Who is the Guru?

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The following is an excerpt from:

http://www.amritapuri.org/cultural/guru/principle.php

 

 

 

Na Guroradhikam Tattvam

Na Guroradhikam tapah

Tattvajnanat param nasti

Tasmai Sri Gurave namah.

- Guru Gita

 

 

If we read the lives of the great saints and spiritual seekers, we will see

that, to many of them, the word "Guru" signifies the summum bonum of spiritual

attainments and the divine grace responsible for it. It is not difficult to see

why the Guru commands such undying devotion in an aspirant's life. It is only

through the constant guidance and support of the Guru that the seekers manages

to rend asunder the veil of Maya.

 

It is not easy to find an accurate translation to convey the meaning of the word

"Guru". Though it has often been imperfectly translated to mean "teacher" or

"acharya", its real import is vastly different from such a limited

interpretation.

 

The Guru Gita describes the meaning of the word "Guru" as such: "The syllable

'Gu' is darkness, and the syllable, 'Ru' is said to be light. There is no doubt

that the Guru is indeed the Supreme Knowledge that swallows the darkness of

ignorance. 'Gu' represents the principles such as Maya, and 'Ru' is the Supreme

Knowledge that destroys that Maya. The syllable 'Ru' is that without form. The

Guru is said to be the one who bestows the state beyond attributes (and form)."

 

Rabindranath Tagore gives a very beautiful explanation of the term "Guru". He

says that an embodied soul or Jiva wanders through hundreds of thousands of

births in different bodies, searching for the way to attain its own true state

of the eternal Supreme Self. Through its struggles, it achieves consecutively

higher and higher states of evolution. Finally at one stage due to the intensity

of man's longing to reach his goal of perfection, a miracle happens: the inner

soul of man which was driving him towards his real nature, separates itself and

assuming a form guides him to the goal. In our tradition, such a guide is known

as a Guru.

 

 

>From this wonderful explanation, we can see who the Guru is to the seeker. The

Guru is none other than our own true Self who has come to guide our steps

towards Realisation.

 

The Guru knows the disciple intimately and prescribes such sadhana or spiritual

practices as will exactly suit his temperament. With tender care and

attentiveness of a mother, the Guru creates all the situations and circumstances

necessary for the growth of the seeker.

 

 

It is said that the Guru is more compassionate than God Himself. This is because

the Guru, who is God-realized and who lives in unbroken communion with the

Supreme Truth, chooses out of compassion for the world to take birth and lead us

to the goal.

 

 

 

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Jai Guru Datta! Jai Guru Datta! Jai Guru Datta!

 

 

 

 

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