There are different types of Gurus. The teachers, who impart secular knowledge, are also considered Gurus. Those who teach us dance, music and the alphabet are all Gurus. One who elevates us to the knowledge of the self is the Satguru. In His presence, the disciple experiences an awakening in his/her heart, provided he/she is a genuine seeker.
She need not hesitate to clarify her doubts with the Guru. The Upanishads, Ramayana and Mahabharata are all in the form of dialogues, mostly in the form of questions and answers. The Bhagavad Gita is Krishna’s responses to Arjuna’s queries. However, the questions were not rooted in arrogance; they stemmed from a keen desire to know. Therefore, one must approach the Guru without preconceptions and with an open mind. Only then one can understand the true import of His words. One will definitely find answers to such questions.
Even though two people hear the same answer, their understanding will be based on their personal samskaras. We can figure out what they have understood from their consequent actions. Even if he/she is unable to grasp fully what the Guru has said, one can move in the right direction if the person has an innocent heart.
Once, there was no rain on earth. Crops perished. People started starving. The incidence of thefts increased. There was no peace anywhere. How did this happen? What was the solution to this problem? How could peace be restored on earth? The gods, humans and demons conferred jointly but were unable to find a solution. They then approached Lord Brahma, the Creator.
They were all seekers, genuinely concerned about the plight of the earth. They wished for the world to become a better place. They told Brahma about their sorrows. The Lord merely uttered ‘Da’—that was all. Each one of them regarded it as advice for them and left.
All of them pondered over the meaning of what Lord Brahma had said. The gods thought, “‘Da’ means dama—sense control. Indulging in sensual delights, we have become addicted to these pleasures. If we control our sense organs, our problems will be solved. Chasing sensory delights is the main cause of today’s problems. If we can avoid doing so, we will not only be able to gain individual peace, but also the peace will prevail in society.” The gods started controlling senses.
The humans thought differently. They thought, “‘Da’ means ‘danam’—charity. What Lord Brahma has said was true. We are full of selfishness. We have stopped thinking about what we can give others; our only thought is how to gain ownership of what others
own. If each one practices charity, would there be poverty on earth? No.” Therefore, the humans decided to practice charity.
The demons thought in yet another way. They thought, “’Da’ means ‘daya’—compassion. Without a doubt, we are lacking in compassion, for we are utterly cruel, and do not have any love at all. Henceforth, we must love others. We must behave compassionately towards others. The mind must be trained to do so. Then, problems in society will disappear.” In this way, they began to practice compassion.
Thus, the three virtues—sense control, charity, and compassion—began to flourish in society. When sense control, charity, and love flourished in society, nature showered her blessings. Rain fell in sufficient quantities. Agriculture began to thrive. The harvest increased. Troubles vanished. Prosperity increased. Peace and contentment began to prevail in society.
There was spring, both outside and within. In this way, though each one understood the meaning of the single syllable ‘Da’, differently the motives of all of them were pure—to make the world a better place. Therefore, they were able to see the goodness in everything. Though the lotus arises from mire, the pure mind does not see the dirt, only the beauty of the flower.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader