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Offline SS91

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Re: Guru is necessary for a man
« Reply #75 on: March 25, 2007, 10:06:34 AM »
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  • 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."
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #76 on: March 25, 2007, 12:26:35 PM »
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  • 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
    « Last Edit: March 27, 2007, 05:44:58 AM by subhasrini »
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #77 on: April 28, 2007, 06:27:55 PM »
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  • 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!
     
     
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #78 on: April 28, 2007, 06:30:03 PM »
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  • 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!

    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline dattaswami

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #79 on: May 11, 2007, 02:07:20 AM »
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  • 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

    Offline Ramesh Ramnani

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #80 on: May 12, 2007, 07:38:10 AM »
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  • 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!!!
    अपना साँई प्यारा साँई सबसे न्यारा अपना साँई - रमेश रमनानी

    Offline dattaswami

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #81 on: May 12, 2007, 10:45:48 AM »
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  • 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. 

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #82 on: May 15, 2007, 05:37:27 AM »
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  • 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!

    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #83 on: May 15, 2007, 05:38:35 AM »
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  • 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

    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #84 on: May 15, 2007, 06:22:15 AM »
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  • 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!
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline Ramesh Ramnani

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #85 on: June 02, 2007, 12:19:10 AM »
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  • 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.
    अपना साँई प्यारा साँई सबसे न्यारा अपना साँई - रमेश रमनानी

    Offline Ramesh Ramnani

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #86 on: August 14, 2007, 10:22:26 PM »
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  • 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!!!
    अपना साँई प्यारा साँई सबसे न्यारा अपना साँई - रमेश रमनानी

    Offline rajiv uppal

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #87 on: September 03, 2007, 11:43:24 AM »
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  • ॥ गुरु गोबिन्द दोनो मिले
       काके लागुं पाय,
    बलिहारी गुरु आपने,
       जिन गोबिन्द दियो मिलाय ॥
    ..तन है तेरा मन है तेरा प्राण हैं तेरे जीवन तेरा,सब हैं तेरे सब है तेरा मैं हूं तेरा तू है मेरा..

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #88 on: October 30, 2007, 06:11:46 PM »
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  • 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.


    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
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    Re: Guru is necessary for a man
    « Reply #89 on: November 28, 2007, 01:01:51 PM »
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  • 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!

    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

     


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