Sai The Perfect Guru.

January 16, 2008

Om Sai Ram !

In Shri Sai Satcharitra Baba has said "Come what may, leave not, but stick to your Bolster (support, i.e. Guru) and ever remain steady, always at-one-ment (in union) with him." According to Baba to get God -Realization absolute faith in the Guru is necessary. Baba also said "Hari (Lord) will protect him, who has got faith and patience".

Dear Saibandhus let us understand the role of a Guru...

Guru is a person who inspires you to lead your life in a creative, efficient and effective way so that there is development of self-awareness – what I can do, what I can't do, how I can be, how I can't be, what is the right thing to do, what is the wrong thing to do, how to understand other people's attitudes and concepts and how not to impose our own egos and ambitions. This is the basis of the guru's teaching.The following example would make it clear who actually the Guru is.It is a story of Kabirdas one of the great saints who was in search of a perfect Guru.

Kabirdas went to the Kumbha Mela and there he was asked, "Can you identify an actual realised being, an actual guru, in this huge gathering of people?" Kabir Das said, "I will try." He took up a stick and hit a 'guru'. The 'guru' was furious, "How dare you hit me!" Kabir Das said, "He is not the right one." He hit another 'guru'. The disciples became furious and bashed Kabir Das up. Their 'guru' did not bat an eye, and Kabir Das said, "He is also not the right one." For the duration of this famed Kumbha Mela, Kabir Das was out hitting 'gurus'. Ultimately, he found one who, after being hit by Kabir Das, said, "Sit down, my dear boy, your hand must be in pain. Of course I have felt pain but I can also imagine the pain you must be feeling. Let me just massage you and give you relief from the pain you have felt from hitting me." Kabir Das said, "He is the right one!"

According to Shri Ramana Maharshi :

God, Guru and the Self are identical; the Guru is God in human form and, simultaneously, he is also the Self in the Heart of each devotee. Because he is both inside and outside, his powers work in two different ways. The outer Guru gives instructions and by his power enables the devotee to keep his attention on the Self; the inner Guru pulls the devotee's mind back to its source, absorbs it in the Self and finally destroys it.

It is a basic tenet of Sri Ramana's teaching that a Guru is necessary for almost everyone who is striving towards a permanent awareness of the Self. The catalytic role of the Guru in spiritual development is therefore crucial; except in rare instances, ignorance of the Self is so deeply rooted that individual seekers are unable to escape from it by their own efforts.

Hence God and Guru are in truth not different. Just as the prey that has fallen into the jaws of a tiger cannot escape, so those who have come under the glance of the Guru's grace will surely be saved and will never be forsaken; yet one should follow without fail the path shown by the Guru.

Shri Satchidanand Sainath Maharaj ki Jai!!!!