GurucharanamSaranam
The Way of DirectKnowing
(The Sacred Words of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru)
Thesolar system, as we know, consists of nine planets like the earth, each havingits own dimension. We reach the ‘generative character’ of the moon aftercrossing the earthly plane and four or five more celestial orbits. The journeyto the sun is only after reaching there. The course of an ordinary soul is insuch a way that it never become capable of reaching the sun.
Wehave among us many who had been worshippers of the sun. The world is sustainedby the sun, so we have a notion that by worshipping the sun we might gain greatmystical powers. But there are certain layers (spiritual dimensions) to reachthe sun. There is no possibility of reaching there, except through (these)layers. Only after reaching ‘Isvara Sannidhaanam’ (spiritual sky beyond theabode of celestial gods) one would be able to go there.
Thereare the spiritual skies (sannidhaanams), namely - Iswara, Daiva, Brahm and Parabhram. It is not easy for a soul to cross thesespiritual skies; it can dangle only under it. Our ancestors weren’t able to crossthese spiritual skies, and therefore, the course of their souls is obstructed.It is after seeing this spectacle (of obstruction) Prophet Mohammed said, ‘O’Almighty! I, who believed that nothing exists except You, what is being shownto me now?’
Whatis this force (of obstruction)? Many souls (of those) who followed the path ofyoga exist in the atmosphere as ‘yogabhrashtas’ (souls fallen from the path ofyoga). They subscribe to the doctrine of ‘soul truth’. These souls stand there blockingthe progress of other souls. We should understand this and have a wish for theemancipation for these souls who are stranded thus unable to cross this (hindrance).We can give them liberation. You must understand this and convince yourchildren too about this. Otherwise they will fall into a very ordinary life. Ifthese souls are liberated, our ancestral lineage who worshipped the pantheon(devi-devas) will get rebirth, otherwise bereft of birth and death, these soulswill get stagnated there. You who live as a family – father, mother andchildren should become virtuous by (your) life. Only then the virtue of your ‘formertradition’ will be gainful to you. You have no knowledge about the struggle of earningthe honor of the family through (your) life. Each one of your life style islike a craving for something or other.
Ifyou continue in this state, you will not set right anything. What can the parents do if the children inthe family do not reach a dignified status through their life? When he or she(son or daughter) goes to make a family, what virtue can be brought in thatfamily? They can only eat the pain.
Iknow souls who had been struggling hard through many generations and births forthe sake of attaining some virtue. After being born among us, they go backlosing everything; such a karma (path of life) remains with us. If we want toearn this virtue, we should make available the beneficence the souls of ourancestors require, as (our) dharma - duty. Only if we could liberate them, canwe pass through ‘this ‘mandala’ (sphere of blockade). Thus we must strive (hardenough) in order to pass through at least ‘isvara sannidhanam’ - thesuper-celestial abode.
Ifwe are unable to gain achieve this, there is no use of accepting sanyasa(renunciation) going in the path of devotion (bhakti). To receive the goodnessthrough our children for our family and society we should get this kind of knowledge.You – father, mother and children should live in one faith, a single faith tillyour last. This life is not only for earning money. It is not enough that we earnmoney, competence and wealth. When ignorant of you get money and competence,pride, arrogance and insolence will possess you and you will jump into thekarma (course of action) that displays any type of insanity.
WhatI was trying to tell you is this: salvation should be given not only to ourmanes but to the spiritual beings worshipped by us previously, whoever be it, adeity, a rishi (seer) or sanyasi (sage). Our children should realize this muchand they should be made to perform it. Having no means for livelihood in ourplace, people here migrate to other places, work hard and earn some money. Ifthey live showing off this earning, they will become like an empty shell; thiswill be the fate at the end.
Thefather wants to show the children that he is the ‘father’ (authority of thefamily); the mother wants to show them that it (the status of life) is not dueto fathers’ ability. Then the children have their own rivalries. Our way ofliving creates such axes of ruin. We must put an end to this way. For thateither a big government system should come enforcing the method to teach thechildren. Punishment should be meted out to people who do not teach in that method.
Anotherpoint is that most of the people teach and bring up children for a job. No onethinks that for how many people jobs can be given, say after fifteen years. Couldany government, howsoever big it might be, give employment to all those who geteducated in the country? If we look at the state of affairs in the country, bythe education being given here, the children would become like dried ginger, dryingraw. There will be nothing here even to eat and drink. Only when such a crisisoccurs, would all people learn just to look back. Then they will think: forwhat do we teach (the children) spending so much money. This attitude will comesoon. This situation will arise within thirty years. By the time today’schildren turn forty, the administrators will not be able to control the people.In the meanwhile if there is a war, calamity or plunder, some devastation willtake place or a stage will come when none will be able to do anything. Why am Isaying this? All people should have a long view of the future.
Weconduct Gurupooja (cleansing of harmful spiritual and ancestral influences) here.With that there will be a little beneficence. But if you do not nurture thatbenediction perfectly, you too will be there with those who are thus destinedto be ruined. If you are unable to do anything, when you get an opportunity toshare our love, respect and competence, the beneficence earned will all belost. Gurupooja is the earning the right to share this beneficence with ourchildren. Therefore, no error should happen in the tasks undertaken. Those who acceptand keep this virtue with love and reverence do see the Guru in vision at thetime of death. There have been several incidents here, wherein people wait forGuru (at their death bed) to die until Guru comes before them and they wash Guru’sfeet and drink that water.
Allgurus do not come like that. Then what comes (at the time of death) may be theevil spirits in the place of guru. If (the power) what comes is a yogi or karmi(who followed the path of action), they too would be standing in place of theseevil powers. These yogis and karmis are not entitled for mukti - liberation.But they will be witnessing the ritual of the washing of Guru’s feet by thedying person. With that, these forces, that have been restless for ages, willget the right to be born in this Guru lineage. Whether they take birth or die,by the end of this yuga, it is certain that they will become the authorities ofsatya yuga.
Thosewho have performed Gurupooja will understand this easily. For they have had theexperience of having seen the visions of such yogis, karmis, jnaanis (seers)and bhaktaas (devotees). Those who had seen thus also have the knowledge aboutthe potentials and limitations of such powers. It is only after seeing thus theybegin to believe that this Guru is truth. They have the visionary experienceand knowledge about the minutest sands of this knowledge. Liberated of birth inthe ‘characteristics of colors’ and established in ‘pure intelligence’, in thatstate of transformation, they can reach up to the awareness of the Conscious Principle(chit). This is darsanam (mystical vision) in its fullness. 7444 suchrealizations constitute one ‘stage’ (avastha). When that state is reached, the Guruwill try to bring us up in the aspect of a ‘far sighted seer’ (deerghadarshi).After that, the effort of evaluating the profundity of this vision, one by one,is extremely strenuous. This evaluation commences on the basis of (our) karma(actions) in the matters known, seen and heard by us and also according to the ideologicalstate of our mind.
Thus:
‘Theman, who abounds filling the firmaments of the three worlds, ascending it, hasnothing else to perform. But, the Light that shines after the disappearance ofthe ‘three-fold cosmic perceptions’ will not yield to false seers’ (SriNarayana Guru).
Itis this aspect we have to take care.
Thewhole characteristics of our mind from its origin have already been ingrainedin us. Now we have to be shown of the things to come. We can evolve only as perthe evolvement (qualification) of the person showing it. That is why it hasbeen ordered that (one) should not go without a guru.
Inorder to envision the Truth that lies beyond the fourth spiritual stage, onehas to reach the position of the Trimurti (trinity gods). After seeing thataspect, one has to reach what is called ‘the light abode’ (vettaveli). When onereaches there, Guru is indispensible for guidance from there. If Guru is notthere, (he) will try to define the ages and maintain it standing from whateverposition reached. The ages are four, isn’t it? Therefore, if there is no Guruto divulge the true time length of the chaturyugas (four yugas–satya, treta,dwapara and kali), in the authoritative aspect, we would become nothing.
Thekarma (work) of evaluating the significance of a chaturyuga is beyondintelligence. It is standing from the Trimurty stage one has to see this aspectof ‘light abode that abounds and fills the borders of the three worlds’. Fromthere when one moves still ahead and looks ascending above, there lie stilllarger ‘realms’! Along with that, we could also see the paths we havetraversed. We can see the paths we have covered in any ages. But for evaluatingthat age, the person who has seen this should have transcended the realm of theTrimurty.
TheTrimurty are the Gurus of the ages which belonged to them. They are standing inthe subtle. Guru is the one who cuts this subtle binding. The subtle is therefrom a dust of sand to the ‘Immutable Absolute Realm’ (akhandam). We have to thinkwhether this Absolute is related only to the world or does it exist beyond thattoo. There are various ‘Immutable Absolute Realms’. What is the way to go intothese Absolutes? Guru is that way. Otherwise, one can only stand stunnedreaching one such Absolute. The importance of Guru lies here. This Guru shouldbe the one who has transcended all these Absolutes. It is not enough that heexperienced and understood that ‘endless infinity’ but should be the ‘authority’of a course of action of accomplishing and understanding it.
Disciple:It is only a ‘perfected life’ that is brought as a Guru – isn’t it?
Guru:Yes.
Disciple:If so, why is it necessary for this Soul to start all over again repeatingeverything remaining in the human body?
Guru:A soul might take birth as a blade of grass; it evolves and evolves and growsto become all the trees in a big forest. In the character of trees it becomes abanyan tree, mango tree, akil, sandal tree, etc. and it is from there it isevolved to a different womb. Each blade of grass and each tree when it evolvesthrough its time, that soul, standing in the atmosphere, comes back in adifferent form. Just like a mango sapling grows and spreads it branches, humanbeings also sprout, grow and spread out. We see this expansive evolutionary actionin its subtle and gross effects.
Disciple:The human being comes after birds and animals, isn’t it? Or was everythingcreated at the same time?
Guru:At first the bird, then animal, after everything the human being.
Disciple:These creations happened at the same time?
Guru: Thehistory of a same age is shown in different periods. Everything would not beshown at the same time. Error will result if it is shown in that manner.
Disciple:Is Darwin’s theory of evolution authentic?
Guru: Itis authentic. But those disputing the theory of rebirth will find it difficultto agree with.
Disciple:But Darwin does not say that the soul transmigrates; he says the living beingsevolved from one to yet another.
Guru: Ofcourse, that indeed is correct. It is our duty to explain it further. Whenepochal changes occur, the characteristics of mist, rain, sun and darkness allwill change. Only if the characteristics of these changes are considered, onecould conclusively talk about what is beyond. It is to make it understandablethe ‘colors’ (aura) are being determined. Confined to that color, get the explanation.
Disciple:Is color not external?
Guru: Whatis in the external is present in the subtle too. Don’t we speak about thesubtle body? That subtle body exists in the subtle plane. It should be seen assumingwhat color it exists. Thus seven colors should be seen. Then the karma (theway) that combines the seven colors should be seen. There is a specific way to bifurcatethese seven colors from the white. (Thus) by the grace of God, the course ofthat Soul (the life of such a Soul who has become the authority of colors) isbeing given to us. Such a Soul - where, in what and when all has worked, thatis another course. The ‘Streamof Light’ that ascends in this way is called ‘the Light that shines upon the disappearanceof three-fold cosmic dimensions’.
Disciple:Will a soul who comes perfected in this life itself see this completely?
Guru: Itwill see. It has to end thus seeing, even though it might have seen this in allbirths, since this soul has got a new cage.
Disciple:Is it that sitting in this cage, all the old will be repeated? In case an errorhappens (sitting) in this cage, would it not whatever was correct earlier becomedeviated?
Guru: Itmight get deviated. That is why it is said that even if (one soul might have) reachedthe abode of Brahma, it might fall down.
Disciple:Does it mean that the Guru, even after coming as the perfect One, when residesin this cage, the suffering He undergoes is the same as that of ordinarypeople?
Disciple:He has to suffer even more.
Disciple:Was there any period in Guru’s life when there were no sufferings?
Guru: Howmany years have you been with me? Have you ever seen any comfort in my life sofar? What I am trying to say is this. Would you understand when I say that youought to do this or oughtn’t to do this? Your consciousness (jeeva) has notgrown to that extent; therefore, (you) are getting confounded remaining there. Arational thought will come there then. This is how you perish getting bedeviled.As a result, there will be untimely demise to the great work. It is a verydifficult subject. A zero watt bulb will not give light in the day time, isn’tit? The light will be on, but practically it is of no use. What is the use ofsaying everything is our ‘handiwork’? Reaching whatever level we work, only tothat extent our knowledge will reach. It is here I said that mistake hashappened.
Shouldn’twe get out of this? As for you, you have ‘bhagavan’ (god/s) and ‘bhagavati’(goddess). And why didn’t you reach the perfection of knowledge and luck? Isthere any family or a person who has thus reached it? Is there any karma (a wayof action) which will help you to reach at least up to the abode of Iswara?Whatever level the medium of your worship has reached and exists, you cannot gobeyond it. At the most, you can reach up to that.
(Janmadinaspecial issue 2002, pp 29-32)
