Sri Swamiji in USA, Guru Purnima Celebrations, Chicago, 21 - 22 Jul 2013
Guru Purnima, Chicago, USA, 21 - 22 July 2013
Guru Tattva - Speech by Dr. Prakasa Rao on Guru Purnima celebrations - Sunday 21 July 2013
Guru Purnima is celebrated on the day of full moon in the month of Ashadha, which falls in June- July every year. All of us, who are assembled here and those, who are watching live stream, should remember the contribution of the great ancient sage Veda Vyasa whom we consider him to be original guru of the Hindu religion. In fact the Guru Purnima is also known as “Vyasa Purnima” and devotees celebrate this day by worshipping their respected Gurus. This is also the day we remember and reminisce the guidance and contribution of Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji to all His devotees and to the humanity. Today’s activities are filled with devotion, piety, piousness, worship, love, compassion and gratitude.
What is the contribution Veda Vyasa made to recognize this Purnima as Vyasa Purnima and pay our respects and admiration? First let us remember this day as the day Krishna-dwaipayana Vyasa was born to sage Parashara and fisher woman Satyavati. Veda Vyasa, did yeoman service to the cause of Vedic studies by codifying all the Vedic hymns dividing them into four parts based on their use in the sacrificial rites, and teaching them to his four chief disciples – Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu. He divided the Veda into four, namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. He is also the author of the Brahma Sutras - the essence of Vedanta. He is also the author of Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavatam. Vyasa even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Guru of Gurus. Let us do “Salutations unto thee, O Vyasa of broad intellect and with eyes large like the petals of full-blown lotuses, by whom the lamp of Knowledge, filled with the oil of the Mahabharata, has been lighted.” (Gita Dhyanam).
This day is set aside to celebrate and remember the contribution of the gurus by their respective devotees. We are very fortunate to have the fortune of celebrating the Guru Purnima to day by worshipping our beloved Sadguru Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji, who is seated like a Vyasa, Dakshinamurthy, Dattatreya and Parabrahma himself.
How do the devotees of SRI SWAMIJI celebrate the Guru Purnima?
Be with our Living Guru and be charged with energy and vibrations
Engage in Worship service by conducting shodashopachara puja by keeping the Padukas or picture by offering fruits, flowers, etc.,
Engage in Meditation to grow spiritually and attain peace of mind
Participate in Satsangh to be with good company by singing and chanting the glories of Guru and God.
Study and listen the teachings of our Sadguru.
Sow the seeds of spirituality by listening to healing and meditation music.
Remember Sri Swamiji for all his help in solving our problems both internally and externally.
Visit Sri Swamiji’s Ashrams across the globe to receive the bounty of blessings.
Who is GURU and why to Worship
We often chant the sloka:
Gurubrahma Guruvishnu Gururdevo Maheshwaraha |
Guruhu sakshaat Parambrahman tasmai Shrigurave namaha ||
"The guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva), veneration to the Guru who is Parabrahman manifest."The second line of the couplet does not literally mean that the Guru becomes Parabrahman – beyond Brahma. He is beyond space and form.
Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6/23) also states:
Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau |
Tasyaite kathitaa hi arthaaha prakashante mahatmanaha ||
“Guru be worshipped in the same manner as the deity - God, to attain all there is to attain on the path of God-realization.” In fact Guru and God are one and same.
Guru dispels
Guru Gita talks about the significance of a Guru in one’s life. It says that Gu is the symbol for darkness; Ru, the remover of darkness. The Guru is Supreme Knowledge which can dispels darkness. Gu is the symbol for ignorance born of misperception; Ru is the Supreme Knowledge that destroys ignorance. Thus, the feet of the Guru are the highest goal, even difficult for the gods to attain. Indeed, even celestial musicians and their followers worship the Guru's feet. For them and for everyone, there is surely no truth higher than the Guru. (Verses: 23-26)
All of us are involved in multitude of activities in family, and in world of work; we are bound to face numerous worries. We are certain to encounter difficulties, losses, hardships, and adversities. We are likely to be perturbed, troubled, and stressed. Many times they overwhelm you, not able to get out of the whirlwind of sorrows. They swamp you and make you disheartened. We also know that Sri Swamiji came to the rescue, dispelled the hardships, guided you to the other side of the shore, ousted the barriers, lifted the mountain of problems and brought sanity to our lives. It is time to remember Sri Swamiji on this Guru Purnima, all the wonders of our holy master and how the dark clouds in our lives were dispersed.
It is the spiritual guru like Sri Swamiji, who lends his helping hand for us to cope with the pressures of daily life, removes the ignorance, subdues the ego and guides us to the right path.
Let us celebrate Sri Swamiji’s immense contribution to all his devotees as well as to the rest of the humanity. How He shaped our lives and protected us from many immanent dangers. How He helped our families during the crises in the families, in the world of work, in the health related issues, and in spiritual upliftment. How His Ocean of compassion drenched us with peace of mind by corralling the restlessness, stress, agitation and anxiety? Let us also remember how Sri Swamiji provides an umbrella of security making all us free from fear and anxiety. Let us remember His watchful vigilant eye guiding us through many calamities without ever knowing his invisible hand.
Sri Swamiji is a powerhouse. He is a perennial source of energy. One can tap this source depending on the level of bhakti. Acquisition of the energy is proportional to the faith. It is this faith that can help the devotees to cross the ocean of samsara and day-to-day drama of illusions. Receptivity of the devotees depends on his capacity of the devotee. Lower the voltage of the bulb, lower the illumination; higher the voltage, higher illumination. It is important that during Guru Purnima time, let us all try with full faith to connect with the energy field of the guru and reap the benefits of it.
Our Sadguru Sri Swamiji is like a GPS; he guides his devotees every turn they take on their way to the art of living. Without that guidance the devotees are lost in the wilderness and the forest. Devotees will be searching for the way out going hither and thither, not knowing the path that lead them to the destination. Without the guidance of our Sadguru Sri Swamiji who treaded the path before, the devotees would be lost for a very long time. Being an Avadhuta, Sri Swamiji is equipped with complete knowledge and all qualities of God. He is adept both spiritual matters and worldly matters. He is clever enough to balance these two areas and guides them appropriately - it is custom made to suit the devotee. No two devotees needs are same and no tow devotees will get the same guidance. On this day of Guru Purnima, the spiritual aspirants and the devotees offer Guru their gratitude, appreciation and gratefulness for his perennial readiness to help and also to receive his divine blessings.
Guru’s Feet
A spiritual aspirant who may be brilliant, bright, intelligent, smart and clever can never attain the spiritual knowledge by his own endeavor without a dose of boosting from a Sadguru. He may never be able to cross the ocean of samsara without severe bruises and permanent marks of injuries, without proper guidance from a Sadguru. Guru’s Padukas and the dust from the feet of Sri Swamiji are the panacea for many of his devotees. One can never attain the sublime knowledge by his own efforts.
This is stipulated in the Srimad Bhagwatam in which Jadbharat reveals to king Rahugan:
'O Rahugan'! One cannot attain knowledge of Atma and Paramatman by performing penance of sacrifices nor can it be achieved through renunciation Vedic study or worshipping deities. But when the dust from the feet of a Satpurush falls on our head we can surely attain this knowledge.'
Similarly, Adi Shakaracharya, in his Guru Ashtakam, says in one of the couplets that “Even if you are an expert in six angas and the four Vedas, and an expert in writing good prose and poems. If your mind does not bow at the Guru’s feet; what is the use? What is the use? Oh what is the use?”
Our Swamiji plays a vital and vibrant role in goading and stimulating the devotees and the spiritual aspirants frequently, when they lose hope, face the dark clouds, become despondent or drench in despair. Once a devotee grasps the glory magnificence of a Guru, the devotees will be better equipped to follow and obey the Guru to reap the utmost benefit. Let us remember the Holy Feet of Sri Swamiji that sprouted the spirit of spirituality and infused vibrations touching every part and particle of our body to make it pure and unpolluted.
Chaturmasa period to Renew Sadhana and Study
It is on this Guru Purnima day, the traditional yearly Chaturmasa (the “four months”) period begins. Sannyasins, disciples and spiritual aspirants stay at one place or at the Ashrams of their Guru during the ensuing four rainy months to engage in the study of the Brahma Sutras and other scriptures; and to practice meditation. Since this is a rainy season, this is the most perfect time to start spiritual lessons from a guru. Aspirants engage in intense study of the scriptures, intensify their eagerness to know more and more, dive deep into the depths of knowledge, renew their commitment to improve their quest for immortal knowledge, and refresh their knowledge that has been stored up over the years.
It is during these four months all disciples strengthen their faith and devotion to their Guru by performing 'puja' on a regular basis. It is customary for a sadhaka to wake up at Brahma muhurtha and worship the lotus feet of his Guru, guru Parampara, or his image or picture with flowers, fruits, incense, camphor and other required items. During these months the sadhaka engages in reading the scriptures or remember and discuss the glories and teachings of your Guru or sit with their guru to listen to his words of perennial, timeless and unfathomable wisdom.
Let us remember and celebrate that there is no friend like Sri Swamiji; no guide like Sri Swamiji; no well-wisher like Sri Swamiji; no savior like Sri Swamiji; no protector like Sri Swamiji. He is an Ocean of Compassion. There is no treasure like Sri Swamiji. There is no confidant like Sri Swamiji. There is no relative closer than Sri Swamiji. There is no security system better than Sri Swamiji. He dispels the cloud of calamities hovering his devotees before they drench them. He is like an elixir in our lives.
The satisfaction one gets in having a Darshan of our Sri Swamiji as a Sadguru, as an Avatara, as Dattatreya, and as God himself cannot be described or assessed. It is a lifetime fortune and treasure. The mere darshan of Sri Swamiji on this day accrues more merit to his devotees than any act. Kabir says that, “he who has seen that radiance of love, he is saved" (Tagore, 1977:57). "He who has seen Him and touched Him, he is freed from all fear and trouble" (1977:113). And so Kabir longed endlessly to see his Lord: "I have no taste for food, I have no sleep; my heart is ever restless within doors and without . . . Kabir is restless: he is dying for sight of Him" (1977: 82-3).
Let us enjoy the persona of Sri Swamiji, His enchanting smile, His piercing eyes, His glowing face, His meaningful gestures, His movements, His royalty, His majesty, His words of wisdom, and His silence as we celebrate Guru Purnima on this day in 2013.
Guru Tattva means the essence, message, principle and philosophy of Guru. It is beyond the traditional role of a guru who removed the darkness or ignorance. A guru works at the external and worldly level solving the riddle of life. Teaches them to fertile their mind and broaden their knowledge. It is through lectures, discourses, personal advice, a guru can help the disciple remove the ignorance. Guru teaches you to be spiritual while Sadguru makes you spiritual. Guru will tell you how to be divine; Sadguru make s to be divine. Guru tells you how to be attain vairagya; Sadguru leads you to vairagya. Guru tells you how to enjoy the bliss; Sadguru soaks you in ananta Ananda (eternal bliss).
Sadguru is the one who helps his disciples get direct the spiritual practice some times with their knowledge and some times without letting the disciple know about it.
Guru Tattva is moves from a relative state of ignorance of Self to self-awareness, self-consciousness or Self Realization where one basks in joy, bliss and happiness. Here Guru Tattva teaches us to break the bonds of worldly desires; remove the dual nature of the cosmos; and transcend the worldly matters to experience the spiritual nature. It through the word, sight, touch, smile, and a nod can export one to spiritual realm. Through this message one’s body consciousness yield to cosmic consciousness. It makes one realize the divine nature that is inherent in every human being. It helps one to cut the ties that are knotted to the pillars of attachments and desires. How can Guru propel one to higher level where they will experience divine bliss? Because a Sadguru is a realized soul who basks in bliss, peace, joy, happiness and ecstasy. One has to be qualified to make somebody else to qualify. Candlelight only can light other candle. Only a realized soul can make others realize their potential to be realized.
