Before meeting my master, I had an inferiority complex about being born into a low caste. Low caste people are still not allowed to enter temples and touch “high caste” priests. In my childhood, in Janai Purnima my upper caste friends received colorful threads on their hand from the priest, but I was not permitted to do so.
Now I am grown up, but I still face such discrimination. At Swargadwari Ashram situated beside the Ram Mandir of Pashupatinath Temple, the priest asked my surname. After learning that it was Sunar, he became very rude. He asked me not to come again. [break]
Our constitution guarantees the Right against Untouchability and Racial Discrimination: “No person shall, on the ground of caste or tribe, be deprived of the use of public services… or be prevented from performing any religious act. Any act contrary to the provisions shall be punishable in accordance with law.” I did not take any action against the Guru of that Ashram, though I had the right to do so.
chaitanya-atman.blogspot.com
There is another Ashram of Shivapuri Baba near the Pashupatinath temple, which is in total contrast to this temple. Shivapuri Baba was a true spiritual saint who was not affiliated to any organized religion and made no discrimination on the basis of culture, nationality, caste or gender. He supported those who had an intense desire for spiritual liberation. He spoke about right living, but never imposed any doctrine, mantra or initiation (diksha) to seekers, perhaps realizing that small plants cannot grow in the shadow of big trees.
Though I met many such good souls in my life, I never found real happiness and liberty until I met my Guru Osho. Shivapuri Baba has said that physical separation is no separation, but still I sometimes yearn for my Guru Osho. He eradicated my inferiority complex through his love and blessing. I am born again; Osho gave me a new identity and helped me know my own potential. I take shelter at the feet of my Master and dedicate this Guru Purnima to all the God-realized souls without any discrimination of nation, caste, gender and religious affiliation. I was not able to meet him in person, but I am thankful to Bodhisatva Swami Ananda Arun for filling that void.
I believe that when we have constant longing for God, God will come to us in the form of a Guru. Many teachers come into our lives, but there is only one Guru. A teacher is one who gives knowledge and boosts our ego, while Guru takes away our knowledge and punctures our ego. A Guru lasts forever, teaching beyond words, while a teacher is for specific period of time. A Guru may appear in human form, through a book, or through a situation.
The true Guru has no desire to place himself in the heart of the disciple, rather he helps the disciple find the hidden Guru within. It is said that love between the master and disciple is higher than ordinary love, because divorce is possible between two lovers, but there can be no divorce between master and disciple.
The word Guru gives an impression of long hair, floating beard, loose robes, and lots of bowing followers. But in fact, it is not so easy to identify a real Guru because they are hidden, while celebrity Gurus are available everywhere. They are constantly talking about the futility of name, fame and wealth, but they themselves accumulate it. When these Gurus point their finger at the moon, most disciples hold the Guru’s finger, forgetting the real destination. There are some cults where guru worship supersedes the worship of real God.
According to the Gita, Guru is made of two syllables: Gu and Ru. Gu stand for the spiritual ignorance characteristic of most of humankind, and Ru represents the radiance of spiritual knowledge that dispels the ignorance. The real Guru is an illumined soul, God-realized one. Yogananda Pramahansha says that, “The blind cannot lead the blind. Only a master, one who knows God, may rightly teach others about Him.”
Guru is sometimes compared to the moon, because a Guru receives direct knowledge from God, and converts it into cool and soothing wisdom for disciples. Hindus believe that Guru is next to God. Sage Kabir Das says “Guru Govind dono khare kake lagoon pai, balihari Guru aapne jin Govind diyo batai (Guru and God both are standing in front of me. Whom should I bow to? Praise to the Guru who introduced me to God).”
The author is a meditation practitioner and a sociologist by profession
girithejorba@gmail.com
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