Meditating Guru.
| “ | Let go your earthly tether. Enter the void. Empty and become wind. | „ |
| ~ Guru Laghima |
| “ | Let each man take the path according to his capacity, understanding and temperament. His true guru will meet him along that path. | „ |
| ~ Sivananda |
Guru is a spiritual mentor, guide, expert, or master. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher. In Sanskrit, guru means literally dispeller of darkness. "The etymological derivation of the word guru is in this verse from the Guru Gita: 'The root gu stands for darkness; ru for its removal. The removal of the darkness of ignorance in the heart is indicated by the word "guru'".
Overview[]
Traditionally, the guru is a reverential figure to the disciple (or shisya in Sanskrit, literally seeker [of knowledge or truth]) or student, with the guru serving as a "counselor, who helps mold values, shares experiential knowledge as much as literal knowledge, an exemplar in life, an inspirational source and who helps in the spiritual evolution of a student". A guru is also one's spiritual guide, who helps one to discover the same potentialities that the guru has already realized.
History[]
The oldest references to the concept of guru are found in the earliest Vedic texts of Hinduism. The guru, and gurukula – a school run by guru, were an established tradition in India by the 1st millennium BCE, and these helped compose and transmit the various Vedas, the Upanishads, texts of various schools of Hindu philosophy, and post-Vedic Shastras ranging from spiritual knowledge to various arts.
By about mid 1st millennium CE, archaeological and epigraphical evidence suggest numerous larger institutions of gurus existed in India, some near Hindu temples, where guru-shishya tradition helped preserve, create and transmit various fields of knowledge. These gurus led broad ranges of studies including Hindu scriptures, Buddhist texts, grammar, philosophy, Martial Arts, music and painting.
Guru Gita[]
The Guru Gita (Song of the Guru) is a Hindu scripture that is said to have been authored by the sage Vyasa. The verses of this scripture may also be used as a chant. The text is part of the larger Skanda Purana. There are several versions of the Guru Gita, varying from around 100 to over 400 verses. Another view is that Guru Gita is part of Viswasara Tantra.
The text of the Guru Gita describes a conversation between the Hindu God, Lord Shiva and his wife, the Hindu Goddess Parvati, in which she asks him to teach her about the Guru and liberation. Shiva answers her by describing the Guru principle, the proper ways of worshiping the Guru and the methods and benefits of repeating the Guru Gita.
When chanted, the Guru Gita could be described as a song of love and longing for the Guru, the flow of grace and grace bestowing power. This is the most benevolent divine energy, the energy of revelation, one of the primordial energies of Shakti. When Brahmin priests chant the Guru Gita, they do so at a rapid pace that becomes a current of sound. It is a continuous stream of divine mantras, and has been compared to the holy Ganga issuing forth from her source high in the Himalayas.
Sikh Gurus[]
The Sikh Gurus (Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of Sikhi, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. He was succeeded by nine other gurus until, in 1708, the Guruship was finally passed on by the tenth guru to the holy Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, which is now considered the living Guru by the followers of the Sikh faith.
False Gurus[]
| “ | In Hinduism, a spiritual guru enjoys more respect than even parents because he not only gives his disciples a spiritual rebirth but also leads them on the path of liberation. Hence, he is considered God in human form, and at times even ritually worshipped. Unfortunately, this sentiment is often exploited by fake gurus who assume the role of a spiritual master without necessary qualifications and engage in misdeeds. When scandals break out about their scams and crimes, it breaks the hearts and souls of millions of his or her followers who look upon him as God and savior. It is difficult to distinguish a fake guru from a real one. How to discern a fake guru? Deluded people cannot perceive truth because their minds are crowded by desires and they see what they want to see. Therefore, discernment (buddhi) is certainly important. | „ |
| ~ Jayaram V. |