| Guru
bhakti |
 |
By Ma
Gurupriya
[During
the 2nd Sreemad Bhaagavata Tattva Sameekshaa Satram, held in
Naimishaaranyam, near Paralikkad, Thrissur, Poojya Ma
Gurupriya was asked to give a talk on 'Guru-bhakti' on 25th
December 2003. We present an abridged version of the talk
below. -Ed]
Svaamin-namaste nataloka-bandho
kaarunyasindho patitam bhavaabdhau |
Maamuddharaatmeeya-kataakshadrshthyaa
rjvyaatikaarunya-sudhaabhivrshthyaa ||
(Vivekachoodamani
- 35)
Before
I start, I prostrate at the Holy Lotus Feet of Sri Gurudev
and seek his blessings. May I speak whatever he wants me to
speak. I prostrate at Sri Krishna's Holy Feet who is
manifest in my Sri Guru. I also offer pranaams to all the
devotees who have assembled here in the name of Bhaagavatam
and Bhakti. It is a wonderful sight to see so many of you
here, listening attentively to the stories of Sri Krishna.
Some
months back, our Vijaykumarji, who is also the general
secretary of Sreemad Bhaagavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram,
asked me in front of Poojya Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha Maharaj
ji, my Guru, whether I would talk at this holy assembly. Why
he felt like that, I didn't understand, because, neither I
am a speaker, nor do I know Malayalam. But Poojya Swamiji
also felt that I should.
It
is a fact that in my spiritual life I have been greatly
influenced by Sreemad Bhaagavatam. Long back, Poojya Swamiji
had asked me to read Bhaagavatam in great depth. In fact, he
had asked me to do research in Bhaagavatam. I still remember
those days when I had taken up the reading of Sreemad
Bhaagavatam. With what fondness I was reading, ruminating
and contemplating ! Every day, every moment was svaadu
svaadu pade pade.
I
thought, if at all I have to speak, I will share my thoughts
and experiences with you – how Sreemad Bhaagavatam can be
brought into the daily life of a spiritual seeker, how this
reading and contemplation led me to universal vision. But,
when the program sheet was printed, I found that the topic
given to me was 'Gurubhakti'. I don't know who chose it!
That
moment I thought: “Why in this Bhaagavata Satram the topic
of Gurubhakti?” But, soon I understood that there is a
great relevance.
Shankaracharya
has said that three things are very rare – manushyatvam
(a human life), mumukshutvam (quest for liberation)
and mahaapurusha-samsrayah (the unfailing refuge of a
Mahaapurusha). These three are very rare. If one has
human life, one may not have mumukshutva. Even if the
two are together, one cannot grow spiritually and reach his
goal, unless one is under the loving care of a Wise Teacher,
the Guru. These three must be there together, and it happens
by the grace of God.
In
another verse Shankaracharya has written: When a devotee
worships God for many hundreds of lives with devotion and sraddhaa
and according to the Vedic prescriptions, God becomes
pleased with the devotee and He appears before him as the
Sadguru. The Guru becomes the living Lord for the devotee.
And then what does the Guru do? He relieves the devotee from
this tormenting ocean of worldliness by enlightening him
with the knowledge of Truth.
All
of us worship God. We go to the temples right from
childhood. We worship God with flowers, incense sticks and
many other items in the pooja-shrine of our house. We chant
shlokas, sing bhajans. But, God doesn't talk to us. This
goes on, year after year. But there are a few devotees who
at one time feel, “What is this worship I am doing? Have I
come closer to God by this? Is this all or is there
something more? Is there a further stage for worship? Who
will tell me the truth, show me the path?”
Some
others enquire, “What is this world like? Who am I? What
is my relationship with God? Why am I born in this world?
When was this world created? When will I die? And after
death, what?”
Still
some others think, “This world is transitory. If I am
happy today, tomorrow that happiness may not be there.
Everything changes. Everything decays and disappears.
Beneath all this, is there anything eternal? Is there
anything permanent? In the midst of worldly interactions, we
get affected. We feel helpless and fearful. Can we ever be
free of all these, so that we remain unshaken in any
situation of life?”
When
a devotee becomes restless due to such thoughts, he eagerly
looks for somebody who will reply these questions and guide
him. There comes the role of the Sadguru. A Sadguru
is well versed in the scriptural truths, sinless and free of
desires. A knower of Brahman par excellence, he remains
seated in the Truth, and therefore is calm like fire that
has consumed its fuel. He is an ocean of mercy that knows no
reason, and a friend to all good people who humbly seek
refuge at his feet: “Ahetuka-dayaasindhuh
bandhur-aanamataam sataam”. (Vivekachoodamani - 33)
The
confused, helpless devotee goes to a Sadguru who has
transcended this ocean of worldliness, who knows how to go
across it. He goes to the Sadguru with humility, does
pranaam and with fond yearning he says: “O Prabhu, tell me
if there is a way; tell me whether I can cross this worldly
ocean. Is there anything eternal? Can you show me the path
to it?”
The
Guru, who is a karunaasindhu (an ocean of mercy),
says with a comforting smile: “Yes. There is. I have
trekked this path. Similarly many others also have reached
the eternal goal. I can definitely show you the way – Tameva
maargam tava nirdishaami.
He
says: “Maa bhaishtha – don't be fearful. You can
remain unaffected in this world, in the midst of any
unfavourable situation, any challenge of life. I will show
you the way.”
Long
back, my Gurudev, Baba (here is his photo), had also told me
like this. Very strangely, at the age of 23, I was gripped
with disinterestedness and dispassion towards the world.
There was seemingly no reason for it. But, I started feeling
that the world is transitory, unreal. I was thinking: “Is
there anything permanent or eternal? Who will show me the
path? Who will tell me about it?” These feelings made my
heart heavy. I was weeping in my mind. Nobody knew about it;
but may be God knew. My indweller knew. He brought Baba to
my life.
Baba
was old. I wrote to him about the torments of my mind and
asked him, “Is it necessary to have a Guru in our life?
Is deekshaa necessary for a person who wants to pursue the
spiritual path?” He wrote, “Yes. Don't you go to a
teacher to learn any subject? Then, why there is doubt in
the case of the supreme vidyaa? You have to go to a Guru.
You have to consider him to be superior to you, listen to
him and practise as he directs you.” That is the time he
told me, “Don't have fear. The Lord is within you.”
Baba
passed away within a few years. But he handed me over to
Poojya Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha ji, his own disciple, for my
further spiritual growth. Baba and Swamiji became one in my
heart. Ever since I am under the guidance of Poojya Swamiji.
When
I was a young child, my mother had cultivated a very good
habit in me. She used to tell me, “At least before
sleeping at night, call God and ask Him to make you worthy
in this life.” As a small child, I did not understand what
she meant by “becoming worthy”. Later on I understood
– it is to grow good values and virtues in life. I used to
pray to all the gods and goddesses I knew. I used to do a
pranaam in my mind. Whenever I missed any god or goddess, I
used to feel frightened thinking that I would incur the
displeasure of that deity.
But
after I grew up, I began to think, “Why! God is one! Why
should I have to remember so many names and forms?” So, I
started concentrating on a pair of Holy Feet. I did not know
then that those Feet would become the Lotus Feet of my Sri
Guru.
When
I had the great fortune of having a Guru in my life, I
understood what this Guru-sishya relationship is – its
supreme position. Then, when I got the great fortune of
staying in his close association, I understood what Guru-bhakti
means, what surrender means. I understood that Guru
is one on whom you can rely most. He is the one who knows
what is the best and most auspicious for you. He is the
supreme well-wisher. He gives you fearlessness. Parents
cannot give fearlessness. Relatives cannot give
fearlessness. Your teachers, friends, nobody in this world
can give fearlessness as Guru gives.
Guru
always wants the disciple to grow and progress towards the
goal of supreme felicity. With his looks, words and thoughts
he helps the disciple grow in purity and expansion. He makes
the disciple sublimate his ego. And he makes the disciple
feel owned completely. That is what I felt.
We
go to temples and worship. But we do not know what is the
place of Guru in our life. The Guru can transform the
disciple if the Guru-bhakti is supreme.
What
does Guru-bhakti mean? Is it worshipping the Guru with
flowers and garlands or items of offering? Guru-bhakti means
following whatever the Guru says and advises – following
them in life without any resistance, without any question.
A
good disciple allows the Guru to mould him in any manner he
likes. He has supreme reliance on his Guru: “My Guru knows
what is best for me. So, I will follow his instructions unquestioningly.”
If he fails to do that, he will ask his Guru, opening his
mind completely: “These are my impurities, these are
my difficulties. That is why I was not able to follow your
instructions. Please tell me how can I remove these
impurities from my mind, how can I become pure, how can I
become completely surrendered.” That too the Guru will
advise.
Pure
bhakti does not have any expectation. When Guru-bhakti
becomes pure, one does not want anything from the Guru. He
is only happy to be a servant at the Feet of the Guru. He
serves him, respects him and loves him. And by that alone,
he becomes happy, blissful. The Guru takes him to that
Universal dimension attaining which he feels there is
nothing more to attain. He feels: “nirantar-aananda-rasena-trptah”
– fulfilled with the relentless aananda-rasa.
Actually,
the Guru's role is to make the disciple one like himself.
Dear
listeners, I told you that I have been thinking why this
topic was chosen and what relevance it has in the Bhaagavata
Satram. All of us have assembled here to listen to
Bhaagavatam for 12 days. These 12 days will pass. After some
time, another 'saptaaham' (Bhaagavatam discourses for a
week) will come. May be we will attend that too. But will we
ever ask, “Will my life be spent only in listening?”
Should we not ruminate and introspect, “How can my
devotion towards the Lord be strengthened, deepened and made
wholesome?”
The
whole Satrashaala is full of divinity and devotion. When the
Naamasankeertana goes on, so many people dance with
devotional ecstasy. But all that fades very soon. It doesn't
stay. How many of us are wondering as to how to make it
stable, how to make the devotional enrichment remain with us
forever?
Here
comes the role of a Sadguru or a Knower. Bhaagavatam itself
has said, “Go to the Holy men, prostrate before them,
serve them with humility, seek their blessings and ask them
to guide you.”
So,
my dear listeners, the time has come for us to think
seriously how to stabilize this devotion and divinity that
we are feeling in this Satrashaala. We should go to the
Mahatmas, seek their blessings and ask, “I have been
reading and listening to Bhaagavatam for so many years. But,
I do not know how far I have progressed on the devotional
path. Why do I still feel gripped by worldliness? Why have I
not been able to acquire the qualities of a devotee?”
We
should go to the holy people, fall at their feet and pray,
“Maam-uddhara-prabho – O Prabhu! Please take me
across. Make me transcend this worldly ocean.”
Then
alone the purpose of this listening will be fulfilled. It is
at the Guru's feet that we learn. In my years of association
with Poojya Swamiji, he has been revealing to me how to
remain unaffected by the world, how to find God everywhere.
He said: “Unaffectedness is liberation. There is a way to
live in this world without getting bound.”
What
is this bondage? Bondage of sense enjoyments, bondage from
the constrictions of the mind and intelligence. Liberation
is from all that. We may have good birth, good education,
name, fame, riches and everything. But, we still feel
something is to be attained. We suffer from lack of
fulfillment. We feel a vacuum. The Guru takes care of the
disciple and fills up that vacuum. He fills up that vacuum
in a manner that in the midst of all kinds of situations,
one feels unshakable like a mountain, one feels that he is
taintless. There may be so many things happening around. But
one will feel, “I am unshakable, I am not the body, I am
the Soul and nothing can affect me”:
Aakaasaval-lepa-vidoorago'ham
Aadityavad-bhaasya-vilakshano'ham
Ahaaryavan-nitya-viniscalo'ham
Ambhodhivat-paaravivarjito'ham
(Vivekachoodamani - 499)
We
will be taintless like the sky, unshakable like the
mountain. We will be like the sun that enlightens
everything, like the ocean that has no boundary. Our Guru
takes us to that goal, the supreme goal of human life.
So,
dear listeners, let us pray that we get somebody in our life
who will take us to that goal. Let us pray to God to come in
human form and lead us to that goal, lead us to Immortality.
Svaaraajya-saamraajya-vibhootir-esaa
Bhavat-krpaa-sree-mahima-prasaadaat
Praaptaa mayaa sreegurave mahaatmane
Namo namaste'stu punar-namo'stu
(Vivekachoodamani - 517)
Jai
Guru.
* * *
