GURU
Sankara
defines a guru (this word is already in Oxford English Dictionary) as one who
has mastered the truth (say, the subject) and is constantly engaged in the
interests of his disciple (say, learning and using it beneficially).
The relationship has two pre-conditions, one, that the guru must have perfect knowledge and two, that the sishya must have a consuming interest to acquire that knowledge. Neither can be half-baked.
In Vivekachoodamani, the
idea is expanded. “A Guru is learned, free from sin, freed from desire, a
knower of Reality and lives in Reality, calm, compassionate without purpose, a
universal friend of all that seek him, benevolent and helpful to others despite
having attained jnana and having nothing to achieve.”
The relationship has two pre-conditions, one, that the guru must have perfect knowledge and two, that the sishya must have a consuming interest to acquire that knowledge. Neither can be half-baked.
The word guru
means one who imparts Brahma vidya and leads the disciple to Atma jnana.
Dilution of its meaning is avoidable as there are other words for other
purposes like Acharya (Aasiriyar in Tamizh), Upadhyaya (Vaadyaar in Tamizh),
Sikshaka, etc.
Guru means
big (Jupiter is called guru as it is the largest planet in the solar system).
Brahma also means big. It is perhaps intentional that Guru who initiates into
Brahma vidya is so called.
Guru is
sought and it is not the other way round. Sankara proceeded all the way from
Kerala to Madhya Pradesh in those days when travel was a nightmare, to find a
guru. We must be wary of those that market themselves as gurus. He is not a
guru who does not have a one-to-one relationship with a seeker.
A guru
transfers the vidya subtly. A good guru leads his disciple to discover by
himself what he is seeking. The anecdotes in the Upanishads bear this point
out. Speech is secondary and sparingly the medium of transfer (cf.
Dakshinamurthy who does not speak at all!) What happens is transfer of personality.
Wherever this phenomenon occurs (transfer of personality) guru-sishya
relationship has crystallised.
In music
also, we come across some eminent singers mentioning how their guru taught them
only by example. Music is a way to realization of Brahman and the word guru is
apt in the context of music.
Bhagavatam talks of 24 gurus (remember a guru need not talk to communicate).
1. The Earth
Even though the earth is afflicted by all creatures, the earth is patient and keeps its course. So the lesson is patience and adherence to one's dharma.
cf. Kural:
அகழ்வாரைத் தாங்கும் நிலம் போல தம்மை
இகழ்வாரைத் தாங்கல்தலை.
(Like the land puts up with those that dig it, it is best to put up with those that disparage us).
The mountains serve the needs of all creatures without expecting anything in return. The mountains are like the disciples of the earth. We should learn to be of service to others from the mountains.
2. Wind: The wind is unaffected by the smells it carries. Likewise, a yogi is not touched by the qualities of various things he comes in contact with. Purity of mind is what the wind teaches.
3. Space (aakaasam): Space permeates everything. It teaches that the soul pervades the universe like space permeates all objects.
4. Water: Pure water teaches consideration for others, sweetness of dealing with others and adding value in transactions with those that come in contact.
5. Fire: Fire teaches attainment of a resplendence that results from penance, clarity of mind, and being free of impurities.
The first five gurus are the five elements that make the world. That is, world is the guru for spirituality in the first place. Vishnusahasranamam begins with Viswam (world) as the very first attribute. The world has in it everything for our life, both material and spiritual. To look for something outside or beyond is reverie. The purpose of scriptures is to guide us live this life well. The immanent and the transcendental are not watertight compartments but a seamless continuity. It is not the message to neglect this life, but to live it wholesomely, learning and evolving all the time.
Bhagavatam talks of 24 gurus (remember a guru need not talk to communicate).
1. The Earth
Even though the earth is afflicted by all creatures, the earth is patient and keeps its course. So the lesson is patience and adherence to one's dharma.
cf. Kural:
அகழ்வாரைத் தாங்கும் நிலம் போல தம்மை
இகழ்வாரைத் தாங்கல்தலை.
(Like the land puts up with those that dig it, it is best to put up with those that disparage us).
The mountains serve the needs of all creatures without expecting anything in return. The mountains are like the disciples of the earth. We should learn to be of service to others from the mountains.
2. Wind: The wind is unaffected by the smells it carries. Likewise, a yogi is not touched by the qualities of various things he comes in contact with. Purity of mind is what the wind teaches.
3. Space (aakaasam): Space permeates everything. It teaches that the soul pervades the universe like space permeates all objects.
4. Water: Pure water teaches consideration for others, sweetness of dealing with others and adding value in transactions with those that come in contact.
5. Fire: Fire teaches attainment of a resplendence that results from penance, clarity of mind, and being free of impurities.
The first five gurus are the five elements that make the world. That is, world is the guru for spirituality in the first place. Vishnusahasranamam begins with Viswam (world) as the very first attribute. The world has in it everything for our life, both material and spiritual. To look for something outside or beyond is reverie. The purpose of scriptures is to guide us live this life well. The immanent and the transcendental are not watertight compartments but a seamless continuity. It is not the message to neglect this life, but to live it wholesomely, learning and evolving all the time.
https://www.kamakoti.org/souv/1-2.html
Guru- Episode
from Taittiriya Upanishad
Bhrigu, son
of Varuna, approached his father and requested him to impart Brahmavidya.
Varuna said, ‘The source of all living and non-living things is Brahmam. Try to
find it out.’
Bhrigu comes
up repeatedly with answers as he found them on doing penance. Each time, Varuna
tells him, ‘Try again by penance since penance is Brahmam,’ until Bhrigu comes
up with the correct (complete) answer. The point is Varuna (Guru here) does not
teach directly, but makes Bhrigu find the answer by his efforts.
In lighter
vein, my bank experience comes to mind. I joined the bank in 1970. Each ledger
of personal accounts has to be balanced with progressive balance (arrived at
independently from daybooks, say, journals). The progressive balance was
maintained by the accountant. Much before I joined the bank, the practice was,
I believe, the staff would go to the accountant and tell the total of ledger
balances arrived at by him. The accountant would only say if it tallied or not.
He would not reveal the correct balance. The bank followed the Upanishadic
practice! But, the practice when I joined was that if the staff jotted down the
balances and totaled, it was considered a great thing. Luckily, computers have
made it redundant. How many hours we spent on this chore!
Guru: My musings (2.11.2002)
We have strayed away from the Truth. Our dharma is to get back to the Truth. Whoever aids us in the process is our guru. Guru is not someone sitting in the Himalayas practising austerity.
Guru: My musings (2.11.2002)
We have strayed away from the Truth. Our dharma is to get back to the Truth. Whoever aids us in the process is our guru. Guru is not someone sitting in the Himalayas practising austerity.
Jagadguru?
May it be like this? Normally, a guru and a sishya have a
one-one-to relationship, and a sishya seeks a guru and lives with him for the
period of adhyayana. In the case of matadhipathis, all the followers of a
pontiff are his sishyas and they do not have a period of in-house learning with
him. The whole population of his followers form the jagat here, not the entire
humanity. The pontiff, however, does penance for the entire world.
Guru bhakti
We have a tradition of venerating Guru as god. ‘Acharya
devo bhava.’ ‘Annai pitaa guru deivam.’
Who is a Guru?
A guru is one who transfers his transcendental knowledge
by grace. He may teach many other things, but the idea is to impart para vidya
(knowledge of Brahman). It presupposes that he has brahmavidya, and according
to the dictum that knower of brahman becomes brahman, he is brahman. Sankara
prescribes not only thorough knowledge of scriptures, but abiding interest in
the welfare of his disciples as qualities of a guru. A guru who is worldly and
is after carnal desires is not a guru and devotion to such a guru is misplaced.
Being grateful to what we receive regardless of the source is a positive trait.
That is not the same as guru bhakti.
Music is considered a way to realization of Brahman and
where the guru leads a sishya to such a pinnacle, guru bhalti is on par with
bhakti to brahmagnani guru.
In a discourse I heard that the guru must transfer the
sishya’s namaskara unto God.
Guru
2008
People who have failed become gurus. Those who have not led a married life advise how to lead a happy family life. those who have not run an organisation or run one disastrously become management consultants. Several music teachers also have not much to write home about of their own performance.
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