CHENNAI: Lord Shiva has said that we must offer prayers at the lotus feet of the guru and partake as prasad - the holy water that is now charged with the divine vibrations of the guru. This will certainly remove our bad karma and makes us eligible to receive the wisdom of the guru that is the guru jnana tejas or the effulgence arising out of guru’s wisdom for our own transformation.
However much we try to accumulate knowledge, we will not know the meaning of dispassion - vairagya and discrimination - viveka. We end up developing a scholarly attitude. We will not be able to invoke the power of transformation that is inherent in the knowledge.
Only the sadhana of sipping the guru’s or guru charana amrit can unlock the power of transformation for our evolution taking us all the way to realisation. This sadhana guides us on what decisions we must take in all aspects of our life. It bestows knowledge by removing duality in us. It gives clarity to our thinking by drying our sins - paapa caused due to ignorance. We will be prompted by our guru - Our soul from within us on even trivial things which actually matter a lot in our life or lifestyle and have an impact on our ‘soul style’ such as our food patterns, the company we seek and all other habits. For instance, wisdom of the guru will throw the light of discrimination in us which makes us aware whether we are eating food out of temptation or hunger. We may be on a spree to accumulate wealth, the guru teaches us what is a need and what is greed... He further teaches us to share what we have with others who are deprived of it, thereby helping us imbibe the noble qualities of selflessness and compassion.
The guru teaches us that giving need not necessarily be in money always. We can give; share with others our time, skills, talents, love and the like. Each soul is blessed with a unique quality and it is our dharma to share it selflessly for the benefit of others. In the same manner, If we are used to telling lies or if we are compulsive liars just to appease our ego, then the guru teaches us how to let go of this habit as well as all our bad qualities by laying a foundation of teachings of the scriptures and strongly holding on to the essence of truths extolled in them. This is the process of lighting the lamp of wisdom or jnana jyothi in us.
Once this enlightening light is lit in us, then the first knowledge that is revealed to us is the knowledge of detachment. Then we learn to enjoy all that we are bestowed with, without being possessive about it or being obsessed by it. Else, we end up storing all inanimate things and act as if we are possessed by it. Only with wisdom can we understand that everything we possess today is a gift of god.
In life, people often commit mistakes because they are filled with a wrong notion that spirituality is meant for the aged people particularly for people who have crossed 60 years of age. It is only our deluded mind that tells us that it should be followed after the age of 60. This is not true.
That is why, lord Shiva discourses to mother Parvathi that “Spirituality is an integral part of life. We are born with it, we have to live with it and finally get liberated because of it. Only by sailing in the boat of spirituality can we cross this ocean of samsara or quagmire and attain mukti or emancipation. The guru is our helmsman to take us safely across this ocean. He ensures that we safely touch the shores of emancipation. If we are not following spiritual code of conduct as laid down by our guru from the very beginning, we always remain tainted with a lot of pain in our feelings which is nothing but samsara.”