Guru is someone who takes us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of wisdom. Guru is always educating for your transformation. ‘Gu’ means darkness and ‘Ru’ means light. A Guru is someone who lights the lamp inside you, who takes you out from darkness and puts you in the light. A Guru is not someone who is shant; s/he is always talking and giving knowledge and gives the power to make us proceed on our spiritual journey.
When the Guru comes into your life what does the Guru say? Wake up please! I am showing you the direction. Wake up! What does the Guru do? Takes you out of darkness of ignorance and puts you in to the light. Guru is Bhagawatha. The one who teaches you how to live. With his/her own experiences, they express their own emotions, own experiences and show the direction towards Nath – Narayana. A teacher teaches from book knowledge. A Guru transforms you through their own experiences and wisdom. A Guru is one who will always push your buttons because he wants you to grow.
In the Hindu culture, there is great importance given to the Guru. Even Bhagwan had a Guru. Lord Krishna’s Guru was Sandipani; Lord Rama’s was Vishvamitra, Sai Baba’s was Venkusa and for Sathya Sai Baba, his mother Easwaramma was the Guru. All the great saints had a Guru. All the masters who have walked on this earth had a Guru. A Guru is not just an embodied being – the Eternal Guru uses so many bodies.
In the Hindu culture, there is great importance given to the Guru. Even Bhagwan had a Guru. Lord Krishna’s Guru was Sandipani; Lord Rama’s was Vishvamitra, Sai Baba’s was Venkusa and for Sathya Sai Baba, his mother Easwaramma was the Guru. All the great saints had a Guru. All the masters who have walked on this earth had a Guru. A Guru is not just an embodied being – the Eternal Guru uses so many bodies.
There is no difference between God and Guru. Guru is the only one who takes you to God. What qualifications does a Guru need? Anybody can get a licence. It’s just a paper. Anybody can become a Guru or yoga teacher with a paper. Anybody can become what they want, but they need to have traits in him/her. They should have God’s qualities if they want to lead others to God. An Atma Gyani (someone who has knowledge of Atma) is a Guru who turns the switch on of your Atma. No one can become an Atma Gyani unless they know the power of their Atma. Now a days, people do a few exercises and think they become an Atma Gyani.
Each of you are a Gyani, the one who is learning. Gyanis are connected with nature. Your Guru is just a vessel who holds the emotions of his devotees. Be the witness of your life. Once you become the witness, you will become more and more aware. One person has got 10,000 emotions. If you go under the umbrella of a Guru, the Guru works on you to clean and awaken you. A Guru’s duty is not to give you a message only. There is some power working through this body to connect with you. It’s the supreme power that is working through this body to connect with you. You came to me as a dirty cloth. It is my responsibility to wash you, bleach you and clean you. You are not physically dirty. It’s the mental dirt that is being cleaned. The purpose of the Guru is to keep polishing you.
When a Guru gives blessings, it’s like the Guru is putting his thoughts onto you. Because you came naked, I have given my clothes to you on loan. You are working very hard to have your own clothes. You have borrowed my Shakti, my vibrations and are dressing up with all my messages. I have lent my clothes to you because you came here needing my dress. Deep down inside yourself you know this is not your clothes. This is somebody else’s blessings or clothes. You know that you have to return the clothes to me. When you take them for granted and show it off to the world, the clothes become dirty. The clothes get dirtier because of your habits and attitude. I am helping you until you have your own clothes. You need to work hard to cover yourself. This is what we are doing in sadhana – working hard to cover. We ourselves make it difficult.
In this era, Kaliyuga, without a Guru, you cannot attain self-realisation. You need a guide to guide you on the path of self-realisation. If that is your goal, you will need a guide. If you have a headache, do you ask the Panadol (medicine) what will happen if I take you? What will happen? You take it, then you will see the result. I am sitting here as Panadol. You have a headache. It is your responsibility either to take it or put it in your pocket or throw it away. That’s what a Guru is. In this Kaliyuga, without Guru, you cannot attain self-realisation. Guru will be guru, only he knows what he is doing. But ultimately, the responsibility is yours. Even if I dive into your mouth, it is your job to swallow. Then only your headache might go away.
When you are fed up of this life, then you say you want to go back home. But you do not know the address of your place where you have come from. Your original home. The saints have been to that home and that’s why they talk like this. That is why the Guru’s duty is to get you connected to your Sat Chit Ananda. That is the energy of becoming one with God. Omkaara. Your real home is Omkaara. That is it. Do all the good duties on this earth. Become the light. Be happy.
