The word Guru comes from the two Sanskrit words ‘Gu’+’ru’. Gu’ means ignorance or darkness and ‘ru’ means the removal of darkness. Gurus are named so because they remove the darkness from our lives by teaching us the right things and showing us the right path. Many people also believe that on this day, Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon in Uttar Pradesh.
On the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, I know you do share your emotions in words, wishes, quotes, and WhatsApp messages with your Gurus.
However, have you ever tried to find out who is “‘Your Real Guru”‘. We often believe those persons who have taught us to acquire knowledge & new skill, helped to sharpen the axe, guided to show the path, partnered in the navigation to reach the lighthouse, rescued in crisis, etc are Gurus. In most of the cases the person should be elder, more knowledgeable & experienced than us, we tend to accept him as a Guru. He/she may be your teacher, Boss, Guardians, Captain, Coach, trainer, seniors, etc, Why is it so?
Think, a situation. You are stuck-up in handling your advanced digital gadget, what do you do, seek the help of your kids, learn from them, Are not they Guru, say in a car driving school, your instructor teaches you how to drive a car safely, is not he /she Guru, say your family doctor, he/she advises you to remain healthy, is not he /she Guru, say your Yoga teacher who teaches you Yoga to remain calm & strong, is not your Guru, Your cricket coach, is not he/she Guru, Your friends teaches you the right way to live & behave, is not your Guru, Your mother/wife teaches how to cook, are they not your Guru, your father teaches you how to ride a bicycle, is not he your Guru…so many examples.
Think about your enemy, competition, stranger, they all are your Guru, You must have learned many lessons while dealing with them. THINK, THINK, THINK…What I am trying to bring on the table.
If you do agree with me, then why it should be restricted to very limited persons as Guru, therefore, to me whoever is teaching you anything good & new, is your Guru, then why do you wish to only a few Gurus on the occasion of Guru Purnima. If you agree with my logic & thoughts, then who is your Real Guru.
Gurus are having a passion for teaching, the passion for removing the darkness. But imagine who is the student, who is Shishya, what is their (student) role? If the cup or glass of a student is full of water, no space to fill the knowledge & skill, do you think Guru can pour some more knowledge & skill in the form of water, therefore, you as a student must have some space to absorb & accommodate the new knowledge & skill. Hence the student must have an attitude & passion for learning…then Guru can add the water… which is important for life… Therefore, Is it a passion for teaching or passion for learning?
I believe the passion of learning comes first, before teaching.. therefore you as a student must have the passion of learning, then Guru can remove the darkness and make your path clean & visible.
Who is the real Guru…You or Your Guru. Trust me it is You & You & You.
Your passion for learning opens up the opportunity for Gurus to teach you & navigate your life journey. Therefore first share your best wishes to yourself before with any Gurus. Say thank you & offer Guru Dakshina to yourself first.
In this crisis time (Corona outbreak) who is going to guide & navigate you, No Guru, No Pandit, Only you & You, You need to help & guide yourself to survive, stay safe, stay healthy & stay alive….Trust your inner Guru…Your destination is in Your Hands, start the discovery journey now…Trust me….Wishing you all the best.
At the same time, I have very high respect & regards to all my Gurus…including all the above I mentioned, but I am the real Guru of myself, are YOU?