Yadamghri-kamala-dwandwam
Dwandwa-taapa-nivaarakam
Taarakam Bhava-sindhoscha Tam Gurum Pranamaamyaham
Siva said:
(I salute that Guru, the pair of
whose lotus feet remove the suffering owing to the consciousness of opposites and take us across the ocean
of worldly life.)
Suffering is
the mental agony and agitation arising out of dualities in life such as
pleasure and pain, success and failure, opulence and poverty or other experiences
contrary to our expectations. Just like night follows the day, pleasure too ends
in sorrow. All religions in general and Indian spirituality in particular
sought to address the question of human suffering. Lord Buddha specifically
identified suffering, its cause and its removal, as the basis of his teaching. Unless we are able to transcend the domain of pleasure
and pain we will not be able to experience peace of mind. And the way of peace is
to fix our mind on that imperishable eternal truth called God and His glory.
The other
day a retired person from Kolkata came to the Ashram. He said he wanted to have
peace of mind now since he has fulfilled all his duties as a householder. How
can a person hope for peace after retirement if has not thought about it and striven
for it until this moment? Just like we spend
our energies for fulfilling other responsibilities in life, one should start
the enquiry to find peace early in life. Otherwise it will be difficult because
our body and mind get conditioned by the retirement age and you may not have
the necessary energy also for such a mission.
Navajyoti
Sri Karunakara Guru reminds us that every soul is born subject to the universal
rules of karma and spiritual evolution. Guru, who knows the disciple’s soul,
cuts the karma with the sword of his grace and lifts the disciple to
transcendental bliss. Through the service at the feet of the Guru, the soul
gets gradually purified of all sins and bad karma. Only then the disciple can
hope to reach the realm of God realisation. So it is important that we connect our
children with a realised Guru early in life. The Ashram is a place where an
Atma Jnani Guru, a soul knowing Guru lives. Family life is supposed to be linked
to the Ashram of such a Guru. In ancient India, children were educated in an Ashram
under the guidance of a realised Guru. This
was known as Gurukula system of education. The children were taught not only
spiritual science but all other material sciences such as astronomy, architecture,
archery, medicine, metallurgy and so on. The Gurukula system was wiped out by
the British during the colonial rule.
Worldly life
is compared to an ocean because of the hidden dangers in its unfathomable belly
and endless expanse. Our little boat of life
may get overturned by the hissing waves and swirling currents. It is difficult for a truth seeker to swim
over to the other end of this perilous ocean all alone. But with the help of Guru,
one can cross over this ocean easily and find peace and tranquillity.
