Guru Purnima will be observed on July 16, 2019. The acceptance of a Guru or spiritual preceptor has been established from ancient times. Throughout the Maha Granth or holy scriptures we have seen the contribution of the greatest Gurus in the likes of Sage Vashista, the Guru of the Surya Dynasty; Guru Brihaspati, the Guru of the Devtas; Guru Ashtavakra, the Guru of Raja Janaka and Sage Vishwamitra.
All of these great Gurus had these qualities: they were highly knowledgeable and lived lives of merit and character. This contributed to the spiritual powers of these Maha Gurus. They maintained Truth and so their word had power (Shabd Shakti) to change and influence the lives of all.
Sanaatan Dharma speaks of liberation as the highest purpose of man and it recommends that we engage in spiritual action and associate with the saints in order to begin this spiritual journey. By communion with the holy ones, we eventually accept that Guru who will give us spiritual birth and start us on the road to spiritual awakening. The importance and purpose of the Guru is explained in the verse below.
adau sraddha tatah sadhu
sango tha bhajana-kriya
tato nartha-nivrttih syat
tato nistha rucis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas
tatah premabhyudancati
sadhakanam ayam premnah
pradurbhave bhavet kramah
“In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master and, under his instruction, the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes free from all material attachment, attains steadiness in self-realization, and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. This taste leads one further forward to attachment of Krishna consciousness, which is matured in bhava, or the preliminary stage of transcendental love of God. Real love for God is called prema, the highest perfectional stage of life.”
The verse explains the link between the Guru, our current state and the desired state. The definition of the word Guru speaks to the benefits that we derive from the Guru as he is the one who removes darkness and ignorance.
In the context of today’s society, we see a great need for the Guru and the guidance of those who have lived a life of spirituality. Through association with the Guru, we are able to be guided in the choices we make in life and thus ensure that we remain on the path to success and spirituality. Through guidance in sadhanas, we build bhakti and prem for the divine and thus we are able to elevate ourselves to the highest levels of spiritual excellence.
