One little flower for Guruji’s pushpamala

The greatest sages and prophets of all times never stop praising Shri Guru. Devas and asuras diligently eulogize Shri Guru. Millions of people by millions of words express their ultimate devotion and gratitude to Shri Guru. What can I add on my own?

I know neither essence of Guru nor his manifestations. I know neither how to satisfy Guru nor how to fulfill his admonitions. But I know one thing for sure – without Guru’s grace there can be no progress.

Guru krupa… You can come across this expression so often – both in scriptures and hymns. Yet all what was said before is not enough. Guru’s grace is unconditional. His love to his disciples, attention and sincere caring are maybe the only things that one can call permanent in our quickly changing world. If you invite all the famous poets to a special gathering, one after another they will fail to describe the greatness of Guru’s grace. If you organize a conference of the most educated scientists, even after  a thousand years long discussion they won’t be able to determine Guru’s grace. It is something beyond any words and any testing. How can you express in all these terms something that cannot be reduced to anything? You can’t measure this grace with money, you can’t pay it back with herds of horses, cows or elephants. All is finite in this world – all except benefits that shower like celestial nectar over those who have found their refuge at Guru’s feet.

The only thing you can give back to Guruji is your heart. Heart open for love and justice. Surrender to Shri Guru! Crave his grace with all your soul! Put your lives as offering to his lotus feet, look into his eyes shining with unearthly light, listen to his speech full of wisdom, capture his smiles that will warm you even in the darkest hours of your lives. Repeat to yourselves: “I surrender to Shri Guru! I surrender to Shri Guru!”. Sing aloud: “Jaya Shri Guru! Jaya Shri Guru!”. You can’t draw out an ocean with a teaspoon and you can’t overestimate Guru’s grace. “Gu” is an inhale, “Ru” is an exhale, Guru means breathing. “Gu” is the sun, “Ru” is the moon, Guru means light. “Gu” is love, “Ru” is knowledge, Guru means Sadhana.

Beware of fools claiming you can be successful in Sadhana without Guru. It’s deceptive self-conceit. Our vision is imperfect due to passions and attachments and ego resists badly any kind of development. Who else but Guru who possesses crystal clear divine knowledge can remove shadows of illusions and purify our hearts to plant the highest wisdom in them? Who else but Guru can teach us the art of recognition? Who else but Guru can teach us to understand our real desires and escape ones shaped by vanity and egoism? Salutations to Shri Guru whose mere existence destroys the darkness of ignorance!

The Divine stays in all kinds of matters… but as usual the most evident is the most hard to find out. Guru is the one who puts your hand straight into hand of God. The path that can take millions of lives if you walk it alone is passed in a moment if you fly like a butterfly to the shine of Shri Guru. With boundless patience he devotes himself to his disciples helping them to gain the highest realizations. Can there be any gift more precious than this?

Guru takes care of you like a mother. Guru teaches you discipline like a father. Guru protects you like a brother. Guru listens to you like a friend. When you cry desperately for help thinking you lost your way and stumble in thick fog, Guru will take your hand saying: “Don’t be afraid! All will be fine!”. Really, when you have your refuge at Shri Guru’s feet, there is nothing to be afraid of. Maybe only one thing – to love him less than he deserves it.

 …In my life there was nothing more significant than meeting my dear Pujyapad Guruji Shri Yogeshji. All achievements I have are mine only due to his endless care. Joy, peace, hope, bliss are his secret names. I can’t say I really knew anything of these before knowing him. But the most important thing is an experience of direct first-hand  contact with God, understanding that Divine is not an abstract theory but something that is present Here and Now – Forever. Even if it was the only thing happening to me, I would say that my life was spent not in vain. But I know that he won’t stop on this… Jaya Shri Guru Deva! Salutations to the one who shares everything with his disciples! Salutations to the one who gives a taste of ultimate bliss! Salutations to the one who embodies Absolute Love and Absolute Knowledge! Salutations to the one through whom Bhagavan and Bhagavati speak! Salutations to the one who shows all the beauty and harmony of the universe!

Let Guru’s mercy be forever with us! Let good luck and well being never leave him and his nearest and dearest! Let every day of his be joyful, let every action of his end successfully, let Maa and Shivji never take their loving eyes of him! Jaya Shri Guru Deva!

ShivRagini