2022 Guru Purnima

Early this morning the aadheenam celebrated Guru Purnima with an early morning parade and puja honoring Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. Following the chariot parade down San Marga, our monks and devotees sat down for a pada puja as Satguru entered deep meditation. After the puja, satguru gave blessings to all present.

Kularnava Tantra:
GURU devotion

Lord Siva: "There is One Real. Call it Siva. This Parabrahman is formless, stainless, one without a second, changeless, beyond the highest. This Mahesvara is all-knowing, all-doing, sovereign of all, self-luminous, without beginning or end. All embodied souls, jivas, all the born creatures, are portions of Me, like sparks of the fire. But human birth is the most important, for it is then that one becomes awake, aware of his state of bondage and the necessity of release. It is then that one is in a position to take steps for his liberation from bondage's hold.

"Humans have a self-will and are not totally subject to the impulses and drives of nature as are other creatures. It is only on this earth--and that too in a human body endowed with a soul--that one can choose one's path for spiritual progress. But not all are aware of the precious opportunity afforded by human birth, which is truly the ladder to Liberation. The Self is to be realized only here in this life. If here you do not find it and work out the means for your Liberation, where else is it possible? It is possible nowhere else. It has to be worked out by yourself from within yourself.

"The world you reach after the physical body is shed is determined by the level of consciousness reached while in the body. So, as long as the body lasts, exert yourself towards the goal of Liberation.

"Remember, the physical body does not last forever. Age prowls like a leopard; diseases attack like an enemy. Death waits not to see what is done or not done. Before the limbs lose their vitality, before adversities crowd in upon you, take to the auspicious path.
Therefore, choose, then worship a Satguru. Worship his feet. Cherish the very sandals (paduka) which hold his feet. All knowledge is founded on those paduka. Remember and cherish those paduka, which yield infinitely more merit than any number of observances, gifts, sacrifices, pilgrimages, mantra-japa and rituals of worship."

Om Gurave Namah

Why the pains of long pilgrimage?

Why observances that emaciate the body?

All the fruit anticipated from such austerities can be easily obtained by motiveless service to the holy Satguru.

When the entire universe is looked on as pervaded by the Sivaguru,

what mantra can fail to achieve its purpose for the sishya?

When the Satguru is present, no tapas is necessary,

neither by fasting nor observances, neither pilgrimage nor purificatory bath.

What he speaks is as scripture.

Feel one with your guru and not separate from him,

and do good to all as your own.

Whatever is beneficial to yourself, term that beneficial to him.

Whether moving or standing, sleeping or waking, performing japa or making offerings,

carry out only the injunctions of your guru with your inner being dwelling in him.

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 sishya.

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.

I tell you now that there can be no Liberation without diksha, initiation.

Nor can there be initiation without a preceptor.

Hence the dharma,

the sakti

and the tradition

come down the line of masters,

called parampara.

Without a Satguru

all philosophy,

knowledge

and mantras

are fruitless.

Him alone the Gods praise

who is the Satguru,

keeping active

what is handed down to him by tradition.

Therefore...

one should seek with all effort to obtain a preceptor of the unbroken tradition,

born of Supreme Siva.

At the root of dhyana,

meditation,

is the form of the Satguru.

At the root of puja, worship,

is the feet of the Satguru.

At the root of mantra, incantation, is the word of the Satguru.

At the root of all Liberation is the grace of the Satguru.

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