Guru-Bhakti YogaHis teaching on the Guru
TRUE GUIDE OF THE SEEKER
Fundamentals of Discipleship
l. If an aspirant will not serve his Guru with faith and devotion all his vows and austerities will certainly leak out as water from an unburnt pot.
2. Control of mind and senses, meditation on Guru-Bhagavan, patience while serving him, forbearance, devotion to the preceptor, contentment, compassion, cleanliness, truthfulness, straightforwardness, humility and obedience to the Guru are the characteristics of a good disciple.
3. The seeker after Truth should dwell in the house of his preceptor with control over his senses and mind, and should study the scriptures under him with great faith and reverence.
4. He should observe strict Brahmacharya, and should offer worship to the preceptor.
5. A disciple should regard the preceptor as God Himself and should not look upon him as a man.
6. He should not find out defects in the preceptor because Guru represents all the gods.
7. Disciple should bring alms to the preceptor and must feed him with great faith and devotion.
8. Disciple should shun all comforts as poison and should surrender his body in the service of his Guru.
9. Disciple should offer Dakshina to his preceptor after studying scriptures and with his permission one should return to his home.
10. He who uses “Gurudom” as a means of livelihood is a destroyer of religion.
11. The main duty of a Brahmachari is wholehearted selfless service to his preceptor.
12. Tapas, pilgrimage, charitable gifts, are not so helpful to attain Guru’s grace as personal service and utter obedience to him.
13. The Vedas, direct perception, sayings of Guru, and inference are the four proofs of knowledge.
14. All works bear the seed of sorrow but not service rendered to Guru.
15. At anytime disciple should be ready to give up wealth, enjoyment comforts, happiness and even his own body to carry out Guru’s commands.
Dharma in Relation to Guru
16. He who surrenders his Thana, Mana and Dhana at the feet of master develops Guru-Bhakti.
17. Whatever promotes devotion to the feet of Master is highest Dharma.
18. Niyama consists of Japa of Guru Mantra, doing austerity while serving Guru, faith in the words of Guru, Acharya-sevana, contentment, purity, studying the scriptures and Guru-Bhakti or surrender to Guru.
19. Titiksha is the bearing of grief or affliction while carrying out Guru’s Command.
20. Tyaga is the giving up works which Guru prohibits.
21. One who does not serve and obey his Guru is really a fool.
22. Lord Krishna says to Uddhava, “The human body, so hard to secure is a strong boat. The preceptor is at the helm of the boat. I am the favourable wind that drives it.” The man who does not strive to cross the ocean of births with such a boat and such a means is truly killing himself.
23. As man is under the influence of beginningless ignorance he cannot have Self-realisation without the help of Preceptor.
24. Can there be anything wrong in what the Guru says? There is some reason for it. The human intellect cannot reach there.
25. The personal service of Guru is the highest form of Yoga.
26. The disciple can control his mind by doing personal service to Guru.
The Three Modes of Nature
27. Anger, greed, untruthfulness, cruelty, begging, hypocrisy, quarrel, grief, delusion, dejection, distress, sleep, fear and indolence are the attributes of Tamas which cannot be overcome by taking many births. But personal service rendered to the Guru with faith and devotion will remove all these impurities.
28. Faith in the words of Guru and God is Sattvic.
29. That food which is left by Guru after his meal is the most Sattvic food.
30. Bliss that which arises from personal service to Guru is Sattvic.
31. The wise disciple should worship his Master with control over his senses and mind.
32. Of what worth is Tapas, charity, renunciation, cramming the scriptures, oration, solitude and silence to one whose heart is not surrendered at the feet of Master.
Total Avoidance of Sex
33. An aspirant should not associate with the opposite sex or those who are fond of the opposite sex because the mind becomes agitated. When the mind becomes agitated he cannot serve his preceptor with faith and devotion.
34. Sadhana is of no avail if the disciple does not obey his Acharya.
35. The wise aspirant should avoid all sorts of bad company and should associate with the Guru and saints. Their company would make him unattached and purge his mind of all desires.
36. Just as cold, fear, darkness, leave a man who resorts to the fire, so also ignorance, fear of death, and all evils run away from a man who lives with his Guru.
37. The wise Guru is the supreme resort for those who are tossed about in this ocean of Samsara.
38. The sun bestows only one external eye, but the Guru bestows many eyes in many ways of attaining knowledge.
Guru–The Incarnate Divinity
39. Guru is the veritable God on earth and he is the true friend and reliable relative.
40. Disciple should prostrate before his Guru, saying to him “O Lord! O Lord! Have mercy on me who has taken shelter in thee. Protect me from the ocean of birth and death.”
41. He who worships the Feet of Guru who is divine, with disinterested devotion, directly attains His Grace.
42. The disciple cuts off, by means of meditation and the sword of knowledge obtained from the Preceptor and sharpened by service to him, this baseless Ahamkara, which is imbedded in the mind, speech, Pranas, body and wanders in this world, freed of all attachments.
43. Contact with the objects should be avoided till attachment, which taints the mind, is completely cut off by the powerful weapon of intense devotion to Guru.
44. He who practises Yoga, by taking refuge in Guru, is not overcome by various obstacles.
45. The true disciple should, unhesitatingly and without shyness, prostrate on the ground ‘Sashtanga’ as a token of his complete surrender, at the Holy Feet of his Guru.
46. Whosoever devotes himself to the worship and service of Guru without expectation of reward will never go wrong, nor will he ever lose the benefit of such worship and service.
47. He is verily purified and attains salvation who daily studies the sacred Guru Gita, containing the light of wisdom.
48. He who delights in the Glory of His Guru and in narrating his Guru’s glory to others, shall truly attain Guru’s Grace.
49. In the ignorance-dispelling Presence of Guru, who verily is God, the Absolute,–in His Presence shall all thy doubt’s be dispelled, like snow before the rising Sun.
50. “O Great and Most Revered Guru, I bow to Thee in reverence. Pray, instruct me how I may attain unfailing devotion to Thy Lotus-Feet and how my mind may always rest in devotion at thy Merciful Feet”–thus in all humility and self-surrender should the true disciple (prostrate) and plead before his Guru.
51. Glory to the most exalted Guru who is God-visible! Glory to the Sacred Scriptures that have sung the praises of the Guru! Glory to the true disciple that has found his sole refuge in such a Guru.
God-Realisation through the Grace of Guru
52. God-realisation cannot be attained by discourse nor intelligence nor by profound study nor by charity or austerity. It can be realised by him who has got grace of Guru.
53. Even a drop of Guru’s grace is quite sufficient to free oneself from the trammels of this Samsara.
54. It is through the grace of Guru alone that an aspirant can stick to the spiritual path and can break all kinds of ties and attachments.
55. The disciple who is full of egoism and who will not listen to the words of the Guru will be destroyed ultimately.
56. There is no difference between God and Guru who is a realised one. Both are identical.
57. There is no hope of overhauling the old vicious Samskaras of a neophyte without the help of a Satsanga with the Guru.
58. Association with the Guru is a safe boat to take the aspirant to the other shore of fearlessness and shore which is beyond darkness.
Praise of Guru in Scriptures
59. The glory of Guru-Bhakti is vividly eulogised in Bhagavata, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Yoga Vasishtha etc. Study them daily. You will be inspired.
60. Books which are written by Guru who is a realised one, constitute negative Satsanga. When you study them with full of faith and devotion you are wholly in communion with your holy Guru.
61. Guru’s grace will descend on deserving disciple only who is earnestly struggling on the path and who is thirsting for God-realisation.
62. Nowadays disciples want to lead a life of ease and comfort and expect the grace of Guru, without obeying him.
63. Guru Nanak, Tulasidas, Sankaracharya, Vyasa and Valmiki have all written volumes on the Glory of association with the Guru and great souls.
64. Purandara Das, Mira Bai, etc., sang the glory of Guru Kripa.
65. Faith in God, in scriptures, love and devotion to Guru and God slowly develop in those who do regular Satsanga.
66. The company of Guru is a question of supply and demand. If there is sincere demand the supply will come at once; this is the inexorable law of nature.
67. If you are really thirsty for God-realisation you will find your spiritual teacher at your very threshold.
68. The company of the great realised Guru is difficult of attainment, unapproachable and beneficial. If you pray sincerely with devotion they themselves will come to you.
On Finding the Guru
69. Good things are always rare in this world. Musk, saffron, radium, sandal-wood, learned persons, virtuous persons, and philanthropists are rare. When such is the case what to speak of saints, Bhaktas, and Yogins, sages, seers, and Guru who is a realised one.
70. If you do service of the Guru who is a realised one, the question of your salvation is solved.
71. If you say that there are no good Mahatmas and preceptors, preceptors will also say that there is no good disciple.
72. The company of the great souls is obtained by the Grace of God alone.
73. Evil company should be certainly avoided by aspirants who want to serve the Guru and have his blessings.
74. Who crosses this Maya? Only he who abandons evil company, who serves the large-hearted Guru, who is free from “I”-ness, and “mine-ness.”
75. By keeping company with the Guru, who is free from likes and dislikes, one becomes dispassionate. He gets Vairagya.
76. He develops Guru-Bhakti to the Lotus-Feet of Guru.
77. He who serves his Guru with devotion attains the summum bonum of life.
78. Aspirant’s mind gets one-pointed by itself without any effort by serving the Guru.
79. Guru-Grantha-Sahib says that without Guru the path to God cannot be found. The Guru being God himself, can lead the aspirant on the path and guide him along the path, and he alone can make the Chela realise that he is himself God.
Great Love of Guru
78. A great secret of developing divine virtues and qualities lies in Guru-Bhakti.
80. Guru himself will impart all the Divine virtues to the disciple who completely surrenders at his Lotus-Feet.
81. Those who cannot control their minds and practise meditation,–the only remedy for them is to develop Guru-Bhakti and service to Guru.
82. Guru knows the difficulties and obstacles of the disciple because he is a Trikala Jnani. So pray to him silently. He will remove your obstacles.
83. Darshan of Guru removes all darkness and gives immense joy.
84. May Lord bless you all to develop rare divine virtue of Guru-Bhakti.
85. Lord Himself appears as Acharya either directly in human form or indirectly through a great Jnani, a Man of spiritual experience who is in direct communion with the Lord.
86. From birth to death the only purpose in life is to serve the great Master.
In Tune with the Guru
87. Man as an individual, as an intellectual person has no power. He has not got the real knowledge. But real knowledge, real power, real happiness, manifest themselves in a person only when he has got into the touch with Guru who is in tune with the Supreme Being.
88. Disciple must be humbler than the blade of grass. Then only Guru’s grace will descend upon him.
89. When a disciple cannot meditate, when he does not know the secret path of spiritual life, the only way is to serve the Guru and get his blessings.
90. When the mind is calm and serene you can meditate. If it is disturbed; do Japa, study books and serve the Guru with devotion and faith. Then only you can evolve quickly.
91. The whole life from birth to death is a period of studentship. Then only the student can acquire spiritual knowledge which leads to salvation.
92. Disciples who reside at Gurukula should try their level best day and night not to have desire for anything of this world, which, is transitory.
93. It is to the disciple who has got a Guru that the doors of Immortality are opened.
94. Aspirants must know that mere study of books, cramming the phrases will not bestow Immortality. On the other hand it makes them proud. The real knowledge which solves the life’s problem can be obtained through Guru’s Grace.
95. The very company, the very association with the Guru who has seen God, has got its own supreme effect on disciple. It is greater than all studies.
96. Satsanga with Guru is the prime factor which regenerates a disciple, which illuminates him, which opens the door to heaven.
97. Association of Guru alone can help an aspirant to mould his character, to direct his consciousness and to know what really he is.
Guidance for the Disciple
98. The most important thing is service of Guru, abiding by the orders of the Guru, worship of the Guru and meditation on Guru. That is the best thing which a disciple has to do.
99. Disciple has to pray again and again to Devi Saraswati, the Guru who has extended his blessings on him and God who is supreme father.
100. Disciple must be grateful to his preceptor throughout his life, even though he has discontinued his studies from him.
101. The grace of Guru is always there. The only thing is that the disciple must have faith in Guru’s words and obey his commands.
102. Svadhyaya or study is necessary to keep the intellect bright so that it may not be misdirected, misused. And, then, more important than that is Satsanga, company of a Sage, or a Mahatma. That is, we must have a Guru so that we may be constantly guided, we may be pointed out the pitfalls that are on the path. Then he will be able to move properly with the help of the wisdom which is given to him by the Guru.
The Secret of Realisation
103. The secret of contacting the Reality which is the summum bonum of life is Guru-Bhakti.
104. Guru’s words are law for a true disciple.
105. To become a slave of the Guru, is to become the servant of God.
106. He is really a Guru who has seen God and shows Him to the worthy disciple.
107. Beware of pseudo-Gurus who can cram the whole Sastras and quote to the disciples, but they themselves cannot practise what they preach.
108. A lazy disciple cannot get Guru’s Grace.
109. Disciple who is of Rajasic temperament cannot understand the actions of Guru who does Lokasangraha.
110. Disciple must consult his Guru before he undertakes anything.