A lot of hue and cry has been heard about someone called Guru. People who have taken someone’s anugraha think He is the only power who will do everything for them. They need not work. People who are self-made never believe that it is worth giving another person so much authority to dictate their lives.
These are two extremes of thought processes prevalent in today’s world of extremes. Which one is correct? We can debate over them for hours together giving valid examples of both extremes.
In one such candid debates with my husband, who has no experience about this principle, who thinks God is in all human beings and who is one of the wisest men indeed, I tried to make adjustments to my own thought processes to find out the truth. So, I distanced myself from my thoughts to seek valid and more permanent answers.
A Yoga Upanishad called Advayataraka Upanishad explains the word "Guru" as follows:
गुशब्दस्त्वन्धकारः स्यात् रुशब्दस्तन्निरोधकः ।
अन्धकारनिरोधित्वात् गुरुरित्यभिधीयते ॥ १६॥
The syllable Gu indicates darkness, the syllable Ru means its dispeller,
Because of the quality of dispelling darkness, the Guru is thus termed.
The most important point to note is that it’s the quality of a person or thing to dispel darkness or ignorance which qualifies it to be called as Guru.
Whenever we have a problem whom do we first recall? It’s our own strength, intelligence and consciousness to act appropriately. Whether we call our strength or intelligence or consciousness would again depend on which level of consciousness we currently are. Strength and intelligence can be seen in our decisions. But consciousness can be felt. It is our inner calling.
Our calling indicates our natural process of evolution. Yoga is not a fight with ourselves. It’s increasing our own awareness about our level of consciousness. Whatever we give according our nature (our individual combination of satva, raja and tama) comes back to us. Thus, our duty would simply be to keep the fire and desire of evolution within us ignited.
When we continuously flow with our natural tendencies, one day comes when we feel our intelligence is insufficient to deal with the problems we face. That is the time, we need our inner power. That day the universal consciousness itself comes for helping us tap our inner Self in the form of Guru.
It’s so simple right, Guru is not a person or a living being. It is our own Self coming out, when we are unable to reach Him within. This is Yoga! This is nature! This is evolution! When we unleash our own sheaths one after the other to reach the ultimate state of oneness.
But even a small glimpse of that state is enough to bring craziness in an individual. The person would see only one Lord everywhere! In food, in garbage, in sinner, in lover, in child, in elders, in metals, in rocks. When one feels the universality of existence, it becomes difficult to stay in the current body. The body becomes the biggest restriction to totally feel the Advaita Sthiti.
That is the time, when enlightened beings or Saints or Sages or what we call today as Gurus, come into the picture to give clarity of right and wrong and do’s and don’ts. Thus, Guru is our own Self guiding us from time to time.
In whatever stage of life we are, if we have clarity or capability to have clarity, we do not seek the help of the Guru. If ever, our life lacks clarity or the capability of getting that clarity, open the hearts and keep the fire ignited. He is right there. He is God. He is Self. He is everywhere. Therefore its is said:
गुरू ब्रह्मा गुरू विष्णु, गुरु देवो महेश्वरा ।
गुरु साक्षात परब्रह्म, तस्मै श्री गुरुवे नमः ॥
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