Reading some other blog regarding the search for the Guru inspired me to pen down this post.
Guru- translated very loosely as a Teacher in English. A Guru means much more than that. Guru means the wise one, the all knowing, a friend, a guide, a parent, a philosopher, a punisher... maybe much more. As we have come around to adopt one of the most limited languages in the world, we have also narrowed down and watered down age old concepts and methodologies. Still through all this, some way or the other the spiritual seeker yearns and maybe, even looks out for a Guru. However, it is now more difficult than ever as we have one godman after the other in every city, town or village.
The concept of a Guru is one which has sprang up in the East thousands of years back and has been held in the most highest and sacred of feelings. Yet, one rarely comes upon a true Guru nowadays.
The saying "The Master appears as soon as the Pupil is ready" is not a Zen philosophy but something that was always imbibed in Sanathana Dharma (Modernly known as Hinduism). People (like me) often forget this small yet very deep statement. Patience is one of the virtues that one has to cultivate in this seemingly short Human life. For this, we need to remember the concept of rebirth and the law of Dharma. A river which winds down and around a hill or near a village does not always look like it is trying to reach the sea, but it does. Like that, though it might not seem so at the moment, but we all are somewhere on our way to the Creator. There are about 60 to 70 students in a classroom and yet there is only 1 student who will top the class. The teacher, the lessons and the exams were the same but yet only 1 would top. It's because he was prepared the most. In this particular cosmic play (lila) of life, no one is a looser but just that everyone is at their own unique stages of life. Patience and an unwavering faith in the goodness of the Almighty Self is required. I feel the most important faith to remind oneself would be that all the beings, living and non-living, are sentient manifestations of the Absolute. Then hope that one day one is able to love boundlessly. Maybe then the Guru will arrive and if he does, we might not ignore him/her.
The other wrong impression is that we look for a personalised Guru i.e. a fellow human being. Scriptures and history is full of stories of siddhas and rishis and we long for someone like that to help us in this search for Truth. While doing so we do miss the other forms of the Guru out there. Sitting under a tree, next to a river and meditating is supposed to be very beneficial. Trees and the river is supposed to have great powers which our limited mind cannot fathom. The deity which has been initiated on the idol/rock too has powers not ordinarily seen.
Then there will be the Silent masters like the effulgent Arunachala Hill in Thiruvannamalai. It is supposed to be Shiva himself. It is supposed to be the most powerful spiritual center in Earth. It works in its own mysterious ways. It has attracted so many mentions in our ancient puranas. It has also attracted various siddhis, rishis and sages from lands afar. Sage Virupaksha, Sage Gautama, Ramana Maharshi, Seshadri Swamigal, etc. to name a few of the compassionate beings who have realised the Self here. Other than that, there are others like Paul Brunton, Major Chadwick, Arthur Osbourne, David Godman, Dwarkanath Reddy who have somehow wound up in this place. Thinking about the hill or just being there itself provides a certain stillness in the mind. I had to visit the place multiple times before it started working on my being. Someone has rightly said that being there is like sitting in Shiva's lap.
Of course, then there is one of the most important Guru... the Self which resides in all of us. Ramana Maharshi too has hinted that remembering this is the most important sadhana. The Sufis whirling too is dedicated to the external physical Guru as well the Self that resides within. Logically speaking, the first man who went about finding God had no access to a personal Guru but the one within and ones manifested out. I feel meditating on one Self will purify one's mind and then would pave the way to Truth. Perseverance, love, determination, faith and above all surrendering one to the Universe is the most required virtue.
Yet, somehow we are all adamant at finding a real live Guru. I have no idea how to test and find one. Ramana Maharshi, the Silent Sage (just like the holy hill), never initiated anyone or claimed anyone as a disciple. Yet, thousands of people used to go and have his darshan. Ramana Maharshi attained the Self at a young age of 17 without any Sadhana. Ramana Maharshi never left Thiruvannamalai for the rest of his life after he arrived soon after his Realisation. Maybe, His Soul was too ripe a fruit that it had to fall. I too am at times attracted to idea of meeting a live Guru. I would love to meet Shri M and hope that he can help play the role of a catalyst in dissolving me. But then, I think about Ramana Maharshi and Arunachala Hill and try to bestow my faith in Him. Let Him come to me, when I am ready.
As a seeker, I am bound to be wrong. But this post is written out of my experiences, readings and philosophisizings. As always, there is no definite way to the top as all the ways go to the top of the mountain. Wish and hope that I and all of you find a way :-).
