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This article is a chapter from the book “Bliss
Divine”.
GURU By
SRI
SWAMI SIVANANDA
Introduction
The Sadguru
The Need for a Guru
How to Choose Your Guru
Mysterious Help from the Lord
Siksha Gurus and Diksha Guru
Stick to One Guru
Guru-Parampara
Initiation-Its Meaning
Sakti-sanchar
Grace and Self-effortINTRODUCTION The Guru is God Himself manifesting in a personal form to guide
the aspirant. Grace of God takes the form of the Guru. To see the
Guru is to see God. The Guru is united with God. He inspires
devotion in others. His presence purifies all.The Guru is verily a link between the individual and the
immortal. He is a being who has raised himself from this
into That, and thus has free and unhampered access into
both the realms. He stands, as it were, upon the threshold of
immortality; and, bending down he raises the struggling
individuals with his one hand, and with the other lifts them up
into the empyrean of everlasting joy and infinite
Truth-Consciousness.THE SADGURU To be a Guru, one must have a command from God.
Mere study of books cannot make one a Guru. One who has studied
the Vedas, and who has direct knowledge of the Atman (Self)
through Anubhava (experience), can alone be enrolled as a Guru. A
Jivanmukta or liberated sage is the real Guru or spiritual
preceptor. He is the Sadguru. He is identical with Brahman or the
Supreme Self. He is a Knower of Brahman.A Sadguru is endowed with countless Siddhis (psychic powers).
He possesses all divine Aisvarya (powers), all the wealth of the
Lord.Possession of Siddhis, however, is not the test to declare the
greatness of a sage or to prove that he has attained
Self-realisation. Sadgurus generally do not exhibit any miracle or
Siddhi. Sometimes, however, they may do so in order to convince
the aspirants of the existence of superphysical things, give them
encouragement, and instill faith in their hearts.The Sadguru is Brahman Himself. He is an ocean of bliss,
knowledge, and mercy. He is the captain of your soul. He is the
fountain of joy. He removes all your troubles, sorrows, and
obstacles. He shows you the right divine path.He tears your veil of ignorance. He makes you immortal and
divine. He transmutes your lower, diabolical nature. He gives you
the rope of knowledge, and takes you up when you are drowning in
this ocean of Samsara (cycle of birth and death). Do not consider
him to be only a man. If you take him as a man, you are a beast.
Worship your Guru and bow to him with reverence.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, His very company is self-illumination.
Living in his company is spiritual education. Read the
Granth-saheb (the holy scripture of the Sikh religion). You will
come to know the greatness of the Guru.Man can learn only from man, and hence God teaches through a
human body. In your Guru, you have your human ideal of perfection.
He is the pattern into which you wish to mould yourself. Your mind
will readily be convinced that such a great soul, is fit to be
worshipped and revered.Guru is the Moksha-dvara (door to liberation). He is the
gateway to the transcendental Truth-Consciousness. But, it is the
aspirant who has to enter through it. The, Guru is a help, but the
actual task of practical Sadhana
(spiritual practice) falls on the aspirant himself.THE NEED FOR A GURU 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.Cases of those who had attained perfection without study under
any Guru should not be cited as authority against the necessity of
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 unto all:
“Think for yourself. Do not surrender yourself to any Guru”. When
one says, “Do not follow any Guru!”, 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 (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.HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR GURU 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, 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 (a spiritual person)
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 dream and initiate and inspire you at the proper time.
For a sincere Sadhak (aspirant), help comes in a mysterious
manner. When the time is ripe, the Guru and the disciple are
brought together by the Lord in a mysterious way.MYSTERIOUS HELP FROM THE
LORDJust see how the Lord has helped the devotees in the following
instances. Eknath heard an Akasavani (a voice from the sky). It
said, “See Janardan Pant at Deva Giri. He will put you in the
proper path and guide you.” Eknath acted accordingly and found his
Guru. Tukaram received his Mantra, Rama Krishna
Hari, in his dream. He repeated this Mantra and had Darshan
(vision) of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna directed Namdev to get his
higher initiation from a Sannyasin (renunciate) at Mallikarjuna.
Queen Chudalai assumed the form, of Kumbha Muni, appeared before
her husband Sikhidhwaja in the forest, and initiated him in the
mysteries of Kaivalya (state of absolute independence). Madhura
Kavi saw a light in the firmament for three days consecutively. It
guided him and took him to his Guru Nammalvar who was sitting in
Samadhi underneath a tamarind tree near Tinnevelly. Vilvamangal
was very much attracted to Chintamani, the dancing woman. The
latter became his Guru. Tulasidas received instructions from an
invisible being to see Hanuman and, through Hanuman, to get
Darshan of Sri Rama.Competent disciples are never in want of a competent Guru.
Realised souls are not rare. Ordinary ignorant-minded persons
cannot easily recognise them. Only a few persons, who are pure and
embodiments of all virtuous qualities, can understand realised
souls, and they only will be benefited in their company.So long as there is a world, there are Gurus and Vedas to guide
the struggling souls in the path of Self-realisation. The number
of realised souls may be less in the Iron Age when compared with
the Satya Yuga (age of Truth), but they are always present to help
the aspirants. Let each man take the path according to his
capacity, temperament, and understanding. His Sadguru will meet
him along that path.SIKSHA GURUS AND DIKSHA
GURUMan 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. The Diksha Guru can be only
one-the one who leads him to Moksha.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.GURU-PARAMPARA Spiritual knowledge is a matter of Guru-parampara. It is handed
down from Guru to 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.INITIATION-ITS
MEANINGA Bhakta will be initiated by a Bhakta saint in the path of
devotion. A Jnani will initiate a student of Vedanta in the
Mahavakyas. A Hatha Yogi or a Raja Yogi can initiate another in
his particular path. But, a sage of perfect realisation, a
Purna-jnani (full-blown sage) or Purna-yogi, can give initiation
in any particular path. A sage or saint like Sri Sankara or
Madhusudana Sarasvati can initiate a Sadhak in any particular path
for which the aspirant is fit. The Guru will find out by close
study of the aspirant his tastes, temperaments, and capacity, and
decide for him the most suitable path. If his heart is impure, the
teacher will prescribe selfless service for a number of years.
Then the Guru will find out for what particular path the student
is fit and initiate him in that.Initiation does not mean reciting a Mantra into another’s ears.
If Rama is influenced by the thoughts of Krishna, the former has
got initiation already from the latter. If an aspirant treads the
path of truth after studying the books written by a saint, and
imbibes his teachings, that saint has already become his Guru.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.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.
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