Guru is a master. A teacher of Sat—existence, you, I and all that is in the world—is a Satguru.
The Vivekachoodamani says to get a human birth, to desire for freedom, and to be in proximity to great masters are three very rare things in this world and are the result of countless lifetimes of good deeds.
There are many among us who are in search of a guru, many who have a guru just in their vicinity, but not aware of the person’s greatness, and then many who have been found by their masters and are rendering service to them and imbibing knowledge too.
In whatever category we may belong, it doesn’t matter.
In a sincere search for the guru, the only important is to be a sincere disciple and the Universe connects you with a guru. Meditating the name of the guru, the form of the guru, the words of the guru, and even getting a glimpse of the guru can quieten the mind. There is a melodious verse in Tirumandiram of Tirumoolar, a Tamil saint—it gives clarity to see the guru, it gives clarity to chant the name of the guru, it gives clarity to listen to the words of wisdom from the guru and it gives clarity to meditate on the divine qualities of the guru.
In the Guru Gita recited by Shiva to his wife and student, goddess Parvati, there is a beautiful verse which is set to tune and even sung as a bhajan—Dhyana Mulam Guror Murtih. At the root of our meditation is revealed the form of the guru. Following constant worship, we get to serve the cause of the guru. The words and statements of truth spelled by the guru are sounds that can protect the mind from its constant chatter, wandering and meandering. When there is the grace of the guru, then it is granted that the blessed disciple will attain liberation of mind. Liberation means to no longer be tormented by the limitations of the body, feelings and thoughts.
The Patanjali Yoga Sutras, too, mention one of the ways to get the mind to surrender completely to the divine presence of God is to contemplate on the form of a person who is free of objects to which he is attached to. Such a person may be a living master or the numerous divine forms that are not physically present in body—Hanuman can be a guru, Ganesha was the guru for the Tamil poet Avvaiyar, Subrahmanya was the guru for many seekers.
The Yoga Sutra defines God as a special person who is free of impurities of mind and impressions or thoughts caused by actions. It says that God is also the guru for all people who were born and lived in the past unobstructed by time.
The guru is one of the powerful means for the mind to meditate.
Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya
(www.sharanyachaitanya. blogspot.in)