Love in the Guru-Disciple relationship

Gurucharanam Saranam

Love in the Guru-Disciple relationship

((The Divine Words of Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru translated from original Malayalam)

In the beginning, during the ignorant ages, people lived like animals or evil spirits. Evolving from that state, today we have reached to the status of ‘Self Manifest Dharma’. (the spiritual status wherein one is able to perceive the self-evident cosmic Truth). What is the ‘radiant substance’ in that conceptual pursuit, how should I place myself in that – this is the present state of thinking in this Kaliyuga. This state is full of all qualities. Churning good and bad alike and absorbing its’ essence, the world is moving on in its track.

Imbibing in ourselves this efficiency of living and imparting it to our children, our effort is to foster it through the generation. Almighty God has shown to us to do it in the best way. For instance, different images surface in our mind without our being aware of it. When we say Bhakti, Yoga, Karma or Jnana, there arise in our mind different reflections on each of this. When small kids see their father, they have one image, while the grown ups have a different one. It is the same when we see the mother. Thus, when we come across with every person, different people will have different thoughts. Likewise, a painter or singer has different mental pictures.

How did this image come into the mind of man? That is because of the inner fragrance of each person. We develop this little by little. This is a secret within us even without our knowledge about it. Like this, several images develop in us, one toward God too. About God, we have a mixed image arising out of our different thoughts, which are then blended with beauty, humility, truth, fortune and self-esteem. That arises on its own from us. This is mind’s association in the nature of its evolution. It has to be experienced and cannot be communicated by words.

Bhakti (divine love or devotion) is like a great mountain of love. That is a path of love. That love is the feeling of blessedness towards everything, the feeling of sacredness, which comes in us spontaneously. For children, the love would be for toys or tasty things. With the progression of age, that will transform in two ways. One will be in performing work with all sincerity, while the other is of sensuality. This we know from experience, but cannot explain how.

Transforming thus ourselves, when we reach a Mahatma who embodies this truth and who acts with humbleness, truth and self-sacrifice, or to a concept similar to this, we become aware of its profundity. It is such a great blessedness. We are living in its companionship (i.e. Guru). What we, who live like this, should think is that ‘I should absorb this in my soul and develop it inch by inch and work for the benefit of my contemporaries, home, society and nation’.

Some may see and understand this and go. Some others are not like this. They would undergo whatsoever sacrifice for the sake of others and strive very hard. Although all are human beings, for some people, seeing this type of work itself will cause annoyance. For some others, (it will be) some selfishness in the nature of love; or, whatever others might do, there will be the ignorance to give value or respect and understand it. Thus, we have shortcomings in all aspects. We will have (good) culture only when we become prepared to change it. For that, (one has to) come to some public area of work and after understanding the vice and virtue in that, we should again come to the path that demands sacrifice. Like that, we have to elevate ourselves and proceed to take up the sacrifice of imparting the virtuousness of this blessed path to all individuals among us. It is through such doers of sacrifice, today we have got accustomed (to this path) this much.

How shall we take up this work? Through whom shall we take it? All of us have knowledge. There is also the interest to take up all this. But when the occasion comes, it will not be possible to do it; or if it is done, it will not be beneficial to each other. There will be many obstacles owing to which we will not be able to fulfill our actions. We should march ahead removing these obstacles. After thinking and deciding well what should be done for this, we should go in that direction.

For Hindus, first there is the ‘Bhajana Mattam’ (i.e. venue for devotional singing). Then there is the temple. After that is the ashram. Similarly, for Christians, there is the ‘Vanakkamaasapura’ (a dwelling for prayer), then the church, after that the Metrapolita. For Muslims, it is ‘Taikkav, Mosque and Mecca. It is in this order, the wise has been doing it. Each type of knowledge has been familiarized to us in this way. That knowledge has been enjoined in all religions. What is the meaning of this enjoinment? Combining spiritual and worldly matters through life, it has been brought up linked with each other like a chain. Otherwise, people will leave it off.

The Guru-Disciple relationship is not like that. Surrendering all protection as well as punishment at one place (at the feet of Guru), everything is gained from there and brought back (into our life). This is the love in the Guru-Disciple relationship. My savior as well as chastiser is only You! In a way, it is like the rule of a king. But it is not the relationship between the king and populace. It is the learning through life. Making him do something in every birth, with his life and devotion, love and respect, gathering all that he does with its purity, washing it with humility, indefinable love is being given by providence. There is no word for this except divine magnanimity. We should do every action absorbing this magnanimity.

There will be Father, Mother, Brother or Sister only when we give regard to it. The status that we give to God also is similar. Before we commence drinking water or eat something, we close our eyes for a second. We used to do that when we begin to break up earth with a shovel or take up tools or pen. It is a general belief that drivers, boatmen and mahouts do not respect anything. But the driver while holding the steering and the mahout while taking up the hook will for a moment remain there closing the eyes. The mahout is praying that when the elephant sees the hook, it should behave. It might trample him to death or pierce him down. Similar is the case with boatman. It is enough he observes a shred of raincloud, great would be the upheaval inside him.

Those who fly in the sky with great celebration, we might think that they are free like birds, but once he enters into it, his attention would be riveted to it until he touches down his destination. So, where all should be our attention? The duty of Guru is to keep us in such concentration(s) first.

Now, we are living in a small path of knowledge. Not only that, we have commenced the acting of a part. Then first it should be learnt how love in the innate human nature should be nourished. We have a habit of sharing love with and without bias. We should also learn how this love should be at every position. Let us be learned, ignorant or whatever, only by sharing this love, we can advance in this world. We are beginning to learn the greatness of love knowing it intimately in everything.

Devotion (Bhakti) is the fullness of love. In whatever way there would be other thoughts (knowledge or pursuits in life), it would not be possible for it to go above true devotion. The nature of devotion is to see one’s deity or Guru as God. A person, who desires God’s love, might experience limitless sorrows. That time, one should console himself that it is for removing the filth of his sins and strongly establish himself in love again and again. Since he would be able to undergo all sorrows filled with love and ambrosia, when his sacrifice is seen, it would not be understood as sacrifice. Sorrow should come essentially. Although he is convinced that whatever he does is good, if his contemporaries accept it, he will not know what sorrow is. Without experiencing lot of sorrows, it will not be known what sacrifice is. Let it be that sorrow is not experienced. Is it possible for him then to understand another’s sorrow? In that case, he will neither know it from self-experience nor able to know the sorrow of others.

The love that he will have for other living beings depends upon his surrender to God. His eminence will be in keeping the purity of his character by hating nothing and seeing everything with love. Knowing all sorrows, with loving behavior and knowing it experientially, become identical with it. Then the seat of sorrows as well as the seat of happiness is oneself. He can see the earth as a flowerbed and see the forests with full of stones and thorns as a garden. When he reaches at such places, through the bliss he experiences, he can enjoy the essence of all beauty in the world. He might see the vision of God through it. He will have an overflowing mind, which can see God in everything. This is what is said as ‘inner intelligence’ (mati buddhi). The devotion, which is unlike this, is for gratification of desires. That type of devotion will in the end, cause frustration.

When the pile of desires becomes broken, there will be sorrow. Even If the devotion is lenient, there will be sorrow. Let a person be a true devotee or otherwise, there will be many tearful surges of weeping. In fact, he sees with great delight the form of his personal deity in every sentient and insentient nature. Then he weeps unknowingly with the love that made him witness the glory of the Supreme. Thus, a devotee who has experienced God in different ways would shed tears out of divine love. Despite all this, those who have no knowledge to see and understand love, when he is tormented with tales about him about which he is not aware, he would weep thinking that these people torment me without knowing the truth and whether God does see this or not.

(75^th Janmadina Poojita Samarpana Souvenir)

Significance of the Ancestral Cleansing

Gurucharanam Saranam

Significance of the Pitrusuddhi - Ancestral Cleansing at Santhigiri

By M. Chidambaran, Dy. Director of Education- Retd., Haripad)

This is not the usual pitrusuddhi (purification of the souls of our ancestors) carried out through sacrifices (homas) or oblations as practiced according to the Hindu tradition. Real pitrusuddhi does not happen through that ceremony. The sinful souls of the dead who are ineligible for liberation or mukti become instrumental in generating children in neecha rasi (evil position of stars) which in turn results in failures of actions (karma) and also misery. This can be overcome only through pitrusuddhi carried out through sankalpa or will which is the unique way of the Guru. He divines the conditions of all objects of our worship and those of our earlier generations (souls of the dead) and with His knowledge of Brahman He brings them to his own spiritual light making them eligible for liberation through His acquired goodness (virtues). This is what is known by the name Guru Pooja in Santhigiri.

Our duty is to bring forth our children to become parents to establish a new lineage (parampara) of the people arising from the purified souls. Such people will be the embodiment of goodness, fortune and power as well as purity of action. The realization of the ultimate truth experienced by the faithful and the disciples of the Guru is the distinctive characteristic of Santhigiri. Nowhere else can we find believers and disciples who have really experienced visions and revelations as in Santhigiri. The concept of God is realized through the Guru. People who follow different religions, faiths and practice different rituals can have their sins of the previous births removed by following the path of the Guru. He is the only person who can divine the actions of the previous births and foresee the future and its dharma and advise how to carry out our duties in relation to it. Offering correctives to the darsans the Guru alone can lead us to the path of liberation. Without a real Guru this becomes impossible. We can find out this Guru through His disciples who have actually experienced His grace.

The purpose of Guru’s birth is the creation of a casteless and classless society, the members of which will maintain purity in thought and action and also hold on to eternal moral values, fraternity and peace. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru fulfills this mission of establishing a new lineage of people with faith in One God following the genuine dharma and karma of Manu. Hence this is a liberating religion. Santhigiri will be known as the birthplace of anew concept of humanity. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru spoke on the relevance of Santhigiri Ashram to the present age thus:

‘The knowledge initiated for the dissemination of dharma which human race cannot attain through Manusmriti of Manu can be obtained through the message of Santhigiri. Of the four epochs known as chaturyuga, the last one is kaliyuga. It is brought out through our lineage what the objectives of life during Kaliyuga should be, and what the full realization of divinity is expected to be.  The corrections regarding the dharma to be followed in each epoch starting with Krita or Satya yuga as propounded by Sri Krishna through Bhagavat Gita becomes a reality through Santhigiri.

Sri Krishna took his birth at the end of Dwapara Yuga. His life and message have not been properly understood by either scholars or unschooled people. This distressing fact cannot be forgotten. Sri Krishna’s birth and life based on dharma sastras and puranas was a great asset to humanity. Even that we have failed to follow. Countless scholars have explicated the idea contained in the Gita. However nobody belonging to the human kind right from the Brahmin to the chandala (the untouchable) has failed to comprehend the full significance of it.

The concept of form, name and quality, countless subtle states, cause and effect relationship, the knowledge about age, the stages of dharma in the order jagrat (wakefulness) dream, slumber, turiya and turiyateeta and the inner secrets of life are perceived through the faculty of darsan (vision) of disciples and believers. They are realized from time to time as the divine design. This is a phenomenon unique to Santhigiri. Some serious mistake had crept into this kind of knowledge at some point of time resulting in the non realization of the absolute truth, which is symbolically described as the loss of the fourth face of Brahma. Nevertheless, some great souls who came after Sri Krishna could perceive the truth….. Thanks to the serene and blameless divine darsan of exalted souls. Santhigiri by its precepts and practices embodies their great ideals. It has been fully proved here that the people belonging to all castes and creeds can realize the ultimate truth. It takes into account that has been emphasized in our ancient puranas and epics. It also focuses on the yuga dharma of Kaliyuga and it is revealed only through the special faculty of darsan.

India’s purnas, epics and Vedas prescribe a laborious method of long term practice for the attainment of spiritual realization. However, Santhigiri emphasizes spiritual realization through activities according to yuga dharma not hurting even an ant. This is nothing but what the Holy Bible said, ‘seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened’. It is the same as the ‘jyoti varna’ in the Holy Koran and ‘Satya Dharma’ described in Hinduism or the Sanatana Dahrma.  Therefore Santhigiri shows us the divine exhortation for all people to grow in every way’.(To be continued)

The Great Spiritual Trunk Road of Guru Centric Spirituality

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Great Spiritual Trunk Road of Guru Centric Spirituality

Mukundan P.R.

Spiritual renaissance in this era involves an evaluation and rectification of errors that had occurred in the actions (karma) and spiritual practices (dharma) of our forefathers in the bygone time, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru had said it.  A tree gets its nourishment from its root in the soil, through the sun, water or other sources. Likewise, our family tree gets nourishment from its spiritual roots and the virtue of forefathers. If the forefathers have lived sinfully, if the ancestral souls continue to dwell in the dark cells of spiritual contamination, one can expect a fall in the life-fortunes of the offspring too.  Even if we have the best car in the world, we cannot cruise ahead even a little if there is a traffic jam. Similar is the case of a person, a family or society as there are our predecessors on the same road which we travel. We cannot progress in our path when they are stuck before us on the same road. Only a Soul- Knowing Guru can regulate the traffic on this spiritual trunk road of ancestral souls.

We have before us the examples of many families, which once had seen good times, fall in the pit of penury and oblivion. Most of the families which had temples and deities installed in them are known to suffer subsequently, because after the time of their forefathers, who established such practices at home, their descendents neglected those rituals, as they were either not spiritually inclined or lacked the time and knowledge for those rituals.  As a result, the spiritual fabric of the family gets weakened, whatever is the merit or demerit of those practices, and it becomes the cause of ruin of many families. Pitru dharma in Indian religion relates to this question of uplifting the ancestral souls and the astral status of a family. 

Can we strengthen the spiritual veins of our family by resorting to the ancient practices of our forefathers? Would the deities and ancestral souls get appeased by the renewal of rituals and renovation of temples, which the astrologers invariably suggest for a cure from pitrudosha, the ancestral curses?  Experiences of several people prove otherwise. The ancestral problems do not get cured completely or get cured only partially, that too for a limited period of time, even if the suggested rituals are performed by the best masters and tantrics in the field. I would like to quote one experience which proves that such problems could be cured by sages in the Jnana tradition, not wedded to the ritualistic tradition.

Sri Chidambaran is a retired Deputy Director of Education in Kerala and lives in Harippad near Kollam. When faced with diminishing luck and unexpected calamities in the once well to do family, astrologers were consulted. They revealed that there was pitru dosha in the family. As a remedy, the astrologers suggested renewal of family temple, reinstallation of deities, performance of homa etc. that would have cost lakhs of rupees. Sri Chidambaran kept quiet as the expense was unaffordable. One day, Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru happened to visit his place along with his disciples. The grace of Guru fell upon him and his family. Guru told him that the problem in his family could be resolved without the rituals advised by the astrologers. It was as an experiment he agreed to the suggestion. After all it involved no rituals and expenditure, he thought.

Guru asked Sri Chidambaran to call a good astrologer to see the astral chart of the family. The astrologer revealed the problem of pitru dosha and advised the same remedy - renovation of temple and reinstallation of deities etc. When the astrologer heard that the deities and ancestral souls could be removed just with ‘sankalpam’ (mental resolve) of Guru without any rituals, he said, ‘We are viewing this scientifically. No individual, let him be any great saint, through his divine power and meditation, the purifying ritual cannot be performed.  If the deities observed in the chart were seen relocated by ‘sankalpam’ then only it can be believed’, he added.

 On the appointed day, Guru reached the house.  There was along with Guru, a little girl, now a sanyasini in the Ashram. A big crowd had assembled there as spectators including the family members. The astrologer also arrived in time. Guru along with the little child sat in the front hall. The astrologer also sat on one side. Guru asked the astrologer to see what all were there in the family. After calculations, the astrologer said that it was a very old family and had an age and tradition of approximately 800 years. It was known from the chart that there were such and such disturbed deities - Brahma Rakshas, Serpent (Naga) etc. in the spiritual background of the family. The astrologer also disclosed that the remedial measure was to build a temple and install them there.

Guru called the little girl to his side and said something. After prostrating before Guru, that girl sat in meditation for sometime.  ‘Now you see whether these have moved from here or not,’ Guru asked the astrologer.  The astrologer made his chart again and looked bewildered for a moment, for, he saw that the disturbed deities and powers have been vacated. Guru asked him to do the chart once again to prove it beyond doubt. He did as advised and was astonished to find that pitrus and deities have been vacated with the sankalpam of Guru. Guru explained the spiritual background of the family as seen in vision during the performance: When all the disturbed spirits were asked to move after bringing them in the radiance of Guru, all except one were ready to move. That one was a Sanyasi, a member of the family. It was standing there as the family head in the ancestral zodiac. Although it was desirous of salvation, it was unwilling to move without someone taking its position. The tears of this Sanyasi were causing the family to deteriorate. Only after Guru promised to take that position in the family, the Sanyasi became ready to move. Guru told that it was a soul which had immense love toward the family.

Sri Chidambaran demolished the old family temple and built a prayer hall for Guru in the house. It was the beginning of his journey on the great spiritual trunk road of Guru centric spirituality. It reveals another dimension of Sanatana Dharma, which is based on the ancient Indian rishi tradition (Jnana marga) different from the brahmanical temple tradition suffering from the ills of caste system.

The Spiritual Significance of Full Moon Days

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Spiritual Significance of Full Moon Days

Mukundan P.R.

Pournami, the full moon day, how serene and blissful is that day! God has created this day for spiritual enrichment. The brilliant rays of the moon and the sun saturate the creation on full moon days helping the spiritual efflorescence of all souls. The harmful influences that trouble and hinder the spirit become subdued during pournami. The spiritual significance of ‘sadhana’ on pournami is quite an old tradition. The Hindus, Buddhists and Jains undertake vows, rites and rituals on full moon days for spiritual enlightenment as well as the appeasement of ancestral spirits. It is well known that the great Buddha got enlightenment on a full moon day. The ancient sage Vyasa, who compiled the Vedas, was born on a full moon day. This day is celebrated as Guru Purnima throughout India.

The concept of the sun and moon has great significance in Indian spirituality. According to the Rigveda, life originates from the copulation of luminous lunar light molecules (mentioned as soma) and the vaporous dust on the earth in a unique blending of cosmic rays from the sun, planets and stars. The Big Bang Theory is based on the theory of Relativity, the gravitational pulls between atomic particles, the simulations and permutations that create certain fundamental matter-molecules and gaseous energies; all these lead us to the theory that the origin of life is from the interplay of cosmic substances and energies diversely inherent in the astral world – the sun, moon, earth, stars and constellations. The soul of man pulsates in synchronization with the cosmic rays percolating down the solar system, 27 stars (nakshatram) and 12 zodiacs. The moon represents the creative energy in living beings.

Pournami prayers help to cleanse the soul. In Santhigiri Ashram, devotees observe three days ‘vritam’ (vow of abstinence) and perform round the clock prayers on full moon days to get rid of their karmic and ancestral ills. In the night of pournami, the devotees, clad in white and chanting the Guru Mantra, carry lamps and ‘kumbhams’ and circle round the Ashram in a bright procession. It is repeated in the evening, at midnight and at the following dawn of the full moon day. Married couples are advised to undertake special prayers on full moon days for begetting good progeny. When vows and prayers are observed as instructed by the Guru, noble souls could take birth through their sacred bonding on the day of pournami.

Spiritual elevation is possible only when we get rid of the spiritual blocks as well as karmic and ancestral debts. Pournami prayers observed under the enlightened Guru helps the soul in the curing of these spiritual ills. Ignorant of the spiritual ill effects of black moon days, the downtrodden communities do ancestral rites mostly on dark moon days dictated by tradition. An example is the ‘pitru bali’ performed in Kerala on dark moon day in the month of karkidaka (July-August). Auspicious will be the results if a person does the ancestral rites on full moon day, not otherwise.

Evolution of Spirit

Gurucharanam Saranam

Evolution of Spirit

Swami Navananma Jnana Tapaswi
Santhigiri Ashram, Thiruvananthapuram

Indian spirituality explains that everything in the world has its own qualitative status. The evolutionary process of sentient and insentient beings is due to the movement of time and the interaction of nature. This also is the basis of ‘form’ (unique shape) and ‘quality’ in nature; to put in other words, how every living being differs from one another. The differences in the ‘form’ and ‘jeeva’ are due to variations in the quality and vice versa. This in-depth spiritual view of India considers that everything is in the track of evolution at its various levels.

As everything in the universe is the expression of spiritual evolution, it is concomitant with time too. This is a relative status of the ‘jeeva’ (spirit/self) concerned with ‘action’ (karma) and innate tendencies (vasana). The evolution of the ‘spirit’ from its lowest level to its perfect status is also a process correlated with time which means that the aspect of time extends from the minutest micro to the universal macro level. Indian spirituality explains the yuga cycles (kaala chakra) in between these two extremes.

Indian spirituality is a perfect universal science in which the concepts of creation (srishti), stasis (stithi), dissolution (samhaara) and merging with the Ultimate (ultimate release) are clearly defined. These are the four terms clearly defined by the sages in Indian spiritual tradition. This is not mere philosophy, but is the science of transformation of the body and spirit, starting from the very micro level to the omnipotent status.

This science of evolution and its practical hierarchy is explained in Sanatana Dharma, the very basic Indian philosophy through Upanishadic principle (i.e. guru-disciple dialogue). Guru-disciple spirituality is a life style. There is the famous aphorism ‘maata, pita, guru, daivam’, which means that the evolution of the spirit of a kid begins from (or through) the mother, the father and then the guru, who ultimately guides it to God.

There is an oft-repeated prayer in Indian tradition: ‘lokaah samasthaa sukhino bhavanthu’ – ‘may everything in the universe become peaceful’. The very basic concept of this philosophy was out of a noble thought and practice for providing freedom and guidance to each and every spirit in the universe so that it can attain its innate growth and fulfillment. The growth and development ends when it attains a level of perfection. The attainment of ultimate perfection through the relative truth (of time, form, and quality) is a divine pattern for the ultimate level of perfection. The words ‘dharma’ and ‘karma’ relate to this divine pattern. These two aspects are considered the basic concept behind form and quality or individuality. Thus the spiritual aim of every spirit is to attain the ultimate status of perfection transcending quality and form as implied in the prayer, ‘achintya avyakta ruupaaya, nirgunaaya gunaatmane, samastha jagataadhaara muurthaye Brahmane namah’- ‘salutations to Brahman, the formless, indefinable, and unthinkable…’! This is the perfect vision of Indian spirituality.

The way of ‘dvaita’ (the guru disciple duality) to attain the ‘advaita’ (the merger of disciple in guru-hood) was considered the way to ‘moksha’ (liberation). (Contrary to its popular meaning, the word ‘Dvaita’ is taken here as the ‘guru disciple duality’, to mean the imperfect mind of the seeker and the ‘Advaita’ to mean the perfect state of truth which Guru represents). This way of life is operated by a ‘brahma jnaani’ (the knower of Brahman, the Supreme Truth) who is the authoritative embodiment of Brahman for guiding the evolution of all spirits and their different levels of growth through the evolutionary cycles of yugas.

The Secret of Guru-Disciple Spirituality

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Secret of Guru–Disciple Spirituality

By Swami Navananma Jnana Tapaswi, Santhigiri Ashram

Guru-Disciple Spirituality is a discipline to be learned by individuals in their life. It is not a matter of rituals; it is a way of life through practice. Therefore, there should be an authority to learn from. Spirituality is not a philosophy to be learned from books. Instead of books, the spiritual philosophy is decoded through the way of action (karma) and the status embedded in the spirit is known.

As the law of science defines – ‘for every action, there is a reaction’, the bodily action is considered as a reaction of the energy status of the spirit and vice versa. As the law of nature presents, every thing is part and parcel of the canvas of the nature and is the exhibition of different spiritual statuses in different forms. That is why in the world everything exhibits its own quality being the nature incorporated in the concerned bodies or materials. Whatever the energy status manifested through different bodies, it has a basic instinct which is subject to changes. This Will of the Ultimate is applicable for human spirits also. That is why Indian spirituality says that human beings are animals having ‘ashta raagas’ (eight-fold cravings) and the capacity to do ‘mananam’ (capacity to think). That means the capacity to think about time. To think about time means, think about the past, present and future. Therefore, the evolution of the spirit from the level of human happens through the development of knowledge or ‘jnaanam’ (ultimate spiritual realization).

But each and every individual with a spirit lives on this earth through the evolutionary track of the spirit which is embedded with a quality accumulated till now. Spiritual status of the individual is determined according to the karmic instincts in the spirit earned through different incarnations. Spirituality has to free the individual from these basic instincts and limitations. This is possible only when an individual is capable to do action (karma) with an appropriate knowledge so as to nullify the bad effects carried by the spirit. This appropriate knowledge is considered as dharma and this is to be learned from the embodiment of dharma – a Seer.

The very traditional concept of Upanishad was this learning process. It means, sit beside the Guru and learn the secrets of life from the mouth of the Guru. This is the very live practice of sharing the good and bad or the pleasure and pain with a person who is an authority of the spirit, i.e. an Aatmajnaani. Aatmajnaani, being an evolved spirit, by perfecting all karma and dharma and hence freed from them, is considered as the very incipient status of a Guru. In the above said state, the spirit attains ‘ashta aishwaryaas’ – the eight-fold fortunes. This is the level which transcends the status of devi-devaas (celestial gods) when the spirit attains the planes of rishis (the abode of seers), sanyaasis (the abode of ascetics), jnaani (the abode of perfected seers) and the state of bhakta (the abode of ardent lovers of God) reaching where the spirit becomes eligible for mukti – liberation. Such a spirit which has attained liberation is considered as the ultimate Guru.

In Sanatana Dharma, the Guru is considered as the embodiment of Brahman, the Almighty and termed as Brahma Jnaani (knower of Brahman). And the Brahma Jnaani being a trikaala jnaani (perceiver of three-fold time), is the authority to guide one towards mukti (liberation) from the spiritual stages beginning from man, deva, rishi, sanyaasi, jnaani, and bhakta. Whenever a person gets such a Supreme Guru for God realization, it is the way of dvaita to attain advaita, i.e., to attain the formless attribute-less state through the medium with attributes. This is the noble concept and true practice of Guru-Disciple order, which bestows God realization. When a disciple is lucky enough to lead life with such a Guru and do his duty combining bhakti (devotion) and the power of vigilant concentration (yogabala) that becomes the natural way of spirituality. Hence this Guru-disciple relationship is the very natural, true way of life by blending karma, yoga, jnaana and bhakti and which flows uninterruptedly through the advancement of disciples and their spiritual perfection. This is the very secret of Guru–Disciple spirituality.

Obsolete Spiritual Legacies and Dogmas

Gurucharanam Saranam

Obsolete Spiritual Legacies and Dogmas

Mukundan P.R.

If the present age is witnessing unprecedented clashes and turmoil arising out of socio-economic disparities, religious fundamentalism, plunders of nature and natural resources, it is because man has failed to comprehend the original spiritual script of the Creator. Unless humanity understands the correct spiritual perspective behind life and Creation, which has an un-patentable universality, the world will, as we see today, go on in opposite directions giving torment to the inhabitants of this planet. How can there be multiple truths of Creation about a single universe, the single human family? Diversities have come due to the narrowness and ignorance of people and societies. Spiritual homogeneity, therefore, is going to be a vital aspect in the new millennium.

Nature has supported whenever such unifying spiritual movements took place; and it destructed too the societies which stood against this. India is an example; against the eternal egalitarian monotheistic teachings (Sanatana Dharma) of Sri Krishna, Sri Buddha, Mahavir, Guru Nanak and many others, when India chose to follow the Brahmin centered caste theory and polytheism (popular Hinduism which follows Vedic rituals for propitiating gods) God Almighty sent messengers in other parts of the world like Moses, Jesus and Prophet Mohammed. The social forces that emerged out of these spiritual movements crushed and pillaged the spiritually and socially fragmented India. India became a subject country under colonial rulers.

The planetary system revolves around unalterable cosmic truths. So too are the spiritual truths behind man’s life and evolution. It is because of its eternal, universal nature, the rishis and sages called these laws as Sanatana Dharma, the eternal spiritual laws. Time is one of the fundamental aspects in this. Time is the other name for evolution, perpetual change. It means that humanity has to constantly evolve to higher spiritual truths spun by the wheel of time. Man’s refusal to accept this truth and his clinging to particular sets of belief systems born out of the necessities of a distant past is the cause of present turmoil and conflicts. Human lungs are gasping for the fresh breath of a new, all embracing culture and spiritual experience. However, the spiritual and cultural overlords want to chain this new age under obsolete spiritual legacies and dogmas.

Mankind has become culture conditioned forgetting the immense potential for spiritual discovery in this glorious age of Kali. If the Muslims and Christians are clinging to the medieval spiritual experiences of Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed, the Hindus are living with a prehistoric spiritual culture of Dwapara and Treta yuga, blissfully unaware that in this time zone (Kaliyuga) changes occur in the methods for spiritual realization. The object of worship in the Dwapara and Treta yuga were the devas, the celestials, but in the Kaliyuga, because of the evolving yuga cycles, mankind evolves one step higher in the spiritual hierarchy. Every yuga has a unique spiritual authority through whom this spiritual transition takes place. People in this new millennium will reject all religious dogma and seek truth.

The souls are guided to the ultimate truth of the Almighty through the ladder of cyclic astral changes as exemplified by the cosmic time concept - Manvantara time order mentioned by the ancient Indian sages. The great spiritual debacle of India lies in the mix up of Vedic idolatry with the path of the spiritual masters of India, who followed monotheism. And only monotheism can be the true basis of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion of mankind. The priest class of India, who is not even five percent of Indian population, will never agree to such a proposition, because that will take away their status as a special people, superior to the natives. It is the racial discrimination of Vedic Brahmins, which fragmented Indian society and brought the country to such disgrace, past and present, and perished it!

The second great sin of Vedic Brahmins is that they kept Indian spirituality under the celestial gods (devas), ignoring the spiritual leadership of the great rishis and sages who incarnated from time to time. India always stood for spiritual discovery - God realization through Guru-Disciple order, which is the path shown by the sages and for which India is well known. But the Brahmins stood in between and led people to Vedic ritualism and deity worship establishing themselves as its unquestionable authorities. Honest Hindus should realize this mess up, this spiritually treachery if they wish to see their glorious country prosper spiritually and socially. But how could it happen! Hindus are under the deep spell of a dirty sleep for ages.

The basic problem is people are not well familiarized with the concept of spiritual hierarchies. If one spiritual aspirant experiences an angel, deva or demigod, they think that they have attained everything in spirituality. There are millions and millions of such spiritual beings in the astral world, who can manifest in front of us. They can be channelized and some of them can give us enormous power to perform miracles. Patanjali advises the seekers to be extremely cautions of such celestial beings, because the aspirants might get misled from the path of God realization. Gods and angels are astral beings, in between God and the human world. They are like stranded travelers who have put up camps on the path and depend upon the upcoming seekers.

Today the Hindus, be it a Brahmin or Sudra, are unable to distinguish between the Sanatana Dharma of the Rishis and the outdated Vedic tradition. Almost all Hindus are ignorant about this spiritual pollution of India. Even the pundits of Hinduism are unable to distinguish this truth clearly. Of course, the wisdom of the Rishis are scattered in the Vedic literature in an inseparable way, like water in milk, which is confusing the spiritual aspirants for thousands of years now. This has to change and people must realize the truth. It is time that the Hindus begin to think, lest they be subject to the most grievous wrath of the Almighty.