What if children were told to educate themselves in modern sciences without any teacher or Guru or any access to prior knowledge gained over centuries? What if we had to reinvent the wheel in every walk of life, without having access to knowledge that was already available from authorities in the field? If this were the case, we would spend a lifetime trying to educate ourselves without making much headway or perhaps even going down a wrong path.
Guru Brahma Gurur Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshwaraha
Guru Saakshat Para BrahmaTasmai Sree Gurave Namaha
Meaning: Guru is verily the representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. I salute such a Guru
The word ‘Guru’ is derived from the Sanskrit language and has a deep spiritual meaning. Its two syllables Gu and Ru stand for the following:
Gu denotes the spiritual ignorance that most of humankind is in.
Ru represents the radiance of spiritual knowledge that dispels the spiritual ignorance. Guru is not a person, it is a force driven by grace.
Western culture, which has increasingly welcomed and embraced traditions from the East in the last thirty years, has too often understood guru to mean simply a teacher. In the West guru is frequently considered to be merely someone who is trainer. From this point of view, the guru is expected to share this knowledge with the students, training them. This makes the western student to become dependent on the teacher and have high expectations about what the teacher should do on behalf of the student; the guru is nonetheless viewed as a teacher only.
In ancient times students received formal education in guru-kulas. The students lived with their guru from an early age and were given not only instruction on an intellectual level, but also were guided in spiritual development and in the maintenance of physical health. The guru had a very close relationship with the students and knew their habits and level of inner strength.
In today’s life there is no such environment. It is very difficult for the student not to be distracted by the temptations of the external world. Modern education focuses on memorizing facts of the external world, and ignores the growth and development of the inner being. The gurukula system of ancient times is not practical in today’s world, but a more holistic approach to education can be adopted. In the eastern tradition guru is much more than a teacher. He or she represents the special energy that is guiding individuals toward their fulfillment as human beings, toward perfection.
The guru’s job is not to hold hands with the disciple and wipe away tears, but to cut into pieces the disciple’s ego and all that stands between the disciple and freedom. The guru does not allow dependence. If the disciple becomes too dependent on him, the guru pushes the disciple away, insisting on independence. It is a remarkable expression of the deepest love.
If you look at the past Leaders for instance Vivekananda his guru is Ramakrishna Parama Hamsa, For Shivaji it was Samartha Ramadas and so on. Even great Legendaries are guided by Gurus. Such important role a Guru plays in molding our Personalities. But now-a day’s Gurus were not given such a high importance in the society due to several factors. Not caring about these issues if every Guru tries to fulfill their duty with love and compassion they can bring back the tradition that is missing in today’s generation towards Gurus.
Salute to all the Gurus who guided me, are guiding me and will be guiding me towards achieving my Goals.
