In two days time we will be celebrating Guru Purnima on Sunday, July 21. Nowadays the term ‘guru’ is used for any teacher but really speaking the term ‘Guru’ is reserved for the spiritual teacher. For other disciplines of knowledge there are terms like ‘Acharya’, Upadhyaya’ This also happens to be the birthday of Bhagavan Veda Vyasa who was the son of a Rishi and a fisherwoman but revered as one of the greatest gurus in the world.
There is a popular statement that says ‘When the student is ready, the guru appears’. This is not entirely true. Gurus are always there in the society. Either popular, known ones or hidden gems, quietly going about the work of teaching of maintaining the traditional wisdom in their own way.
When a person matures to be a student seeking freedom from the existential issues of life, he discovers that this cannot be figured out by oneself. One needs a teacher. Then, when he discovers the student in himself, he recognises the master that was always there, or he may go and search for the master.
Throughout history, there are cases to prove my point. For Arjuna, Krishna was a friend, philosopher, guide, comrade in arms. A brother, buddy, and friend.
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It is only when he discovered the student in himself on the battlefield of Mahabharata that Arjuna discovered the guru in Krishna. This has been the case for a lot of students, the writer included. When you truly become a shishya, a really good student then you are sheeksha yogya, the one who deserves to be taught. Then, one discovers the guru and in many cases, you would have already known him.
So it is not the guru appearing when the student is ready, but when the student is born in a person, he discovers the guru either around him or after his prayers have been answered following his search.
The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com
