Guru-Bhakti YogaHis teaching on the Guru
GURU PURNIMA MESSAGES
1956
Know Thy Self And Be Free!
“People seldom improve when they have no model but themselves to copy,” said Oliver Goldsmith. “He that hath ears, let him hear; he that hath eyes, let him see,” said Jesus Christ.
Through ages gone by, the torch of truth, of supernal beauty and immortality, of the enduring values of life, of the secrets of spiritual illumination, has been passed on through a succession of great and glorious souls, the teachers of humanity, the custodians of all that is worth living for.
In the vast, sprawling school of life, studded with myriads of beckoning entities and experiences, Nature Herself, the stupendous Teacher par excellence, holds out the means to the solution of all vexing problems, mysteries and anomalies.
“He that hath eyes, let him see.” The message is there always, the listeners, too, are there. But those who deliberately shut their eyes and ears, would slumber on in their self-wrought gloom of nescience; for no awakening can be truly effective unless there is a reciprocal willingness to wake up.
Sincerity and earnestness, faith and willingness to learn, are therefore the first essential requisite that every seeker must possess. Then he must have the gift of rational discrimination to sift out the genuine from the false, the desirable from the undesirable, the conducive from the incompatible, and thereafter, a firm determination to hold on to what he has chosen with unreserved faith and consistency, and pursue his ideal with relentless perseverance.
The relationship between the Guru and the disciple can hardly be enduring when pivoted on a relative understanding, on a mundane sense of reciprocation. How best could one serve one’s preceptor? In the very best way that pleases him most, through implicit obedience spurred by a clear-cut and unbiased understanding. The most fruitful service that one can render to the preceptor is to be a pellucid example of his precept.
Seekers of Truth! On the holy occasion of the Guru Purnima, dedicate yourselves afresh to the service of the teachers of humanity, to the ideals lived by them, to the teachings bestowed by them. Hearken their message of peace and goodwill, of unselfish love towards all beings, of willing service to the suffering and the forlorn, of purification and refinement of your nature, of cultivation of all that are positive and desirable, and effacement of all that are crude, coarse, mean and impure.
Forget not the goal. Forget not that truth is real untruth a dereliction; success is real, failure an impetus; virtue is real, vice its enunciation; love is real, hate a misguided impulse; happiness is real, sorrow a self-delusion life is real, death a changing phase of life itself, always directed towards the better.
Meditate, and usher in the dawn of peace and inner illumination. Introspect, and cleanse the dross of mundane desires. Reflect, and sift the real from the unreal. Amidst this earthly panorama of colour and pageant, of candour and deceit, of ardour and disdain, of panegyrics and calumny, through the waxing and waning of life,–find grace and poise and beauty and happiness in the solitude of your heart, in the sanctum of your essential spiritual nature. Be a witness! Know thyself, and be free!
May the blessings of the Brahmavidya Gurus, of the past and the present, be ever upon you all!
1957
The Wheel Of Divine Life
Salutations to the Supreme Guru, the Immortal Spirit, the common unifying entity present in all. Salutations to the torch-bearers of knowledge divine. Salutations, to all seekers of truth who live the life divine Adorations for all holy aspirations. Benedictions for the fruition of every noble endeavour.
The eternal mysteries of the human spirit, the ever-restless and dissatisfied emotional being of man, the inadequacies of the temporal existence, the failure of the intellect to solve the problems of life satisfactorily. The baffling gulf that separates great ideals from rude realities–all tend to turn one’s mind towards God. Divine life is the process through which one progresses towards the realisation of God, and achieves the remedy of all the ills that life is heir to.
Guru is the guide who leads the aspirant on the way, and the aspirant is the pilgrim who toils on the ascent of divine life.
A progressive refinement of the mental and moral make up of man is the primary objective of divine life. It begins with dedication to some fundamental principles such as truth, purity, and non-injury, the practice of which automatically entails the voluntary enforcement of self-discipline, and ensuing of the process of purification.
The implementation of these three fundamental principles in the daily life of the individual, in an impeccable manner, itself constitutes the vital part of divine life.
Human nature has two sides, the negative and the positive, one trying to preponderate over the other. There are invariably the “Dr. Jekyll” and “Mr. Hyde” elements in every man. When the “Hyde” element dominates, one becomes a social derelict, bringing upon oneself and others all the evil consequences of the boundless passions and destructive sadism of the instinctive part of one’s being. Yet, there are people who have in them a remarkable measure of the “Jekyll” element, which distinguishes them as great benefactors of society, and who are by far in a better position to be in peace with themselves and with others, too.
The positive, ultimately overcomes the negative, though, in common experience, the negative forces hold an irrepressible sway over frequent phases in the lives of the most of the people. But, not so with those who have made a beginning in walking the way of reason, of discretion, prudence, divine life. In them the discriminative mind tries to rule over the instinctive part of their being. Viveka guides their actions, Vairagya sanctifies their motives, and Mumukshutva inspires their endeavours–each of the three deriving its strength and light from the spiritual part of their being.
To follow the path of truth, purity and non-injury is implicative of the highest form of self-discipline, amounting to neutralising every negative propensity emanating from the lower nature. Truth necessarily indicates, apart from the chastity of speech, the right sense of values, the courage to implement into action what one knows to be true, though it may not be entirely conducive, or may be even detrimental, to one’s material good. Truth also means the strength of will to abide by all positive principles, a sense of justice an unbiased mind, and recognition of the pervasiveness of its subtle essence in all life.
Purity is the touchstone of divine life which should have the power of transmuting all that is negative into the positive. The practice of purity covers the entire range of the culturing of emotions, and whatever is implied by self-restraint. It means the practice of the “Shat-sampat” namely, control of mind, and the senses, tranquillity, forbearance, faith and concentration. Purity is physical and mental, since both are interrelated. Purity of thought naturally leads to purity of action as well as the sublimation of the sex-urge. Purity of motive, of life in general, is preliminary to the practice of truth.
Non-injury is love, indicated counterwise. Here self-restraint (Yama) is again incumbent. The meaning of non-injury is complete only when it is implemented whole-heartedly–in thought, speech and action. The principles of love compassion, mercy, fellowship and goodwill are all entwined in the term “non-injury.” Unless these principles are fully practised, the virtue of non-injury remains artificial.
Whilst love is a direct expression of non-injury, its logical fruition is in service. That much-maligned term “love”, which is overly misapplied to sensual tomfoolery, selfish attachment, circumstantial sentimentality, emotional fixation, and superimposed self-pity, is, indeed, a rare plant that grows only in the garden of divine life and that has to be continuously tended and nurtured to make it enblossom in all its glory. Love and service are inseparable. So, too, with understanding of, and respect for, the feelings of others. One cannot be said to possess love for humanity, and yet be selfish and callous to the suffering of others. The selfless service is divine love in action.
If you are able to cultivate and practise these three basic tenets of divine life, which, in reality, traverse the entire gamut of practical spirituality, then you are on the road to Self-realisation, the ultimate goal of human aspiration. Even a rudimentary success in this path is greatly conducive to one’s peace and happiness, to the worthiness of existence, to the betterment of human nature, to the good of society and the world at large. A collective awareness of the great importance of divine life, with all its pragmatic values, can surely contribute, in a large measure, to the promotion of world-peace, solidarity and fellowship.
Brahmavidya is, in other words, the knowledge of divine life, the central ideal of all spiritual aspirants. In this alone lies the salvation of mankind. May the blessings of the Divine Guru be upon all.