Self-realization · 9 of 11
The Guru
Guru means the one who dispels darkness. In the full sense of the word there is only one.
On each page the marked passages are the words of Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, from the books. The lines between them are ours and only lead from one passage to the next.
The word
You know in the word “guru”, there are two syllables, “gu” and “ru”. “Gu” means “darkness”; darkness in spiritual life, darkness in psycho-spiritual strata. And “ru” means “dispelling entity”. “Guru” means the entity that dispels all sorts of darkness from your spiritual and psychic bodies.
Brahma alone is the Guru
Who can show the way to the Supreme? Only the one who made both the traveler and the road.
Only Parama Puruśa knows the science and the method to realize Him, to know Him; because He has created both human beings and the path that they must move along. So people can know the method by His grace only.
Táraka Brahma is the only guru, and nobody else can be the guru. Nirguńa has no objectivity. Hence, Nirguńa does not keep any link with this world. So the Nirguńa Entity, as it is, cannot be the guru. And Saguńa is under certain bondages. So Saguńa cannot be the guru. The guru should be just like Nirguńa, but keeping a sweet link with that expressed world.
What a guru must be
The measure set for a teacher is high, and it ends with a rule about love.
A spiritual guru must be well-acquainted with all the processes of sádhaná, must have the capacity to convince others, must possess complete knowledge of the scriptures, must know many languages, and must have comprehensive knowledge and intellect, plus some extra qualifications.
Punishment alone, without love, is not good. Love and punishment should go together, and the degree of punishment should never exceed the degree of love. Then only can one be called a real spiritual guru.
When the Guru comes
One does not find the Guru by searching the world. The longing does the finding.
When does one find such a genuine Guru? Muktyákáunkśáyá Sadguru práptih – when the human mind becomes restless for the attainment of freedom from the bondage of Máyá then Parama Brahma, in the form of a Sadguru, appears before the seeker and helps in his or her spiritual progress by imparting diikśá (initiation).
Grace
The talk these words come from is named after a saying: the Guru’s grace alone. Grace is defined plainly.
What is Krpá? In Saḿskrta, the root verb is “kr”. “Kr” means to help one in one’s progress even when one does not deserve it.
But when one does not deserve it, when one has not got the qualification for development, and still one is helped, that sort of help is called “krpa”.