Guru Jayanti

Om Gurunathan

Tomorrow the aadheenam celebrates Guru Jayanti, honoring Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami's 76th year in this life. Above is a slideshow honoring our guru with words of wisdom from the Kularnava Tantra, emphasizing the guru's importance in our lives.

"As in the vicinity of fire, butter gets melted, so in the proximity of the holy Sivaguru all bad karmas dissolve. As lighted fire burns up all fuel, dry and moist, so the glance of the Sivaguru burns up in a moment the karmas of the shishya. As the heap of cotton blown up by a great storm scatters in all the ten directions, so the heap of negative karmas is blown away by the compassion of the Sivaguru. As darkness is destroyed at the very sight of the lamp, so is ignorance destroyed at the sight of the holy Sivaguru." Kularnava Tantra

\"Because I have no binding form that is perceived by the human eye, I protect the shishya, revealing the dharma in the form of the guru.\" -Kularnava Tantra

Therefore, the satguru is none other than the Supreme Siva enclosed in a human skin. Within him I walk the Earth concealed.

To the jivas, embodied souls laden with beclouding karmas, the satguru appears to be merely human. But to them whose karmas are auspicious, meritful, the satguru appears as Lord Siva Himself.

The less fortunate do not recognize the satguru as the embodiment of Supreme Truth even when face to face with him, like the blind before the arisen sun.

But verily, the satguru is none other than Sadasiva. This is the truth.

I Myself am the Truth. Otherwise, who is it who gives fulfillment and Liberation? There is no difference between God Siva and Satsivaguru. It is ignorance to make such a distinction.

Gurus are of six kinds

1) preraka is the impeller who instigates interest that leads to initiation

2) suchaka is the indicator who describes the sadhana in which interest has been awakened

3) vachana is the explainer who describes the process and its object

4) darshaka is the shower who definitely points out the working and aims of the path in greater detail

5) shikshaka is the trainer who actually instructs how to do sadhana

6) bodhaka is the illuminator, the satguru who lights in the shishya the lamp of spiritual knowledge.

He is the cause of the other five

The Vedas and shastras are many, but life is very short. Moreover, in this life there are millions of hindrances.

Therefore, one should acquire only the essence of all shastras, just as the swan takes the milk out of water with which it has been mixed.

Neither the Vedas nor the philosophies are causes of Liberation.

Realization alone is the cause of Liberation.

Better it is to bear even a single life-inspiring great mantra taught by a satguru than to carry a load of lifeless blocks of wood which are various forms of worldly knowledge.

Only from the mouth of a satguru can a jiva realize the one immutable Brahman which has been taught by Siva Himself.

Such knowledge cannot be attained through the study of even ten million shastras.

Many are the gurus who, like lamps, offer light in a house.

But rare is the satguru who illumines the village like the sun.

Many are the gurus who are proficient to the utmost in the Vedas and shastras.

But rare is the satguru who has attained Parasiva.

Many are the gurus on Earth who give what is other than the Self.

But rare is the satguru who brings the atma to light.

Many are the gurus who rob shishyas of their wealth.

But rare is the satguru who removes the afflictions of the shishya.

He is the satguru in whose very presence there flows the supreme bliss called ananda.

The intelligent person will choose such a one as satguru and none other.

\"As Mahesvara, in human body I secretly wander on the Earth in order to favor shishyas. As Sadasiva, I assume the modest and merciful form for the protection of sadhakas. Though remaining above samsara, yet I appear and act in this world as though I were a man of samsara.\"

}

];