The Guru powers the five elements of nature or the panchabhootas. We are all pure when we are born. But now, our body is 100 per cent impure and our mind, 50 per cent impure. As we grow up, we collect this garbage and go on accumulating piles of dirt. However, we must offer our body, mind and soul to the light of the Guru, as that is the true purpose of creating it.
Also, we must offer our traditions, philosophy and culture to the Guru. In actuality, we do not know any philosophy. We are all half-baked pots, with limited knowledge. This half-baked knowledge only adds to confusion in our deluded minds and attracts more dirt.
Philosophies cannot take us towards liberation because most of the times, they form hard mindsets in us. These mindsets don’t welcome fresh ideas to flow into us at all. At the same time the knowledge we possess will not be complete in itself.
We also unknowingly gather information only to stimulate our mind and intellect instead of seeking spiritual wisdom for transformation. Therefore we must offer everything so that instead of deluding our minds, the knowledge embedded in the philosophy will work for our own transformation. With this transformation we get the awareness on how to blend with the society as well as intersperse in the realm of God’s kingdom.
Although we receive our body from our parents, it is Lord Shiva who energises our body.
Without Shiva, our body is nothing but Shava - which means a corpse. Lord Shiva tells us that we should not be obsessed with austerity with regard to physical cleanliness of the body, which is most prevalent in southern India. That does not mean that we should be unclean- it only means that the cleanliness of the mind is most important.
Only the light of the Guru burns the dirt of our mind. So we should offer ourselves body, mind and soul to the light of the Guru. God loves purity of the mind, as well as purity of the body both are very important to God.
That is why Shiva is telling us so categorically about the impurity of the body. Shiva says, when I myself have given you the body and mind, why would I need it? Offer me the ego that is attached to the body. Only after you offer your ego, will you be able to think of purifying the mind. The Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and all other scriptures will then cleanse our mind. The light of the Guru makes our mind pure. Purity should pertain to the mind and intellect, only then will the Guru recognise us.
Extract from ‘The Force of Nirvana’ by Shri Shri Nimishananda