Today is गुरु पूर्णिमा or व्यास पूजा . Today we pay obeisance to the Guru. I met Swamiji for the first time in June 2014 in Mount Abu (I will forever be indebted to Ganesh for this trip). At that time in my life, a question was nagging me – what is the cause of the universe? The quest for liberation seemed bizarre – why did God create the universe, only for us to go through misery and suffering, to eventually realise through intense efforts that all is actually unreal? If He is all powerful and supreme, why bother with this rigmarole?
In this mental background, I have distinct memory from that trip. Ganesh and I were accompanying Swamiji on His evening walk. He took us to a part of Mount Abu where there were several करोंदा bushes (or trees?). This was my first visit to Mount Abu and my first taste of करोंदा. Swamiji asked us to explore the various bushes and the different taste of the berry that each bush offered. I remember plucking a few for Swamiji and He kindly accepted them.
After some time, Ganesh told Swamiji that I had a few doubts that I wanted clarified. Remember, this was the first time I was meeting Swamiji, and I was obviously shy. He kindly agreed and I asked – “What is the cause of the universe?”
“अज्ञान or ignorance is the cause,” He said.
Like any beginner student, I shot back with a counter – “What is the cause of अज्ञान or ignorance?”
He smiled and said “There is no cause of अज्ञान. When you ask about the cause of अज्ञान, you negate your original question regarding the cause of the universe. If अज्ञान had a cause, then it would be an effect and not a cause. Thus, for anything to be a cause of the universe, it cannot be the effect of something else. अज्ञान does not have any cause, but is the cause of the whole universe.”
While the cause-effect logic made sense, I was puzzled about अज्ञान not having a cause. My silence revealed my confusion and Swamiji gave an illustration to explain – “Do you know Swahili?”
“No, Swamiji”
“If someone asked you the cause of your not knowing, what would you say? Nothing – there is no cause for not knowing. There can be a cause for knowing, but none for not knowing”
Even though I didn’t fully understand, I nodded. I do that sometimes. The explanation made some sense to me. Over the years, through Swamiji’s kind grace, Ganesh and I studied various प्रकरण texts of Vedanta and the nature of ignorance became clearer. Well, clearer to the extent that one can’t say anything about ignorance – it is, in that sense, अनिर्वचनीय.
While nothing can be said about ignorance, much can be said about a Guru – the dispeller of ignorance. Having said that, there is nothing I can say about a Guru that has not already been said before.
Without a Guru, life is directionless. On any journey, we encounter numerous questions, doubts, and deal with many unknowns. These questions, doubts, and unknowns are especially significant on a spiritual journey, where one is discovering one’s own Self. A spiritual journey is the most intimate journey that one can travel. Thus, the necessity of a guide on this path. It is easy to lose the way, to get embroiled in these questions, doubts, and unknowns, to lose sight of the way and to get attached to the sights of the journey. The Guru keeps you on track. He gives you direction.
The Guru is the embodiment of mercy (करुणावतारम्). The Guru understands your doubts and through His infinite kindness and mercy guides you to a solution that suits you. This is a miracle in itself – that someone understands your difficulty and offers a solution suited to you. In our dealings with the world, we constantly encounter people who have selfish interests when advising us. The Guru does not have any selfish interest. He does not want anything from you. Thus, His advice is the purest form of advice that you can receive.
The Guru is verily the Lord Himself. During the समुद्रमन्थन, a poison हलाहल was generated. भगवान शंकर consumed हलाहल and saved the world. The Guru accepts all the negativities that we put at His feet. In return, He offers only blessings and guidance. He only gives. He cares for you without any expectation. He wants only your growth.
If you have been blessed to have a Guru, then you can understand the flow of love and kindness that I am referring to. He is Love. God showers His love through Him. When I look back, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Without a Guru, my life would have been very different. I owe everything to Him and to the गुरु शिष्य परम्परा. It is His kindness that has saved me. And it is at His lotus feet that मोक्ष is possible.
