Guru Purnima Satsang - Saturday 24 July 2010

Tonight was Guru Purnima - a celebration of the spiritual teacher - and the Satsang was alive with love and shakti. Swamiji held a beautiful wedding blessing for Rachel and Benji, noting that weddings were very popular with Baba Muktananda, who often held several on Guru Purnima. Swamiji also noted that this was a very auspicious day and that, for him, Guru Purnima held special importance as on the first one he attended "something happened on darshan with Baba, from which I never recovered!".

Swamiji said that Guru Purnima was like Mother's Day for Gurus. He quoted the phrase ‘Guru Rupaya’ which translates as 'The Guru is the Means' and that, of all the methods, the Guru was the quickest and best means for spiritual growth. Swamiji said that Bhagawan's aphoristic statement, "remain always in the centre of the glance of the Guru" was a lesson for us in how to live. He elaborated on the statement saying that the "gracious glance" was a metaphor for the higher consciousness of the Guru or the Inner Self. Swamiji said that it took internal discipline to keep the mind and the emotions steady but that, once we did, the Guru principle could be seen to manifest throughout the whole world as our teacher.

Swamiji then told the story of Baba who was once asked by a student, "Who are you?" Baba replied, "I am whoever you see me. If you see me as a beggar, I am a beggar; If you see me as a thief, I am a thief; If you see me as King, I am a King". The student then said, "How do you see yourself?” to which Baba astutely replied, "I see myself as I am".

Swamiji said that in honour of Guru Purnima he was going to read from Baba's 'Ganeshpuri Days' and had chosen a few questions that dealt with the Guru/disciple relationship. Swamiji quoted a student who asked Baba, "What causes love and fear of the Guru?" Baba replied, "It is love for the Guru that takes the form of fear". Swamiji commented that Baba always seemed both serious and in touch with some cosmic joke and that he certainly felt both love and fear in his presence. Swamiji said that the Guru was a mysterious and great principle and that being in touch with the Guru allowed you to absorb the resonance of higher consciousness. Baba continued his answer saying that 'Fear is good. Fear of God makes the wind blow. Fear of disobeying the Guru's word makes us disciplined and attentive. Fear of the Guru protects you - you may be scared of him, but that is all you will be scared of". Swamiji noted that fear makes us value the teaching of the Guru; it creates attention and helps us work spiritually.

Swamiji concluded his talk by leading us into meditation with the words: "If you understand the Guru principle correctly, it is the highest path, it is the easiest. It is not surrender to a person but to the Inner Self.”