship, and only when that oneness has taken place does the other person become a Guru, not until then.

In the famous eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna sees the cosmic form of Krishna and himself. A moment before, Krishna was standing in front of him as a human person, and suddenly he had become a cosmic being. In that cosmic being he says: "I see myself also. I see you, I see myself standing on the battlefield and I see all these people. All beings in the universe are seen in your body, including me." Only when that vision is had does the teacher become a Guru, or anyone become a Guru.

Does service stop at that point? No. Does devotion stop at that point? No. Because then your eyes are open. You are looking at this person in front of you and suddenly you realise that your own self-limitation has not completely gone. You had a glimpse of this truth and therefore the Guru is there, but you are not completely free. It is then that perhaps some teaching, some verbal communication may be useful, at the point where you have had a glimpse and therefore he has become a Guru and you are a disciple. But the illusion has not completely gone. You need some more instruction, verbal and non-verbal. Then this relationship continues very beautifully.

From there on his instructions are reflected in your heart. There is devotion and almost total emptiness of ego. Purity, and the Guru’s teachings and commands are reflected in your heart. Service is natural then. The Guru’s instructions should not even be reflected upon. You should not even think: "Is that right or wrong?" This is not a commandment. If I am told I should obey and I obey because I am told, there is no obedience, there is hypocrisy.

But when I have had a glimpse of the truth, then the Guru’s commands seem to come out of me. In that glimpse the ego has become misty. It has not gone, but it has become like a transparent glass. It is still there but transparent, and it reflects the Guru more and more perfectly, correctly. You are not going to say: "My Guru wants me to do it and therefore I am doing it." The ‘I’ is not there, or if it is there it is there like a mirror, perfectly clean and perfectly ground, so that there is no distortion. If the Guru has to think about something it is reflected in you and it shows.

When this relationship begins to manifest in one’s heart obedience becomes natural. When the Guru says something, it is not up to me to investigate it, to ask: "Is it right, is it wrong?" If that is allowed then you are resurrecting the ego with all its force, you are sitting in judgement over the Guru. Then he is not the Guru, drop him.

I was even told once that a Guru might test you. Unfortunately I don’t believe in this, just as I don’t believe that God can punish us. I don’t believe Gurus are supposed to test us. Even if the Guru does test me and I instinctively and implicitly obey him, he’ll find out that this fool doesn’t deserve to be tested. I am going to do exactly what the Guru tells me to do, and therefore the Guru will modify his attitude.

I go to the Guru because I am unable to find the reality. I’ve tried my best and it is not possible, so I go to him and surrender myself at his feet. To say then that I am still going to test him, find out who he is, is arrogance.

There is a story in one of the Upanishads of a man who goes to a great sage for instruction, for self-knowledge, and the sage responds in a very strange way. He says: "I’ve got one cow. Take it away and look after it and come to me when this one has multiplied into a thousand. Then I will tell you what self-knowledge means." The boy doesn’t question this or say: "I came to you for self-knowledge and you are treating me like a cowherd." It is not your business to argue with the Guru, no one forced you to go to him. The Guru didn’t ask you to come and be his disciple. You went to him.

So the boy implicitly obeys. He drives the cow away and patiently attends it. The cow multiplies, there are other cows, and eventually they reach the number one thousand. The boy then returns to the Guru’s ashram with the one thousand cows and on the way he is instructed by various beings. The disciple drives the cows into the Guru’s backyard and approaches the Guru. The Guru says: "Hey, you shine with splendour, with self-knowledge, who taught you?" "By beings other than humans, sir," the boy replies.

If you learn to obey, your heart is instantly pure. What is your problem? Your problem is the ego, isn’t it? It is the ego that says: "I will not obey" or the ego that says: "Well, was the Guru in his proper mind when he said that? Maybe he was joking, or maybe he was not serious, or maybe he wasn’t in full possession of all his facts. I know something more and so it is my duty to tell the Guru. After all, he is from the Himalayas and these people don’t know our civilisation, our culture, so it is better to educate him." One moment you are feeding the ego, the next you are asking the Guru to please remove the ego. Our mind creates innumerable reasons why I cannot or should not implicitly obey the Guru. "Well, supposing he gives the wrong instruction and I implicitly obey it and it leads to disaster? My life may be ruined, or his life may be ruined, or the whole mission might collapse." All this is subject to end in any case, all these things will crumble one of these days.

What is it that says ‘no’? The ego. Can I surrender that? I am reminded of a beautiful saying of Jesus in the ‘Bible’: "You have seen me and still you don’t believe in me. How are you going to believe in God whom you have never seen?" The Guru is real and I don’t want to obey him, so how am I going to obey some kind of God whom I have never seen?

The ego is the enemy, the only obstacle on the path to self-realisation. I am repeating day in and day out that the world is an illusion, a projection of my own mind, my own thought and all the time I am worried about ME.

So there is something tremendous in this implicit obedience. Those of you who do not have a Guru may have to take your own inner self as a Guru, or treat everybody as your Guru. If I have no Guru then you become my Guru, which means I am prepared to obey everyone, which means I enshrine obedience in my heart. That obedience is a supreme virtue. Just as love is enshrined in my heart the love flows towards all, so if I enshrine obedience in my heart, this obedience flows towards all. Everyone becomes my Guru, or my Guru instructs me through all.

Even when a person has a Guru, if he has learnt to obey that Guru it is natural for him to obey. He has learnt the art of obedience, and it is now possible for him instantly to overcome the single major obstacle on the path to realisation, which is the ego. I have learnt to obey my Guru and therefore I have learnt to obey you, anyone. What happens if someone says one thing and someone else says another? I keep quiet until you decide between yourselves whom I should obey, and I obey.

Sometimes when I look at this modern world it is pathetic. You obey the traffic lights. They are not your Guru, not God, yet everybody religiously obeys them. Even at midnight when there is no traffic you obey them. I don’t say you should disobey traffic rules, but you are obeying a thing called rule, and at the back of your mind stands a traffic officer ready to pounce on you and issue a ticket.

You obey a rule, but you are not prepared to obey someone who instructs you or requests you: "Please do this." It is a pathetic story. He who has learnt the art of obeying the Guru first, knows how to obey, and it is a great virtue.

A question was asked after last Sunday’s satsang, that if we should implicitly obey the Guru, are we not allowed to question him? Questioning is of two types at least. One, a genuine wish to know, to understand, to clarify an instruction. The other type of questioning is: "Who are you to tell me?" That sort of question. In the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ we are specially asked to question in order to gain greater clarity. If there is doubt in your heart, the heart is closed and you will gain nothing. It is possible to question with a view to gaining greater clarity, but it is disastrous to doubt.

This is really possible only if we go one step further. I know that this is a fairly controversial issue. One is asked to deify the Guru, to see God in the Guru. It was a common experience in the ashram literally to worship the Guru as we worship God, to bathe his feet in milk and water and to drink that milk and water; to offer flowers at his feet, repeating mantras which suggested that I, the disciple, regard you my Guru as God. That is the meaning of the verse: "Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Mahesvara." The basic idea is that this Guru, who is the source of my inspiration, who leads me to enlightenment, who shows me the path to enlightenment, who opens the door of enlightenment, is enlightenment itself.

If you study the ‘Guru Gita’ you will understand more about this. Sometimes there are statements which are fairly surprising. If God is cross with you the Guru will somehow get you out of that, but if the Guru is cross with you even God cannot save you. How can I see God in someone whom I am conditioned to regard as inferior to me, someone whom I regard as wicked, vicious? How am I going to acquire the vision which will see God in all, if I cannot see even in that person who to me represents the highest ideal of a human being, and whose aid I seek in order to realise God? If in him I cannot see God, if I cannot see God in one whom I realise knows the path, then what is God to me? Your own heart, your own intelligence might suggest that this physical form of the Guru is not God, and he doesn’t say so either. God is not contained in any physical form, but to me, with eyes blunted by ignorance, he is the proximate of God.

Shri Mahant Ramswaroop Dasji said that if you want to see God look at a holy man. You will see God reflected in him. Just as the light of the sun is reflected in a clean, well grounded mirror, so God’s light is reflected in him. You may not be able to see the light of the sun with naked eyes, but you may be able to look at the reflection in a mirror.

It is also possible for our eyes and our mind to see something not so divine in the personality of the Guru. How do you deal with that? You worship him, knowing that God is not confined to that body, even the Guru is not confined to that body. But then when your mind sees some defect in that personality, how do you deal with it? It is simple. I realise that the defect is in my vision not in the Guru. How do you deal with people who say that God is not perfect? Look at the world. You realise that there are some eyes which can only see evil. It is an extraordinary pastime. Such person will see something faulty, something defective even in God, let alone the human personality of the Guru.

How do we deal with it? You and I are sincere spiritual aspirants, but we realise that if our eyes see a defect in the Guru, the defect is in the eye. If my mind sees a defect in the Guru, the defect is in my thinking. So once again even that triggers an introspection, an inward turning, meditation. "Why do I see this?" When this inner faultfinding nature is removed, the God-finding nature manifests itself. It’s only a matter of habit. We have formed the silly, wasteful habit of allowing the mind constantly to dwell on evil amongst ourselves, so that now we have become used to it.

Now there is a problem. There are those of us who do not have a Guru in flesh and blood near us, or those of us who do not believe that we need a human Guru. As with some great sages, they believe that the Guru is within or the Guru is everywhere, nameless and formless: What do we do? With us it becomes a bit more difficult but not impossible. As I have said repeatedly, to one who does not have a Guru all are Gurus. If you do not want one Guru, the only other alternative is to regard everyone you come into contact with as your Guru. You learn something from everyone, and all I have been saying during the past few minutes applies to everyone you meet.

From everyone I learn, and everyone I regard and adore as God. Only then is my spiritual evolution possible. I have rigorously to train my mind not to see any evil in anyone, because he is my Guru. If I meet someone who is ill-tempered I regard him as my Guru, and realise: "This Guru is a mysterious being, he teaches me that losing one’s temper is bad." He says: "Look at me when I am furious. Do you feel happy, in front of me? No. Don’t lose your temper like I am doing now, for you will drive all your friends away. Be careful." That is what he is teaching me.

From some Gurus I learn what to do and from other Gurus I learn what not to do. But that does not mean that that person is evil or wicked. He comes to me, and he teaches me by his own example what is desirable for me and what is undesirable. I am not saying he is a short-tempered person, but I learn from him that to be roused to anger is an evil to be avoided. So I learn how not to see evil in others. If my eyes detect something which my mind calls evil in others, it is obviously in me, otherwise I cannot recognise it. The very word ‘recognise’ means to know, to see, to cognise again, which means that first I have to see it within myself and then re-cognise that in you.

So in order to see God one must learn to see good, and the exercise at cultivating this new habit might just as well start with him whom you call Guru, whoever it is. When the mind is trained constantly to dwell in seeing only good, it grows in goodness. When the mind is allowed to see evil in others it grows in evil. Every thought that arises in the mind leaves an impression behind and that forms the habit. Once I have cultivated the habits of seeing what is evil in others I will also grow in that evil, and that is adding to the evil that is in me already. Instead of dealing with the defects in my character, I keep on dwelling upon them and also adding to them.

Let us assume that jealousy is not one of my weaknesses but anger is. I meet a person who does not get angry but who is full of jealousy. I say: "I have no jealousy at all, but look at him, he is full of jealousy." Every time I look at him and think of jealousy that creates an impression in my mind. So that whereas he has got only one defect, jealousy, I have got two, anger plus jealousy. I don’t improve at all.

So one who wants rapid spiritual progress, should learn first of all to see God in the Guru and thus train oneself in the art of seeing God in all eventually. Secondly, one should overcome this nasty habit of seeing defects in others, whoever it is, and thus learn to focus all one’s attention on one’s own defects.

Total and implicit obedience or surrender to the Guru, and devotion to the Guru, which are pre-requisites for the Guru Seva (service of the Guru) are based upon faith and devotion. Surrender does not happen if there is a reservation.

That is when I approach the Guru with the attitude that I have a little problem and maybe he can fix it. I feel here is a nice fellow who is easily available, who doesn’t charge too much. Let me go and ask him.

If one does that, true surrender does not take place, there is no devotion and therefore the rest is useless. You are treating the Guru more than a psychological counsellor, someone whose advice you buy for a few rupees. You say to yourself: "Well, it’s not worth very much. If it seems to be sensible I’ll adopt it, if not it has only cost a few rupees!" This does not open your heart and the light is not seen. As long as the sneaking feeling exists that this is a problem or an issue which I can resolve, devotion does not arise and surrender is impossible. Can I surrender myself, thinking that the Guru is not a lot more clever than me and I may be able to fix it? Impossible!

Something is indispensable here. You must have struggled and struggled and struggled and striven hard to arrive at the dead end. If the dead end has not been reached there is no Guru. You might have reached the dead end by experiencing something in your own life, by being placed in a situation where you are absolutely desperate and there is no door, no window at all in your cell and you can’t see anything. Then you are prepared to knock your head against any corner with all your heart and with your whole being. This is possible.

Or, like Buddha or Jesus Christ, or like some other great saint or saviour, you might have seen the tragedy called human life here, and you might also have realised the impossibility of seeing the truth by your own effort. But you must have arrived at that point. "It is not possible for me God, please help." You don’t even know who or what a Guru is, you are praying to some being but you don’t know who it is. You are in despair, and in that despair your heart bleeds, cries, weeps for help, for assistance. "Whoever it is that created this world, why did you create the world like this?" I don’t know what formulation your despair might take but that point must be reached. This is the lesson of the first chapter of the ‘Bhagavad Gita’. You must reach that state of despondency. That also is called yoga—Arjuna visada yoga in the ‘Bhagavad Gita’. I don’t know what to do, whichever way I turn there is a dead end. What must I do?

Of course, since we have all been taught and conditioned already that God created the world and there is God who is in charge of this universe, who orders this universe, who regulates the affairs of this universe, naturally this despondency and the consequent prayer is an appeal to God. What God is you don’t know, and in a manner of speaking it is that God who comes to you as the Guru. You ask him and his words are inspiring, they revolutionise your outlook on life.

If that does not happen there is no Guru. You still have to pray and you still have to seek, even when you have had a glimpse of this life-transforming message, hint, advice—it is not advice, it is something burning. That is why advice is called a mantra. Mantra not only means chanting: "Om nama Sivaya, Om namo Narayana," "Hari Om Tat Sat". But mantra also means life-transforming advice.

You might have had it, but there is a trick. Unless you have reached that state of despondency, your mind, your heart, or your intellect is going to suggest to you: "I went and asked him and he said something interesting. Just then something clicked in me and I found it." Something in you wakes up again and refuses to surrender. It says: "No, no. He’s a clever chap of course. I’ve talked to him, poured out all my heart to him and there was a catharsis, and in that cathartic process this whole thing became clear." You still refuse to admit that the light came from him.

I don’t know if you’ve been in such a situation and observed yourself. The ego is so hard, it seems to surrender and then it wakes up again. "Oh, no, I’m a tremendous being. I have been to a doctor, a psychiatrist, a primal therapist and I cried and yelled and wept, and then I went to a Swami. What a marvellous man he is, a charming personality. I poured out my heart to him exactly as Freud predicted. There was a catharsis and lo and behold the solution came from within me!"

Your ego is awake again and you go round and round and round. As long as you are in the cocoon you can’t get out of it. You will have to get into the hot water. You know what the silk worm does? It weaves a cocoon around itself and then gets into the hot water. That is its destination and from that comes a silk dhoti or sari. So you weave this cocoon around yourself. "I am finding a solution and I don’t need any help." You go on weaving this cocoon and you are caught, trapped in it. However free you feel inside it you are not free, until again from that hot water you are going to cry: "Please God, is there any way out of this?"

So one must arrive at that desperate dead end and then comes prayer. We do not know what prayer is until we come to that point. All of us pray and we don’t know what prayer means, just lisping some words. For prayer to come from the heart, that despair, that despondency is necessary. Unfortunately for us we are not subjected to that kind of life and death struggle. Our life is so easy, and it has become so luxurious and comfortable that we do not reach that point at all for a long time to come. Probably when death knocks at the door there will be something else to think about and it will be a wash-out. That point of despondency must be reached where you find absolutely no light and then you pray: "God will you help?"

That light of God itself comes to you as the Guru. With this despondency you go to him and his words serve as a flaming torch which illumines your path. It is not that he becomes the Guru, he is the Guru. In that light you see the path. ‘You’ see the path. This is a bit risky. Even if you admit that he is your Guru, you then say that in his presence you had a marvellous inner resolution of the problem. But still you see the path. The ego is just stirring, it is seeing with one eye, it is about to wake up. It is not easy at all to find complete surrender. He is a great man, he illumined the path of my life, but why should I surrender to him?

How then will that faith or devotion arise? Often, unfortunately for us again, through some sort of supernatural power that is detected in the Guru. I still remember one meaningful event in the life of Gurudev. I had gone to the ashram, joined him in 1945 after having been there a couple of times previously and in December or January something happened. Two people were quarrelling in the ashram and I happened to see it. They were both Swamis for whom I had the greatest veneration. I thought that all those Swamis were super enlightened beings. When I looked at them I felt shocked. I was a novice and I had my own image of what Swamis should be and what an ashram should be. What are these people? I seem to be better than that.

I came back to my room and I was reflecting within myself: "Shall I stay or shall I return to Delhi and carry on working there, do some kind of service to Gurudev as some of you are doing now? I could go on working for the government, earn money and also do some seva." Nobody saw me going there and nobody saw me come back to my room.

In a few minutes Gurudev came to my room. Unceremoniously he dropped his bag, sat down and looked at me. I didn’t know what to do. It was the first time I had seen him at such close quarters and alone. He looked straight into my eyes and said: "There is a river which runs between the ashram and the town. Don’t think that just because you have crossed that river and come here you are in heaven and the other place is hell, that you are free from maya, that this is all paradise and that is something else. Maya is everywhere. Even in heaven you will find all this illusion and all this delusion, lust, greed, anger and all the rest of it."

He went on to say: "I have created this place. If you look at it, take a bath in the Ganges, do some meditation on the Ganges bank or in the forest, go to the temple, attend the puja, do some service, go to the library, study, take a walk and so on, you will find all the facilities here for a good life, for a spiritual life, if you are discriminative and wise. But if you want to get involved in lust, anger, greed and all the rest of it, there is plenty of it here also. Choose what you want". He picked up his bag and walked out.

I said: "My God, who told him all this? How did he come, like some super clairvoyant? This man seems to know what I am thinking about while I am sitting in my room". There is danger in this. Why? From then on you are scared to think. I was sitting in my room all alone, nobody watched me, nobody bothered me, I had not discussed it with anybody in the world. Suddenly he comes and gives me a direct answer to my question, without any ceremony, no good morning, nothing at all. He comes inside, says what has to be said and walks out.

It is possible that we wait for such an incident. But to realise that this is so already needs faith. I don’t know if you see this. If you don’t have this faith, this devotion, then you think: "Ah, someone must have seen me there, somebody must have told him that I saw two people fighting and that I might go home." Your own vicious mind creates all sorts of excuses or if you see that this is it, then surrender is natural. There is nothing for you to surrender, he has taken everything. You feel at that moment that you are a completely impotent being. I couldn’t solve the problem of life, the problem that I have made of life, I couldn’t understand the truth concerning the world here, the world and all its relationships, and here is a person who solved it and he has taken everything away. I don’t exist anymore.

Then devotion becomes natural and your whole life becomes Guru Seva, service of the Guru, whatever you do. I’ve heard many great Swamis say that their Guru comes and talks to them in their sleep, in their dreams. That may all be true, but in a manner of speaking even that is not necessary. It is the Guru that works through you all the time. But—there is a big but. It is possible that what are known as samskaras or some scars, left on the mind by previous experience, expressions, actions, are still there and they may occasionally revive. This is the danger.

So for how long shall I be devoted to the Guru? For how long shall I be vigilant that this devotion is sincere, total and unreserved? Until you are fully established in cosmic consciousness, in God consciousness, until the very possibility of the resuscitation of the ego ceases to exist. Which is when? For as long as the body lasts. While the body lasts this devotion to Guru, this service of the Guru must continue otherwise it is possible to fall again. It is possible to allow the ego to be revived again. It is possible for the ego to grow strong again, wake up again and bring about the same old problem.

OM .................... OM

Om saha navavatu saha nau bhunaktu
saha viryam karavavahai
tejasvinavadhi tam astu ma vidvisavahai.
Om santih santih santih

Om, May he protect us (the Guru and the disciple)
May we generate spiritual energy together,
May our study be fruitful.
May there be no discord between us.
Om peace peace peace!



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: OmSaiRamNowOn on September 21, 2006, 06:49:03 AM
Remember Him (Sai Baba) always with love, for He was engrossed in doing good to all, and always abided in His Self. To remember Him only is to solve the riddle of life and death. This is the best and easiest of Sadhanas, as it involves no expenditure. A little exertion here brings great rewards. So as long as our senses are sound, we should, minute my minute, practice this Sadhana. All other Gods are illusory ; Guru is the only God. If we believe in Sad-guru's holy feet, he can change our fortune for the better. If we serve Him nicely, we get rid of our Samsar. We need not study any philosophy like the Nyaya and the Mimansa. If we make Him our Helmsman, we can easily cross over the sea of all our pains and sorrows. As we trust the helmsman in crossing rivers and seas, so we have to trust our Sadguru in getting over the ocean of worldly existence. The Sadguru looks to the intense feeling and devotion of his devotees, endows them with knowledge and eternal bliss.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: OmSaiRamNowOn on October 10, 2006, 03:43:13 PM
When life wanted to bless you, it gave you a Sadguru. He is the ultimate gift from God.   Guru is noble, sweet and humble.  He gives and knows only to give.  Guru is a visionary, a seer, a sage, a saint.  He is down to earth, although heavenly!  He is profound.  He is great.  He is wonderful.  He is joy.  He is the ultimate.

Sadguru is not ordinary, because He can effortlessly make you extraordinary.  He understands you like no one else does.  He comes into your life to change the way you look at life.  You are no more the same person again.  Your understanding of things change, your knowledge grows, you grow…   Life is never be the same again!

Sadguru is active and yet he is detached.  He teaches, inspires, guides and  transforms.  He gives you a purpose in life.  He teaches you not only through His discourses, but also leads by example.  He means what he says, and says what He means!  He is experienced, and practices what he preaches.  He is supreme knowledge incarnate.  He is the answer to every question.  He has the solution to every problem.

Sadguru can create as much as He can also destroy.  He builds a nation, a society and also an individual.  He can do what a politician, economist and businessman cannot.  He forms systems, creates processes and gives an order to every thing around.  He knows how to teach, manage and lead.  He is an institution by Himself. He is everywhere.  He is everything.  Nay, He only is…

Sadguru never differentiates between students.  He teaches students commensurate with their level of understanding.  Whenever a student sincerely needs the Guru, He will come.  He is always there.  In every age, era, time and place Guru is the same, preserved in the form of Guru-Tatva, the principle.  Guru appears as different for different people, however, he is the same life principle expressing itself in different forms.

Sadguru is the ultimate master, friend, philosopher and guide.  He is silent.  He is silence.  He is beyond silence.  He is beyond all.  He is perfect.  He is perfection.  He unlocks spiritual treasures hidden within the hearts of His genuine followers.  He gives the most profound insights into the secrets of the universe.

When He calls, you cannot stop.  For His is the ultimate, irresistible calling.  His calling gives one a purpose in life, the most beautiful reason to live.  You are no more afraid of death.  You are no longer afraid of anything!  When you work towards the vision that He provides; you find ecstatic joy that cannot be matched with any sum of money, level of power and number of people.  Work fulfils itself….

You can never fully understand a Sadguru.  He is a mystery.  He is beyond the body, the mind and the intellect.  He is the final truth expressing through His physique.  He is a revelation.  He is enlightenment embodied.

Sadguru is pure, and He makes you pure.  Pure as pure gets!  He destroys your ego and makes you humble.  He makes you divine in order to experience the divine!   With Him all search ends.  All hankering stops.  All desires cease.  One begins the journey into a world where only a Sadguru can take you.

You can pay someone for almost anything, but you can never repay your debt to Sadgurudev.  For, Guru gives everything to you, and expects nothing from you.  There is nothing you could give your Sadguru, for He has everything, He is the basis of everything, He is everything.  Above all, Sadguru unhesitatingly makes you Guru!

There is no service greater than serving your Sadguru.  Fix your mind on Gurudev and be ever devoted to Him.  Take fearless refuge in Him.  He will destroy your delusion.  He will liberate you from all ignorance and miseries. He will make your life fulfilled.




Aum Sai Ram !
SAI SAI SAI SAI SAI
SAI SAI SAI SAI
SAI SAI

-Anju
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 10, 2006, 08:19:32 PM
Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devoh Maheshwara.  

Guru Poornima is an occasion for cleansing the mind to make it absolutely pure. We should purify our hearts to let the Divine live in it. Guru Poornima signifies eliminating all darkness and evil from our minds.

We must meditate upon the names of all those in the Guru Parampara to obtain their grace. We should shed our ego at the lotus feet of our Sadguru Sainath Maharaj and follow His teachings.

Guru the Creator:  The Guru gives us a new birth in the world of knowledge and in the world of the Self. He opens our eyes to knowledge and changes our mental outlook, moulds it anew. Changing or giving another shape means creating or giving another birth. Since the Guru creates the birth of knowledge in us, he qualifies to be called Brahma, the Creator.

Guru the Protector: Several good things keep happening to us, as if on their own, without our knowledge, through the agency of our Guru. Suddenly, we wonder about how they happened. How was our task accomplished?" We will recognize in a flash that it was Guru Kripa, the compassion of our Guru that made things happen in our favor. The Guru takes care of us and removes all our difficulties in this world. His chief function is to take care of our Atman. The Guru protects us by giving us Upadesha and by showing us the path of Sadhana to foster the Atman. Instead of finding bliss for Himself in Samadhi, He sacrifices His happiness for our sake and does all He can to liberate us from Samsara. Just like the spring brings blessings to the world without expecting anything in return. In this way, the Guru is like Vasanta (spring season), which brings benefits to the world without any reason or motive. In this way, He is like Vishnu, the protector.

Guru the Destructor:  There are evil forces that constantly drag us down into the mire and prevent us from obtaining the light of knowledge. The Guru battles with them patiently and destroys them. When a crop is grown, the weeds must be removed. Similarly, it is as important to remove our intense ignorance as it is to give us knowledge, it is indeed more difficult to destroy our ignorance than to impart Jnaana. The Guru as Maheswara dispels the darkness of ignorance.

The definition of the word "Guru" itself is 'he who dispels darkness'. Gu stands for darkness, Ru stands for dispelling.

Three three functions performed by the Guru encompass the functions of creation, protection and destruction. In this way, our Guru becomes Trimurthi.

The Guru takes us to the goal beyond which there is nothing. He transforms us into the Parabrahman. He tells us that it is the Parabrahman who has taken our guise ("you are indeed the Parabrahman"). The Guru helps us to discard our guises and reveal ourselves as the Parabrahman. So, the declaration is apt : "Guruh Saakshaat Parambrahma".

So Guru is like the Trimurti. A god who is the Trimurti conjoint is Dattatreya who had brought the holy tradition of the Gurus (Guru Parampara) to this mortal world. All Gurus are like Dattatreya like Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara who create the body, nourish it, and destroy it respectively. We may have to be born again and again but the Guru will accompany us throughout and will not give up until we are united with the Light (become ourselves the light). Truly, therefore, it is said,

Gurur   Brahma, Gurur  Vishnu, Gurur  Devoh Maheshwara
Guru Sakshat  Parabrahmah Tasmai  Shree  Guru  Veh  Namah !
 


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: OmSaiRamNowOn on October 16, 2006, 09:16:55 AM
Jai Sai Ram.

Guru is important - more important are His teachings and techniques which we need to follow in day to day life. OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!

Aum Sai Ram !
SAI SAI SAI SAI SAI
SAI SAI SAI SAI
SAI SAI

-Anju
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 16, 2006, 07:28:28 PM
Unalloyed obedience and faith and love in the disciple towards the Guru are of great significance.

A true Guru-shishya relationship is spiritual in intent and has much less to do with anything material.

When we have matured enough to invite the Light of Truth into our lives, the Guru will be there to dispel our darkness of ignorance.

Desperation to see and learn about God, or about absolute Truth, will make the Guru come by the learner's side to lead him to Him, for a genuine Guru is on intimate terms with the Creator and like the Creator he feels & knows everything.

It is a common practice in India to treat the Guru and God as one because it is well understood that Guru is the means to attain the Lord.

Implicit faith in the Guru is of paramount importance and one must serve him or her with body, mind and soul.

JAISAIRAM.


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 11, 2006, 08:28:45 PM
God and Guru are in truth not different. Just as the prey that has fallen into the jaws of a tiger cannot escape, so those who have come under the glance of the Guru’s grace will surely be saved and will never be forsaken; yet one should follow without fail the path shown by the Guru.

From Bhagavan’s (Sri Ramana’s) point of view there are no disciples but from the point of view of the disciple the grace of the Guru is like the ocean. If the disciple comes with a cup he will only get a cupful. It is no use complaining of the niggardliness of the ocean; the bigger the vessel the more he will be able to carry. It is entirely up to him.

The term Guru is often loosely used to describe anyone who gives out spiritual advice, but in Sri Ramana’s vocabulary the word has a much more restricted definition. For him, a true Guru is someone who has realised the Self and who is able to use his power to assist others towards the goal of Self-realisation.

Sri Ramana often said that God, Guru and the Self are identical; the Guru is God in human form and, simultaneously, he is also the Self in the Heart of each devotee. Because he is both inside and outside, his powers work in two different ways. The outer Guru gives instructions and by his power enables the devotee to keep his attention on the Self; the inner Guru pulls the devotee’s mind back to its source, absorbs it in the Self and finally destroys it.

It is a basic tenet of Sri Ramana’s teaching that a Guru is necessary for almost everyone who is striving towards a permanent awareness of the Self. The catalytic role of the Guru in spiritual development is therefore crucial; except in rare instances, ignorance of the Self is so deeply rooted that individual seekers are unable to escape from it by their own efforts.

Although Sri Ramana taught that a Guru is indispensable for those seeking Self-realisation, he also pointed out that the Guru has no power to bring about realisation in those who are not energetically seeking it. If the individual seeker makes a serious attempt to discover the Self, then the grace and power of the Guru will automatically start to flow. If no such attempt is made, the Guru is helpless.

Jaisairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 19, 2006, 09:43:31 AM
H o w     T o     C h o o s e     Y o u r     G u r u

     If you find peace in the presence of a Mahatma (great soul), if you are inspired by his speeches, if he is able to clear your doubts, if he is free from greed, anger and lust, if he is selfless and loving then you can take him as your Guru. He who is able to clear your doubts, he who is sympathetic in your Sadhana, he who does not disturb your beliefs but helps you from wherever you are, he in whose very presence you feel spiritually elevated then he is your Guru. Once you choose Your Guru, implicitly follow him. God will guide you through the Guru.

JaiSairam.

subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 09, 2007, 08:55:24 AM
Guru bhakti and Guru Seva


Guru bhakti and Guru seva are important factors in spiritual life.

Guru bhakti is devotion to the Guru.

It helps to free the disciple from earthly attachments to other

worldly things and beings.

Guru seva or service of the Guru when properly done is effective in

removing selfishness, laziness and cravings for comfort in spiritual

sadhakas.

True guru bhakti is in obeying and following the upadesh and instructions of your Guru. Real guru seva is to live your life and conduct yourself in such a manner that your life and personal vyavahara bring a good name to the Guru.

It raises the Guru’s reputation to higher heights and makes your Guru enshrined forever in the memory of all men. The best guru dakshina that can be offered to any Guru is a life lived in accordance with the Guru’s teachings.
 
A tree is known by its fruits.

A flower is known through its fragrance.

A country is known by its citizens.

A father is known by the nature and behavior of his son.

A teacher is known by his students.

This is the popular belief in human society.

Hence, the devotees and disciples of any holy person must try their

utmost best to make themselves the embodiment of that holy person’s

teachings and reflect guru upadesha in their own day-to-day life.

May Shirdi Sai Bless all!



subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 25, 2007, 10:06:34 AM



If a hundred moons were to come out,
and a thousand suns were to rise;
in spite of all this illumination,
all would be pitch dark without the Guru."
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 25, 2007, 12:26:35 PM
Sure Ways to Guru KRIPA

How to Receive Guru's Grace


We have been told by our scriptures that guru kripa is a wonderful,
mysterious factor that will enable the aspirants to seek and to attain
the summum bonum of life, Self-realisation, darshan of God, or moksha.

Whether the disciple does sadhana or not, whether one is deserving or
undeserving, guru kripa sets aside all normal laws that operate in the
spiritual plane and takes one to transcendental bliss.

If we are to believe the scriptures, we should say that there is nothing
except guru kripa needed for us to attain perfection in life.

If it is also true that the Guru is an infinite ocean of mercy, that
his kripa ever showers upon all seekers whether they are worthy or
unworthy, whether they are qualified or not, then by this time we
should all be apta-kamas, full of Bliss. Is that so?

No.

We find very much to our vexation that we are caught up; ignorance is there;
illusion is there; we are deceived at every turn by our own lower self.

Jaisairam. ;D ;D
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 28, 2007, 06:27:55 PM
The Need for a Guru



The Guru

By Sri Ramana Maharshi

God and Guru are in truth not different. Just as the prey that has fallen into the jaws of a tiger cannot escape, so those who have come under the glance of the Guru's grace will surely be saved and will never be forsaken; yet one should follow without fail the path shown by the Guru.

From Bhagavan's (Sri Ramana's) point of view there are no disciples but from the point of view of the disciple the grace of the Guru is like the ocean. If the disciple comes with a cup he will only get a cupful. It is no use complaining of the niggardliness of the ocean; the bigger the vessel the more he will be able to carry. It is entirely up to him.

The term Guru is often loosely used to describe anyone who gives out spiritual advice, but in Sri Ramana's vocabulary the word has a much more restricted definition. For him, a true Guru is someone who has realised the Self and who is able to use his power to assist others towards the goal of
Self-realisation.

Sri Ramana often said that God, Guru and the Self are identical; the Guru is God in human form and, simultaneously, he is also the Self in the Heart of each devotee. Because he is both inside and outside, his powers work in two different ways. The outer Guru gives instructions and by his power enables the devotee to keep his attention on the Self; the inner Guru pulls the devotee's mind back to its source, absorbs it in the Self and finally destroys it.

It is a basic tenet of Sri Ramana's teaching that a Guru is necessary for almost everyone who is striving towards a permanent awareness of the Self. The catalytic role of the Guru in spiritual development is therefore crucial; except in rare instances, ignorance of the Self is so deeply rooted that individual seekers are unable to escape from it by their own efforts.

Although Sri Ramana taught that a Guru is indispensable for those seeking Self-realisation, he also pointed out that the Guru has no power to bring about realisation in those who are not energetically seeking it. If the individual seeker makes a serious attempt to discover the Self, then the grace and power of the Guru will automatically start to flow. If no such attempt is made, the Guru is helpless.

Jaisairam!
 
 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 28, 2007, 06:30:03 PM
The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi



Question: What is Guru's grace? How does it lead to Self-realisation?

Sri Ramana Maharshi:

Guru is the Self.
Sometimes in his life a man becomes dissatisfied and not content with what he has, he seeks the satisfaction of his desires through prayer to God. His mind is gradually purified until he longs to know God, more to obtain his grace than to satisfy his worldly desires. Then, God's grace begins to manifest.
God takes the form of a Guru and appears to the devotee, teaches him the truth and, more over, purifies his mind by association.

The devotee's mind gains strength and is then able to turn inward. By meditation it is further purified and it remains still without the least ripple. That calm expanse is the Self.

The Guru is both external and internal. From the exterior he gives a push to the mind to turn it inwards. From the interior he pulls the mind towards the Self and helps in the quietening of the mind. That is Guru's grace. There is no difference between God, Guru and the Self.

Jaisairam!

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: dattaswami on May 11, 2007, 02:07:20 AM
Guru -Being Guru's day just w.....
"It is in every drop of the milk,s him.

>

Importance of Satguru or Lord in Human form

A devotee asked about the importance of Satguru.

Swami replied:

Satguru is needed for the correct guidance in the spiritual path, which is eternal. For temporary worldly affairs there is no need of Satguru. The animals, birds etc., do not require Satguru. They are constantly concentrating on the needs of the body and the needs of their issues only and are never aware of God. The human beings, which are always concentrating on the needs of the body and needs of their children only are no more different from the animals. The basic needs are not covered here because just for the basic needs there is no need of concentration through out the life. We find people who are always engaged in constant work only even though the basic needs for future hundred generations are attained. After some time, the human being becomes work-holic (like alcoholic). In the beginning a little alcohol is taken as a medicine for appetite. Alcohol is used in several medicines in little quantity. But in course of time, he becomes alcoholic and goes on drinking alcohol in unlimited quantities.

Similarly, one starts the work for the sake of basic needs of the body and the needs of his family. But in course of time, even if he has earned the basic needs for his future hundred generations, the fellow is not pacified and continues to work and work till the last day of death. Such work-holic fellow starts preaching that work is worship. Such human beings are basically the citizens of the kingdom of animals. Even the animals do not work if their stomach is filled.

But this human being earning without end is worse than the animals and therefore even their citizenship in the kingdom of animals gets cancelled! Even the tiger kills the deer when the tiger is hungry. But our fellow kills the poor innocent devotees also through endless corruption even though he has earned for his future thousand generations! Therefore the association of cruel animals also expelled the human being from their association!! He goes on with endless corruption for the sake of endless comforts of his endless future generations! Such souls are going to be thrown into the births of animals and birds and in their case God is not angry at all. God is the father who fulfills the desires of the children. When such human beings do not bend towards spiritual path in spite of repeated preaching, the divine father finally yields Himself to the rigid desire of the children who want only materialistic things permanently and hence they are given births of animals which are always involved in materialistic world only till the death. By taking birth in the kingdom of animals the human soul will at least learn to limit its endless ambition as said above. Therefore, God is trying to uplift the soul even by throwing it in to animals and there is no revenge here also. To reduce the intensity of the ambition the soul is subjected to torture in the hell and here also God is for the uplift of the soul only.

Hence, the divine father is always working for the betterment of the soul only and there is no place of revenge on His children in His heart. Such souls are condemned forever by revolving in the cycle of hell and animals through constant training, which never ends, and they are responsible for their fate. A permanently mentally derailed son has to be kept in the mental hospital only forever and cannot be brought back to the house (Human kingdom). There are certain good and learned souls, which are interested in the spiritual path to gain the grace of the God. But the spiritual path is in confusion since several human beings interpret the scripture of God in different ways. Only God has to give the correct version of His own scripture.

For this purpose only God comes in human form called as Satguru to give correct guidance in the spiritual path.

--
At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami

Anil Antony

www.universal-spirituality.org
Universal Spirituality for World Peace
antonyanil@universal-spirituality.org
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on May 12, 2007, 07:38:10 AM


JAI SAI RAM!!!

"DHARMAKAYA HAS NO FORM, THEREFORE, ONE SEES IT WITHOUT SEEING."

So if you want to see God, you will have to learn the art of seeing without seeing, you will have to learn the art of closing your eyes to the outside reality, to the manifest reality. You will have to close your eyes so that you can move into the unmanifest dimension.

A great mystic, Palatu, has said: Those who are blind, only they can understand me.

A rare statement, a very rare statement, I have never come across anything like it anywhere. Thousands of mystics have happened on the earth, but what Palatu says.... He is a villager: his speech is direct. He says: Unless you are blind, you will not understand what I am saying. What does he mean by blind? He means: if you know how to see WITHOUT seeing.

"DHARMA HAS NO VOICE..."

The ultimate has no voice, no language.

"... THEREFORE, ONE HEARS IT WITHOUT HEARING."

You will have to become so silent that nothing stirs in you, and then without hearing it will be heard. These are paradoxes. But the closer you come to the truth, the more paradoxical is the experience. Be prepared to encounter paradoxes. And the first paradox the disciple has to encounter is: victory through surrender. That is the first encounter, because that is how disciplehood begins. You surrender to the master -- and the rare beauty is that in that very surrender you are for the first time victorious. You become a slave to the master and in becoming a slave you are for the first time your own master. You have never been a master. And then the path is full of paradoxes.

OM SAI RAM!!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: dattaswami on May 12, 2007, 10:45:48 AM


JAI SAI RAM!!!..........e master and in becoming a slave you are for the first time your own master. You have never been a master. And then the path is full of paradoxes.

OM SAI RAM!!!


Jesus preached wonderful knowledge.  The ordinary fishermen were convinced and followed Him as the Lord.  The priests of church were great saints who were unmarried and left every thing for the sake of God.  Those priests were certainly higher then ordinary people.  The ordinary people followed Jesus because they were convinced in their minds, intelligence and consciousness.  They clarified their doubts with Jesus directly and were convinced. This is called as Atma Pramanam.  These ordinary people did not look for the voting of the priests to Jesus.  In fact, the priests opposed Jesus and crucified Him.  In spite, of that the ordinary people followed Jesus since they were convinced.  A priest has left every thing for the sake of God.  No doubt they are greater people since they have greater urge.  The greater urge itself cannot qualify any person.  A student may have a greater urge for the answer but he might have not understood the answer given by the teacher.  Another student might have not so much urge but has understood the answer.  Between these two students who is greater?

 Janaka was a king and did not leave the kingdom.  Suka was a saint and left every thing with extreme urge for God.  Janaka was appointed as examiner of Suka by sage Vyasa.  Who is greater between these two?  Though Janaka was a house holder and did not leave anything, he is the student with answer.  Suka is a saint who left every thing and got answer from Janaka only.  Quest is appreciable but cannot be the qualification. Capacity to understand the answer lies with the internal mental development (Samskara).  The external orange robe, the quest for God, leaving every thing and roaming every where, attaining a post of Pithadhipati, studying scriptures by tradition etc., are certainly appreciable but are not the qualifications of greatness.  A student may be in the uniform dress.  He may have lot of urge to get the knowledge.  He might have left his house and roamed from school to school.  He might have become a teacher of a school.  He might have studied the course according to discipline.  He might have memorized and got through the examination and   He might have thus got the degree and became the teacher.  But still his doubts in the subject were not answered.  Einstein and Ramanujam did not get a pass and could not get the degree.  But they have perfectly understood the subject.  Therefore, attainment lies in their internal samskaras and attaining the real preacher.

Both the samskaras and Guru (Preacher) are important for the attainment and not the other points.  Both the pearl shell and the rain drop are essential for the formation of a pearl.  Except these two, all the other factors are ephemeral only.  You should judge anything by your self and in association with others through discussions and debates.  In coming to the conclusion you can take the help of the discussions with others.  But you should use your own intelligence and consciousness in final conclusion.  In this way the participation of others is helpful.  But to see whether some body lifted his hand or not for voting is a point is foolishness.  You can discuss with him about the point.  You should lift your hand based on your final conclusion.  Even a cleaver person may go wrong in that particular point.  Your vote should not depend on his vote. 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 15, 2007, 05:37:27 AM
GRACE AND SELF-EFFORT



Realisation cannot come to you as a miracle done by your Guru. Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus, Rama Tirtha have all done Sadhana. Lord Krishna asks Arjuna to develop Vairagya (dispassion) and Abhyasa (practice). He did not say to him, "I will give you Mukti(liberation) now". Therefore, abandon the wrong notion that your Guru will give you Samadhi and Mukti. Strive, purify, meditate, and realise.

Guru-kripa-grace of a Guru-is very necessary. That does not mean that the disciple should sit idle. He must do rigid Purushartha, spiritual practices. The whole work must be done by the student. Nowadays, people want a drop of water from the Kamandalu (water-pot) of a Sannyasin and desire to enter into Samadhi immediately. They are not prepared to undergo any Sadhana for purification and Self-realisation. They want a magic pill to push them into Samadhi. If you have got such delusion, give it up immediately.

The Guru and the Shastras can show you the path and remove your doubts. Anubhava (direct experience) of the Aparoksha kind or direct intuitive knowledge is left for your own experience. A hungry man will have to eat for himself. He who has a severe itching will have to scratch for himself.

No doubt, the Guru's blessing can do everything. But how can one have his blessings? By pleasing the Guru. A Guru can be pleased with his disciple only if the latter carries out his spiritual instructions implicitly. Carefully follow, therefore the instructions of the Guru. Act up to his instructions. Then only will you deserve his blessings, and then alone his blessings can do everything.


Jaisairam!

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 15, 2007, 05:38:35 AM
SAKTI-SANCHAR



Just as you can give an orange to a man, so also, spiritual power can be transmitted by one to another. This method of transmitting spiritual powers is termed Sakti-sanchar. In Sakti-sanchar, a certain spiritual vibration of the Sadguru is actually transferred to the mind of the disciple.

Spiritual power is transmitted by the Guru to the proper disciple whom he considers fit for Sakti-sanchar. The Guru can transform the disciple by a look, a touch, a thought or a word, or mere willing.

Sakti-sanchar comes through Parampara. It is a hidden mystic science. It is handed down from Guru to disciple.

Lord Jesus, through touch, transmitted his spiritual power to some of his disciples. A disciple of Samartha Ramdas transmitted his power to that dancing girl's daughter who was very passionate towards him. The disciple gazed at her and gave her Samadhi. Her passion vanished. She became very religious and spiritual. Lord Krishna touched the blind eyes of Surdas. The inner eye of Surdas was opened. He had Bhava Samadhi. Lord Gouranga, through his touch, produced divine intoxication in many people and converted them to his side. Atheists even danced in ecstasy in the streets by his touch and sang songs of Hari.

The disciple should not rest satisfied with the transmission of power from the Guru. He will have to struggle hard in Sadhana for further perfection and attainments. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa touched Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda had superconscious experience. He struggled hard for seven years more, even after the touch, for attaining perfection.


Jaisairam!


Courtesy-Sri Swami Sivananda

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 15, 2007, 06:22:15 AM
STICK TO ONE GURU




Do not dig here and there shallow pits for getting water. The pits will dry up soon. Dig a very deep pit in one place. Centralise all your efforts here. You will get good water that can supply you throughout the year. Even so, try to imbibe thoroughly the spiritual teachings from one preceptor alone. Drink deep from one man. Sit at his feet for some years. There is no use of wandering from one man to another man, out of curiosity, losing faith in a short time. Do not have the ever-changing mind of a prostitute.

Follow the spiritual instructions of one man only.
If you go to several people and follow the instructions of many persons, you will be bewildered.
You will be in a dilemma.

From a doctor, you get a prescription. From two doctors, you get consultation. From three doctors, you get your own cremation. Even so, if you have many Gurus, you will be bewildered. You will be at a loss to know what to do. One Guru will tell you: "Do Soham Japa". Another will tell you: "Do Japa of Sri Ram”. A third Guru will tell you: "Hear Anahat (mystic) sounds". You will be puzzled. Stick to one Guru and follow his instructions.

Listen to all, but follow one. Respect all, but adore one. Gather knowledge from all, but adopt the teachings of one Master. Then you will have rapid spiritual progress.


Jaisairam!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on June 02, 2007, 12:19:10 AM
Have Implicit Faith in the Ways of the Masters....  

Masters are impersonal and universal in their consciousness. They can, however, limit the scope of their work and also become the centre of aspirations of disciples. They use personal relationships as well-defined channels to help those aspirants who become connected with them.
   
A Master looks for those who need and deserve help, and they recognise the faintest gleam of spiritual yearnings. Masters foster and promote advancement of aspirants in ways that are effective, though they might not necessarily be intelligible to some. Since the path is not free of illusions, the aspirant is never safe without the Master’s guidance. The Master uses Maya to take the disciple out of Maya. The best thing for the disciple should follow the instructions of the Master with implicit faith.
   
When Shams-e-Tabriz asked Jalaluddin Rumi, his disciple, to fetch wine for him, Rumi complied in order to please and win the grace of his Master. At the time, Rumi commanded a large following of Muslim divines because of his reputation as a great theologian in the Islamic world and wine is prohibited to the Muslims. Hence it was a crucial test for the Maulana to carry a jar of wine on his shoulders through the streets, but he did it.
   
The Sadguru takes infinite pains to contact and win over the disciple for spiritual life. Since the progress of the disciple is secured only if his love for the Master is not allowed to dwindle, he takes every care to remove all obstacles that might be standing in the way of the devotion of the disciple. If sometimes he is seen to humour the individual nature of the disciple, it is only to keep those obstacles from creating a serious impediment in his way. Sometimes he might even seem to feed the ego of the disciple, but this is just allowing full scope to the ignorance of the disciple. It is only a preparation for the final extinguishing of his ego.
   
The Master is himself beyond good and evil and is not perturbed by the failings of the disciple. He tolerates them with unfailing patience, knowing full well that once the disciple gets established on the path these failings will be washed away. Once the Master is satisfied that the disciple is firmly established on the path, he is keen to cleanse the disciple’s mind of all blemish.
   
Ultimately the disciple sees that all such measures are really in his interest. Since the Master is, for the aspirant, a symbol of the Supreme Self in all, the problem of true adjustment to the Master appears to him to be the same as realising his own inner divinity and arriving at true adjustment with all other forms of the Supreme Self. Through his allegiance to the Master, the aspirant achieves conscious appreciation of the fundamental unity of all these problems. In order to help the disciple achieve this difficult task, the Master has to become the nucleus of all the spiritual idealism of the aspirant, because intensive concentration of mental energy is necessary if the aspirant is to break through the many barriers that lie between him and his goal.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on August 14, 2007, 10:22:26 PM
JAI SAI RAM!!!

The word 'guru' is untranslatable. Neither does the word 'teacher' nor the word 'Master' have that beauty. In fact, the phenomenon of the guru is so deeply Indian that no other language of any country is capable of translating it. It is something intrinsically Eastern. The word 'guru' is made of two words, 'gu' And 'ru'. 'Gu' means darkness, 'ru' means one who dispels it. Guru literally means 'the light'.

OM SAI RAM!!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: rajiv uppal on September 03, 2007, 11:43:24 AM
॥ गुरु गोबिन्द दोनो मिले
   काके लागुं पाय,
बलिहारी गुरु आपने,
   जिन गोबिन्द दियो मिलाय ॥
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 30, 2007, 06:11:46 PM
Guru


If a culture has to live, it has to assert itself again and again with the impact of a volcanic eruption blasting the ignorance of man. Though Bharat’s spiritual philosophy is true for all times, in reinstating it a great upheaval has to be created by a daring outburst of spiritual truths. This can be done only by a great Avatar. The early 20th century produced such a man in Shri Sai Baba, the Saint of Shirdi.

Shri Sai Baba passed away in 1918, and through the period of his messiahship extended only to about 60 years, he was able in that short span to vivify the temporal order with the light of God, revealing in men to themselves and leading them to discover their own dignity.

Sai Baba still lives in the souls of our motherland and in the hearts of her children; even as all other Avatars and Sages do.

The religious impulse so securely embedded in the very soil of this great and ancient country of ours. The lofty idealism of our ancient scriptures, defining religion as a way of spiritual living rather than as a dogma or a creed, still has a hold on the masses as well as the intelligentia. Though the vitality of the religious impulse may be submerged today, it is bound to assert itself, because the typical Indian still cherishes in his heart of hearts a strong faith that through spiritual values alone can he fulfill basic needs of happiness and peace of mind. This is a deeply ingrained characteristics of the Indian soul, and nothing can completely uproot or destroy it. The Indian believes that mankind and the world have their end not in themselves, but are ordained to a transcendental destiny so that the individual has to get busy in striving towards perfection. The establishment of the kingdom of God on earth is felt to e co-operative enterprise between God and man. Man is a co-sharer in the work of creation. Men and women may be deeply committed to the tasks of the world, but the inspiration which sustains them in their human vocation comes from above, from the essence of religion which is spirituality.

A brief survey of conditions prevailing in the present times leaves us with an impression of chaos all over the world, of cold wars and hatred, of forces of evil triumphing over the forces of good, of the increase in immorality and corruption, not only in Bharat, but in all the countries of the world. The fact is that scientific inventions have placed at the disposal of humanity immense powers, but unfortnately, man the user of these powers has still not conquered his base instincts for power and greed, so that these scientific implements are used for destructive rather than constructive purposes. Moreover, these very inventions have multiplied wants and titillated the human instincts for possession. In trying to satisfy this Frankenstein of worldly desires, man has become the victim of tragic fallacy that a material environment in which there is a mad pursuit of redundant luxury, comfort and sense pleasures in the panacea of all troubles and problems. But, when the deeper instincts of the human heart are neglected, misery and frustration follow in their wake, for a materialistic approach to life ends in satiety. The alarming degree of psychotic maladjustment in Sweden and other ultra Americanized countries, resulting in the biggest percentage of suicides should be a warning against too much absorption in materialism, This is all the more convincing because otherwise these countries are prosperous, and poverty and unemployment do not exist there to such an extent as to justify such abject despair. We in India can learn a lesson from this, and turn once again to the dynamism of religion and to the revival of Truth, Beauty and Love. As Shri Aurobindo has rightly pointed out, “India can best develop herself and serve humanity by being herself. She can be herself only by being loyal to her ancient knowledge which is grounded in spirituality”.

Faith in the spiritual Guru is one of the staunch pillars of the Sanathana Dharma. The teachings of Prophets and Incarnations have always provided great inspiration to spiritual seekers. The Guru as the spiritual preceptor has always had a tremendous appeal to the oriental mind. The Indian heart spontaneously responds in surrender to the Guru. The theory of avatarhood is an eloquent expression of Bharat’s spiritual philosophy. If God is looked upon as the saviour of humanity, as He invariably is, then God must manifest Himself. The birth of the Satpurush is thus acclaimed as the greatest good that can befall humanity. God as the abstract Creator eludes our imagination, but when a human temple enshrines divinity we begin to understand through this familiar medium the purpose of our own ultimate destiny. Thus when God assumes a human form, He establishes Himself as the Guru. Guru is manifested God -- This is perhaps the most succinct and satisfying definition of the word, and eliminates the false claim of some so-called Gurus who are ready to assume the mantle of spiritual authority without the true manifestation of the divine principle. The Guru as manifested God soon becomes the Light, the inspiration and the great exemplar. The life of the average seeker, as it is lived on the material and physical level, is barren and unproductive until it finds its focus in the Master. For though it is true that every man and woman is potentially divine, it requires the grace, protection and the powerful push of the Guru to release this imprisoned splendour which lies captive in each and every one of us.

Even ultimate knowledge which is sometimes described as the secret wisdom is innate in man, but it is revealed only to an intellect which is purified by the tapasya of the seeker and of the touch of the Sadguru. It is therefore believed that the Guru and God are one because the Almighty and his medium of manifestation cannot be different. The Guru embodies not only the Saguna characteristics but also the Nirguna quality of the supreme being., and so to that extent the Guru is approachable and accessible to the fact that we have to reach eternity in the temporal order, we have to seek oneness by going beyond the appearance of pluralities. In order to achieve such a difficult task we certainly need the protection and guidance of a spiritual preceptor.

One this fascinating contact between the Guru and the bhakta is established, the relationship between the master and the disciple becomes a thing of beauty. A thrilling intimacy is engineered where each completes the other to bring about a rare and lyrical fusion. This leads us to consider the principle of reciprocity which operates in this relationship. In return for the innumerable demands which a bhakta makes on the Master, it is but natural that the Guru too should impose a few conditions on the bhakta. The Guru expects total surrender, absolute obedience, and, the last and most important, supreme effort. Effort is a courtesy which all sadhakas owe to the Divine, and preserving effort alone brings down the dynamism of God’s help and grace. As sadhakas we have to venerate and respect all Gurus, but to the form in which he or she appears to enlighten us we have to render our exclusive adoration and surrender.

Is a Guru absolutely necessary for spiritual sadhana? The pros and cons of this question have been adequately discussed by Shri Sai Baba in the body of the book in the chapter entitled “Surrender to the Guru is the only sadhana”. Though Sai Baba was pre-eminently the apostle of the Guru Marg, he did not deny the possibility of progress and attainment without the Guru, but he always pointed out the besetting difficulties of a sadhak who did not lean on a spiritual master for guidance and protection. It is all very well to talk of one’s own true self being the Guru, said Baba, but the real self is so deeply overshadowed by the ego which is full of contradictions that it is very difficult to get behind this overbearing selfhood to reach the hidden potentiality of the divine self. The Guru on the contrary accepts the sadhaka’s limitations and slowly but surely helps him to transcend these and reach his goal. Even Shri Raman a Maharishi who had advocated the path of self-enquiry which is the pat of gnan, said in his last years: “If you surrender to me, I shall lead you to the portal of eternal liberation”. Thus, by agreeing to be a Guru, the great sage of Arunchala confirmed the importance of the Guru. Swami Vivekananda was an incorrigible rationalist in his earlier life, but when he attained spiritual maturity through the grace of his Guru Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, he made this significant avowal to Sharada Devi -- “Mother, the knowledge that sweeps away the lotus feet of the Guru is no knowledge at all”. The Guru is thus the deep rooted conviction of Bharat’s soil. The concept of the Guru is the pivot on which practically all sadhana finds its focus.

The Guru thus appears as the great awakener. At least in the traditional path of Bhakti the Guru is held to be an inexorable necessity for those aspiring to a higher life. For, it is maintained that a sadhaka can reach that pitch of selfless adoration which the traditional path of devotion prescribes only if he is attached to some great personality.

The sadhaka cannot cultivate the same emotion for abstract concepts. Ultimately, of course, the personal form of the Guru dissolves in the impersonal reality, but not till the awakening has reached a certain high level. In the initial stages, the aspirant can comprehend the unknown only in terms of the known.

The Guru’s mission appears to be two-fold. The first and most important concern of the Guru is to awaken, elevate and transform the seeker. The second and the final purpose of the Guru is paradoxically to help the sadhakas to transcend this state of complete dependence on the Master, which dependence the Guru himself had taken such pains to foster. The final spurt of realizing his true identity with God is exclusively the Sadhaka’s job.

The beauty and wisdom of India’s spiritual literature have been considerably enhanced by the tribute that is paid both in prose and poetry to the unique relationship that exists between the Guru and the bhakta. This exquisite relationship is replete with inexhaustible possibilities; and the delicate nuances of give and take between the master and disciple give to the relationship a lyrical composition. The Divine, sensing man’s need for a sakshat and perfect presence whom he could both love and worship, comes down as the great Avatar. Bharat has produced many such Avatars, and this perhaps is the cause of our country’s greatness and the cause of its survival too through strange vicissitudes of good and bad fortune.

The Saint of Shirdi recognized and emphasized the beauty of a Guru-guided life. He felt that the very ethos of our nation could be found in this enduring and endearing association of the Guru and his bhaktas. He wanted his beloved followers to feel a thrill of protection in the assurance that a loving Master delights in the intimacy of the demands made by his devotees. In each of his lovers, Sai Baba recognized the potential Divine, and so he brought to each association a quality of tender and reverent friendship. In appraising the life and leelas of this great spiritual Master, one cannot but feel the subtle unfolding of the ancient tradition of the Guru lending its fragrance to all that he did and said.

The Saint of Shirdi left behind a rich heritage of enlightened followers. The spiritual world is deeply indebted to this Mahapurush, not only for his exalted guruship, but also because he has brought into being a brilliant dynasty of Gurus. Shri Upasani Baba Maharaj was Sai Baba’s most inspired successor. How the former was able to establish a lasting Guru- parampara through his vision and foresight, is another absorbing story; but Shri Sai Baba’s leelas would be incomplete without reference to Shri Upasani Baba’s life and the life and teachings of the holy Mother, Sati Godavari Mataji, who is alive today to sustain and heighten the tradition of the two great Babas. I have, therefore, added two more chapters at the end of this second edition, dealing with the lives and teachings of Shri Upasani Baba and Sati Godavari Mataji.

Shri Sai Baba was not content to transfer his messiahship to his descendants. In the last years of his life, he said to his devotees with a mother’s solicitude, “Do not grieve when my body passes away. My tomb will live and move and speak with all those who make me their sole refuge.” Happily, though we have just commemorated the 50th year of his mahasamadhi, Sai Baba’s promise is abundantly fulfilled today. Through half a century of void there comes echoing down the years the gracious message -- “ Lo, I am beside you always.


Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on November 28, 2007, 01:01:51 PM
The Guru Lives Within You     




Worshipful homage unto the eternal, beginning less and endless Cosmic Being, the Eternal Reality, nitya-satta, that is the source, support and goal ultimate of all existence, that is the all-pervading, indwelling Reality in the midst of the ever-changing and vanishing names and forms, one without a second, the Absolute, the ever present, the infinite.
May His divine grace speed you towards the great goal of illumination,
liberation and divine perfection!

Loving adorations to our revered and beloved Master, Gurudev, in whose invisible presence we are gathered together here at this moment, who, nevertheless, lives in each and every one of you as a vision, as an ideal and as a goal. His living wisdom teachings are the source of your inspiration. They are the force and power that urges you onward in a self-chosen direction towards an accepted goal and an adopted way of life.

Thus, he lives in you as the urge and aspiration to divine life. He lives in you as an aspiration to attain divine perfection. He lives in each one of you as a great longing and yearning to transcend the limitations of time and space and enter into that pure realm of eternity and infinity which is your natural, inalienable state, into your true, everlasting, unchanging, imperishable, immortal spiritual identity.

That is your abode. It is a state of consciousness, not a geographical location. It is a state of perennial, eternal experience, not any place to attain beyond the clouds. It is actually the substratum of your present state of exteriorized, objectified consciousness. It is the objectless centre of all things. It is your present state—the basis, the substratum upon which these ever-changing states of waking, dreaming and sleeping fitfully go on rotating, keep on coming and going.

Realise yourself as that which is the unchanging, the ever stable, the support of these three states, an unaffected, detached witness, a centre of illumined awareness, a centre of pure, distilled quintessence of unalloyed bliss, a centre of profound, imponderable peace that passeth understanding.

That is your inalienable state. Realise this and be established in the pure experience that “I am the Atman beyond name and form, transcending time and space, devoid of any limiting adjuncts. I am Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute.” Realise this and be free!

May the benedictions of beloved and adorable Holy Master and the supreme grace of the Divine enable you to reach this experience here and now. That should be your one aspiration, your one determination, your one longing, your one aim, and the one objective with which you live and breathe and act. Then alone you are fulfilling your life’s divine mission.

May Shirdi Sai Bless all!

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on February 02, 2008, 02:37:05 PM
Have Faith in your Guru  




Faith is the state of mind towards the all supreme. It is a devotional surrender for the protection and grace of the lord.

Sri Sai Baba preferred the sadhanas involving faith and bhakti. He advocated worship of several things -images, coins, pictures, padukas etc. He has no mean place for the guru, the giver of Ghana and the solidifier of faith.

The path to the goal is rugged, and Sri Sai Baba warns us that it is infested with hungry wolves and tigers and with yawning pits to negotiate and stresses the need for a guide or guru. In brief, the attainment of gnana is largely upon our Guru. Trust in the guru fully and wholeheartedly. Leave off all doubts that is the only sadhana. Guru is God. Guru is everything. He is brother, father, well-wisher, relative and true friend. Seeing all as Guru is the highest state and he who feels him in every creature verily becomes Myself.

To aspirants for gnana, the mere acquisition of a Guru alone can never suffice. Lucky indeed must be he that finds the proper guru at whose feet he is privileged to sit and learn. Hindus, before they start on any of their prayers, first invoke their Gurus to lead them aright and to be acceptable to their Gods. A subjugation of the mind and will and absolute faith in the guru are the essentials of a true Bhakta.

Sri Sai Baba Says: "Stick to your own Guru with unabated faith whatever the merits of the other gurus. We must not give up our attachment to our own Guru but even more firmly rest in Him and Him alone."

You may have an idea of what constitutes Bhakti and how every one of us old and young, men and women, rich and poor strong and disabled, cultured and uncultured- can follow the path of devotion to attain salvation. To be deeply devoted to God, we should have an idea in the first place. God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. Everything rests in Him, He resides in the heart of every being. He is in the king, in the beggar, in the animal, in the minutest worm, in plants and also in inanimate objects. That is why in the Gita the Lord said, "He who sees me everywhere and seeth everything in me, of him I will never lose hold and he shall never lose hold of me."

Holiness Guru Swami Kesavaiahji chosen apostle of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba deprecated the practice of being lured by those who exhibit occult powers, but He always insisted in his articles that infinite faith in the Guru would ultimately give satisfaction and bliss to those who respect tradition and religion. Swamiji stresses on saying all saints, Guru's are one. Service to suffering humanity is Baba's Dharma. He taught catholicity of religion. Everyone should serve and help others to his capacity. It is only the good we do, that accompanies our souls. Hatred and jealousy should be forbidden. Honesty and truthfulness are necessary. God recedes from those who are dishonest and untruthful. Character and truth are essential. Truth and righteousness alone save us. The ignorant youth is running away from religious and moral discipline because he gets no religious education either at home or at school to mould his character. Now-a-days science and politics are considered the 'Be all and end all' of man's life. The responsibility to teach their children, the devotion to God reverence to one's Guru, obedience to their elders, and to make them speak truth always is on the mothers.' May Sri Sai Baba guide us all in the path of devotion and bless us
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 14, 2008, 01:32:42 PM
Guru Worship

Sri Sai Baba's beneficent work especially on the vast scale that is seen more and more now was and is exercised through various means, Sai worship being one of the most important of these means. That worship was mostly Guru worship, his marga being Guru marga. Hence Guru worship must form an important feature of the Sai movement. A full study of the marga here is out of the question. But to understand Sai Baba's life, guru-sishya relations and nature have to be studied, and Sai Baba's life and lilas throw a flood of light on the full significance and value of Guru marga. That term picked up from Guru Gita is clothed with power and glory from Baba's life.

The story of the life of such a great saint like Sai Baba must include references to Gurus and Guru worship, for it is by their grace that saints achieve perfection which they naturally endeavour to impart to others. By reason of Sri Sai Baba's ability to conceal his real nature and the working of his mind and body obviously in pursuance of the directions of sastras and Gurus that eminence must be concealed, for example, the saint must be unfathomable and undiscerned like the ocean and the python77, moving about like a dullard, idiot, or devil, his acting as a Sadguru and a Samartha Sadguru was unknown to the thousands that met him in life or heard of him thereafter. It is only by revelation of devotees' experiences that people now mostly realise that he was a Samartha Sadguru and had various grades of devotees and sishyas.

His biography is the practical illustration of what Guru and Sishya mean and of the principles that govern their conduct and mutual relation, Hence a preliminary discourse on these subjects is needed, though it cannot exhaust either the general subject or its application to Sai Baba, his Gurus and sishyas. The marga that Baba followed has puzzled many. Many asked and ask whether he was a Yogi or a Jnani or a Bhakta or followed any marga pecualiarly his own. Several thought and think that Baba cannot be classed under any of the divisions applying to saints and sadhus. As a result of study, aided by His own grace, one sees at last that he was an adept of all the margas, though his chief marga, was Bhakti marga, the special form of it that it described as Guru Marga in the Guru Gita, and that Jnana and siddhis including yoga siddhis came in the wake of his Guru bhakti. These will be made clearer as we advance in the study of Sri Sai's Life and of his relation to devotees. At present in this chapter we shall state just a few preliminary matters relating to Guru and Guru worship.

Definition : Guru may be defined as one who imparts information or gives training to another. Any school teacher or moral teacher or the one who teaches the way to salvation or mukti or even teaches mantras for various religious or secular purposes, high or low, can be called a Guru.

Derivation : The word Guru is a Sanskrit word and a number of derivations are found especially in Guru Gita, which is a part of the Skanda Purana. 'Gu' generally means 'Guna' and therefore means 'darkness'. 'Ru' denotes the action of destruction just as fire destroys or removal. So Guru means the dispeller of darkness or ignorance.

Gu karascha Andhakarastu

Ru karah tannirodhakrit

Andhakara Vinasitwat

Guru riti Abhidhiyate.78

Another derivation says that Guru is one who takes you from the Gunas to That beyond the Gunas that is, Brahman79.

Arabic and Persian : It is always better especially when dealing with Sai Baba whose teachings are unique and cosmopolitan to give the word Guru its equivalents in Arabic and Persian, as used by Sufis, Murshad is the Sufi equivalent which Baba himself used. For example Baba said "My Murshad has taken me away from this body which is but my house'. This means his Guru had destroyed his identification of self with the body Dehatma buddhi and made him realise that He the Atma is not the body just as the fire which burns the fuel is different from the fuel, and the seer is not the seen81. The Sufi equivalent for Sishya is Talib and shakir.

Everywhere in the world we find, the usual practise is to have Gurus.

Purpose for a Guru : A Guru being a teacher, the question as to what he teaches or what help he gives or is expected to give, is the essential question.

Classes of Gurus : There are various classes according to what is taught or given, for example Siksha or Diksha, secular or religious subject, sex of guru, methods adopted, whether guru is visible or invisible.

Guru Gita82 classifies Gurus under seven heads calling them:

Suchaka is the ordinary school master who gives secular teachings - the three 'R's and arts.

Vachaka is one who imparts ethical teachings, dharma sastra,

Bhodaka is one who teaches mantras for various purposes - secular or other, and stops with that.

Nishiddha is one who teaches mantras and other methods for achieving lower purposes just as marana, vasikarana, sthambana and akarshana. These are almost invariably used to achieve low earthly objects and are hindrances to one's achievement of the spiritual goal. It is a danger for one to get under a Nishiddha Guru.

Vihita is one who teaches Virakti or detachment, that is frees one from attachement to earthly things and prepares one for achieving one's spiritual welfare. Vairagya or dispassion is the sine qua non for progress just as its opposite, namely, extreme attachment to kamini and kanchana, is a powerful barrier to all progress.

Karana instructs the sishya as to the import of the Mahavakyas the axioms or axles of the Upanishads. After securing thorough vairagya one is ready to get at least an intellectual grasp and then a realisation of the grand basis of all mukti. Mukti is the realisation of the real nature of oneself and of Atma, that is Paramatma; and the mahavakyas embody that truth. Thus the teacher of this basis of salvation is the cause, Karana for salvation and therefore the Karana Guru.

Parama Guru, The last and the greatest of all, who enables the sishya to thoroughly absorb the truth of the Mahavakyas and to realize for himself the Mahavakyas and thus escape samsara or rebirth, is the Parama Guru. He is also called the Moksha Guru. Others are mere Gurus.

The Kula Moolavatara Kalpa Sutra Teeka Gata Kulagama mentions six classes of Gurus in regular gradation. They are;

Preraka one who just starts the pupil

Suchaka one who indicates and carries further

Vachaka one who regularly teaches and coaches

Darscaka one who points out the way and goal to the pupil.

Sikshaka one who regularly teaches and guides the pupil fully. These five are preparations to go to the 6th.

Bodhaka one who is also called the Karana Guru, who thoroughly illumines the pupil and prepares him for Brahma Jnana and Moksha.

There are Gurus who are seen and others unseen; and there are Gurus who merely impart teachings and do not care for results, that is, they are those who do not undertake any responsibility for the sishyas. There are others who give definite undertakings and carry out the same at all costs and if necessary life after life proceeding to seek the sishya in subsequent lives for the purpose. The best instance of such a Guru is Sri Sai Baba who undertook liability for H.S. Dixit, N.G. Chandorkar, Bandra Master T and M.B. Rege and others.

Another classification is based on the powers and methods of the Guru. The Guru who teaches something secular or religious is merely called Guru. He who teaches about God or Sat is called Sadguru. He who uses all his siddhis and superior powers to carry the sishya right up to the goal is called Samartha Sadguru. Ramdas, Guru of Shivaji, and Sai Baba belong to the class of Samartha Sadgurus. Paramaguru is a Samartha Sadguru who looks after the entire welfare secular and spiritual of his disciple.

Diksha   Guru   who   formally   initiates   the   pupil   and invests him with mantra, power,

Siksha Guru, that is the usual Guru who teaches or trains a pupil.

Male Gurus usually prescribed in all Sastras for pupils to attain Moksha.

Female Gurus specially referred to in Tantra works to give mantra and training to pupils who aim at siddhis, The Sastras generally dissuade persons anxious to attain Moksha from resort to female Gurus. In the case of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the Bhairavi Lady guru trained him in tantras. After that came the Nanga Avadhuta Guru who initiated him into concentration on Nirguna Brahman. Similarly in the case of Sri P.R. Avaste, a lady guru initiated him into Mantra that is Siva Panchakshari permutations and combinations japa, which would result in seeing various god forms and produce various powers. Later he came to Baba. Kula Gurus - hereditary. Other Gurus.

Prefer the Kula Guru to begin with. But if no benefit, then go to a competent Guru82. Baba was not the Kula guru of Nana Chandorkar, but his rinanubanda Guru and in a sense the Guru of his Destiny.

Was Baba a siksha Guru to any? For example, to N.G. Chandorkar and Balakram Manker? Yes It seems so.

Gurus for all round training and teaching for example, Venkusa.

Gurus for some push or help, for example, Sai Baba to Narayan Asram.

Gurus for some mantra, tantra, special vidya, yogabhyasa, and asana.

Gurus for Vydeeki profession and Vedic study.

Gurus   for secular purposes only.              for tantra

for spiritual purposes only.                           and mantra

for both. and

for Moksha.

Gurus for Inward working Dakshinamurthi method and Baba's.

Gurus for Oral teaching mainly. Gurus for Both.

Diksha is a special process for removing evil taints and investments of pupil with powers and siddhis83. Kinds of Dikshas are :

Chakshushi by mere glance, Sparsa by touching the head, Vacha by words blessing, Manasi mentally blessing. Sastri by teaching sastras,

Yoga that is Gurus entering into the pupil inwardly.

Howtri Kriyavati performing homas with fire,

Howtri Jnanavati doing the homa mentally, to bless the pupil.

Derivation, Diiyate Vimalam Jnanam Kshiyate Karma vasana tena diks heti prokta. Di-giving jnana, Ksha eradicating taints.

Need for a Guru. The question whether Guru is needed is often times debated by people with great warmth, some holding that there is need and others holding that there is no need. These debates are usually infructuous and they excite and result in loss of peace. A good example is Hemadpant alias Anna Saheb Dabolkar's case on his first visit to Shirdi84. He hotly contested for one hour or so and, contended that a Guru was an unnecessary fetter and quoted the Gita, in his support. Bala Saheb Bhate took the opposite view and maintained that destiny was supreme and that a Guru was had by all. The dis­cussion made Anna Dabolkar less fit to approach the great Guru Sai Baba by reason of restlessness. But Baba by graciously revealing his Antarjnana of all that passed during the discussion made Anna Dabolkar feel humble and contrite, and he felt that Baba was a wondrous Supreme Power before whom he and his weak powers should bend and give up his "reason" and supposed independence. And thus he became the sishya of Baba by the latter's grace and found that destiny had fixed him up, though his reasoning might indicate independence was his proper course. The Sastras, for example, Srimad Bhagavata, Bhagavata Gita, Guru Gita, Katha, Mundaka, Taittiriya, Maha Narayanopanishad say clearly that without a Guru Brahmanjnana and Moksha cannot be attained.

The need is questioned as a rule by persons not yet fit to be sishyas, that is those without humility, reverence, patience, receptivity and other virtues, or the proper attitude towards great saints. They must be advised to have Satsang. That is they must move with bhaktas and fit themselves for further progress. When they are fairly fit, they will get their Gurus. It is not the truth that sishyas always go out to find the Guru. The reverse is often true. There are many noble souls waiting to be approached by persons who want to become sishyas and have the proper attitude and training.

Scanta Mahanto Nivasanti Santah

Vasantavat Loka Hitam Charantah

Teernah Swayam Bhima Bhavarnavam janan

Ahetuna Anyan Api Tarayantah85

This means, There are great souls who have attained perfect peace and who are working to benefit and bless the world like the spring season. Though they have themselves crossed the terrible ocean of samsara, they are ferrying others across with­out any reward or recompense or motive. Amayantu Brahma Charinah86, this means, Let students come. Sai Baba himself sent for N.G. Chandorkar expressly and drew hundreds or thousands to himself inwardly and unnoticed by them. Baba says87, 'No one comes to me except by my drawing. I draw people unto me under various pretexts such as the worldly objects they want, When a boy ties a bird's foot with one end of a string and pulls the other end, can the bird refuse to come?'. This drawing is mostly due to rinanubandha. that is prenatal ties and obligations. This is termed by Bala Saheb Bhate, the irresistible pull of destiny. The need for a Guru is patent especially in worldly affairs. People do not expect the children to learn the three,'R's, drawing, etcetera without a teacher. If this is so in the patent material world, how much more essential is the need in the subtle spiritual field? Generally one's spiritual progress and the stages one has to go through, and the way of mastering problems that arise there are often dealt with in books on religion. These books will not suffice to enable one to tackle this subject effectively. Religious literature is a vast forest, through which one cannot pick one's way. Guru Gita says, Scastrajalam. It is "Bahu Kanataka Avrutam",


JaiSaiRam.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 14, 2008, 01:34:18 PM
Gurus Qualifications


As the main interest in this book is religious development, we shall take up only the highest of Gurus, that is those who attend mainly to spiritual welfare. The description of a qualified Guru is given in Manu, in Bhagavata Purana, in Tantra works, Guru Gita103 and Dasa Bodha104 his glories are sung in Jnaneswari. The central fact of Guruship is that the Guru is approached by an earnest person for achieving highest spiritual welfare. Hence the best Guru can only be one who knows what the highest welfare of humanity is, who has himself achieved it and is both able and willing to train and carry others to that state. Niscreyas and Screyas that is the good, the excellent are the words commonly used to denote the highest achievement in spiritual welfare. The other aim contrasted with it is Prgyas. that is the pleasant. The contrast between the two has been brought out from the earliest times for example, in the Kathopanished,

Sreyascha preyescha Manushyam etow

Tou samparikshya vivinakti Dhirah.

Tayoh Screya adadhanasya sadhur bhavati

 Hiyate arthat ya vu prayo - vrinite.

This means, Both the excellent and the pleasing confront man. The wise one observes, compares and chooses. It is well with him who chooses the excellent. He who chooses the pleasing loses even pleasure, that is loses his aim. The same is also the choice of Hercules between virtue and pleasure in ancient Greek tradition. Man has, in him, both the brute level based on his animal urges especially Hunger, Sex & Self assertion and the higher or divine level and capacity of raising himself above the brute level. Ordinarily men pursue their lower aims connected with the maintenance of the body and its appurtenances and neglect the hard task of controlling the brute instincts and achieving the divine nature which alone can carry man to God­head a realisation of the identity of the Jiva or individual soul with the Paramatma or Universal soul.

The Guru must be from the Vedantic standpoint a realiser of Atman that is Atma Brahma Aikya, Identity of soul and God and that comes to much the same thing as God-realiser of the Bhakti marga. Vivekachudamani and other works say that the Guru must be in perfect Atmanishta or Brahmanishta, and the Bhakti works like Srimad Bhagavata say98

Madabhijnam Gurum,

 scantam upasita Madatmakam

That is, Krishna says the sishya must go to a Parama Bhagavata who is thoroughly familiar with, that is steeped in love of a Personal God, who treats God as his own self. Bhagavata stresses the effort to reach personal God as the Vedantic works stress the reaching of the Impersonal God or the Absolute. Both are necessarily intertwined105 for the Personal merges in and emerges from the Impersonal. Both the Bhagavata and the Guru Gita say that the Guru must be a Supreme realiser of the Impersonal Absolute and Personal God. The Guru Gita106 asks how a teacher who himself does not know the Absolute Brahman is to teach it to others and how a stone which itself cannot float across the ocean, can be expected to carry other stones to the other side of the ocean. Instances of ignorant Gurus posing as teachers of Brahman are not rare, and persons deficient even in moral qualities posing as teachers of Daivi bhakti have played  havoc   with   credulous   sishyas.   Realisation   of  the Absolute is one of the rarest accomplishments and it is by no means easy for a sishya going to a reputed teacher for the purpose of acquiring realisation of the Absolute to see whether that teacher has that realisation. There are no standards or recognised insignia or marks107  of  soul-realisation  or God-realisation and several of the external characteristics usually attending Parama Jnanis and Parama Bhagavatas are easily put on, professed or assumed by others. In this great perplexity, most seekers after Gurus have to trust to the repute which the alleged Parama Jnani or Parama Bhagavata has in society and trust to intuition, purva vasana, rinanubanda or luck. Guru Gita says108 'Observe and choose your Guru'. But the chances of observing and testing, which a student has, are hardly sufficient to enable him to arrive at a correct conclusion. Persons who achieve some siddhis by upasana of petty gods are taken to be perfect gurus. Anyhow, the sadhaka has to get on, and if he has made a bad choice, he is compelled to retrace his steps and give up a bad choice, and give up a bad or false Guru and change for a better one. The Guru Gita warns the sishya's from falling into the clutches of false Gurus

Jnana Hino Guruhtyajydh Mithyavadi vidambakah109.

This means, a hypocrite who really is without God realisation and who pretends to have such realisation should be abandoned. Verse 200 of Guru Gita says that these are

Darsanat bhranti karakah

that is, by external appearance, they mislead people into the belief that they are true realisers. Verse 201 of Guru Gita says that the following are false Gurus.

Pashandi, that is, those who reject the Vedas.

Paparatah, that is persons revelling in sin.

Nasthikah, Atheists or agnostics.

Bheda buddhayah, Those who are under the tendency to oppose one God to another, to distinguish Guru from God, and stress differences instead of stressing the unity of existence.

Stree lampatah, Those who are under the influence of lust.

Duracharah, that is the sinful or wicked.

Kritaghnah, that is the ungrateful.

Bakavruttayah, that is, those who like the crane put on the appearance of Dhyana samadhi or wisdom or realisation, professing to concentrate on Brahman, all the while concentrating on worldly aims and objects. The crane while waiting on the bank to catch fish wears a solemn look, as though it cared for nothing.

Karma bhrashthah, that is, those who have fallen from their duties.

Kshama nashtah, that is, those who are without patience or forgiveness.

Nindyatarka vadinah, that is, those proceeding on fallacious modes of reasoning.

Kaminah, that is, men subject to strong desires for women.

Krodinah, that is, men with ungovernable temper.

Himsah that is, murderous men.

Chandah, that is, cruel men.

Scathah, that is, rogues

Jnana luptah, that is, men without realisation or wisdom.

Mahapapah, that is, highly sinful men.

These have to be avoided. The reason for avoiding such is patent. Sadhakas do not always succeed in avoiding them. One Kavle Patel who was a subordinate of Mamlatdar B.V. Dev of Thana had such a guru, who told him he, Patel, should install a brand new image of the Goddess of Vani in the place of the old image of Vani that he had in his family temple, evidently with the hope of making a great profit out of the new instal­lation, that is Pratishta and Kumbhaabhisheka ceremonies. The Patel had some doubts and so approached Sai Baba through B.V. Dev and next through Shyama to get his decision in the matter110. Baba, a Samartha Paramaguru without any desire for gain, definitely stated that the new image should not be brought and only the old should be installed. When asked about the harm of introducing the new, Baba mentioned that by contravention of a similar advice given by him about the purchase and intro­duction of a cow, an epidemic was the terrible consequence. The Patel who still believed in his own Guru, brushed aside Baba's advice, and brought in the image. And Lo! an epidemic came into the village, and the Patel's wife was one of the first to be attacked. When the Patel appealed to his Guru for aid, the latter demanded a gift deed by the Patel of half of his landed property. The Patel then woke up and discovered that his Guru was an avaricious lobhi, an ignorant man, and a crane like hypocrite and gave up his Guru and followed Baba's advice of reinstalling the old image. Where the Guru, however, is not a person who is sinful or wicked, Baba was conservative and directed people not to shatter their loyalties. His advice was that people should stick to their own gurus however little their merit might be, and not change over to another guru who may have more merit111. The Guru Sishya relation is more personal than the marital.

The process of the Brahma Nishta Guru that is, one with Supreme Realisation of Atman enabling a proper sishya to get the realisation is compared in the Guru Gita to getting another's lamp kindled in the flame of one's lamp. It is the same heat and light which proceed from one to the other, and thus there is continuity in the Guru Parampara. The final result also is said to be light within light.

The realisation of Atma Nishta or Brahma Nishta is very well set out in Vivekachudamani and other works, and the requisites therefore are Viveka, Vairagya, Scamadi shatka, and Mumukshutva112. Vairagya or detachment is the state when attachment to worldly things disappears. Love of God and love of Guru are based on the decreased pull on the heart from wife, child and wealth, So the sadhaka has to march on to strengthen his vairagya and viveka based thereon, in his Jnana Marga and strengthen his love of the Guru also. These, Viveka Vairagya and Love of Guru form a virtuous circle so to speak, mutually assisting each other. The development of scamadhi shatka, scama, dama, titiksha, uparati, shraddha, and samadhana also fall into the same course. In the Bhakti marga also, the increased love of god helps one to overcome the attraction of sense objects and that in turn strengthens one's Bhakti or Prema to God and Guru. The best antidote to worldliness or sense attraction is declared in the Hamsa Gita113 to be worship of God with Bhakti, Bhakti gradually grows in power and intensity and finally leads to a merger. In Bhagawad Gita, Lord Krishna says,

Bhaktya maam abhijanati

Yavan yatcha asmi tatvatah

Tato maam tatwato jnatva

Viscate tad anantaram

which means, A person contacts me and recognises Me by his Devotion, a dynamic process, and learns more and more what sort of personality and what I am in reality. Thereafter by proceeding higher and higher on to the highest reality he fully realises Me and then merges in Me.

The qualifications of true Gurus may be partly inferred from the above statement of who the false Gurus are. But the positive marks of a true Guru are set out in various words like the Upanishads, Manu, Guru Gita, Bhagavata Purana, We will take the Guru Gita114 first. He must be a

Tatvanishta Adhyatma jnani

Viveki, Sadhu, Nirmalamanas

Scuchi, Kamakrodha Jit Indriya Jit,

Scanta and Mita bhashana

From these qualifications, namely Tatvanishta, which comes along with Adhyatma jnani and Viveki it is patent that the Guru must have perfect nishta, that is, must have steady and continuous realisation of Brahma Atma Aikyam, which is the real significance of the Mahavakyas. Unless a man has reached that realisation, he will not enable the sishya who approaches him to reach it. Mere bookish understanding would only lead to doubts of various sorts as the matter is extremely subtle. As the Guru has to impart jnana or enable the sishya to realise it, it is not sufficient that the Guru should have got into the supreme state of Brahma Nishta. He must also understand the theoretical basis which is found in the Mahavakyas and in the Upanishads for the same. He must have viveka, that is, be able to distinguish between the real or the Brahman and the phenomenal or unreal Universe. There are persons who know a fact or realise a state and yet do not and cannot impart it to others. The omission or inability to impart may be due in part to unpreparedness and in part to incapacity. It is not all who can express what they feel.

The Guru Gita draws a distinction between two sets of Parama Gurus, the Mouni and the Vagmi. The former Mount enjoys the bliss of perfection but does not impart it to help others to get it. But the Vagmi expresses his thoughts and reali­sation as far as possible, and uses language and other means to enable the sishya to acquire that realisation. So the Vagmi is the one primarily to be preferred by the sishya at the initial stage, though finally often a mouni may suit his purpose. Brahma Nishta is not a mere question of intellect or working up the mind and other phases or facets of the self. It is a unique experience and it comes from the grace of the Guru, God, and can come only in that way.

Gurum vinana jananti Mudhas tat paramaam padam.

Mere prayer to Siva and Vishnu will not suffice for knowing God. To know God even a Personal God properly the Guru must help the sishya115. Namdev's case is the best illustration of this truth. That is why prominent mention in the list of qualifications is made of these, Tatvanishta and Adhyatma jnani. This will suffice for the present, and later references ampli­fying the subject may be found in other portions of this book. The fourth qualification, Sadhu is a very wide term. But as it is fairly understood, it need not be discussed. Nirmalamanas refers to the purity of the heart of the Guru. Scuchi also denotes much the same thing, for in addition to external purity, internal purity also is implied by the term scuchi. Kamakrodhajit and Indriyajit qualifications are also practically involved in Nirmalamanas and Scuchi. Unless a person has conquered his lust and other appetites and his temper, he can never be a proper Guru. Any sishya who approaches him is apt to absorb his lack of control. Those who have not conquered their senses, indriyas, their lust, their anger, are generally given to sins and vices, and, therefore, will not only lose mental peace but would also be doing much harm to the very name of Religion and ruining their sishyas and others approaching them. The Upanishads and also the Guru Gita point out the necessity for a person to avoid Gurus who are tainted with these faults.

Navirato duscharitat Naasanto

Na asamahitah Naascanta manaso vapi.

Prajnaneniva enam apnuyat

This means, a person who has not given up bad and evil courses, the man who has not reached calmness and quiet, and who has not gained peace of mind can never realise Brahman that is get Brahma Nishta. Amongst the disqualifications mentioned lack of these has been noticed. The last two, Santi and Mitabhashana, peace, paucity of speech in a Guru are patent external marks of the calm, peace, and quiet that reign in his heart. The Guru Gita points out that at the very sight of a Parama Guru, one's heart is filled with Santi.


JaiSaiRam.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 14, 2008, 01:35:46 PM
Number and Change of Gurus

The number of Gurus is a question which can only be solved with  reference  to  the  particular   subject  involved   and  the circumstances of each case. With reference to secular education, though under the old system of Gurukula which involved both spiritual and secular education, there was only one Guru, still for those who desired varied education in several subjects, a number of Gurus was resorted to. The Guru Gita deals mainly with spiritual education, yet following Srimad Bhagavata it says that the number may be large.

Madhu lubdho yatha bhringah

Pushpat pushpantaram vrajet Jnana

lubdho tatha scishyo

Guror Gurvantaram vrajet126

this means, Just as a bee anxious to have more and more of honey goes from flower to flower, so a student with a strong desire for jnana should or may go from one Guru to another. The Tamil translation adds here, in case the study is incomplete. Obviously this cannot have reference to the Guru who is expected

to give salvation, that is, the Paramaguru127. Verse 90 says, I bow to thee, Paramaguru, who is a combination of Siva and Sakti. The Guru Gita128 set out the eminence of that Paramaguru who gives Mukti and who is the same as the Trinity. In Jnaneswari, the eminence of the Guru is said to be giving one everything. Such a person cannot and should not be given up. See Vasishta's curse of Trisanku who broke away from that Kulaguru. Srimad Bhagavata129, also mentions the advantage of a number of Gurus.

Nahi ekasmat Guroh jnanam

Susthiram syat supushkalam

Brahma etat advitiyam vy

Giyate Bahudha rishibhih.

This means, Verily, knowledge is not abundant enough nor strong enough, if only derived from a single teacher. God Brahman is One without a second. Yet so many rishis sing of it in so many ways. This is the statement of the Avadhuta addressed to King Yadu, after mentioning that he derived his knowledge from 24 Gurus. The 24 Gurus mentioned in Ekadasa Skanda130, are earth, air, ether, water, fire, sun and moon, the pigeon, the python, the sea, the moth, the bee, the elephant, the honey gatherer, the deer, fish, Pingala the courtesan, the king fisher kurara, the child, the maiden, the arrow maker, the snake, the spider, and adding to the list lastly the body. These are not Gurus in the ordinary sense, but from their behaviour, lessons are derived by the Avadhuta. Of such Gurus twenty four are not sufficient. Even two hundred and forty may be insufficient. But really these are not Gurus having Guru-shisya relation with the disciple. They are Gurus only by straining the meaning of the term Guru and not actual Gurus. A Guru is one who is conscious of teaching and undertaking the duties of a teacher. But in dealing with the actual physical Guru at the head of a Gurukulam or Rishi ashrama, the Guru is the only head. In the Ekadasa Skanda131 Krishna advises resort to a Guru. He says,

Mad abhijnam Gurum shantam upasita mad atmakam.

that is, Serve the calm teacher who is in close contact and who has become identified with me. Under one such Guru, ordinarily the aspirant for salvation can advance sufficiently and attain his object. People like Narayan Asram who got a push or some slight help cannot be regarded as Baba's sishyas. They should and usually did resort to other Gurus. Even Das Ganu who got marvellous help from Baba did not regard Baba as his Guru but went to Guru Islampurkar for initiation and treated him as his Guru. In special cases, a Guru might not complete a student's course and might direct him to go to others. Amongst sadhus, they seem to recognise some as forming a particular class or group. Members of such class or group send their disciples to other Gurus of the group. Following this principle, Akkalkote Maharaj, when his body was about to be dissolved, sent some of his devotees Ramachandra Naik and another to Baba. Madhavanath Maharaj, Bhidekar Maharaj, Kusha Bhav's Guru, the Poona Bhimasankar temple Sadhu132 Kaka Maharaj of Dhopeswar133 acted similarly and sent their devotees to Baba. Gajanan Maharaj134 was recognised as Gurubandhu by Baba.

Guru Gita points out the absolute necessity for a change when one has had the misfortune to get under a nishiddha Guru. A nishiddha Guru is one who draws the pupil to mantras with lower aims135 such as mohana, marana, vasikarana, and kindred sordid purposes. The soul is bound to get more worldly and tamasic under such a Guru. Srimad Bhagavata136, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras137 and Baba deprecated these siddhis and warned devotees against their meretricious attractions. When one realises his mistake in getting under a nishiddha and has had the beginnings of vairagya, Guru Gita138 says that the sishya being a vairagi, a higher Guru, a true desika, will contact him and draw him to God realisation, that- is, Brahmanishta. Verses 288 to 294 describe the glories of this Parama Guru, whose very sight will fill one with joy courage and peace. Such a Guru is absolutely free from all attachment to Kamini-kanchana, that is, women and wealth, fame, yoga siddhis, and even the glories of Brahma and Vishnu. They are of two classes, namely the Vagmi, who talks, teaches, and trains, and the Mount, who spreads silent influence.

So there may be desirable and authorised changes of Gurus as mentioned above. Without such or similar pressing causes, a change of Guru should not be thought of. The loyalty of a sishya to a Guru must be more powerful than the loyalty of a chaste wife to her husband. A flagrant breaking of one's ties with the Guru may have a serious consequence on one's spiritual progress and in some cases may involve a curse as in Trisanku's case. Vyabhichara in both the above cases leads to ignominy in the eyes of all reasonable people and thorough wreck in every respect. The pangs of Guru droha may also render a sensitive sishya miserable. Sai Baba therefore dissuaded people from leaving their own Gurus and seeking contact with him. But mostly as Sai Baba was and is an all comprehensive Samartha Sadguru, and as most people had no intense attachment to a Guru, there was usually no difficulty. People felt that Baba, the Sarva Antaryami was their own Guru and their Ishta Devata. The first real feeling of having a Guru came to most only from Baba. A very interesting case of change or supposed change of Gurus will be found in the chapter of P.R. Avaste. He had been initiated into Siva panchakshari of some sort by a lady Guru at Poona, and he was, with difficulty, persuaded to go along with Sri M.B. Rege and see Sai Baba and Ramakrishna Ayi who also had developed some psychic powers and was acting as Guru to some at Shirdi. At the first visit, the oppressive feeling that he was committing Gurudroha in  going to  Shirdi upset his mental balance and made him crazy. He was behaving erratically under strange delusions and fears. Sai Baba directed Sri Rege to take him away from Shirdi. Leaving Shirdi Sri Avaste regained his normal self. By Baba's grace, in his later visits, he was free from such obsessions and he was able to adopt Sai Baba as his Guru. As Sri Sai Baba was a Samartha Sadguru with vast powers139 God has agents everywhere, they have vast powers, I have very great powers', and as he could clearly see the exact state of ideas, feelings, and emotions of everyone coming to him. he could ease difficulties like the above. To a sishya of Dolap Maharaj  Guru Mule Sastri, he appeared as Dolap Maharaj wearing kashaya, and removed his fears of Gurudroha. Similarly beyond just loyalty to particular Gods being affected by appro-proaching Sai, to those who had particular fondness for particular Gods, he could show himself in those forms. To a South African doctor as to the Madras Ramadasini who was devoted solely to Rama, he showed himself as Rama. To a Datta bhakta, he could show himself as the three-faced Datta.  Most Hindus cannot escape fragmentising and localising God, not merely at the start but for their entire life. They feel compelled to adhere to a particular place and a particular form or Murthi in their effort to contact God. This localisation and particularisation however necessary or useful to begin the God contact ought to be out-grown and true ideas as in the case of Namdev should replace the earlier ones. Sai Baba, the realiser of Ekam Sat with his perfection of power of Samartha, could include within himself and show within himself all Murthis as they are all parts of God, Bhagavad Gita140 says,

Angani Annya Devatah

that is, From a part rise to view the whole. Being Nirakara, he could be Sahara at any time whether he was in the flesh or beyond the flesh that is, after Mahasamadhi. Thus he serves as the ideal Guru, though he is not in the flesh, as he can and does appear in his old form to deal with his old and new devotees. Several people felt and feel that a Guru who is not in the flesh does not suit them, as others feel in exactly the opposite way. But by Baba's grace, all these have been drawn by him to his feet.

In some cases a person is fully saturated with the doctrines of Srimad Bhagavata141

Yat driscyam tat Nascyam, or

Drashtam Vinashtam

that is, all things seen are perishable and therefore not the real Brahman and the Upanishad teachings are that Brahman cannot be seen,

Yat chakshusha na pascyati,

yena chakshumshi pascyati,

tadeva Brahma tvam viddhi,

nedam yat idam upasate

which means, Brahman is not that which is seen with the eye but that which makes the eye see and Brahman is not that which people in the world worship, to such as, no seen figure commands the belief that it is Real and God or Brahman. Such a person cannot therefore surrender himself to any God or Guru that is seen. To such a person, Baba is a great boon or blessing.

Sai Baba snuffs out of him the critical spirit which says, You are seen and not God. How can I bow to you? Baba's action is not external reasoning but internal unspoken and unseen working. That takes away and clean wipes off all traces of the critical spirit and substitutes for it a humility that says in effect 'I am a worm, Thou art all power and mercy. Protect me, shed light on my path. Take me as a helpless baby in your arm and deal with me as you like'. This is beginning of that person's feeling that the Unseen Guru is alive, is powerful and can lead and only he can lead him right on to the goal.

The former Gurus of such a person whether Kula Gurus or adopted Gurus have never influenced him, as they were not Samarthas, interested in him. So there is no possibility in such a case of any idea of change of Guru or Gurudroha. Baba makes such a person feel that Baba is the same as the previous Gurus. Baba is Sarva Antaryami and makes persons like the above and like Upasani Maharaj, Mule sastri, feel that he is the same as the former Guru. Baba elevates the devotee and enables him to see Him as the one underlying force or personality appearing in various forms and called by various names Vyabhichara by resort to whom is unthinkable.

In getting Baba as a Guru, one is helped on to the Supreme realisation of Jiva Brahma Aikya. Those who refer to Baba as a single Guru or saint with a particular shape in one place are indulging in their tendency of materialistion, localisation, and fragmentisation. The real fruit of Baba's influence is perceiving him as the All-every thing includes one's old Guru, one's Ishta Devata and oneself. When one has reached that stage, no question of the number of Gurus and justification for change of Gurus can arise.


JaiSaiRam.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on July 20, 2008, 03:34:36 PM
Guru - the all powerful protector.
 

Om Jivadharaya namaha [who is the bestower of abundant life energy to all]
Om Sarvadharaya namaha [who is the source of all power]
Om Bhakthavanasamarthaya namaha [who is competent and all powerful in protecting His devotees]

Guru is the one who bestows life and energy to all the people. The whole universe is dependent only on the power of the guru. It is said that ones Guru puts His protective hand on the devotees then no god has any ability to cause distress or anxiety to that devotee.

Guru is the all knowing powerful who has the ability to take on to him the burdens, illness and problems of the devotees. Guru is the one who shoulders or carries His devotees during the times of duress. One cannot escape the actions of their past karma.

Lord Sri Krishna and Rama were subjected to the past karmas so what to speak of the mere humans. But once a devotee seeks shelter under Guru, and then Guru to a great extent takes away the burden of his problems and makes the life journey bearable. The ability of a man to reflect back on to the past misfortunes with an open wisdom is purely due to the grace of guru which has made life easier for us to live even during the tough times. Let us beg him to help us to work out our karma, so that we can concentrate and immerse ourselves in the glory of the Guru and follow Him in attaining bliss. This is possible only through the magnificent of Gurus grace. There is no other power than Guru to protect the devotees.

 As Sri Sai said in Shri Satcharitra every devotee needs a guide [Guru] who has attained self knowledge so as to guide the devotee towards the spiritual path of the ultimate.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Ramesh Ramnani on September 30, 2008, 08:15:56 AM
जय सांई राम।।।

There is no need for a master.

An intelligent and courageous man can walk alone -- but he will have to walk many lives before he comes to the point. With a master the long journey can be cut short.

Walking alone, you don't know where you are going. You know where you want to go, but there is no map. And there are not paved roads to the truth. As you walk you make the path; it is not already there. And there are thousands of doors.

The person who is walking alone will have to knock on each of the doors; and all the doors don't lead to the truth. There is only one door in those thousands of doors which leads to the truth. A man walking alone will have to depend on some coincidence that he happens to knock on the right door; otherwise he will have to eliminate all the wrong doors by knocking on them, finding that they are not the right one, until finally all wrong doors are eliminated, and only the right one is left.

This can take thousands of lives.

The journey will be infinitely long -- so long that the courageous man may lose courage, the intelligent man may get fed up with all that. And rather than reaching the goal, he may turn his back on the whole pilgrimage.

Yes, it is possible without a master, but the difficulties are tremendous. The master does not lead you to the truth because he has already traveled the path: he has already found the right door, the right method. He can help you to eliminate the wrong doors.

In other words the function of the master is not to give you the truth but to make you aware what is false, to make you aware what is not truth. He cuts your journey down to the shortest possible way.

And a master is not a person who owns people. One who owns people is not a master at all: he is a politician. He is on a power trip.

A master can only be a master if he does not own people, but loves them.

Love never owns. Love gives without asking anything in return. Love makes no conditions. Love has no expectations.

A master is only a friend. He is not higher than the people he is leading towards a certain experience. He has no superiority complex. He does not create any guilt, any inferiority, any kind of spiritual slavery -- because these are the barriers to finding the experience he is teaching.

Only an independent, totally autonomous being, living in freedom, can attain to the experience of truth.

अपना सांई प्यारा सांई सबसे न्यारा अपना सांई


ॐ सांई राम।।।
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 02, 2008, 06:32:09 AM
The Guru is His Teachings 


By the light of the sun, the whole world awakens. By the light of the sun, darkness is banished, slumber gives place to wakefulness and sloth gives place to activity. By the light of the sun, all beings in this world see things, perceive things clearly. In darkness, one stumbles and falls, loses one’s way and is ever in danger of injury. In the light one is able to proceed, move towards one’s goal; one is safe from danger. All progress, all activity is temporarily suspended in darkness.

Thus the sun is the awakener; the sun is the enlightener; the sun is the marga darsaka (one who shows the path). It is the sun that guarantees smooth, unhampered progress towards each one’s destination. When the sun is not there, one is, as it were, blind, even though having eyes.

In the life of a sincere seeking soul, in the life of a jijnasu, a mumukshu, a sadhaka, a spiritual aspirant, the Guru is, as it were, the sun. It is the Guru that awakens us from our slumber of ignorance. It is the Guru who, by his light, banishes the darkness of ignorance and wrong notions that the jivatma has about life, and brings in the light of right reasoning, right perception and right thought. It is the Guru that also makes us see the way, through his own lofty, sublime personal example, through his own dynamic philosophy, through his own teachings and personal instructions.

It is the Guru that points out the path and makes us see the path clearly. He points out the pitfalls and dangers upon the path, makes us alert, vigilant, jagrit. And, even as the sun initiates activity, so the Guru inspires us to arise, awake, seek knowledge, attain illumination and become forever blessed. All this and more the Guru does.

And the effulgence of the Guru, the radiance of the Guru, the light of the Guru, is his teachings, jnana-upadesa. It is his message, his sandesa, his instruction, his adesa. These constitute the real Guru and these constitute real guru kripa.


Happy Gurus day to all.

Jaisairam.

 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 12, 2008, 04:26:58 PM
"I always bow to the Guru who is bliss incarnate, who bestows happiness, whose face is radiant with joy.

 His essential nature is knowledge.

He is aware of his true self.

 He is the Lord of yogis, he is adorable, he is the physician who cures the disease of birth and death."

Sri Guru Gita—verse 93.

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 12, 2008, 04:29:08 PM
Who is a Guru?

 Or what is a Guru?

There is a beautiful text called the ‘Guru Gita’.

If you read it, you will probably dismiss all these Gurus as non-Gurus.

What you and I often refer to as Guru is in fact a teacher.

 There are millions of teachers in the world. There are academicians, professors, school masters.

Then there are your own parents, they teach you something or the other.

But Gurus? No.

They are not found in such profusion as we pretend they are.

A Guru is a very rare phenomenon. On the other hand I may contradict myself by saying that if the disciple is ready, it is possible he finds the

Guru, not in the conventional sense, but in a different sense.

JaiSaiRam.

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 12, 2008, 04:36:09 PM
There is a beautiful story in the eleventh section of the ‘Srimad Bhagavatam’, where a king encounters a naked ascetic and he

says: "You appear to be a vagrant, a mendicant, a madman, but the radiance of your face belies all this.

You have found something, what is that?

If you are an enlightened person, tell me, who was your Guru?"

The naked ascetic says, "Gurus, I have many. I have twenty-four Gurus.

 So I learn from everybody and everything."

When can that happen? When I am a good disciple.

You must seek wisdom from several Gurus, only then is the knowledge complete.

JaiSaiRam.

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 12, 2008, 04:49:47 PM
Who is a Guru?

What is a Guru?

 A Guru is one who removes the darkness of ignorance. Ignorance refers to ignorance of God or ignorance of the

self. Has anyone done that to you? If not, you have not met a Guru. You might have met a dozen of Swamis but

that is of no consequence whatsoever. If he has not touched your heart, sorry, leave him alone. Of course learn

from him as a teacher but not as a Guru. Guru is one who has been able to remove darkness of self-ignorance, or

ignorance of God from your heart and enabled you to attain self-knowledge.

JaiSaiRam.

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: sureshsarat on October 12, 2008, 07:38:06 PM
Om Sri Sainathaya Namaha
Om Sri Sainathaya Namaha
Om Sri Sainathaya Namaha

Sairam everybody !
Guru is most essential for our spiritual uplift. But to get a physical guru (true one) is becoming difficult. So, we are left with the Ekalavya method. Just as he made Drona as his virtual guru, lets make Kind Sai as our Guru and pray for success in our endeavors.
Sairam
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on November 07, 2008, 05:42:10 PM
Kabir said: "If all the land were turned to paper and all the seas turned to ink,

and all the forests into pens to write with, they would still not suffice to describe

 the greatness of the guru."


OM SAI RAM.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 15, 2008, 02:25:24 PM
Guru Gita

As such is not necessary to write preface to this Guru Gita. It is the heart of Skanada Purana in form of a dialogue between Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. The direct experience of Suta is brilliantly expressed through each and every couplet in it.

            Reading and study of this Guru Gita stops power of speech of one’s foe. It increases one’s virtues. It destroys all evil actions and bestows success in good actions.

            O dear! Every letter and syllable of this Guru Gita is each king among Mantras. Other Mantras, manifold in nature do not deserve the credit of even one sixteenth part of this.

            The study of this Guru Gita puts end to untimely death and all afflictions. It also destroys the evil effects of Yakshas, Rakshasas, Bhutas (spirits), fear of thieves, tiger, etc.

            Who are pure in heart, full of knowledge incessantly recite this Guru Gita- by even seeing them and touching, one liberated from rebirth.           

            The couplets of this Guru Gita is the great remedy for the longlasting disease of birth and death. It is the sweetest nectar for Sadhakas. The merit is diminished by drinking the nectar of heaven. By drinking the nectar of this Gita sin is destroyed which leads to Absolute Peace and Knowledge of one’s real nature.

            Narasimha Mehta has rightly said: “All Sadhana is meaningless (false) until the Knowledge of the Self dawns.”

             This Guru Gita in your hands to help you in attainment of that Self-God.

            OM… OM… OM…

            SUPREME PEACE

 

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 15, 2008, 02:26:57 PM
Prostrations to Brahman, the unthinkable, the unmanifest, beyond the three Gunas

(Sattva,Rajas & Tamas qualities of Nature) yet the Self of Gunas,

the Substratum behind the whole universe.(1)
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 15, 2008, 02:36:50 PM
The Sages said: O Suta, the wise one, who has acquired thorough mastery over the Nigamas &

Agamas please, narrate to us the real nature or Being of the Guru,

which has the power to remove all impurities. (2)

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 17, 2008, 12:43:42 PM
By hearing which, man becomes free from all pains and by treading which path the sages have

attained the state of Omniscience, by attaining which man comes never again to the round of

birth & death; please narrate that to us now, which is the Supreme Truth. (3, 4)

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 17, 2008, 12:44:25 PM
O dear Suta, by your grace, we desire to hear from you the Supreme Truth & particularly the GuruGita,

which is the essence of the Truth. (5)

OM SAI RAM.

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 17, 2008, 12:45:15 PM
Thus repeatedly prayed to by the rishis, Suta pleased by this request, spoke these divine words. (6)

 

Suta said, O Rishis, hear with rapt faith & attention.

I shall now narrate to you the GuruGita which destroy the cycle of rebirth & protects like a mother. (7)

Title: Guru...
Post by: Dipika on December 18, 2008, 08:18:06 AM
Upanishad
The syllable gu means shadows
The syllable ru, he who disperses them,
Because of the power to disperse darkness
the guru is thus named.
Advayataraka Upanishad 14--18, verse 5)

Bhagavad Gita, c4 s34
Acquire the transcendental knowledge from a Self-realized master by humble reverence, by sincere inquiry, and by service. The wise ones who have realized the Truth will impart the Knowledge to you.


Kula-Arnava-Tantra (XIII.106ff.)
O Devi, there are many gurus on earth who give other than the Self; but hard to find a in all the worlds is the guru who reveals the Self.
Many are the gurus who rob the disciple of his wealth, but rare is the guru who remove the disciple's afflictions
He is the [true] guru by whose very contact there flows the supreme Bliss. The intelligent man should choose such a one as his guru and none other
Brahmanda Purana
Guru is Shiva sans his three eyes,
Vishnu sans his four arms
Brahma sans his four heads.
He is parama Shiva himself in human form
Kabir
Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?
I bow before Guru who introduced God to me.
Brahmanand
It's my great fortune that I found Satguru, all my doubts are removed.
I bow before Guru. Guru's glory is greater than God's.


ALLAH MALIK!

Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 20, 2009, 06:13:53 AM
Guru-BhaktiHere is what Swami Chidananda says aboutGuru-bhakti:God is an unknown entity. We have not seenGod. We have not touched, nor tasted, norsmelt Him. We’ve only heard about Him.We can only infer Him. We can onlyimagine Him.But then, if we are able to see in a humanindividual manifestations of holiness, ofsanctity, of purity, of sublimity, of nobility,of goodness, of loftiness of conduct,character, nature, sentiment, thought, feelingand action, if we see something out of theordinarysomethingextraordinary,something special, a manifestation of thosequalities that we have been taught toassociate only with God then we say: “Ifsuch a human being can exist, God mustexist. Otherwise, from whence do thesequalities come which we do not normallysee in anyone?”

When we see this divinity,this holiness, this sanctity, we begin torealise:“Yes, God I have not seen, butgodliness I have seen. All the qualitiesattributed to God by the scriptures, bysaints and sages, in all religiouscontexts those I see in an unusualmeasure, in an extraordinary measure,in this being. Because I have seen thisbeing and this being is known to me, Iam assured that God is. I know theremust be a God.”And in the Vedic tradition the guru is such abeing. The guru becomes for us a visibleGod. God reveals Himself through the guru.

The guru thus becomes the linking factor, achannel for putting the wandering, lostindividual Soul, back into contact with itssource, God, the Universal Soul. And just asthe guru is a channel for the individual soulto re-link itself with God, even so, if we cancreate a channel between ourselves and ourguru, then that channel will become theeffecting means of receiving from the guruguru-kripa, all that the guru is theknowledge of the guru, the sanctity of theguru, the purity of the guru, the spiritualityof the guru.And that channel is called guru-bhakti. Thatis why the Svetasvatara Upanishad states:“If you have supreme devotion to Godand the same kind of devotion to yourguru, then to you, the essence, thesubtle truths of the scriptures becomerevealed.”Thus it is that through guru-bhakti theseeker, the disciple, creates an effective link,a connection, a channel which enables theguru to share with the disciple what the guruhas been endowed with from God.So, we have to provide a way for the guru togive what he wishes to give. And that isthrough guru-bhakti, devotion, where thereis no place for the ego. If the thought comes,“I have got great guru-bhakti,” then finished,that bhakti becomes cancelled, it is nullified.

You yourself must become the veryembodiment of that love, that devotion.There should be no awareness of somebeing, some person having that quality ofdevotion. Then it becomes a subtle spiritualego. The very purpose of the existence ofthe guru is to remove the separatist I-consciousness, the consciousness of being aseparate being or entity, and if guru-bhaktibecomes a means of boosting and sustainingthat ego, egoism, then it loses its purposeand becomes self-defeating.Thus true guru-bhakti is egoless, humble.The gopis of Vrindavan did not know thatthey were great devotees of Krishna. Theysaid:“All we know is that He is the one objectto be adored. We don’t know anythingelse. We cannot do anything but adoreHim. We are that adoration. It is our veryself.

We are not different from that. Takeit away from us and we will die, we willcease to exist.”They were filled with that love, not withegoistical awareness of that love.The greater the growth of devotion and thegreater the reverence for the guru, thegreater is the inflow of the guru’s grace. Thegreater the desire to carry out the ideals andprinciples of the guru in life and the greaterthe keen eagerness and firm determination tocarry out the instructions of the gurufaithfully, meticulously, day after day, inone’s daily activities and life, the greater isthe inflow of the guru’s grace. Rememberthat “Obedience is better than reverence

”:A disciple was asked to take the guru’scattle to pasture. He had to be with thecattle all day. The guru did not ask hiswife to prepare any lunch for him, andhe did not have permission to drink milkfrom the cows. So the whole day hewent hungry, only quenching his thirstwith water. Days, months, years passedthis way.This is the type of guru-bhakti the Hinduscriptures talk about. It is not meresentiment. It is true guru-bhakti which hasimmense strength and sattvic (pure, higher)determination, behind it. Guru-bhakti isdivine power, it is divine force, not merelysillyhumansentiment,notmerelyemotion.

Vivekananda came down heavilyuponmeresentimentandemotion.Sai Baba of Shirdi as a Sufi MasterSai Baba is an incredible enigma. Baba, whosome devotees call the CEO among PerfectMasters – never advocated any generalspiritual rules. This was in the largerinterests of catering to humanity at large i.e.,to devotees at different stages of evolution.

Baba had a rich repertoire of spiritual skill-sets and was an epitome of compassion.The spiritual remedy he prescribes to hisdevotees in Shri Sai Satcharita (the HolyBook of Sai devotees), be it performing afull weeks recitation of Gods name, orreading of a holy book, or feeding an animaletc. is tailored to the spiritual needs of theindividual devotees and is absolutelycontext-specific.

Furthermore, while Baba himself was a non-vegetarian, a Yogi and celibate, yet there isno general rule arising from his own life.For example, for some he recommendedcelibacy, while for others the life of ahouseholder. Baba did not believe in fastingat all.

Loving DevotionBaba’s path was a simple one free of anyrituals that required love and devotion tohim. This could be expressed throughreading, hearing or singing about his Leelas– his divine stories written in Shri SaiSatcharita.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 20, 2009, 06:53:26 AM
Guru Bhakti
God is an unknown entity. God is an unseen entity. However, with absolutely irrefutable logic, rational argument and reason, Vedanta establishes the fact of God. And through analysis we can infer, “Yes, there must be a God; it stands to reason. It is irrational to suppose that there cannot be such a thing as God. There must be.” And scriptures also tell us that He is a Being who is sacred, who is holy, all-pure, noble and sublime. But, nevertheless, God is still for us only a concept of the mind. We have not seen God. We have not touched, nor tasted, nor smelt Him. We’ve only heard about Him. We can only infer Him. We can only imagine Him.

But then, if we are able to see in a human individual manifestations of holiness, of sanctity, of purity, of sublimity, of nobility, of goodness, of loftiness of conduct, character, nature, sentiment, thought, feeling and action, if we see something out of the ordinary something extraordinary, something special, a manifestation of those qualities that we have been taught to associate only with God then we say: “If such a human being can exist, God must exist. Otherwise, from whence do these qualities come which we do not normally see in anyone?” When we see this divinity, this holiness, this sanctity, we begin to realise: “Yes, God I have not seen, but godliness I have seen.

All the qualities attributed to God by the scriptures, by saints and sages, in all religious contexts those I see in an unusual measure, in an extraordinary measure, in this being. Because I have seen this being and this being is known to me, I am assured that God is. I know there must be a God.” And in the Vedic tradition the guru is such a being. The guru becomes for us pratyaksha devaa, visible God. God reveals Himself through the guru.


The guru thus becomes the linking factor, a channel for putting the wandering, lost jivatma, the individual Soul, back into contact with its source, God, the Universal Soul. And just as the guru is a channel for the jivatma to re-link itself with the paramatma, even so, if we can create a channel between ourselves and our guru, then that channel will become the effecting means of receiving from the guru guru-kripa, all that the guru is, the knowledge of the guru, the sanctity of the guru, the purity of the guru, the spirituality of the guru.


And that channel is called guru-bhakti. That is why the significant verse in the Svetasvatara Upanishad: “yasya deve para bhaktih yatha deve tatha gurau, tasyaite kathita hyarthah prakasante mahatmanah.” If you have supreme devotion to God and the same kind of devotion to your guru, then to you, the essence, the subtle truths of the scriptures become revealed.” Thus it is that through guru-bhakti the sadhaka, the seeker, the disciple, creates an effective link, a connection, a channel, which enables the guru to share with the disciple what the guru has been endowed with from God.

So, we have to provide a way for the guru to give what he wishes to give. And that is through guru-bhakti, devotion, where there is no place for the ego. If the thought comes, “I have got great guru-bhakti,” then finished, that bhakti becomes cancelled, it is nullified. You yourself must become the very embodiment of that love, that devotion. There should be no awareness of some being, some person having that quality of devotion. Then it becomes a subtle spiritual ego. The very purpose of the existence of the guru is to remove the separatist I-consciousness, the conscious¬ness of being a separate being or entity, and if guru-bhakti becomes a means of boosting and sustaining that abhimana (ego), ahamkara (egoism), then it loses its purpose and becomes self-defeating.

Thus true guru-bhakti is egoless, nirabhimana (without ego), vinamra (humble). Sabari was bhaktisvarupa. She had great bhakti for Rama, but she was not conscious that she was a great devotee of Rama. Neither was Hanuman conscious that he was a great bhakta of Rama. It was his very nature. He was an embodiment of devotion for Rama. The gopis of Vrindavan did not know that they were great devotees of Krishna. They said: “All we know is that He is the one object to be adored. We don’t know anything else. We cannot do anything but adore Him. We are that adoration. It is our very self. We are not different from that. Take it away from us and we will die, we will cease to exist.” They were filled with that love, not with egoistical awareness of that love.

The greater the growth of devotion and the greater the reverence for the guru, the greater is the inflow of the guru's grace. The greater the desire to carry out the ideals and principles of the guru in life and the greater the keen eagerness and firm determination to carry out the instructions of the guru faithfully, meticulously, day after day, in one’s daily activities and life, the greater is the inflow of the guru’s grace. Gurudev was never tired of again and again reiterating: “Obedience is better than reverence.” And Vivekananda came down heavily upon mere sentiment and emotion. He said that this sentiment has ruined us. We have become backboneless; we lack a sense of purpose.

And what have the Upanishads put before us to illustrate true devotion? One disciple came to his guru as a young boy and the guru told him that it was his duty to collect firewood daily for the havan. He went on doing it without questioning. He was not allowed to cut green trees; and so the whole day, with great difficulty, he searched for and cut dry wood, put it on his head and returned only in the evening. The guru never gave him any spiritual instructions or teachings. Years went by. The disciple forgot time, until one day he realised he had become old, his hair and beard had become silver-white. Suddenly he burst into tears: “What is my fate? My whole life has passed away and the guru has not yet given me brahma-jnana.” He had become old. He had served his guru without question ever since he was a young boy. That was his devotion.

Another disciple was asked to take the guru ‘s cattle to pasture. He had to be with the cattle all day. The guru did not ask his wife to prepare any lunch for him, and he did not have permission to drink milk from the cows. So the whole day he went hungry, only quenching his thirst with water. Days, months, years passed this way.

And one disciple was asked to irrigate the guru ‘s fields. He had to let the water into the fields and make sure that it did not leak out. After working the whole day, one evening he discovered a leak in one of the earthen walls. He tried to plug it with some clay. It kept leaking. He tried all methods to repair it, and finally not knowing what else to do, he decided to plug it with his own body. So he lay down, curled himself into a ball and stopped the leak. After nightfall, when he had not returned, the guru became anxious and so with several of his disciples went searching for him. Finally they found him in his curled up position stopping the leak.

That was the type of guru-bhakti they had. It was not mere sentiment. It was true guru-bhakti. It had iron behind it. It had immense strength behind it. It had determination, sattvic determination, behind it. These are a few towering examples of guru-bhakti in our scriptures. There are many others. They come from all traditions. They are all sanketa matra (indicators) of the stuff that guru-bhakti is made of. It is divine power, it is divine force, not merely silly human sentiment, not merely emotion.

When such guru-bhakti is there towards the guru, such obedience, such great desire to carry out his behest, biddings and teachings, then illumination automatically descends from the guru to the disciple. The illumination in which the guru is established comes like a spark flying from one end of an exposed wire to another. For when the weeping old disciple was taken by the guru’s wife to the guru and explained why he was weeping, the guru replied:
“What! What do you mean, you have no illumination!” Immediately, the disciple became illumined. Why? Because of his total self-effacement, total dedication, his un¬questioning carrying out of the behest of the guru, because of the exemplary type of devotion that filled his heart: “I have come to a guru. I must serve him. This is my greatest good fortune.”

Thus the most effective way of deriving maximum benefit from the guru is to create a channel of lofty, sublime devotion to the guru, heroic guru-bhakti. And it is that heroic guru-bhakti where there is the greatest love and reverence combined with the highest obedience, the highest desire to please the guru by carrying out his instructions, that becomes the great channel for the inflow of guru-kripa. In that way, spiritual vision dawns and you "see" Reality, you “behold” Reality.

That is the tradition. That is the true inner dynamics of the guru sishya relationship through which the disciple is able to benefit in a maximum measure from the guru. Thus we have known from our scriptures, from our ancient bhaktas, from the narratives of ancient disciples, their relationship to their gurus. Thus we have learnt this great secret. May we all be benefited.

May the grace of all the brahma-vidya-gurus, from ancient times up to the present, be upon you. May you ponder deeply, reflect deeply, upon what an ideal disciple should be, what constitutes real discipleship, and become benefited thereby.


Courtesy:Swami Chidananda

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on February 03, 2009, 06:32:51 PM
Faith in your Guru


Faith is the state of mind towards the all supreme. It is a devotional surrender for the protection and grace of the lord. Sri Sai Baba preferred the sadhanas involving faith and bhakti. He advocated worship of several things -images, coins, pictures, padukas etc. He has no mean place for the guru, the giver of Ghana and the solidifier of faith. The path to the goal is rugged, and Sri Sai Baba warns us that it is infested with hungry wolves and tigers and with yawning pits to negotiate and stresses the need for a guide or guru. In brief, the attainment of gnana is largely upon our Guru.

Trust in the guru fully and wholeheartedly. Leave off all doubts that is the only sadhana. Guru is God. Guru is everything. He is brother, father, well-wisher, relative and true friend. Seeing all as Guru is the highest state and he who feels him in every creature verily becomes Myself. To aspirants for gnana, the mere acquisition of a Guru alone can never suffice. Lucky indeed must be he that finds the proper guru at whose feet he is privileged to sit and learn. Hindus, before they start on any of their prayers, first invoke their Gurus to lead them aright and to be acceptable to their Gods.

A subjugation of the mind and will and absolute faith in the guru are the essentials of a true Bhakta. Sri Sai Baba Says: "Stick to your own Guru with unabated faith whatever the merits of the other gurus. We must not give up our attachment to our own Guru but even more firmly rest in Him and Him alone."
You may have an idea of what constitutes Bhakti and how every one of us old and young, men and women, rich and poor strong and disabled, cultured and uncultured- can follow the path of devotion to attain salvation. To be deeply devoted to God, we should have an idea in the first place. God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. Everything rests in Him; He resides in the heart of every being. He is in the king, in the beggar, in the animal, in the minutest worm, in plants and also in inanimate objects. That is why in the Gita the Lord said, "He who sees me everywhere and seeth everything in me, of him I will never lose hold and he shall never lose hold of me.

" Holiness Guru Swami Kesavaiahji chosen apostle of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba deprecated the practice of being lured by those who exhibit occult powers, but He always insisted in his articles that infinite faith in the Guru would ultimately give satisfaction and bliss to those who respect tradition and religion. Swamiji stresses on saying all saints, Guru's are one. Service to suffering humanity is Baba's Dharma. He taught catholicity of religion. Everyone should serve and help others to his capacity. It is only the good we do, that accompanies our souls.

Hatred and jealousy should be forbidden. Honesty and truthfulness are necessary. God recedes from those who are dishonest and untruthful. Character and truth are essential. Truth and righteousness alone save us. The ignorant youth is running away from religious and moral discipline because he gets no religious education either at home or at school to mould his character. Now-a-days science and politics are considered the 'Be all and end all' of man's life. The responsibility to teach their children, the devotion to God reverence to one's Guru, obedience to their elders, and to make them speak truth always is on the mothers.' May Sri Sai Baba guide us all in the path of devotion and bless us!


(Contributed by Arun R Nukala)

SaiVichaar -FEB/2009


Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: godrealized on March 11, 2009, 09:28:29 AM
Guidance of a Guru is primarily necessitated for all human beings as one who has already reached the spiritual goal of life can guide one to its logical end.

Gaining Enlightenment is the end goal of human life. Whether we travel the spiritual path now... is the sole prerogative of every individual human being. Who knows what we shall be in the next manifestation... why not travel the spiritual path now!

For an ordinary mortal... a commoner, Understanding the gist of Gita... the most sacred scripture of Hinduism existing on Mother Earth is very difficult. Although the knower of Bhagavad Gita becomes the knower of all... still, the 700 shlokas verses of Bhagavad Gita can never be understood literally.

Mere blessings of a spiritual master never help. Every spiritual guru can only guide one on the spiritual journey. The path... the spiritual journey is to be covered by every human being all alone! There are no shortcuts on the spiritual path... no spiritual masters can ever deliver one from the ills of mankind. One has to negate karma in totality of ones own. Only then one gains enlightenment (kaivalya jnana) and then finally salvation (moksha).
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Admin on March 11, 2009, 09:55:34 AM
Welcome to divine forum of Baba Sai. It's really good to see a start with such a good topic.

Most of us even do not realize what the end goal of our life is? For most of us love, life, wife, kids, family, career is the sole aim of life. I feel a bit lucky as I know and realize that these things are required and should happen but they are not the end goal of my life. I feel lucky as I realize it. For me realization is very important and it leads to our destination. For now I continue to search what is the aim of my life.

Once again thanks for sharing the words and hope to many more in future.

Sai Ram

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on August 25, 2009, 01:03:14 PM
Grace of the Guru
  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)
   
  It is the intensity of the faith you have in the guru's words that is most important; once that is there, the grace flows automatically. The faith in the guru is based on the consciousness within, faith in your Self. My association with my guru was scarcely for two and a half years. The words he gave me touched me very deeply. I abided in one thing only: that the words of my guru are the truth, and he said “You are the Absolute, You are the Parabrahman". After that there were no more doubts and no more questions. Once my guru conveyed to me what he had to say I never bothered about other things - I hung on to the words of the guru. I know exactly how transient this present state of affairs is, and I also know the eternal state. I have no use for this ephemeral state. I understand the false as false. Since I have found my true permanent state I have no need for any of this; it has come on its own and it will go on its own. In that fullness there is no need of any kind. I've had that state of fullness after I met my guru; if I hadn't met him I would have lived and died as an ordinary man. The deep, dark blue state, the shade that you can take rest in, that is the grace of the guru. The darkness that you see when you close your eyes, that is the shadow of the guru's grace. Always keep it in mind; take rest in that shade of guru's grace.
Through the concepts of others you have built up so many things around you that you are lost. You are decorated and embellished by the concepts of others. The purpose of the guru is to tell you what you were like prior to the building up of all those concepts. Your pre­sent spiritual storehouse is filled up with the words of others - demolish those concepts. You must find out for yourself your own truth. Guru means the eternal state which will never change... what you truly are. You are that immutable, eternal, unchangeable Absolute. Guru tells you to get rid of all the walls built around you by the hearsay and con­cepts of others, which have kept you from your true nature.

Understand that the consciousness has arisen sponta­neously in you, the Absolute. Once you are conscious of yourself you know you exist and you love this beingness; you do not want this beingness to depart from you, and it is this that makes you strive all day until sleep overcomes you, in order to keep the beingness satisfied. Then the guru tells you the true state of affairs, that this consciousness which you love so much is only an illusion. It is the basic cause of all unhappiness and your true state is before this consciousness arose. Understand this thoroughly, intuitively, beyond all words and concepts, but also know that if this understanding is just something happening in the intellect it will be of no use to you, because it will be at the level of phenomenal consciousness... concepts... and that consciousness is nothing but illusion. Whatever you know is imperfect, fraudulent. Go where you do not know. Recede into the source, into no form, no beingness; there you are perfect. Whatever you witness will not remain with you; it is imperfect. The one who recognizes the imperfect as imperfect is perfect; that one is complete in himself.

Have firm faith in the words of the guru. Nothing, nobody existed prior to you. When your beingness appeared then everything appeared. Understand that first moment when you understood that you are, the point at which everything arose. The source and the end are the same point. In the spiritual hierarchy going from the grossest to the subtlest, you are the subtlest. The very base is you, full and complete, without need for knowledge of who you are. Suddenly the space-like, all-pervading 'I amness' appears. Spontaneously, uncalled for, the beingness has come and is being witnessed by you, the Absolute. Later, this space-like 'I amness' disappears and the beingness goes back into oblivion. You remain in the eternal state, your true unchanging state. Prior to your beingness, nothing was... but you, the Absolute. After the beingness comes, still all there is is you, the Absolute. Without the beingness you, the Absolute, don't know you are. You are without any stigma, not covered by anything. You are the Paramatman, the core Self, the highest Self, the Absolute, subtler than space, beyond consciousness, beyond the 'I am­ness'.

In meditation, let your beingness merge in your Self, the non-dual state. Remain still. Do not struggle to come out of the mud of your concepts, you will only go deeper. Simply abide in the stillness. The Self has no occasion to say it exists; it is in eternity. When there is no body-mind there can be no practice; only the stillness of the Self remains

 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on August 31, 2009, 07:27:47 AM
Shri Krishna recommended, we should approach the wise Teacher "Learn THAT (Eternal Truth, the Brahman) by humble reverence, by inquiry and by service. The men of wisdom who have seen the Truth will instruct you in that wisdom".  

Sadgurus are infinite existence, infinite knowledge and infinite bliss.
The form of Guru is the root of meditation,
The feet of the Guru are the root of worship,
The teaching of the Guru is the root of all hymns and  
The Grace of the Guru is the root of salvation.  
 
The Sadgurus or perfect masters are born at different times in different places and with different cultural backgrounds.
Strangely enough their external situations may be widely variant but their actions in their embodied stages display a common
theme and common approach to solve the human problems.  

 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 25, 2009, 04:03:04 PM
Will Hari Provide?


A child does not ask for the nourishment, mother who feeds and clothes the child brings upon its care. As the child grows, its demands increase. However, the child is still not equipped to procure its needs. Although the child knows what it wants, it is the prerogative of the caretaker to provide the demanding child with its wants. As it enters the adulthood, the child is no longer dependent on the adult. While the child had the luxury of being cared for by the adult, the adult gets what he/she works for.

The process of spiritual advancement is analogous to the above. Baba pulls His child to Himself and provides the infant with the necessities without being asked for. The later stages involve the growing child command for its wants. Baba gives. Smilingly. This stage is the audacious lag of the journey, every prayer answered, every benefit awarded. Soon this stage should end. The realization dawns once the power of temporary bliss wanes away and the longing for something bigger begins to take a shape. How is the intangible realized? The inexplicable mastered?

Will Hari provide? Shri Hemadpanth wrote beautifully, "If there be my Hari (Lord), He will feed me on my cot". This proverb is only true in respect of food and clothing, but if anyone trusting in this sits quiet and do nothing in spiritual matters, he will be ruined. One has to exert himself to his utmost for attaining self realization. The more he endeavors, the better for him. Mercy of Sadguru sees one safely through the stages of infant and the growing. Constant contemplation on the nature of the self, in whatever name it is called, is the endeavor for the adult. Yes, the adult has to work for it and gets what he/she works for!   
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 09, 2010, 07:20:59 PM
Guru

Dhyaanamoolam Gurur Moorthihi
Poojamoolam Guroh Padam
Mantramoolam Guror Vaakyam
Moksha Moolam Guru Krupa.  

Meaning: The Guru's form is the best to meditate upon; the Guru's feet are the best for worship; the Guru's word is the mantra; the Guru's Grace is the root of liberation.

It is not possible to see the true form of God.  All the pictorial representation of deities or gods is the creative imagination of the artists as depicted in the various scriptures.  So how does a common man worship God?  Satcharita says that Saints are the representatives of God on this earth and appear in times of need to protect the virtuous and guide the seekers of truth in the right path.  Saint or Guru, is the divine personification of God, who has experienced God, lives by the word of God , has the ability to be able to lead an ignorant man in the path of spiritual realisation and make him see God.  As followers of Shirdi Sai BABA, we are familiar with the importance of a Guru for the success in spiritual progression as mentioned  in chapter 32 of Satcharita.  BABA urged that bookish knowledge alone is worthless and added “Let us do our prescribed duty and surrender our body, mind and five pranas (life) to the Guru's feet.  Guru is the god, all pervading.  To get this conviction, strong unbounded faith is necessary.” 

If such were the position of a Guru then what qualities are necessary for a person to be called a guru?  Do we all need to have a guru to attain spiritual progress?  A number of such questions keep haunting us.  To answer these questions let us refer to Satcharita, - a guru is one who has proficiency of all Vedas and has digested the knowledge of self realisation.  Guru's mere glance showers love, mercy and His touch removes our sins.  Being in His presence makes our agitated mind calm and composed.  Being in His presence realisation flashes  by itself without any effort or study by the disciple.  To answer the second question, chapter 26 of Satcharita brings about the   importance of a guru for a spiritual seeker, as BABA said that guru alone who has realised god can take a man towards the path of God realisation so every seeker must have a guru. 

How to find such a guru who would lead us to the path of god realisation?  If our devotion towards god is sincere then god arranges our meeting with our Guru, it could be a guru who is alive in flesh and body or an invisible supreme power in the form of our Sadguru Shri Sai Himself or Satcharita which communicates BABA's philosophy and teachings on how a seeker of god should lead a life.  Satcharita is sufficient to guide a devotee in the path of spirituality.  Satcharita is nothing but the words spoken by Shri Sadguru Sai BABA Himself.  General perception is that guru is always a living entity with body, just like you and I.  Those who are familiar with Sikh tradition will know that the 10th Guru for Sikh guru parampara is Shri Guru Granth Sahib – a book with teachings of all the 9 gurus.  There are no doubt real guru's alive on this earth even in this age and time, but to recognise their worth requires divine guidance.  If our devotion and love towards god is sincere then god himself arranges our meeting with  a noble person who has reached the heights of spirituality being immersed in knowledge of godliness, having digested vedas and treaded the razor edged path of Spirituality.  Do not despair if one has not met the Guru in life, it does not mean that devotion is not sincere, it means, god has different plans for each one of us. 

Baba once asked a devotee, to install a post in front of Dwarakamai on gurupoornima day and offer guru worship to the post instead of to BABA.  One might wonder why BABA did this so.  Mysterious are the ways of BABA, He alone knows why He prescribes certain things to certain people.  Perhaps it might be to convey the message to His devotees that, body or form is not important to show obeisance to guru, it is the bhav or feelings of love, devotion towards “guru”.  That is what BABA conveyed to us when He served the psuedo guru Javhar Ali.  BABA did not judge the worth of the guru, though BABA knew the defects of His guru, He served Javhar Ali with all sincerity a disciple should have towards the guru.  One who knows that  “guru” is the saviour and surrenders at the feet of guru is sure to be delivered from the mundane problems.  One should not judge the worth of the guru,  having reached the feet of guru, one should have love, loyalty and surrender to the feet of the guru knowing that all his actions are controlled by Guru alone, such a man reaches his spiritual goal faster. 

Unflinching faith in “guru” is the secret to the success in scaling the spiritual path and that is the message from Satcharita.  One should not involve in the arguments discussing the greatness or defects of a guru, when we are not perfect who are we to discuss the defects of another.  Shradda and Saburi are the two invaluable ornaments to be adorned by the devotee, when one serves guru with faith and devotion, God will be pleased and shower His grace through the guru.  On this guru poornima let us offer our sincere pledge to practice what BABA taught us through Satcharita and offer our love and devotion at the feet of the guru.  Know that is guru's word is gospel and surrendering at the feet of Guru will deliver us from sins of many birth. 

Oh Master on this holy Gurupoornima day please accept our love and devotion at your holy feet and beg you to purify our body without ego and vices use us to serve you and love you always.




Anitha Kandukuri
Canberra, Australia
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 01, 2010, 11:14:39 AM
Importance of Guru

Having a teacher to guide us in any field is invaluable. This is true in Spirituality as well. A Guru is very different to a teacher or a preacher. He is a beacon of spiritual light in our world and teaches us, the universal spiritual principles that underlie all religions and cultures.

The word .Guru. is derived from the Sanskrit language and has a deep spiritual meaning.
Gu denotes the spiritual ignorance that most of mankind is in.
Ru represents the radiance of spiritual knowledge that dispels the spiritual ignorance.

In short, the Guru is the One who dispels the darkness of spiritual ignorance in man and bestows upon him spiritual experiences and spiritual knowledge.

GURU plays the pivotal role in reminding us the divinely advice, teaches us the art of living a balanced life with restraint and stability of mind. He is the one who brings about awareness that actions (karmas) performed under the influence of senses, give rise to sensuous pleasures and pains, which are transitory and fleeting. He guides you how to discipline and bring under control the five wild horses - 'kaam' (passion), 'krodha' (anger), 'lobh' (greed), 'moh' (emotional attachment) and 'ahankaar' (ego) and helps you to take the chariot of your life in the right direction of inner peace and tranquility. He brings about a realization in you that over-indulgence in sensuous objects give rise to TAMOGUNA and the end result is regret, remorse, sorrow and loss of peace. Like a Divine Father, he holds your little finger and conditions you to fearlessly travel from the illusionary material world, to the realms of spirituality so that you could be one with the Real One and realize the ultimate truth - i.e., God.

A Guru is beyond religions. He does not discriminate on the basis of culture, nationality or gender. He will never ask one to convert from his religion. He will lift the student to comprehend universal spiritual principles that underlie all religions. Whichever spiritual path or religion one follows, they all finally lead to the path of grace of the Guru.

The Guru is omniscient and is therefore able to take care of all his disciples even when he is not with Him physically.

   
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: shanu jain on August 25, 2010, 10:36:04 AM
om sia
Guru -Being Guru's day just wanted to share with you all.
   
Once, an young daughter had gone to her village home for the first time from her city-dwelling. At night before retiring to bed, her mother opened a pot in which there was good cow's milk and poured a little buttermilk. The girl asked her mother: "Mother, that was butter milk; and why have you mixed it with milk? The milk may get spoiled!"

 

"Child!", answered the mother, "that is the way to prepare the milk in order that we might get butter out of it."

 

"But where is butter in it, mother?"

 

"It is in every drop of the milk, dear; but you can't see it now. I will show you in the morning."

In the morning the daughter saw that what was liquid the night before had become solid overnight. Mother put a churning rod into it and started churning the curd vigorously.

 

Butter began to float on the surface of the curd. Then she gathered it all up and presented it to the astonishment of the daughter. The mother explained: "The addition of the buttermilk curdles the milk. Milk is transformed into curd. Then you have to churn it. By this process the butter which was all-pervasively hidden in the milk is obtained. At first you were not able to see it; it was hidden. From where has it come now? Only from the milk. Therefore, you understand now that it was there all the time. It awaited the process of churning to reveal itself to your great joy." The daughter, too, followed the same process and got the butter, for herself.

 

Similarly, a worldly man approaches a Mahatma and asks him: "O Sadhu, why have you renounced the world, and poured this new element of 'Vairagya' and 'Tyaga' into your life? Why don't you let the life take its natural course?"

 

The Sadhu replies: "Brother, I do so in order to realise God?", "Where is God?", "He is all-pervading." The worldly man does not see and is not convinced. The Sadhu then explains how the inner personality, which is fickle and outflowing should be made solid and firm. Then the churning rod of one-pointed concentration and meditation should be taken hold of, and this solid 'Antahkarana' should be very well churned. Then God is realised. He is all-pervading, in every atom of creation. But He is not visible to the naked eye nor is He realisable by a man except through this process called 'Sadhana'.

 

Just as a mother was necessary for her daughter to learn that butter exists in milk and that churning will bring it out, even so a Guru is necessary for a man to know that God is, that He is all-pervading, and that He is attained through Sadhana. If the aspirant follows the Guru's instructions, he too, can realise God. 

(Story from the Tales of Guru Sivananda)

Jaisairam!!!!!!!!!!!!!


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

very nice post.. god bles u.............

om sai ram...........
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: johnpotter on December 20, 2010, 10:49:32 PM
Yes this is rite thing that GURU is required for every person's life. We all believe that God is listening us. Yes its also true. But Guru one part of God and its true, Guru protects us and making us strong in all situation, And Guru is the one who fell us that God is in your body in your mind so don't go for searching the God he in there in you only, So be FAITHFUL for GOD and just Faith on your self your all problems getting solved by this and you will get positive energies always.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 28, 2011, 03:03:47 PM
When the guru's guidance is of a pure nature, the disciple will never fail, unless he leaves the guru due to lack of interest. He may also get discouraged and leave, not understanding the true nature of the guru's help. This sometimes happens if the disciple doesn't feel results quickly enough, or when sickness arises.

The guru watches, instructs and warns his followers in many different ways and on different levels of consciousness. With pure love and constant awareness of his disciples, he is always guiding them. Even if the guru is far away, it does not matter. A mother continues caring for her child even if he is on the other side of the world. In the same way the guru's guidance is both present and necessary at all times.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: shanthakumar on December 03, 2011, 01:52:27 AM
go
Respected Sister Astrid,

It is good to share some spiritual thoughts once again.

A duality-free view of life is of course a view that will bring happiness.Our perspectives are not quite in tune here though in the meaning of duality.

 By duality we mean where brothers and sisters, children of God are  following the different directions of many heads, the many different heads of the many different religions.

 Oneness is where there is one Father and none other, one religion, one way of thinking,one direction.This is the Father who is the Teacher and Satguru, the Father of all the religious fathers. How can he be recognised? He can be recognised by the depth of the knowledge he speaks.

Brother Ramesh's point:

"if a person has come to the Guru with love being the first thing and logic the second thing, he will find that to be with the Guru is absolutely easy"

The question I ask is, what exactly is it that the person loves when he comes to such a Guru, is it the message or the messenger?

The message of love has been given throughout the ages, yet the world still sinks deeper into degredation, irreligiousness and unrighteousness.

Gurus leave their bodies, become glorified and the world still sinks deeper into degradation.

The world is in a perilous state, so these questions are of paramount importance to all of us.

These questions are asked seriously and of course with respect for your chosen path.

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 05, 2011, 07:40:33 AM
CHANTING GURU'S NAME

Merely chanting or remembering Lord Hari's or Guru's Name can confer Self Realisation.

To be FREE from all shackles, always chant 'SAI'SAI', shedding all cleverness, arrogance or egoism and brazenness.

Only the fortunate few, free from blemish, take seriously to My Worship. Even if you merely chant 'SAI', 'SAI', I shall take you across the ocean. For I always drag My Devotee towards Me from far off places, or even across the seven seas like a sparrow heading to its nest with a string tied to its feet.

Believe these words and you will certainly be benefited. My Worship needs no elaborate rituals like SADHANAS (Spiritual Practices). I only rest where there is full sincere devotion and love.

Even if you merely utter My Name with Love, I shall fulfill all your wishes and increase your devotion. But if you earnestly sing about My Leelas Deeds or spread My MESSAGE, you will merge in My Grace. Have Patience (Saburi) Faith (Shraddha) in Me.

My sincere devotees shall always be saved or pulled out even from the jaws of Death. I run to help My Devotees in times of danger. All diseases shall vanish when My Leelas (Stories Teachings) are listened to respectfully, assimilated and meditated upon.

While attending to your worldly duties daily, the mind should THINK of the Sadguru and His Leelas and be blessed by Him.

If the devotee has sincere complete Faith in Me, his Mind will MERGE with the Supreme Consciousness. Even mere chanting of My Name, as Sai, will do away with the sins of speech and hearing. It will remove FEAR of the worldly existence and will lead you to the spiritual path, regardless of your caste, creed, or class.

Without God's Grace, there is no desire or even urge to listen to the Saint's stories. But with God's Grace everything is smooth and easy. Hearing these stories, one keeps company of the Saints that helps one become less conscious of one's body or its problems. It cuts asunder all attachments, destroying cycles of births and deaths and lifts one up to God who is pure Consciousness. In turn, detachment to the sense objects is increased, which makes one indifferent to the Pleasure or Pain and leads to Spiritual Path.

If you take refuge in the Saints, without any reservations, you will be carried off safely across the Ocean of Worldly Existence.

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 29, 2011, 06:14:25 PM

The form of Guru is the root of meditation


(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TEwFeChrKEI/AAAAAAAAFHk/Ting1cq3jVE/happy_guru_purnima.jpg)


Sadgurus are infinite existence,
infinite knowledge and infinite bliss.  


The form of Guru is the root of meditation,
The feet of the Guru are the root of worship,
The teaching of the Guru is the root of all hymns and
The Grace of the Guru is the root of salvation.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on January 19, 2012, 10:04:02 AM

OM SAI RAM....

Gurus are those who are pure at heart, calm, collected, of a saintly nature, who speak measured words, who are free from lust, greed etc.who have conquered their senses and who are established in goodconduct (Sadacharas). (164)

JaiSaiRam....
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: shanthakumar on January 22, 2012, 11:02:47 AM
sai Baba Said....

"The function of mind is to think, it cannot remain for a minute without thinking.

If you give it a sense object, it will think about it.

If you give it Guru, it will think about Guru.".
 
              baba we are all just human beings bless us to to pray u ever even in sleep

OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[/quote]
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: shanthakumar on March 18, 2012, 02:35:02 AM
sai Baba Said....

"The function of mind is to think, it cannot remain for a minute without thinking.

If you give it a sense object, it will think about it.

If you give it Guru, it will think about Guru.".
 
              baba we are all just human beings bless us to to pray u ever even in sleep

OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.

[/quote]
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 21, 2012, 08:14:21 AM


(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AJLN9CQdImM/TNqlGaqmejI/AAAAAAAAJ9E/an640W9TZeo/s500/Wall%2BPaper%2BSaibaba1.jpg)

Guru’s grace removes our fear of the mundane existence, opens the door of salvation and turns misery into happiness. If we ever remember the holy feet of Sadguru, our troubles will come to an end, death loses its sting and miseries are obliterated.Another truth which Baba conveyed indirectly is that one must surrender himself i.e., speech, body and mind to the guru from whom he expects illumination and help in marching to the highest.The objects of our life such as Dharma, Artha, Kama are attainable with our effort but the fourth object, moksha (liberation) can only be had with the help of the Guru. A true guru helps you in your journey to Godward path.


JaiSairam :)
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 28, 2012, 04:24:32 PM



(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hn5V-VXXv8w/T3HZ4aSb5bI/AAAAAAAABMA/mXvQYWAKk3M/s320/Picture+581.jpg)

The guru is like a charged monsoon cloud that happily rains eternal bliss on one and all. And is such Bliss something to be stowed away and hoarded? No, indeed! It is to be enjoyed to the heart's content and shared with others.


JaiSaiRam :)
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 30, 2012, 06:17:28 AM
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g24jUElUndM/T3R7N8ngwaI/AAAAAAAABMI/iFsCzr9FtSc/s500/Picture+568.jpg)


When Gods are angry, the Guru protects and preserves. But when Guru is angry, there is no one to protect. Always bear this in mind!

Shri Sai SatCharitra Chapter 18 verse 21.

JaiSaiRam :)
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 31, 2012, 07:38:59 AM
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PEZJ3DNKg1w/T3R7_9KjhXI/AAAAAAAABMQ/wtLmVnKx2M0/s1600/Baba_with_lfowers.jpg)


Always be attached to the Saints; listen to their tales and worship their feet so that all the sins are washed away.  

JaiSaiRam
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 01, 2012, 02:05:31 PM
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hAqc7jeHbxc/T3R-AkU_yZI/AAAAAAAABMY/b4P-C8iytUA/s1600/Dutta+Idol.JPG)


Forbearance or patience(Saburi). Never cast it away. Whenever faced with difficult situation, it will take you across safely.

JaiSaiRam
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 04, 2012, 01:22:59 PM
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D7WJge6Rb1A/SXW_pgl-K8I/AAAAAAAADpk/j2RS8tMN6Uw/s400/baba+in+smiling+mood.jpg)


Stick to your own guru with unabated faith  


Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 05, 2012, 02:27:34 PM

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-QCFUFzE_C8/Sl009PXzjhI/AAAAAAAAGX4/Dz3L5TVA0Bs/s400/Sai_Baba_Wallpaer_eternal+truth.jpg)


I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me, and who seek refuge in me.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 06, 2012, 07:51:11 AM


My Guru was the image of devotion and love

(http://www.saiamrithadhara.com/images/gurustan/gurusthan.gif)

My Guru was the image of devotion and love and had a genuine affection for his disciples. Rare indeed, is a guru like mine. I cannot describe the happiness I enjoyed in his company. 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 09, 2012, 07:23:38 AM

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mbipgotoXco/T3djnmSMfXI/AAAAAAAABNQ/ZQTS53JRtmY/s300/guru6.jpg)


Day and night I lovingly gazed into my Guru's face. I knew no hunger, not thirst.
Without the Guru the mind would go restless.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: PiyaSoni on April 11, 2012, 05:25:05 AM
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Sai_Baba.jpg/200px-Sai_Baba.jpg)

God and Guru are in truth not different. Just as the prey that has fallen into the jaws of a tiger cannot escape, so those who have come under the glance of the Guru's grace will surely be saved and will never be forsaken; yet one should follow without fail the path shown by the Guru.

SaiRam!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 11, 2012, 10:23:36 AM
Wonderful! Baba... today I feel blessed. Thanks Baba Sai for your support and sending devotees on time to teach us. Baba... Guru of Gurus.. the Universal Guru.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Sai_Baba.jpg/200px-Sai_Baba.jpg)

God and Guru are in truth not different. Just as the prey that has fallen into the jaws of a tiger cannot escape, so those who have come under the glance of the Guru's grace will surely be saved and will never be forsaken; yet one should follow without fail the path shown by the Guru.

SaiRam!!
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 12, 2012, 08:00:56 AM


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XUrEjZrg1LU/T4P-vhBqBCI/AAAAAAAABNo/t9a66IS_WtQ/s700/Sample.jpg)



Sometimes I was allowed to remain at my Guru's feet; sometimes, beyond the shores of the sea. But never did I lose the joy of his company. He was looking after me very kindly.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 12, 2012, 09:05:24 AM



(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gAFkD9KFin8/SzMFiD8hBSI/AAAAAAAAAFE/wec0LzHNmMs/s320/Sai+Baba+Mandir+before+Murti+-+Toronto.jpg)


“Constant remembrance of God, irrespective of time and place is real devotion. Constant waiting, waiting with intense longing for the Lord’s or the Guru’s arrival is the sign of a true devotee. Such a seeker is always ready to receive Him; therefore, he is always prepared both internally and externally to welcome his Guru or Lord.”



Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 13, 2012, 10:25:14 AM

                                                   Guru looks after the child with loving glances.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UTBeia9Bz7U/T4QBDDkZGeI/AAAAAAAABNw/c0T8WD_a4ag/s400/shirdi+gokulastami.jpg)

As the mother-tortoise feeds her little ones on her loving glance, so was the way of my Guru, who look after the child with loving glances.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 14, 2012, 01:17:46 PM


Spiritual progress will come to hand.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf6pfPYHHMw/S7oIIv_viAI/AAAAAAAAAIg/D-jC2s6_wWE/s500/BabaDhuni.jpg)
Have steadfast faith in me and spiritual progress will come to hand.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 15, 2012, 04:53:22 PM
My Guru never taught me anything else.


(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XAtnJD3LoKA/S2J6KYi5PcI/AAAAAAAAHIU/IPMSkjRPStA/s400/9.JPG)

You look up to me with single-minded devotion. And I will look after you, similarly.
My Guru never taught me anything else.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 17, 2012, 09:45:35 AM

Guru is the very image of Brahma  



(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LwVbfu5bmYs/TBFC7zLBmJI/AAAAAAAAAQc/-9nyJRGcuKM/s320/Sai_Baba_Charan_2.jpg)


Guru is the very image of Brahma, Hari(Vishnu) and Har(Shiva).
Blessed is he in all the three worlds, who realizes this important position of the guru.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 18, 2012, 02:08:09 PM

Ours ways are Unique. Meditating on my form.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JPH-oIPHgfI/T43ESrzBF6I/AAAAAAAABN4/PuUWCMQyIXA/s320/shirdi+k+Sai+Baba.jpg)


Ours ways are Unique. Meditating on my form single-minded itself is act of propitiating (Win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 19, 2012, 07:39:25 AM


Become first free from all desires.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mK4ZaswbPZc/T43FZT-aCqI/AAAAAAAABOA/o83OAt7zZmM/s1600/Sai+Murti.jpg)


Become first free from all desires, the Almighty dwelling in all creatures should then be brought to mind.
The meditation then will be satisfactory and objective of  life will be achieved.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 20, 2012, 05:57:26 AM


So meditate on it regularly.


(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfhXCKxIHHs/T43GCJ1c_VI/AAAAAAAABOI/QmF3-xjOIFc/s500/Sai+3'-9''_2.jpg)

Know that which is knowledge incarnate, or Supreme pure Consciousness or Blissful joy -- that is my true nature. So meditate on it regularly.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 20, 2012, 07:57:31 PM


(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-l3O7o5jJVE/TEvv7L38G9I/AAAAAAAALbE/uDE6OlcAL_s/s500/om+sai+ram037.jpg)

Guru is the important part of our life, guruplays a vital role in boosting the aspirantfrequently, when he becomes despondent or simply runs out of steam.
Gurus can leadone on the path of happiness and help inattaining salvation from worldly existence.
The “Gurus” are considered to represent God himself.
Guru is the one who dispelsthe darkness of ignorance and infuses the light of awareness into our lives.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 21, 2012, 08:41:34 AM

(http://external.ak.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQDfKnSZ8RTsAPaM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FSMyFBjIempA%2F0.jpg)

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 .
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 21, 2012, 07:18:51 PM

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_D7WJge6Rb1A/S4pxGru2ItI/AAAAAAAAIzI/ThFT-BIhWi8/s400/sai+babaji+349.jpg)


In the afternoon, sit with other devotees of  your Guru and discuss with them the glories and teachings of your Guru.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 22, 2012, 07:52:21 AM


(http://www.saibabaofshirdi.net/sai_photos_new/feet.jpg)

"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 day, to tread the spiritual path inaccordance with the precepts of your Guru.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Pratap Nr.Mishra on April 22, 2012, 08:06:30 AM


ॐ श्री साईं नाथाय नमः


hari kirpa tab janiye, de manav  awatar;
            guru kirpa tab janiye, mukta kare sansar.

Meaning
 
Know that it is the grace of God that gave you human birth.
But it is the grace of the Guru that liberates you from the cycle of birth and death.
 

Commentary

In this human life you can obtain salvation; therefore thank God that you got a human life. But you are still a victim of rebirth, therefore thank the Guru whose grace frees you from the cycle of birth and death. This is the greatness of the Guru.


ॐ साईं राम

 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: Pratap Nr.Mishra on April 22, 2012, 08:11:48 AM

ॐ श्री साईं नाथाय नमः

guru bichara kya kare, sikhahi mahi chuk;
            bhawe tyon parmodhiye, bans bajaye phunk.
 

Meaning

What can the poor Guru do if the disciple has faults?
He gives knowledge but it becomes useless, just as a broken flute does not produce music.

Commentary

The disciple must have faith, courage, and patience on the path of God. He must try to accept discriminative spiritual knowledge from the Guru and keep it in his mind. If he does not, the Guru cannot be blamed, because the Guru can only guide, but the disciple has to walk himself.

ॐ साईं राम

 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 23, 2012, 03:11:11 PM

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Zia0exop3q4/SlM5EX3BhXI/AAAAAAAABB8/JmT_dQjbgAM/s400/SHIRDI-SAI-MY-GUIDE-MY-GURU-MY-GOD.jpg)


"At night, assemble  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 embodimentof his teachings, and to propagate his glory and his message."  Jai Sai Ram
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 24, 2012, 06:54:25 AM

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-l3O7o5jJVE/TEvsk6uGoNI/AAAAAAAALaU/Pkp2eGmd2AQ/s1600/jul_11.jpg)

Guru is the important part of our life. Guru plays a vital role in boosting the aspirant frequently, when he becomes despondent or simply runs out of steam. Gurus can lead one on the path of happiness and help in attaining salvation from worldly existence.
 
The “Gurus” are considered to represent God himself. Guru is the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance and infuses the light of awareness into our lives.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 25, 2012, 05:11:20 AM
If meditating  on Supreme pure consciousness is not possible


(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J3dMTwekNIE/T43G8aSn2UI/AAAAAAAABOQ/CeTUDlpG1ac/s1600/Baba_Cross_Legged_original.jpg)


If meditating  on Supreme pure consciousness is not possible. Then meditate on my manifest form. Bring to mind by day and by night, my figure from head to foot, with all it's attributes.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 25, 2012, 06:35:39 PM


(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-l3O7o5jJVE/TEKdOx2olSI/AAAAAAAALU0/RSDkzZukJ68/s700/IMG_0168.jpg)



There is a beautiful story told about a man who wanted to walk on water. He beggedhis guru to give him a secret mantra or aspecial boon so he could complete thisremarkable feat. The man was extremely pious and devoted, and he had been in his guru’s service for many years. Therefore,the guru gave him a leaf, folded many timesuntil it was very small. He told his disciple, “Within this leaf is a secret formula which  will enable you to walk on water. However, you must not open it because the formula inside is a secret.”
 So the man agreed, and he takes the foldedleaf carefully in his hands and begins his  journey across the river. He is walking fine when suddenly he is overcome by curiosity. What could be this secret formula? Is therereally a secret inside? Is it a powder or astone or some holy mantra printed? Wheredid his guru get it? His doubts get the bestof him and he begins slowly to open the leaf as he walks, careful lest any of the secretformula should spill out into the water. Assoon as he unfolds the last piece to unveilthe secret, he suddenly sinks into the waterand drowns. Inside the leaf was written the simple word, “faith.”
 
 It was not the leaf, nor any secret powder ormantra that enabled the devotee toaccomplish a miracle. It was the strength of his faith in his guru and in the “boon” his  guru had given him. As soon as that faith wavered and doubt crept in, his life was lost. This is the power of faith.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 27, 2012, 06:30:10 AM


The tender glance of the Guru
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-edtsaVFW6YE/T43IlQVrSWI/AAAAAAAABOg/R1nuDBMoqs8/s700/Sai+Baba+murti.JPG)
The tender glance of the Guru is as a shower of nectar, which brings to the disciple the nourishment of self-rejoicing. 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 28, 2012, 03:23:21 PM


My stories which you hear from your ear
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_D7WJge6Rb1A/Sqp8slFBewI/AAAAAAAAH5Q/y9K7ghzJfC0/s400/sai+babaji+67.jpg)
My stories which you hear from your ear. If you store them in your heart, you will have opened up yourself a mine of your own weal and all your sins will be washed away.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 29, 2012, 11:55:55 AM

The wise and discriminating have no admiration
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fATw95B5GZg/T43KW8TWGVI/AAAAAAAABOw/4d47T15meCk/s500/Sai_idol_face.jpg)
The wise and discriminating have no admiration or attachment to transient, but to attain the permanent.   
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 30, 2012, 12:17:32 PM

The importance of Meditation
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mbTnBXK4-qI/T43LKbt_vqI/AAAAAAAABO4/Omx8VPb1mJ4/s1600/Shirdi_Sai.jpg)
The importance of meditation is greater than that of knowledge. But for that , the right knowledge about the object of meditation is needed.
 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 01, 2012, 07:34:37 AM


When the repeated contemplation becomes perfect
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--A5hw-fiMhM/T43ON6Hk5jI/AAAAAAAABPI/WPyRttrgSQ8/s1600/BabaCrossLegged.jpg)
When the repeated contemplation becomes perfect and the difference between the meditation and meditator  disappears, then the mind becomes calm and steady, like the lamp on the windless night. This is Samadhi.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 02, 2012, 12:03:51 PM


The innermost self is God himself
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7W9clLqcchU/T43NNTWBPZI/AAAAAAAABPA/r4JtTRWstwE/s600/Gursusthan3.jpg)
The innermost self is God himself and He who is God is also the Guru. There is not slightest difference between these three.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 03, 2012, 11:10:32 AM


Free from all desires
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v5CN6CXtUow/T43PN1A3VJI/AAAAAAAABPQ/d15jw_cZE4I/s700/Sai_SatCharitra_English.JPG)
'Free from all desires, and knowing that He dwells in all living beings, that 'nothing exist in the world but I', when the state of fearlessness comes, it is then that the real Self appears in meditation.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 04, 2012, 11:20:25 AM

To experience the oneness of the Self in all beings
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5AXkFRl9nU/T43QbO-tMrI/AAAAAAAABPY/080kXOhtNmw/s700/saibabashirdi08-2.jpg)
To experience the oneness of the Self in all beings is the utmost limit of all Knowledge. Emancipation (Liberation) and Bliss are really born from such knowledge.
.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 06, 2012, 07:30:13 PM


Do not shoo it away contemptuously
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vrrmm2GBS44/S7iNLHWhWBI/AAAAAAAAAHg/wsLLFMFurq0/s500/leper.JPG)
Without a bond or tie of the previous birth, nobody goes anywhere. Therefore, whether a man or a beast or a bird, do not shoo it away contemptuously.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 08, 2012, 02:32:42 PM

Treat with due respect who ever may come to you
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LBWlnev-5TQ/TBaMwJpPBoI/AAAAAAAAARs/nHXlpO6kAlg/s1600/Sai_baba_coocking_painting.gif)

Treat with due respect who ever may come to you. Give water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, cloths to the unclothed and shelter to the destitute. It will please God.
.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 09, 2012, 10:01:01 AM


Others may rebuke you in a hundred and one ways
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FweQfJEtgaI/S75LnhkCv7I/AAAAAAAAALA/gjwQ1xByIO4/s1600/divine.gif)
Others may rebuke you in a hundred and one ways, but you yourself should never use bitter hurting words in reply. You will experience unbounded happiness, if you bear them patiently.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 11, 2012, 07:59:51 PM

Honesty

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IepLB0222a0/T6RvuihkOjI/AAAAAAAABPk/XVc52o-_MGE/s1600/SaiBaba_1b-1.jpg)

Honesty pays, Dishonesty does not.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 15, 2012, 03:39:18 PM


My wealth is scattered

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hd-npDu3-64/T6RysQwxDbI/AAAAAAAABQU/PuEPnoqeXxY/s700/Guru+Sai+Bba.jpg)

My wealth is scattered from field to field.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 16, 2012, 03:19:25 PM

Do not grab others money.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-97Oq9i8wmtU/T6RzAYRKOvI/AAAAAAAABQc/J8joq7bMbYo/s1600/Sai_Kakad_aarti.jpg)
Do not grab others money.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 17, 2012, 04:39:47 PM

I cross thousands and thousands of miles
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wtGM8hD5K-U/TDb5CCyPWmI/AAAAAAAAAWw/W0eytQOxL-Q/s1600/BabaSmilingColor.jpg)
I cross thousands and thousands of miles to protect my people.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 18, 2012, 07:12:57 AM
Do not have expectations from anybody.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AW5CGNUFSp0/TB9BjrUlw9I/AAAAAAAAASM/47zRbew4b0A/s1600/Sai_Baba_face_portrait.JPG)
Do not have expectations from anybody.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 19, 2012, 01:03:51 PM


If someone lashes 10 sentences
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-flHGL43NK9o/T6RxtbUi4pI/AAAAAAAABQE/S3N_oM1-GaY/s600/saibabashirdi16-1.jpg)
Never wrangle with anybody. If someone lashes 10 sentences, you can say one, that too if you feel inevitable.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 20, 2012, 04:18:40 PM


I am not slave of anybody.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qPB9sHjV8Jo/S2BZyouMZ0I/AAAAAAAAACE/44_Z-FNMs3s/s600/Sai_Baba_Shirdi.jpg)
I am not slave of anybody. I am slave of Allah.  


:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 21, 2012, 04:09:47 PM


Once the strings of destiny is given in the hands of Sadguru
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-34dxGGscrss/T6-pUj2wbnI/AAAAAAAABQo/wV6Y6cOirUk/s1600/Sai_Paduka.jpg)
Once the strings of destiny is given in the hands of Sadguru then there is nothing to worry.
Always say I am happy.   
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 22, 2012, 03:51:35 PM


Even if the world turns topsy-turvey
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nmUAlHJGQAc/T6-p4GXUjUI/AAAAAAAABQw/kEoHRnROHZY/s700/Sai_Nath_Maharaj.jpg)
Even if the world turns topsy-turvey, keep the cool and remain calm; and enjoy watching the fun.  

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 23, 2012, 03:28:23 PM


People do not pay attention to what I say
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rz5ectdZ7Mc/T6-qlM_OnRI/AAAAAAAABQ4/JKYXK1C-iOI/s700/Sai+Bab+painting.jpg)
See, people do not pay attention to what I say. They are engrossed in their own worries.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 24, 2012, 04:08:29 PM


I will make possible
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tRwUmxLuP0w/T6-q-DQW6wI/AAAAAAAABRA/cJRXpbMdkuo/s600/Sai+04.jpg)
I will make possible, whatever seems impossible to you. I will get it done.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 25, 2012, 03:40:46 PM


I like those to sees me in all living beings
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vjTSNl1EEOQ/T6-suj5GWTI/AAAAAAAABRI/kkUC34o_yUw/s1600/shirdi_saibaba.jpg)
Know, that I like those to sees me in all living beings.
So give up your sense of differentiation.
This is the way to worship me.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 26, 2012, 06:24:39 PM


How fascinating was my Guru's school
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qUg49ohCCds/T6-vpdS6wcI/AAAAAAAABRU/sXkxoYNfeMA/s1600/Shri+Sai+Baba19.jpg)
How fascinating was my Guru's school! So much so that I forgot my fond attachment to my parents; the chain of delusion, attachment was broken and I was liberated, quite effortlessly. 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 27, 2012, 01:49:31 PM

Do not bark at someone like a dog.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RO9NK0riuxo/SW6iyKyJPeI/AAAAAAAADh4/zgHGfqZyn3U/s500/shirdi_baba_gold_samadhi_mandir_1024.jpg)
When someone wants money and if you hesitate to give it, do not give,
but do not bark at him like a dog.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 28, 2012, 04:42:32 PM


No one is Superior to Allah
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mND0w6Z2G8g/T6RwEjvsu3I/AAAAAAAABPs/QFD-BJzLFlg/s600/sai19.jpg)
Allah is the protector, no one is Superior to Allah.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 29, 2012, 04:07:38 PM


Love in Guru's gaze is enough.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PPm9Ph-qjHA/TCKNxdcHGoI/AAAAAAAAATI/YqZ8ggU2xMI/s1600/Samadhi_Paduka.jpg)
Love in Guru's gaze is enough to bring happiness and contentment to the devotees.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on May 30, 2012, 03:55:40 PM

I felt like embracing the Guru
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r2AaXF3Jzfs/T6-wdgYpR4I/AAAAAAAABRc/wgEH7qxkHgQ/s1600/Shri+Sai+Baba17.jpg)

Bonds which are undesirable were totally snapped and the bondage
that obstructs spiritual inclination was severed.
I felt like embracing the Guru, storing up his image in the eyes themselves. 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 01, 2012, 01:54:49 PM


Have faith in Me
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zp1jJx8C6Lw/TyJxMa_LjxI/AAAAAAAASy4/bQ1l5J5LOHk/s1600/alsqw6.gif)
"Have faith in Me. Even though I give up this body, My bones in My Samadhi will give you hope and confidence. Not only I but My Samadhi would be speaking, moving and communicating with those who surrender to Me whole heartedly.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 05, 2012, 03:03:51 PM

Complete Surrender to the Guru
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yBzpVIkJ56A/SxdUtgNGj6I/AAAAAAAAB5c/z3Bpou6NN2s/s500/Udan+Kahtola+Sai+Ji+Ka.jpg)
Complete Surrender to the Guru
Sai Baba put Guru on a high pedestal of reverence. For Him Guru was the profound base of the path of devotion. Pointing to his physical frame, "This body is my house. I am not here. My Guru (Master) has taken me away". He asked for complete surrender to the 'Guru'.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 06, 2012, 05:05:36 PM

Handi of Sai Baba : Prasadalay of Shirdi  

(http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BehalRohit/SAI%20BABA%20STORY%20-%20IDOLS/sai-baba-10.jpg)
In Dharma the importance of Annadaan is the foremost. Whenever a needy come to our door for food, we must feed him readily. In this context, Sai Baba was (and is) the greatest example. He used to gather all the spices and raw material Himself and cooked the food in Handi. He satisfied Himself by feeding devotees, poor and needy by His own hands. Really those people were very lucky and fortunate that they could eat the food prepared by Sai Baba.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 08, 2012, 07:36:53 PM

My Guru never taught Me any Mantra
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XAtnJD3LoKA/S2J6KYi5PcI/AAAAAAAAHIU/IPMSkjRPStA/s400/9.JPG)
My Guru never taught Me any Mantra, how could I then blow any Mantra in your ears? Just remember that Guru's tortoise like loving glance gives us happiness. Do not, therefore, try to get Mantra or sermon [Updesh] from any body. Make Me the sole object of your thoughts and actions and you will, no doubt attain 'Parmartha'-the spiritual goal of life. Look at Me whole-heartedly and I, in turn, will look at you similarly."
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 10, 2012, 11:40:03 AM


Recognize God
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lnCU2Pbcx2U/T6Rwp_MufSI/AAAAAAAABP0/BGgd4d4bCEk/s700/sai18.jpg)
Recognize God (Khuda) by your wisdom.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 11, 2012, 03:37:05 PM


Yogi Atma
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MixogjdKmwE/T6RyL0wdg2I/AAAAAAAABQM/cTDvB6aS6Wo/s1600/SaiBaba_1b.jpg)
Yogi Atma is preferred to bhogi Atma.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 12, 2012, 02:09:56 PM



To quarrel is very bad.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g3Xh_TbL-gc/T6RxJo1TEzI/AAAAAAAABP8/mqwWnij2SqI/s700/Sai+Baba+picture.jpg)
There may be 10 members in a family;
why cannot they cope and go well with one another?
To quarrel is very bad.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 15, 2012, 11:18:38 AM


Guru's school
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMi3xLN_9EY/T6-xRzseUuI/AAAAAAAABRk/YImWBn9Cw8M/s1600/Shri+Sai+Baba9.jpg)

Unless my Guru's image lives in the eyes all the time,
the eyes will be but two balls of flesh.
Or,
I would rather be blind without his image.
Such was the great importance of the Guru's school to me.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 16, 2012, 07:50:28 PM


Gururaya became everything to me.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3saFo8TtzE0/T6-yHedQ40I/AAAAAAAABRs/tlCImstpH5Q/s800/Saibaba_black_and_white_picture.jpg)
Can there be anyone so unfortunate who,
having once stepped into my Guru's school,
would want to go back!
My house, my family, my parents ---
Gururaya became everything to me.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 17, 2012, 12:56:20 PM


Meditating upon the Guru
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJ6WkZQeeAE/T6-y2Hdq40I/AAAAAAAABR0/sRUMH_eFzJg/s600/SamadhiMandir_2.jpg)
All my sense organs, including the mind,
had left their places and come to stay in my eyes alone,
for the purpose of meditating upon the Guru.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 19, 2012, 08:35:35 PM


Guru and his disciple
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzGu6JX9qeY/S7oHjp0MWwI/AAAAAAAAAIY/eFE6VBFRY0s/s700/BabaCrossLegged.jpg)
The attitude of 'you' and 'me' is this wall between the Guru and his disciple.
If it is not pulled down, the state of oneness between them is difficult to breach.   
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on June 21, 2012, 07:58:08 PM


By the bond of past births
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mcjY9x5apZI/S7oMSsllUoI/AAAAAAAAAJA/8MDhMXUSSFY/s700/Sai%252520Baba%252520New.jpg)
By the bond of past births we have been fortunate enough to meet.
Let us embrace each other with a heart-felt love and experience its joy and contentment.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on July 01, 2012, 04:56:51 PM
He who sees Me in every living creature and with pity
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lK_t_DMTbE0/T8GeiU30h5I/AAAAAAAABSE/lCkCDe1PPUM/s1600/Shirdi++saibaba_15.jpg)
He who sees Me in every living creature and with pity feeds every creature,
really feeds Me.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on July 07, 2012, 05:49:33 AM


The Divine plan is mysterious, inscrutable and marvelous.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KATKcNLDLLs/T8GlYXV_7rI/AAAAAAAABS4/OMCkeaAjoiI/s1600/Sai+Baba+bhakti.jpg)
The Divine plan is mysterious, inscrutable and marvelous.
Submit to His will.
His will be done and if we seek Him in every creature surely He will bless us.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on July 14, 2012, 10:46:48 AM



Oh Shama! take this book—Vishnu Sahasranama
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oGA9vj1dOGs/T8HMBcdvarI/AAAAAAAABT0/f05Bj59Q28E/s700/Shirdi+saibaba_35.jpg)

Oh Shama! take this book—Vishnu Sahasranama—I present it to you.
When I suffered intensely once I kept this book close to My heart and I cannot describe how it relieved Me of My pain and suffering.
It is a wonderful medicine for all our afflictions and ailments and is very efficacious.
So read this with devotion and love, and it will do you good.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on July 29, 2012, 11:30:47 AM

Why should you worry and fear.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9lmRtRRsUYM/TcCBY9OH6nI/AAAAAAAAAzw/lgWh_PMlIuI/s1600/Sai+Baba+Baba+Sai.jpg)

SHIRDI SAIBABA  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: antonyanil on August 02, 2012, 12:55:35 AM
Guru -Being Guru's day just wanted to share with you all.
   
Once, an young daughter had gone to her village home for the first time from her city-dwelling. At night before retiring to bed, her mother opened a pot in which there was good cow's milk and poured a little buttermilk. The girl asked her mother: "Mother, that was butter milk; and why have you mixed it with milk? The milk may get spoiled!"

 

"Child!", answered the mother, "that is the way to prepare the milk in order that we might get butter out of it."

 

"But where is butter in it, mother?"

 

"It is in every drop of the milk, dear; but you can't see it now. I will show you in the morning."

In the morning the daughter saw that what was liquid the night before had become solid overnight. Mother put a churning rod into it and started churning the curd vigorously.

 

Butter began to float on the surface of the curd. Then she gathered it all up and presented it to the astonishment of the daughter. The mother explained: "The addition of the buttermilk curdles the milk. Milk is transformed into curd. Then you have to churn it. By this process the butter which was all-pervasively hidden in the milk is obtained. At first you were not able to see it; it was hidden. From where has it come now? Only from the milk. Therefore, you understand now that it was there all the time. It awaited the process of churning to reveal itself to your great joy." The daughter, too, followed the same process and got the butter, for herself.

 

Similarly, a worldly man approaches a Mahatma and asks him: "O Sadhu, why have you renounced the world, and poured this new element of 'Vairagya' and 'Tyaga' into your life? Why don't you let the life take its natural course?"

 

The Sadhu replies: "Brother, I do so in order to realise God?", "Where is God?", "He is all-pervading." The worldly man does not see and is not convinced. The Sadhu then explains how the inner personality, which is fickle and outflowing should be made solid and firm. Then the churning rod of one-pointed concentration and meditation should be taken hold of, and this solid 'Antahkarana' should be very well churned. Then God is realised. He is all-pervading, in every atom of creation. But He is not visible to the naked eye nor is He realisable by a man except through this process called 'Sadhana'.

 

Just as a mother was necessary for her daughter to learn that butter exists in milk and that churning will bring it out, even so a Guru is necessary for a man to know that God is, that He is all-pervading, and that He is attained through Sadhana. If the aspirant follows the Guru's instructions, he too, can realise God. 

(Story from the Tales of Guru Sivananda)

Jaisairam!!!!!!!!!!!!!


subhasrini
OM SAI SRI SAI JAYA JAYA SAI!!!
Let us pray at the feet of Sai Baba who is the incarnation of all gods and protector of all, to show mercy on us, and increase our devotion towards him.


Destiny Changes With True Knowledge Of Satguru

Full Freedom in all Spheres Including Spirituality

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,

[April 29, 2012] This world of humanity is based on full freedom and absence of any forcible destiny. Here, you are free to do any type of work and no destiny forces you to do any specific work as said in the Gita (Na kartrutvam...). The concept of destiny exists only in the link of the specific work and the specific fruit. You have full freedom to put your finger in fire or water. No destiny forces you to put your finger in fire or water. The destiny lies only in the link between a specific work and corresponding specific fruit. It is destined that the fire burns your finger and the water keeps your finger cool. The destiny is not in the selection of the work.

You have put your finger in the fire due to ignorance or ego. After burning the finger, you may say that you have put the finger in the fire due to the destiny. God has destined the specific system, which links every action with a specific fruit. After putting your finger, God is not ordering the fire to burn it. The subsequent fruit for a specific work is already destined. God or the destiny does not interfere with the choice of your selection of a specific work. Even the so called past destiny does not interfere with your works. The composition of your psychology is fixed based on your past deeds. Thus, work is responsible for the will and the will is the generator of the work. Since the composition of your psychology is already based on your past deeds and is fixed, you can treat that as destiny and in such case, destiny is guiding everything.

The psychology is a specific pattern of ideas generated by the past deeds and it is called as ‘Samskara’. An idea can be changed by knowledge. Samskara is a fixed concept and the right knowledge is a group of right concepts. You have the opportunity of hearing the right knowledge since God comes to this world quite often in human form. You have the freedom to hear such divine knowledge or not to hear. You have also freedom to practice the knowledge or leave it without practice. At every step, the basic freedom is given. This human world is also the right place for testing the devotees and here also, the full freedom is protected. You are totally free to sacrifice anything or not to sacrifice anything even if God desires for it. God does not force you or threaten you or wash your brain in your sacrifice since such sacrifice is not real. God is pleased only with the real sacrifice done by the soul in the atmosphere of total freedom.

In the examination hall, you are totally free to answer the question paper to any extent or even to return the white paper without writing even a word. God preaches the total concept and in the stage of implementation of it, God does not influence your mind in any way. After teaching all the right knowledge through the Gita, Krishna said that the decision to fight or not is totally left to Arjuna (yathechchasi…). The basic reason is that God is not in need of anything from anybody. The sacrifice is not to satisfy God but only to uplift you. The sacrifice proves your real attachment to God and such real attachment is not in the benefit of God but it is only in your benefit. Krishna asked for the special gem from Satrajit, the father of Satyabhama. Krishna is not in need of that gem. He is the creator of that gem. Even without the help of that gem, He can create wealth. He can even stop the power of the gem to create the wealth. Krishna asked the gem from Satrajit because Satrajit cannot maintain it and will fall in trouble.

Only for the welfare of Satrajit, He asked him for that gem. But, Satrajit thought that Krishna asked that gem for His personal benefit and thereby, for His personal satisfaction. Such misunderstanding made Satrajit to refuse the gem.

www.universal-spirituality.org
Universal Spirituality for World Peace
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: antonyanil on August 02, 2012, 12:56:27 AM
 Satguru preaches Complete & True Knowledge

O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,

[June 30, 2012 Guru Purnima] Guru means the preacher, who removes the ignorance so that we can see the truth clearly and differentiate the right from wrong. The ignorance is like darkness in which you cannot find the existence of an item and also you cannot differentiate the different items. Gayatri mantra says that the Guru is like the Sun, who removes the ignorance–darkness by knowledge-light that initiates the intelligence. The word Guru Purnima also indicates that Guru removes the darkness-ignorance like the full Moon in the night. Thus, Guru is compared to Sun and Moon, who remove the darkness-ignorance. There is difference between Guru and Satguru. Both preach the correct knowledge only. But, the knowledge preached by Satguru is complete and the knowledge preached by Guru is incomplete. Guru is a human being, well-versed in scriptures.

 Satguru is the God in human form. The word ‘Guru’ denotes the human form. The word ‘Sat’ denotes the God. The meaning of the very word ‘Guru’ means the preacher, who removes the darkness-ignorance by giving the knowledge-light.
If the knowledge is correct and complete, it generates tremendous force, which is called as devotion. Devotion (Bhakti) is the necessary force that transforms the knowledge (Jnana) into practice (Karma). Thus, devotion is generated by knowledge. If the knowledge is correct but incomplete, it generates insufficient force and hence, the knowledge is not transformed into practice. If the knowledge is correct and complete, it generates sufficient force that transforms the knowledge into practice. Complete knowledge means the elaborate form of knowledge that contains the answers to all the possible doubts. When you hear such knowledge, no doubt will rise in your mind because the knowledge already contained the answer for every doubt. When the right knowledge is complete, the realization is also complete and in such case, no force can stop the transformation of knowledge into practice. Therefore, the knowledge of Satguru is always elaborate and such elaboration is the meaning of the word Vyasa. The knowledge of sage Vyasa is always elaborate. This Guru Purnima is also called as Vyasa Purnima, the birthday of the sage Vyasa.

 Vyasa is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the God. This day falls in the rainy season, in which the dark clouds cover the Sun or Moon in the sky. This indicates the strong doubts of the people, who receive the knowledge.
We perform the Guru Purnima on this particular day. This is not the correct concept. Any day can be Guru Purnima on which you receive the correct and complete knowledge from Satguru. The sunrise happens to be 5.30 AM in summer and 6.30 AM in winter. Thus, there is no fixed time of sunrise. Whenever sun rises, that is the sun rise. Similarly, whenever the Satguru gives the knowledge, that time is Guru Purnima. We always give importance to a specific place and specific time and ignore the event. We should give importance to the event. Wherever the event takes place, such place is sacred. Whenever the event happens, such time is auspicious.

 People perform the ceremonies of their departed parents on specific days. They do not give value to the person (Bhokta) available on that day. Whenever the valuable person is available, the ceremony should be performed. The fruit lies on the availability of the valuable person and not on the date and place.
You must have the mood to receive the knowledge from Satguru whenever the Satguru has the mood to deliver the knowledge. The mood of Satguru to deliver the knowledge is important and not the mood of the receiver to receive the knowledge. Whenever the cloud rains, the farmer should plough the field. Whenever the farmer ploughs the field, the cloud will not rain. Generally, Satguru gives the knowledge when you do not have the mood to receive it. It is a test for you.

 Whenever you have important works, the Satguru delivers the knowledge. He is testing you to see whether you give the top most importance for the knowledge or for other works. When you don’t have any work to do, then you will have the mood to receive the knowledge. This means that you give the lowest importance to Satguru and His knowledge. Krishna preached the Gita when Arjuna was involved in the war. When the war was over, Arjuna asked Krishna to repeat the Gita since he has full leisure [time] without any other work. Krishna refused to deliver the Gita saying that He has no mood. Therefore, whenever Satguru comes to your house, that day is Guru Purnima. Whenever Satguru delivers the Divine knowledge, you must stop all the other works and receive the knowledge with full attention. Then only you have understood the significance of Guru Purnima.
The main program of the human incarnation is only to deliver the right and complete knowledge to the human beings so that they will practice it and attain the salvation. The fruit will not come without the practice. The practice will not come without the devotion.

 The devotion will not come without the correct and complete knowledge. The devotion and practice are automatic consequences of the correct and complete knowledge. Therefore, Shankara told that if you receive the correct and complete knowledge, the salvation is automatic (Jnaanadevatu kaivalyam…). The Gita also starts with Jnana yoga only. Therefore, if you can catch Satguru, the salvation is automatic consequence. If you catch Satguru, you are bound to receive the correct and complete knowledge from Him. Therefore, Guru Purnima is the top most of all the festivals in the year.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on August 12, 2012, 06:09:21 PM


It is my special characteristic to free any person who surrenders himself completely to Me

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HX0aBsv7qco/T8HQARDe3jI/AAAAAAAABU0/2uq6nbqXERc/s900/Shirdi+saibaba_47.jpg)
It is my special characteristic to free any person who surrenders himself completely to Me,
who worships Me faithfully and who remembers Me and meditates on Me constantly.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on August 28, 2012, 08:09:08 AM
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-QCFUFzE_C8/RxPN6pBwMII/AAAAAAAAAu4/gpqbwfwK_S0/s320/Portrait_Shirdi_Sai_Baba.JPG)

Only that will come to pass which He wants to happen, He will Himself show His way. The time will come, without a moment's delay, when our cherished wishes will be fulfilled .
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on August 31, 2012, 09:02:41 PM


LOOK AT ME... I LOOK AT YOU
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-l3O7o5jJVE/TH4A2ZRXT8I/AAAAAAAAMGs/0dDV9E0XPHE/s700/untitled44.bmp)
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 07, 2012, 02:13:23 PM


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zhoh_oETpqY/SDGEG72JeNI/AAAAAAAABDs/YFDQ5hZHyIQ/s900/IMG_1747.jp)

Most human love and all that comes with it is a state of mind. Very often, it is a state of mind that the heart wants to be in.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 08, 2012, 05:53:46 AM


(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qoZB9y4UGt0/TPCXS8HE_WI/AAAAAAAAKxo/D4ADjo7oVC8/s900/sai+babaji+405.jpg)

Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 08, 2012, 03:46:14 PM


(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l1wKB12nU8M/TT7A_rPCD0I/AAAAAAAAK6s/anQjdBHBkNM/s700/Aug_18.jpg)
He who accepts the pain and sufferings of the body,
as the will of God, not only gets cured,
but becomes the most loving child of the Lord.
Always accept His will and be His loving child.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 11, 2012, 12:46:17 PM

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dm3tsgefnKo/TN4pPhSSnpI/AAAAAAAAKwE/lC_DhnAKVEo/s1000/sai+babaji+385.jpg)

The Human-anger is the most self-destructive poison and his mental-peace is the most effective 'multivitamin' for a progressive life.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 12, 2012, 04:44:46 AM




(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DsWgJDiWFNg/Tye2npTpdhI/AAAAAAAAMNI/D9w6tWAkcOM/s900/1+26+Jan+2012.jpg)
Whatever you do, think well on it. All your actions will be magnified, transformed, deified, by the very power of the thought. If matter is powerful, thought is omnipotent
.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 13, 2012, 09:48:22 AM
Truth, Purity and Unselfishness  
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q_FcgA59n0U/SsP5fm9bBeI/AAAAAAAAH_8/JHHKZnhzdho/s500/sai+babaji+85.jpg)

Truth, Purity and Unselfishness - wherever these are present, there is no power below or above the sun to crush the possessor thereof. Equipped with these, one individual is able to face the whole universe in opposition.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 15, 2012, 08:22:57 AM

God has created this beautiful world, and it is our duty to appreciate its beauty.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuSspZ8lTvM/T8PeGlh-hAI/AAAAAAAABcU/8hMBBntvuss/s900/Sai+01.jpg)



God has created this beautiful world, and it is our duty toappreciate its beauty.
The mind will get steady and calm slowly and gradually.When the front door was open, why go by the back one ? When the heart is pure,there is no difficulty, what so ever.
Why should one be afraid of any one, if there be no evil thought in us.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 20, 2012, 02:24:07 PM


Just Say A Simple Word

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eSlpCH8xUsA/T1GWLL4JWYI/AAAAAAAAMgc/yR2K_uM0fqE/s900/IMG586.jpg)

If you cannot endure abuse from another, just say a simple word or two, or else leave.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 21, 2012, 11:34:28 AM


For seeing Brahma one has to give five things  


(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eeC_Bthwasw/T8PatXnBmyI/AAAAAAAABbM/KylaKX8OHhc/s1600/guru2.jpg)
For seeing Brahma one has to give five things, i.e., surrender five things viz.,
(i) Five pranas (Vital forces)
(ii) Five senses (Five of action & Five of perception
(iii) Mind
(iv) Intellect
(v) Ego  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 22, 2012, 02:25:10 PM

These feet are old and holy, you are care free now  


(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXOCNDqcks0/T8PeZJvSx2I/AAAAAAAABcc/jkEQzTyY9LM/s1600/charanpaduka.jpg)
These feet are old and holy, you are care free now, place entire faith in Me and
you will soon get your object.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 23, 2012, 09:28:50 AM

My treasury is full, and I can give anyone, what he wants  
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y5e5co57ptQ/T8Pg2qlj4xI/AAAAAAAABdc/KfBsaofdaFs/s1600/sai-72.jpg)
My treasury is full, and I can give anyone, what he wants, wants but I have to see whether he is qualified to receive My gift.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 25, 2012, 06:02:02 PM

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KJJYYQD3LR0/T_sQZGrXJ1I/AAAAAAAAE0g/FVMByOI84M0/s1600/Shirdi+Sai+Baba's+Puniyatithi22.jpg)

Man learns through experience, and the spiritual path is full of different kinds of experiences. He will encounter many difficulties and obstacles, and they are the very experiences he needs to encourage and complete the cleansing process.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 26, 2012, 01:43:52 PM

A guide (Guru) is Always Necessary
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4LIP-grFd48/TvguohriXkI/AAAAAAAAANE/b_YEXhv6oT4/s900/babasai.jpg)

Relying on your own cleverness, you missed your way.
A guide (Guru) is always necessary to show right way.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 30, 2012, 01:23:37 PM

A greedy man can never attain dispassion and salvation.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uhs9MRHPwms/Twu88zujxwI/AAAAAAAAAPE/o4Jf9jQCEQM/s700/Wall+Paper+Saibaba+%25284%2529.jpg)
A greedy man can never attain dispassion and salvation.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on September 30, 2012, 01:42:37 PM


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pdapMD9ju8c/S-T9b9zHrMI/AAAAAAAAANU/_C0NlM8a41o/s1200/Sai_Baba_Wallpaer_take+a+postherd.jpg)

Guru Brahma Gurur Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwaraha
Guru Saakshat Para Brahma
Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha

Meaning:Guru is verily the representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. I salute such a Guru.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on October 07, 2012, 06:49:16 AM


All Answers Are Within Each Individual
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6tMCAKN1N7k/SoWcChLQzHI/AAAAAAAAHoY/_5UA9mWHIik/s700/may_04.jpg)

All answers are within each individual. All the individual needs to do is sit silently and go within. Focus on one’s breath and slowly begin the journey back to one’s real home. For that one needs no medium, no ashram, no books, no pseudo master, just faith that your real Master is within you and is eager to guide you back home.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on December 08, 2012, 05:15:49 PM



If the state of this Maya, prior to the creation of the world, is considered,


(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AG1mHpXN7e8/TCKR73Y1CAI/AAAAAAAAAT4/IJpUfTmOPJA/s1600/sai_face.gif)


If the state of this Maya, prior to the creation of the
world, is considered, she had not manifested herself but
was absorbed in the Supreme and gathered together in the
Unmanifest
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on February 04, 2013, 03:07:46 PM

My devotee feels Me in you, in himself and in all creatures
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bt454Z7tiY/TBaJhOzhC6I/AAAAAAAAARU/-HBA2LKksVw/s1600/Sai_Baba_of_Shirdi.JPG)
My devotee feels Me in you, in himself and in all creatures and sees all as his Guru.
He will become myself.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on February 17, 2013, 10:39:31 AM


(http://myindiazone.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/shirdi-sai-baba06656778.jpg)

Sai Ram Sai Ram, Ek Naam Sundar Naam Shirdi Sai  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on February 25, 2013, 06:58:24 AM



As long as a mirror is covered with dust and dirt.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rgoHO-rPUu0/S7oHCW6KiOI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/ZyhYnfkKNC0/s1600/bigsairam13.jpg)
As long as a mirror is covered with dust and dirt, so long it cannot reflect the Sun. Once the dust and dirt is scrubbed away, the Sun shines forth. Similarly with our mind. As long as it is filled with evil thoughts and insatiable desires, so long it cannot reflect the self within.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on February 26, 2013, 09:29:22 AM

(http://mahamondo.typepad.com/mahamondo/images/2007/07/31/sages_india_tree.jpg)
Guru and Disciple

For the sake of the Goal, a disciple must be willing to give up everything petty, and most important of all, be willing to give oneself up, to renounce one’s little self, to renounce the very reality of one’s temporary, earthly being. “Whoever clings to his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall save it.” “Kill this little ‘I’. Die to live. Lead the divine life.”

Therefore our ancients have said: “This can be attained through discipleship. Go to a Guru, sit at his feet and ask for his knowledge.” The Guru says: “Yes, I am here to remove the ignorance that is your bondage and give you knowledge.”

Thus the essence of the Guru is to remove the ignorance that is the cause of bondage, sorrow and suffering. And the essence of the disciple is a keen eagerness, a great desire to be free from ignorance—the essential nature of which is ego—and attain illumination. Unless there is this willingness, this deep eagerness to attain illumination, then the disciple is no disciple. A hundred Gurus cannot help unless the disciple has a great desire for liberation and is seeking to get rid of that which stands in the way.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 01, 2013, 12:19:53 PM


Duties And Privileges Of Discipleship

Yasya Deve Para Bhaktir-Yatha Deve Tatha Gurau;
Tasyaite Kathita Hyarthah Prakashante Mahatmanah.

He whose devotion to the Lord is great, and who has as much devotion to the Guru as to the Lord, unto him, that high-souled one, meanings of the sacred texts stand revealed (Svetasvatara Upanishad).

A disciple is he who follows the instructions of the Guru to the letter and spirit, who propagates the teachings of the Guru to less evolved souls in the path till the end of his life.

A true disciple is concerned only with the Divine Nature of the Guru. The Guru’s actions as man is not the disciple’s concern. He is totally oblivious of it. To him, the Guru is Guru even if he acts unconventionally. Always remember that the nature of a saint is unfathomable. Judge him not. Measure not his divine nature with the inadequate yardstick of your ignorance. Criticise not your Guru’s action which is done on universal vision.

True discipleship opens the vision. It kindles the spiritual fire. It awakens the dormant faculties. It is most necessary in one’s journey along the spiritual path. Guru and disciple become one. Guru blesses, guides and inspires the disciple. He transmits, transforms and spiritualises him.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 01, 2013, 12:22:14 PM

Who Is Qualified To Approach The Guru?


To approach a Guru, you must be a proper Adhikari. Correct understanding, non-attachment to worldly objects, serenity of mind, restraint of the senses, absence of base passions, faith in the Guru and devotion to God are necessary equipment with which the aspirant has to approach the Guru.

The Guru will impart spiritual instructions only to that aspirant who thirsts for liberation, who duly obeys the injunctions of the Sastras, who has subdued his passions and senses, who has a calm mind, and who possesses virtuous qualities like mercy, cosmic love, patience, humility, endurance, forbearance, etc. Initiation into the mysteries of Brahman will fructify only when the disciple’s mind becomes desireless, and will produce Jnana in it.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 02, 2013, 09:16:03 AM


GURU-SEVA

Aspirants should direct their whole attention in the beginning towards the removal of selfishness by protracted service to the Guru. Serve your Guru with divine Bhava(feeling). The cancer of individuality will be dissolved.

The captain of a ship is ever alert. A fisherman is ever alert. A surgeon in the operation theatre is ever alert. Even so, a thirsting hungry disciple should be ever alert in the service of his Guru.

Live to serve the Guru. You must watch for opportunities. Do not wait for invitation. Volunteer yourself for the Guru's service.

Serve your Guru humbly, willingly, unquestioningly, unassumingly, ungrudgingly, untiringly, and lovingly. The more your energy you spend in serving your Guru, the more the divine energy will flow into you.

He who serves the Guru serves the whole world. Serve the Guru without selfish ends. Scrutinise your inner motives while doing service to the Guru. Service must be done to the Guru without expectation of name, fame, power, wealth, etc.  
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 03, 2013, 05:54:28 PM


Guru Seva

The first step on the spiritual path is selfless service of the guru. Serving the guru is the corner stone of the citadel of immortality. Discrimination, dispassion, and aspiration are the pillars. Eternal bliss is the super structure. Serve the guru, the poor and the sick. Guru seva is worship of God. Never forget this. Purify the intellect. A pure intellect helps you to reach the door of intuition and attain self-realization.

Aspirants should direct their whole attention in the beginning towards the removal of selfishness by protracted guru seva. Serve your guru with divine bhava. Guru seva and self-surrender to guru open the heart, expand the consciousness and deepen the spirit. Guru seva is the means by which the mind is prepared for meditation. Guru seva will not hinder your practice of meditation. On the other hand, it purifies your heart and helps you in meditation.

God can best be served or worshipped through guru seva. An hour’s guru seva with divine bhava is worth more than a year’s pilgrimage to tirthas. Guru seva alone can purify your heart and fill it with divine virtues. Guru seva alone can take you to the door of intuition and the realm of infinite bliss. Through guru seva, develop the heart and clean the mind. Cheerfully serve your guru who is God in disguise. The secret of sadhana is guru seva. It is the guide post to emancipation.

Live to serve the guru. Be prepared to do willingly any work assigned by him. By doing so you will develop your willpower. Serve him humbly, willingly, unquestioningly, unassumingly, ungrudgingly, untiringly and lovingly. There is no such thing as menial service in guru seva. Every form of seva is worship of God. The more energy you spend in serving your guru, the more divine energy will flow into you.

One who serves the guru serves the whole world. Serve the guru without selfish ends, without expectation of name, fame, power, wealth, etc. Unless a disciple serves the guru with bhava and purifies his heart, he lives in vain. His meditation will not bear fruit. The world is burning with misery and suffering. You are caught up in the wheel of samsara. Wake up! Approach the guru. Serve him with love. Serve untiringly. This will purify your heart. You will attain liberation and everlasting bliss.

Serve your guru with heart and soul, with burning love and a fiery spirit of sacrifice. The salt of life is service to guru. The bread of life is devotion to guru. Guru seva is your way, love of guru is your ideal and his grace is your light.




 
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 04, 2013, 01:39:39 PM


The True Disciple

A true disciple is one who follows the instructions of the guru to the very letter and spirit and who propagates the teachings of the guru to less evolved souls on the path till the end of his life. A true disciple is concerned only with the divine nature of the guru. The guru’s actions as a man are not his concern. To him the guru is guru, even if he acts unconventionally. Always remember that the nature of a saint is unfathomable. Do not judge him. Do not measure his divine nature with the inadequate yardstick of your ignorance. Do not criticise your guru’s actions which are based on a universal vision.

The guru teaches through personal example. His day to day conduct is a living ideal for the observant disciple. His life is a living sermon to the sincere disciple. By constant contact, the disciple imbibes the virtues of the guru. He is moulded gradually. The disciple becomes like his guru after some time by following his instructions to the very letter.

The best way to express your adoration of the guru is to follow his noble example. Live according to the lines indicated by him. Have him as your ideal. Struggle to build yourselves upon that model. This will be the most effective pooja of your gurudeva and the most pleasing guru dakshina.

The guru will impart spiritual instructions only to the aspirant who thirsts for liberation, who duly obeys the injunctions of the shastras, who has subdued his senses and passions, who has a calm mind and who possesses virtuous qualities like mercy, cosmic love, patience, humility, endurance, forbearance and honesty. Initiation into the mysteries of Brahman will fructify only when the disciple’s mind becomes pure and desireless.

One’s individual ego, preconceived notions, pet ideas and selfish interests should be given up. All these stand in the way of carrying out the teachings and instructions of one’s guru. Gurukripa begins to work only when you surrender fully to guru. Intense devotion to one’s guru and faithful adherence to his teachings are the most essential qualifications of a true disciple. Guru’s grace descends upon those who feel utterly humble and faithful to him. The disciple who has faith in the guru argues not, thinks not and reasons not. He simply obeys, obeys and obeys.

The lower nature must be thoroughly regenerated. The aspirant says to his preceptor: “I want to practise yoga. I want to enter into nirvikalpa samadhi. I want to sit at your feet. I have surrendered myself to you.” But he does not want to change his lower nature and habits, old character, behaviour and conduct. One’s individual ego, preconceived notions, pet ideas, prejudices and selfish interests should be given up. All these stand in the way of carrying out the teachings and instructions of one’s guru.

Lay bare to your guru the secrets of your heart. The more you do so, the greater the guru’s sympathy, which means you will have more strength in the struggle against temptation. Divine grace comes only when there is a real thirst in the aspirant, when he is fit to receive it. The best disciple is like petrol. Even from a distance he will instantly react to the spark of the guru’s spiritual advice.

The disciple’s self-surrender to the guru and the guru’s grace are interrelated. Surrender draws down the guru’s grace, and the grace of the guru makes the surrender complete. Guru’s grace works in the form of sadhana in the aspirant. If an aspirant sticks to the path tenaciously, this is the grace of guru. If he resists when temptation assails him, this is the grace of guru. If people receive him with love and reverence, this is the grace of guru. If he gets encouragement and strength when he is in despair and despondency, this is the grace of guru. If he overcomes body-consciousness and rests in his own blissful Self, this is the grace of guru. Feel his grace at every step, and be sincere and truthful to him.

True discipleship opens the vision and kindles the spiritual fire. It awakens the dormant faculties. It is most necessary on one’s journey along the spiritual path, at the end of which the guru and disciple become one. The guru blesses, guides and inspires the disciple. He transmits his spiritual power to him. He transforms and spiritualizes him.

If the disciple survives after the guru leaves his mortal body, he should lead the remaining portion of his life strictly in accordance with his guru’s instructions and live to preach them to others by practising them himself. One who, with self-control and spiritual vision, serves his guru with atmabhava is a true disciple. A true disciple is one who serves his guru till the end of his life.


Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 05, 2013, 06:57:11 AM

Why A Guru


The word guru means 'dispeller of darkness'. Of course, this is not the darkness of the night, but the darkness of your being. The ignorance is the darkness and the guru represents the light, the elimination of darkness. So, the one from whom we seek the light is called the guru. Of course, the light is already within, but this inner light is only a small flame which needs fuel to increase its luminosity. We therefore need initiation from the outer light, which we call guru. His light removes the darkness.

In order to find the guru, you need to search or else to wait for the right moment. Some people make a mountain, photograph or statue their guru, but generally it is easier to relate to a guru in human form. Yet a true guru is not to be defined in the physiological sense. Actually, when you realise the need for a guru, you seek the person who can show you the inner guide, who can communicate with your inner self. Guru is not concerned with the superficial level.

It is difficult to find a guru and difficult to remain with the same guru. Just as there are so many divorces in modern life due to the failure of communication, similarly disciples have been divorcing their gurus because of this same failure. So, before seeking a guru it is essential to prepare yourself by spiritual practices for a considerable time and widen the dimension of your knowledge. Get yourself spiritually matured, then your selection of guru will be without fault and the relationship will definitely be successful.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 07, 2013, 02:47:15 PM


Don't hunt for a very great guru. A disciple has to judge himself, and he should know where he stands. According to his status, he must select a guru. If a little boy in primary school seeks tuition from a big professor at the university, the professor will not be able to teach him anything, nor will the child be able to assimilate any knowledge.

When you take initiation, the guru will give you some small practice which must be done regularly. This regularity is the basis for higher yoga. The guru may ask you to practise mantra for only five or ten minutes daily. At first this may seem very little to you, but the test is in maintaining the practice. Many disciples spend hours in useless talk and useless work, yet they find it very difficult to spare only five minutes either in the morning or evening to practise mantra, pranayama, or a few simple asanas. In the life of a disciple, regularity is sadhana, regularity is spiritual training in itself.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on March 08, 2013, 09:43:58 AM

(http://www.saibabaofindia.com/march09/my-guide-my-guru-my-god-shirdi-sai-baba-wallpaper-banner.jpg)


The Guru is Knowledge Supreme.
He comes into the life Of His devotees
As the eternal light.
Surrender to the Guru
That holds in His hands
The reigns of the seven horses
The body, the senses, the sense organs,
The mind, the intellect, the ego and the soul.
Those that give up these reigns
Ride this journey of life
Surrounded and immersed
In the Atmic Truth.
Title: Re: Guru is necessary for a man
Post by: SS91 on April 02, 2013, 06:15:45 AM

(http://i3.sdlcdn.com/img/product/main/DIV055R061_M_1_2x.jpg)

Once you have surrendered to the guru completely, you become as free as a bird, able to fly anywhere or do anything. So do not be afraid of surrender; commit yourself and discover the infinity.
If you make yourself humble and open, like a river, you will have no choice but to flow on to the ocean. You will flow by whichever way is meant for you, whether it is through the jungle, mountain or rocks. The river's course may seem narrow at the beginning, but eventually it will take you to the clear, open sea.

JaiSaiRam