Guru Purnima or the Full Moon of the Guru is a very special celebration in the spiritual calendar.\u00a0\u00a0This is the day when we honor the Guru in all forms.\u00a0\u00a0We give thanks for all the blessing we have received in the past and ask for future support in all areas of our lives but particularly with our growth to Higher Consciousness and Enlightenment.<\/p>\n
The word guru means remover of darkness or ignorance so the Guru can take many forms.\u00a0\u00a0Your first gurus were your parents, then your teachers and your college professors.\u00a0\u00a0Nowadays the word has slipped into the mainstream and we hear of Internet Gurus and Finance Gurus, again people who can offer us guidance.\u00a0\u00a0However, the most important Guru and the intent behind Guru Purnima is the Spiritual Guru, the one who awakens us from delusion and teaches us to recognize the Divine Temple within.<\/p>\n
In India, Guru Purnima is celebrated by both Hindus and Buddhists. Traditionally the festival is celebrated by Buddhists in honor of the Lord Buddha who, after becoming Enlightened at Bodhgaya, travelled to Kashi (Varanasi) and gave His first sermon, on the Four Noble Truths, on this day at\u00a0Sarnath. Many Hindus celebrate the day in honor of the great sage\u00a0Vyasa, who is seen as one of the greatest Gurus in ancient Hindu traditions.\u00a0Vyasa is credited with dividing Vedic wisdom into the four principle Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, and also writing the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam–all of which form the very foundation of the Hindu religion.<\/p>\n
In the yogic tradition,\u00a0Shiva is not seen as a god, rather, he is seen as the Adiyogi, the first yogi. It is said that Guru Purnima was the day, when some 15,000 years ago, a yogi appeared in the upper regions of the Himalayas. No one knew where he came from but his presence was extraordinary. He simply came, sat and did nothing. The only sign of life were tears of ecstasy flowing from his eyes.\u00a0\u00a0People came to witness him. Most left but seven men remained. When the yogi opened his eyes, they pleaded with him, wanting to experience whatever was happening to him. He tried to dismiss them, but they persevered. Finally, he gave them some simple instruction and closed his eyes again. After 84 years of sadhana (spiritual practices), the yogi looked at them again, they had become shining reflections of his wisdom.\u00a0\u00a0On the next full moon day, the yogi turned south and sat as a Guru to these seven men.\u00a0Shiva, the Adiyogi (the first yogi) thus became the Adi Guru, the first Guru. The seven disciples took this knowledge and spread it across the world. Since then, for thousands of years, Guru Purnima has been recognized and celebrated as the day when new possibilities opened up for the human race.<\/p>\n
In India, devotees try to visit the Ashram or home of their Guru.\u00a0\u00a0They bring gifts of flowers, fruit and sweets and often adorn their Guru with beautiful garlands.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s a great day of Love, Light and celebration.\u00a0\u00a0I have been fortunate to spend several Guru Purnimas with my Guru Sri Yanunacharya Satuwa Baba Maharaji, at his Ashram in Varanasi.\u00a0\u00a0There would be a steady stream of visitors from early in the morning until late into the evening.\u00a0There would be pujas, chanting, food for everyone and a great celebration.\u00a0\u00a0Indians love sweets and my Guru was no exception so many people brought delicious candies.\u00a0\u00a0Maharaji wasn\u2019t supposed to eat too much sugar but it would have been impolite not to taste everything.\u00a0\u00a0When sweets were offered, he would taste a small pinch and then, if I was close by, he would stuff two or three into my hand with the command, \u201cEat!\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Fortunately the remaining sweets were blessed and handed back to the devotee to take home and share with other family members.\u00a0\u00a0However, by the end of the day I was usually in a state of blissful sugar shock!\u00a0\u00a0Although Maharaji is no longer with us physically, I still celebrate this day with a much more modest sampling of sweets.<\/p>\n
Guru Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day, which falls between mid June to mid July.\u00a0\u00a0An Internet search will give you the exact date for a specific year.\u00a0\u00a0We should be grateful to our personal Guru every day but Guru Purnima is a special and most auspicious time to celebrate him or her.\u00a0\u00a0The Guru Principle is said to be a thousand times more active on the day of Guru Purnima than on any other day.\u00a0\u00a0Whether your Guru is living or deceased, perhaps say a short prayer of gratitude, light a candle, offer incense in front of a picture, read his\/her words, listen\/watch to a recording or do whatever feels appropriate for you.\u00a0\u00a0Maybe do something of service in honor of your Guru(s), this day.\u00a0\u00a0The Guru\u2019s way is one of service, to feed and support people\u2019s needs.\u00a0\u00a0Maharaji, my Guru\u2019s room was a revolving door for gifts. When I or others would bring things, he would immediately find a way to give them away to someone who needed them.<\/p>\n
A true Guru only teaches from Pure Love. Only Pure Love and Light can come from a true Guru and it arrives in whatever form we need in that moment.\u00a0\u00a0Practice unconditional love, if not every day, at least on this one.\u00a0\u00a0Say Namaste to everyone you meet and recognize the Divine in them.\u00a0\u00a0This is also an auspicious day for beginning any new spiritual practice or undertaking.<\/p>\n
As Ramana Maharshi told us, \u201cThe Guru is none other than the Self. As the seeker\u2019s mind is bent outward, the Self takes a human shape as a Guru, to help drive it inward\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Deepak Chopra likes to ask people to slowly spell the word Guru – G (gee) U (you) R (are) U (you).\u00a0\u00a0Ultimately, the Guru lies within each of us and all the great Teachers are nothing other than mirrors of our own selves, someone we have created to remind us of all the things we have forgotten. The Light we see in these Divine Beings is a reflection of our own Light. We cannot bow to any external Guru without bowing ourselves. The end of the journey is to rediscover the Enlightened Guru that is none other than our own Self.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Vedas tell us that our true Guru is Pure Consciousness, beyond any physical form, all pervading, in everything.\u00a0\u00a0The Guru melts our ego, installs Dharma or righteousness in our lives. Nothing happens on the spiritual path without the Guru\u2019s Grace.\u00a0\u00a0Spend time in silence and just listen.\u00a0\u00a0Listen to the voice of the Inner Guru.<\/p>\n
Guru Purnima is a good day for fasting or eating lightly, listening to sacred chants, meditating and moon-gazing.\u00a0\u00a0In India, devotees will rise early to bathe in one of the sacred rivers.\u00a0\u00a0If this isn\u2019t possible, sprinkle some pure water over your head, while remembering the feet of your Guru.\u00a0\u00a0This gives the benefits of bathing in all the holy rivers.\u00a0\u00a0If possible, spend extra time in silence this day.\u00a0\u00a0Either in meditation, walking in nature or just silently reflecting on all the blessing you have received in your life.\u00a0\u00a0If you have access to the text the Guru Gita, read it this day.\u00a0\u00a0It tells us,\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe Guru, who is higher than the highest, who always bestows bliss and who is seated in the center of the space of the heart, shining like a pure crystal, should be meditated upon\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Another verse says, \u201cThe root of meditation is the Guru\u2019s form, the root of worship is the Guru\u2019s feet, the root of mantra is the Guru\u2019s word and the root of liberation is the Guru\u2019s Grace\u201d.<\/p>\n
Celebrate and enjoy this very special day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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