Guru Gita Discourse Twelve

Gurucharanam Saranam

Yadamghri-kamala-dwandwam Dwandwa-taapa-nivaarakam
Taarakam Bhava-sindhoscha Tam Gurum Pranamaamyaham

I salute that Guru, the pair of whose lotus feet remove the suffering owing to the consciousness of binaries and take us across the ocean of worldly life.

Suffering is the mental agony and agitation arising out of the dualities in life. Absence of food is the cause of suffering for a hungry man. When food is availed, the suffering ends but only to reappear. This is the truth of all sensory joys and pleasures. Like night follows day, sorrow follows all pleasures derived out of the mind body mechanism. So long as we are unable to transcend the contradictory experiences arising out from the interplay of sensory perceptions, human relations and aspirations in life, we would not savor peace of mind and experience tranquility of the Self. The way to tranquility is to fix our mind on the neutral point between sorrow and pleasure. What is that neutral point in us? It is the ever lasting consciousness in us concentrating on which one attains peace. Spirituality is this knowing of the self and nurturing it.

Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru affirmed that every soul is born subject to the cosmic rules and regulations. Life takes birth under 12 constellations, 27 stars and 9 planets in the solar system carrying unique spiritual rays that affect human life and character. This cosmic regulation is not a random arrangement but is decided by the karmic qualities and evolutionary status of the soul. Then there are the strong karmic, spiritual and ancestral bonds and debts the soul is tied with from previous lives. A Guru of transcendental experience knows the soul of the disciple. By the sword of his grace, he cuts these bonds and lifts the disciple to transcendental bliss. Through the service to Guru, the soul gets gradually purified of all impurities and inimical influences. Only then, the disciple can hope to reach the realm of spiritual experience. Therefore, in the three worlds, only the lotus feet of Guru, who is knowledge manifest, can remove the pangs of suffering and limitation of the soul.

Worldly life is compared to an ocean because of its impenetrable depth, unpredictable currents, and dangerous threats. It is perennial, riddle-some and difficult for one to swim over to the other end of this ocean called life. But the Guru of transcendental vision enables the inquisitive and enthusiastic disciple to cross over this difficult ocean. The peace and tranquility of the spirit definitely lies beyond the turbulent waters of life.

Guru Gita Discourse Eleven

Gurucharanam Saranam

Goodda-avidya Jagan-maayaa Dehamajnaana-sambhavam
Vijnaanam Yat Prasaadena Guru-sabdena Kathyate

Ignorance is not easily perceivable. The world is illusory. The physical body is caused to be born from this ignorance. That benevolence which results in knowledge (that cuts asunder this ignorance) is expressed by the word Guru.

Here ‘Avidya’ – the ignorance causing delusory perception of the material world is said to be a riddle. The argument is in line with Vedantic perception of God and the Universe. Vedanta advocates that only God exists in reality, the world phenomenon being a mirage, a delusory perception. It could be so for a realized soul. But for all other practical purposes and for unrealized souls the physical world is very much a reality and is the very medium by which the highest Truth is known. Though it has been mentioned that the world is ‘maaya’ – an illusion, it only means that it is a phenomenon to be transcended. However, one should not deny its existence as merely illusion. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru did not agree with the popular interpretation of ‘maaya’. The world phenomenon is for real and has a scientific basis of its own based on the karmic and evolutionary principles of the soul, the jeeva. Only on transcending the karmic bonds and evolutionary spiritual layers, by understanding and observing right dharma and karma according to the wheel of cosmic time, the individual soul would get rid of delusion and realize its imperishable nature.

To wish away the world of karma and evolution as maaya is a self deluding philosophical discourse. The soul is bound to the physical body so long as the karmic seed is present. The release from the physical limitations is possible only by transcending certain spiritual planes. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru speaks of ten such spiritual skies such as the plane of human beings, of Pitrus (ancestors), of Devas, of Rishis etc. From the third to sixth stages of soul transformation, it is the plane of celestial beings and Trimurthis, the trinity in Hinduism. It is said that there are billions of souls in these spiritual skies, several times more the population of the human world. Once the spiritual plane of Trimurthis (devi-devas), is transcended the soul assumes the form of light, losing its characteristics of name and form. This happens at the seventh stage of spiritual transformation.

According to Guru, after the seventh stage also, there are some more spiritual planes before the soul succeeds to merge with the Brahman, the Supreme Universal Support. No soul can transcend these spiritual planes without the help of a Guru, who has himself transcended these spiritual planes. And at every step of spiritual transformation, there are unimaginable impediments and resistance from the souls already inhabiting these spiritual skies. Only through the grace of Guru, this spiritual wisdom could be realized by an aspirant. This is the truth and significance of Guru.

Mukundan

Gurugita Discouse Ten

Gurucharanam Saranam

Guru-budhyaatmano Naanyat Satyam Satyam Varaanane!
Tallaabhaarttham Prayatnastu Karthavyascha Maneeshibhih

According to the wisdom of Guru, there is nothing separate from the Soul. This verily is the truth, O beautiful one! Intelligent men should strive for its attainment as it is their duty.

Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru said, ‘What is it called as God? It is an actualization (karma) that evolves out of the interplay of five sheaths (panchakosa) and five senses in synchronization with the solitary Consciousness (jeevatma) and Supreme Consciousnesses (paramatma)’.

Everything is perceived or experienced through our consciousness, the ‘soul’. If there were no consciousness (soul), there would be only blankness. We cannot even know that we exist. That is why it is said that there is nothing separate from the soul. Only in the soul, in that consciousness screen we perceive and experience life and the universe. This existential awareness is the truth and veracity behind spirituality. By knowing our nature as pure consciousness we come to know of its eternal imperishable support, the Supreme Consciousness or God. Our physical bodies are like houses in which inhabits the blissful soul encased in astral layers or zones viz. the Intelligence zone (vijnanamaya kosa), Mind zone (Manomaya kosa), the zone of functional energies (pranamaya kosa) and finally the karmic body made of food (annamayakosa). The microbial soul is constantly throbbing to expand by transcending the limitations of astral encasements in order to find its peace in the unconditioned blissful Consciousness.

Though the Supreme Truth is without name and form, we can have its meaningful cognition through the medium of the Universal Soul, which acts as its qualitative empirical experience (Saguna Brahman). This Universal Soul is verily the Guru Consciousness. Being the first born of the formless Truth, it is known as Aadi Guru – the Primal Guru from whom have emerged both the blue print and the building blocks of the universe. This is the wisdom of the seers of Sanatana Dharma.

According to the astral plan of Adi Guru the Creation is ordained. First the Saptarshis (the seven primary Rishis) were born and through their contemplation 12 constellations, 27 stars and 9 planets also get created. From the interpenetration and interplay of these divine energies, a replica of the soul is created in the waters of the earth with the warmth of the sun and the cool rays of the moon. In the Upanishads the Sun is compared to the soul of man and the moon his mind. We may know that the soul qualities of man are thus reflective of and related to the constellations, stars and planets. Along with the cosmos, creation of other astral substances such as time, space and locations also took place.

The soul requires space around it to breath and to expand, hence the creation of the planetary system, revolving under which through many births, through many life forms, learning and self-evolving, the soul attains dissolution in the Absolute Truth transcending all spiritual planes. This happens under the auspices of Manus (primal human ancestors or spiritual authorities) according to an astral calendar. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru taught us that the guru-disciple bond is the elucidation of this cosmic truth. In his discourse to Parvati, Lord Siva informs that all intelligent people should be orienting life to this divine truth as it is the very meaning of life.

Mukundan

Gurugita Discourse Nine

Gurucharanam saranam

Japastapo Vritam Teertham Yajno Daanam Tathaiva Cha
Guru-tatwam-avijnaaya Sarvam Vyartham Bhavet Priye!

O Dear One! Japa (the recitation of mantra) Tapa (spiritual austerities) Vritam (Vows), Teertham (Visiting of Holy Places) and also the path of Jnaana (Knowledge) and Daana (Charities) come to naught if one does not know the truth of Guru.


Majority of us are engaged in one or other form of spiritual practices. In fact atheists are an insignificant minority in the world. Even atheists have god, their conscience. What is our concept of God? No one could claim to have a clue about god for god is incomprehensible to human intelligence and sensory perception. However all of us still keep an image or idea about god and do certain practices, observe rituals and follow some ideologies, gurus or prophets which give us varying degrees of moral and mental satisfaction. But stil we feell some emptiness, of having not fully realized life. We know that we are bound and caged in a limited space. We have not yet reached that shore beyond, that of unshackled Freedom, Light and Knowledge.

‘It is true that what really exists is the formless Truth, beyond all conceptions, like the limitless sky’. Navajyoti Sri Karunkara Guru said.

The actual spiritual truth exists well beyond the mind boggling multiplicities of forms and ideologies that trouble human mind perpetually. The spiritual truth is an experience beyond, in the quietened state of the soul. We experience different states of consciousness, sometime tied to the physical, mental, intellectual or the soul. There is a painful gravitational struggle in life when the soul tries to traverse these consciousness borders, lifting us to the subtler and subtler existential truth. Similarly, a struggle of grave nature awaits a truth seeker while passing through the strata of spiritual evolution before realizing the Ultimate Reality – God. But the seekers of truth get stuck at various borderlines of spirituality, unable to raise themselves beyond. Here our attachment to symbols and rituals or spiritual and cultural conditionings would not help. What helps us in this dilemma is the supreme grace of Guru, who can lift us up from there.

‘If there is a formless nature to Truth, in what all (consciousness) states they exist? This should be shown by guru. There are many who have seen (experienced) the Truth. But Guru is not who has seen it, but who imparts it (this experience) to others’ (Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru).

Many are the ideologies and practices, one or the other of which we fanatically or ignorantly follow, while disputing and disliking the others. Surely we are in a domain of ignorance. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru never denied the truth in others. What He said was that we should evolve to the formless nature of Truth, which is possible only by getting rid of soul’s karmic and spiritual liabilities accrued during the course of many births and deaths. In this effort, only the grace of Guru helps. The Guru meant here is not a Guru in lower spiritual zones, but a Guru who takes us across the borderless spiritual experience as expected of this age by godly Will. Alas, today the spiritual fraternity is groping in the dark in search of that Light.



Mukundan

Gurugita Discourse Eight

Gurucharanam Saranam


Veda-saastra-puraanaani Itihaasaadikaani Cha
Mantra-yantraadi-vidyaascha Mohanocchaatanaadikam
Saiva-saakta-agamaadiini Hyanye Cha Bahavo Mataah
Apabhramshaah Samastaanaam Jeevanaam Bhraanta-chetasaam

Vedas, Sastras (sciences), Puranas (ancient narratives), Itihasas (the epics), Mantra (magical chants) Yantras (amulets), Spells, Exorcism, cults like Saiva, Sakteya, etc. and many other paths together are all digressions born of delusion.

Today religious and spiritual beliefs are innumerably vast; the Vedic tradition, Buddhist tradition, Christian, Jewish and Islamic tradition to mention only a few. Then there are the tantric and yogic tradition of many hues and origin, theist and atheist philosophies, spirit worship and deity worship, alternative spirituality, new age spirituality …. Even God is likely to get confused over the ingenuity of human beings!

While the Truth resides in the eternal silence of the soul in inalienable communion with God, the rattle of our intellect, the frenzy of our mind and the clamor of our actions unseat the inner calm. From a disquiet mind, arises the demon of delusion. And from delusion, blind faith bereft of dharma. It manifests in myriad forms. Its offshoots are many-branched, finally culminating in hatred and violence. Religion-based terrorism we witness today is only one extreme form of this inner digression.

The petals of mutually conflicting ideologies that are strewn under the tree of Hinduism are examples of this intellectual digression consequent upon a fall from the serene summit of Brahmic Truth and Sanatana Dharma. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru describes this fall in a similar context thus:

‘The Brahma of the trimurthi tradition was misconceived as Brahman (the Supreme Truth). Brahman is all pervading. Brahma is not so. Brahma relates only to the aspect of creation, still it was made to believe that Brahma was above everything. However, Brahma is not everything. Thus we fell into error….’

We can observe that every sect and creed thus competes with each other to hoist the god or prophet of their conception to the ultimate verity of Truth. In this frenzied clamor of beliefs, it is easy for a true seeker to get deluded and thus miss the right direction.

A few people, well learned in religious lore, were going on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Kashi. They came together on a forest route. Suddenly they found that the path branched ahead into many. A quarrel began in the group as to what should be the right path. Even after long time, they could not figure out the right path. Time went by and soon it would be dark. That time a sage came by that way who had been to that city earlier and knew the path. All of them followed him and reached the holy city of Kashi safely. This is how a Guru helps in our life, a Guru who has transcended the limitations of the world.

Therefore, let a seeker of truth be vigilant and be open to ideas which is essentially experiential and transcendental in nature.

Mukundan

Guru Gita Discourse Seven

Gurucharanam Saranam

Durlabham Trishu-lokeshu Tacchrunushwa Vadaamyaham
Gurum Brahma Vinaa Naanyat Satyam Satyam Varaanane

O beautiful one! I will tell you that which is very rare in the three worlds. Please listen. Guru is none other than the Absolute Brahman – God Himself. This verily is the truth.

Comments:

The lore of Siva and Parvati belonged to a time segment when the tradition of Trimurthi worship (worship of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) was in vogue. The concept of Guru-disciple though existed and Gurus were treated in high esteem, they were however not given a status above the gods by Vaidikas (the Vedic ritualists). Worship of gods was promoted and given prominence by the Vedic priests.


There is the story of Atri Maharshi in the scriptures. Once Indra, the king of gods was cursed by Rishi Gautama, as Indra had spoiled the chastity of Gautama’s wife. (Just think how noble indeed the deeds of gods whom we offer worship!) Due to the curse, the body of Indra became disfigured with suppurating wounds. He approached the trinity gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara and requested them to save him from the curse. But the gods informed him about their inability to save him from the curse of a sage. At this juncture, Narada, advised Indra to go to Atri Maharshi, whose ashram was situated in the vicinity of Mount Mainakam (now believed to have been submerged under the sea near Kanyakumari).


Indra in desperation came down to the ashram of Atri and begged him to cure him of the dreaded curse. The kind hearted Atri asked his wife to help Indra. She brought the ‘paada teertham’ (water made holy by washing the feet of her husband, sage Atri) and sprinkled on Indra. Lo, the king of gods, Indra was free of the disease and thus got a fresh whiff of life. This place is known as ‘Sucheendram’ even today. Sucheendram means the place where Indra got purified of his sins. So who is great and noble in this story? The gods or Atri Maharshi? You may decide yourself.


But the erstwhile religious depredators had decided that they would not grant a sage a position above the gods. So what happened at Sucheendram? Atri Maharshi was buried deep under the sands of Sucheendram only to be remembered in a long forgotten dream. Today Brahma and Indra are worshipped in Sucheendram temple, not Atri, which is supposedly the place of Samadhi of Atri Maharshi. (Similarly is the case of Sri Krishna and Buddha, who were great souls of spiritual transcendence. However, in the subsequent ages, an attempt was made to equate them with the celestial gods by weaving mythical stories).


This is that secret of Guru, which Siva is explaining to Parvati for her proper understanding. The Guru Lord Siva is mentioning about is such a sage, who has transcended the celestial planes of ghosts, goblins, angels, gods and whatever other spirits and beings inhabit there and who going beyond the dualities of heaven and hell, name and form has merged with the Supreme Light to be its reflection, to be its medium. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru said that in front of such a sage, the gods are insignificant and of no consequence.



Mukundan

Guru Gita Discourse Six

Gurucharanam Saranam

Siva Said:

Mama Ruupaasi Devi Twam Twad-bhaktyartham Vadaamyaham
Lokopakaarakah Prasno Na Kenaapi Kritah Puraa

O divine one! You are my own Being. Owing to your devotion, I am revealing it to you. This question, which is beneficial to the world, has not been asked by anyone before.

Comments:
Siva, the popular god of great asceticism, is pleased by the unblemished devotion of Parvati. He equals her to his own Self. Their identification with each other is total. It is the saga of guru and disciple! Guru pours his grace, his ‘Self’ itself to the disciple, like the downpour that soothes the parched earth, the thirty heart of the disciple. Guru with endless patience waits for the arrival of such a disciple and the disciple for such a Guru. Many are people who go to Guru, but more often than not, they do it for the appeasement of worldly desires. And why not? Guru is verily Kamadhenu, the heavenly cow that grants your wishes.

After the era of Siva and Parvati, have we ever heard about another Parvati, the disciple Parvati? It would be wrong to say no. We have an incomparable example in our times, of Sishya Poojita Janani Amrita Jnana Tapaswini, of total surrender, love and dedication to the Guru. Imagine her devotion which forsook the comfort of home at the playful age of a child; imagine that wisdom, that courage which forsook the parents, dear and near ones for the sake of Guru. Sishya Poojita - she has even excelled Parvati of yore in the matter of devotion to Guru. Here one new epic has begun. With the pure passion of love and devotion to Guru, Sishyapoojita earned what a woman could never even dream about in the spiritual realm.

We do come across people, both in the ancient and modern era, who ask questions like ‘who am I’ or ‘who is God’ etc. But we hardly hear this imploration, ‘what is the secret of Guru concept?’, ‘what is the greatness of Guru?’ or how should one identify a Guru? People talk endlessly about the glory of the god of their faith, about the soul and the universe, questions well beyond human clarity; but the Guru concept is abandoned. There are reasons, however. The Guru concept is a highly secretive knowledge and Guru a rare occurrence, a rare manifestation. It is not our dry intellectual conceptions and blind faith that brings about spiritual progression, but the grace of Supreme Light channeled to us through the medium of Guru.

Well, from perennial time, humanity has not well pondered over this question, as affirmed by Siva here that this question Parvati asked about Guru had not been asked by anyone before.

Mukundan