Guru-Bhakti YogaHis teaching on the Guru
CULTIVATION OF GURU-BHAKTI
Articles of worship
1. Worship of the Guru with purity of heart and without desiring fruit is the cause of release.
2. Approach the Lotus-Feet of the preceptor which bestows security from fear and immunity from sorrow.
3. Place your heart on the Lotus-Feet of your Divine Master.
4. Apply your hands to the cleansing and adoring the house of your Guru.
5. The relationship between Guru and disciple is very, very sacred.
6. He who serves the Guru gets all the virtues.
7. Use your eyes in seeing the picture of your Divine Master.
8. Use your head in bowing to the holy feet of the Satguru.
9. O Man! take to the service of the Lotus-Feet of the Guru. Give up lust, attachment, pride, etc., which are the main obstacles to serve the Guru.
10. Worship the Guru with devotion, desiring nothing; you will get his grace.
11. Dedicate your property, your good deeds, your Tapas, etc., to your holy Master and then only your heart will become pure to receive his grace.
12. Purify yourself with the dust of the feet of Guru and saints. Then alone your heart will be purified; then alone will you cultivate Bhakti.
13. Serve the saints and your Guru with love and reverence. Regard them as God personified. Then alone will you develop Bhakti.
The Yoga of Guru-Seva
14. Guru-Seva Yoga is the Yoga of selfless service rendered to the Guru.
15. Service of the Guru is service of humanity.
16. Guru-Seva removes the impurity of the mind. It is a potent purifier of the heart. Therefore serve the Guru with Bhava and feeling.
17. Service of the Guru prepares the mind for the reception of Divine Light, knowledge and grace.
18. Service of the Guru expands the heart, breaks all barriers. Service of the Guru is effective Sadhana for purity of heart.
19. Service of the Guru keeps the mind ever dynamic and alert.
20. Service of Guru helps one to develop divine virtues such as mercy, humility, obedience, love, faith, devotion, patience and self-sacrifice etc.
21. Service of Guru destroys jealousy, hatred and idea of superiority.
22. He who serves his Guru, will overcome “I”-ness and “Mine-ness”.
23. The disciple who serves his Guru really serves himself.
24. There is indescribable joy and peace in the practice of Guru-Seva Yoga.
25. Live to serve the Guru.
26. Get up at 4 a.m. This period is favourable for meditation on the form of Guru.
27. The disciple must lead a contented life when he lives in the house of the Guru. He must have perfect self-restraint.
28. Disciple must speak gently, sweetly and truthfully before his Guru and he must not use vulgar or harsh words.
29. Disciple should not back-bite about his Guru.
30. He who back-bites his Guru goes to the Raurava hell.
31. He who lives to eat is a sinner but he who eats to serve his Guru is a true disciple.
32. He who meditates on Guru wants very little food.
The Grace of the Guru
33. You can control your mind through the Guru’s grace and grace alone.
34. You can be established in Samadhi or Superconscious state only by Guru’s grace.
35. Without dispassion or non-attachment or indifference to sensual enjoyments no one can have Guru’s grace.
36. The senses cannot do anything without the co-operation of the mind which can be controlled only by Guru’s grace.
37. Disciple’s mind turns away from the sensual pleasures when he lives under the guidance of the preceptor.
38. Sattva increases through the association of the Gurus, saints, study of religious books, Sattvic food, repetition of Lord’s Name, etc.
39. A Rajasic man cannot serve his Guru with his whole heart and soul.
40. Recitation of Guru’s name makes the mind inward.
41. Study the scriptures under a Guru who is Brahma-Srotriya and Brahma Nishtha. Then only you will get Moksha.
42. Brahmacharin’s main duty is to serve his preceptor.
Meditation on Guru
43. Meditate in the early morning between 4 and 6 a.m. on the form of your Guru; then only you will get his grace.
44. Place a picture of your Guru in front of you. Sit in a meditative posture, concentrate gently on the picture, rotate the mind on his Lotus-Feet, legs, hands, chest, neck, head, face, eyes, etc., then close the eyes and try to visualise the picture in the same manner. Repeat the process again; then you will have good meditation.
45. During meditation on the form of the Guru, you will get rapture, ecstasy, thrill, peace and joy.
46. Company of worldly people, overeating, self-asserting Rajasic nature, sleep, lust, anger and greed, are all obstacles for meditation on the Guru.
47. The chief obstacles in the meditation on the form of the Guru are sleep, tossing of mind, raising up of latent desires, building castle in the air, laziness, disease and spiritual pride.
48. The Guru is the abode of all auspicious attributes.
49. The preceptor is the summum bonum of life to a disciple.
50. Devotion to Guru destroys birth, old age and death.
51. Devotion to Guru is the only means to win the grace of the Lord.
Guru as the Great Guide
52. He who teaches the way of Knowledge is a veritable Divinity on earth. Who else but a Guru can teach the way?
53. Guru shows the way to God and makes the disciple happy for ever.
54. He who points the path to perfection is the Guru.
55. In Sanskrit the term ‘GU’ means darkness or ignorance, ‘RU’ means dispeller of this darkness or ignorance. By removing the darkness or the veil of ignorance in man, he becomes the Guru.
56. The spiritual teacher by his constant instructions trains the aspirant.
57. The Guru is a divine gift from the Almighty to the true disciple.
58. All Scriptures emphatically declare the necessity for a Guru.
59. Even the divine incarnation like Sri Rama accepted as His Guru Sri Vasishtha and obeyed his commands.
60. The disciple, however great he may be from the standpoint of the world, cannot taste the Nirvanic bliss without the help of a preceptor.
61. Knowledge cannot be attained by means of austerities, charity or the study of the Vedas, except by being bathed in the dust of the Lotus-Feet of the Guru.
62. The disciple must always worship the form of his Guru and repeat his holy name.
63. The aspirant should not think or speak ill of his Guru or any of the saints.
64. A Sadhaka should not cut jokes before his Guru however great he (Sadhaka) may be.
65. Guru is a divine messenger on earth. Nay, he is Divinity Itself.
66. The Guru does not require any service or help from the disciple, but he gives a chance to the disciple to evolve by serving him.
The Way of the Great
67. All the sages, saints, prophets, world teachers, incarnations, great men have had their own Gurus, however great they might have been.
68. The Guru is a mine of all virtues and auspiciousness.
69. The contact with the Guru removes all doubts, fears, worries and anxieties.
70. By unshakable faith in and firm devotion to Guru a disciple can attain material prosperity and success in all undertakings.
71. The Guru is the life-boat to the disciple who is sinking in the ocean of worldliness.
72. If you want to learn any art you must approach a teacher who knows the art well.
73. When such is the case with the ordinary secular knowledge, how much more should be the necessity for a teacher in the spiritual path.
74. Those who attempt to control the mind without Guru’s help are like merchants who have not secured a good pilot for their vessel.
75. The spiritual path is thorny and precipitous; temptations will assail you. There may be downfall, so approach the teacher who has tread the path.
76. Close your eyes and meditate on the form of your Guru, and recite his holy name.
77. Meditation on Guru gives bliss, inner strength, peace of mind and joy.
78. Glory to Guru means Glory to God.
Our Relation to Guru
79. In this Kaliyuga, God-realisation is to be attained through devotion to Guru.
80. To receive initiation from a Guru is a great blessing.
81. Mantra-chaitanya, the power hidden in the Mantra is awakened by taking initiation from Guru.
82. Make it a point to serve the Guru with full devotion from today.
83. No spiritual progress is possible without the aid of Guru who is mine of spirituality.
84. Guru removes the veil of aspirants and obstacles and throws light on their path.
85. Miss not an opportunity to have Satsanga with Guru, Mahatmas and Saints of all castes and creeds.
86. Make prostrations daily to your parents and school-teachers.
87. Let your mother be your God, let your father be your God, let your teacher be your God, let your guest be your God.
88. Study of sacred scriptures without service to Guru is only a waste of time.
89. Study of holy scriptures from Guru without giving Guru-Dakshina to him is only a waste of time.
90. The mere reading of Vedantic texts, Upanishads and Brahma-sutras without fulfilling the Guru’s wishes will neither bring good nor knowledge.
91. After serving a long time, a pure and calm mind becomes your Guru.
Indispensability of Guru’s Grace
92. Study philosophical books as much as you like, deliver lectures throughout your global-tour, remain in Himalayan caves for thousands of years, practise Pranayama for years, do Sirshasana for the whole life, you cannot attain emancipation without the grace of Guru.
93. The Grace of the Guru will itself in a mysterious manner enable the disciple to perceive directly the Brahmic principle within, though it is impossible for the spiritual preceptor to point to Brahman as this or that or for the disciple to understand how it is prior to his direct perception.
94. Let your mother, father, and elders be your Guru.
95. Shampoo the feet of your Guru if he permits.
96. Every one should cognise it within himself through his own Jnana with the aid of a Guru and an understanding of the true significance of the Vedanta texts.
97. Even though one has a Guru or spiritual preceptor it is only through his own efforts he should destroy all desires, Vasanas, egoism and attain Self-realisation.
Felicity From Guru’s Grace
98. The happiness of the three worlds will not be equal to the supreme bliss experienced by disciple by taking shelter under the Lotus-Feet of the Guru.
99. Don’t fight with your Guru or drag him to courts.
100. Direct passport to the hell is to disobey the-Guru’s commands.
101. Association with the Guru and wise ones is the rare opportunity to be availed of in human life.
102. The acquirement of any kind of knowledge and more especially the precious Knowledge of Atman has to be received from the Guru.
103. The acquirements of spiritual knowledge through the traditional method of Guru-sishya Parampara is highly conducive to the correct unfoldment of intellectual faculties for the preservation of Truth.
104. More than the imparting of knowledge, it is blessing of Guru who is worshipped as God Himself according to Hindu tradition that is the greatest significance to the pupil.
105. The benevolent grace of the Guru means everything to the Sishya. It is this grace that opens the portals of Self-knowledge.
106. Self-surrender is complete surrender of the Self to the Guru.
107. Desire and egoism resist self-surrender to Guru at every step.
108. Lord Krishna sat at the feet of his Guru Sandeepani. He served His Guru. He carried fuel for his Guru. Lord Rama had Guru Vasishtha who gave Him Upadesha. Even Devas have Brihaspati as their Guru. Even greatest among the divine beings sat at the feet of Guru Dakshinamoorthy.
109. The secret path of Sadhana can only be known through Guru’s Grace.
110. If you sincerely and earnestly pray to God, God will come to you in the form of Guru.
Need for Preliminary Practice
111. You may get knowledge of first-aid by merely discussing these topics but if you want to call yourself an M.B.B.S. and work as a physician or surgeon you must go through the regular 6-year course. Even so you may please the deity and obtain favours through Upasana, prayers, etc., but for direct spiritual realisation you should have Guru Seva, Guru-Bhakti and Guru-Kripa.
112. Disciple’s self-surrender to Guru and Guru’s grace are interrelated.
113. Surrender draws down Guru’s Grace and grace of Guru makes the surrender complete.
114. By expounding the Knowledge of Self (Brahma Vidya), preceptor renders the most invaluable good to the Chela to cross the ocean of earthly existence. This no one else but the Guru can do.
115. Blessed is the Chela who has the Grace of the Guru on himself permanently.
116. The Puranas and other holy scriptures of the Hindus are replete with hundreds of instances which portray the greatness of Guru-Bhakti.
117. Nothing will be unattainable for a Sishya who has found the true Guru.
118. It is through the Guru’s Grace you can meet your Ishta Devata face to face.
119. Guru is the medium through which Grace of the God flows to the devotee.
120. A more loving, benign, gracious beloved person can hardly be found in this world than the true preceptor.
121. There is no higher deity than Guru for a disciple.
122. Really there is nothing so elevating as Satsanga with the Guru. All the saints and sages of the yore had the same opinion with regard to the need of a Guru.
123. To say that without a Guru an aspirant can reach the goal is as good as to say that a passenger can cross the turbulent river without a boat.
124. Satsanga is association with the Guru. Without Satsanga the mind cannot turn towards God.
125. A moment’s Satsanga with the Guru is far superior to Tapas for millions of years.
126. O Aspirants! Never practise Manmukhi Sadhana. Follow the Guru-mukhi Sadhana with full faith and devotion.
127. He who has a Guru knows the Brahman of the Upanishads.
128. Guru is the beacon-light to the aspirant-world.
129. Praise be to the Guru, Glory to the Guru who is the Source of Joy, Peace, Bliss and Immortality and guiding star to the devoted disciple.
130. Salute your Guru or Yoga teacher first before he salutes you.
131. The Yogic student must have faith and devotion to Guru and the Lord.
132. He must have faith in the teaching of his Guru and in the holy scriptures.