Guru Purnima is the New Year for a seeker. It is a time to pause and think about how have we lived this past year; how much have we grown; how much have we progressed in the path of knowledge and how much inner strength have we gained. It is also a day to contemplate where I would have been had this knowledge not entered my life.
In this country, it has always been said, 'Guru bina gati nahin'-without a Guru, there is no progress, no attainment. But who is a Guru?
A Guru has five qualities. in the presence of the Guru, sorrow begins to dissolve; joy wells up for no reason; knowledge awakens and is protected; whatever is needed at the right time comes naturally, bringing a sense of abundance; your talents blossom, and your whole being begins to flourish.
The Guru is not merely here to comfort you; the Guru is here to awaken wisdom in you. When questions arise, the Guru gives you the answers. When you feel bound by fear, doubt or limitation, the Guru frees you from those bondages.
The ancient scriptures say that three things are extremely rare: a human birth, an inclination towards knowledge, and the company of a Master. These come only through great fortune and grace.
Everyone who comes to the Master is bound to reach the destination. It is only a question of time and the intensity of one's longing. There are those whose longing is mild, those whose longing is moderate, and those whose longing is intense. The intense seeker reaches quickly. The moderate one moves steadily. The mild one may take a few more lifetimes.
You take one step towards the Master, and the Master takes ten steps towards you. But that one step, you have to take.
Guru Purnima is a day to remember that you are not merely this little mind, caught in likes and dislikes, cravings and aversions. You are much more than that. You are a part of the Universal Consciousness. To recognise this truth is the highest wisdom.
