The full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashaad (July-August) is considered extremely auspicious and is observed as a day to pay homage to, and celebrate the presence of the divine Gurus or teachers in our lives. It is an occasion to meditate on the Guru and also provides a unique opportunity for new aspirants to be initiated in the spiritual lineage of the Guru. It may also be viewed as a day to rededicate ourselves to the spiritual path, as we take fresh resolve to study and follow the precepts of our Guru.
Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwara.
Guru Saakshaat ParaBrahmaa
Tasmayii Shri Guruve Namah.
The above shloka is known as the Guru Mantra – an invocation chanted in honor of the Supreme Guru who consists of a combination of the trinity of Brahmaa (creator), Vishnu (preserver) and Maheshwara (Shiva, destroyer). The shloka further says that Guru is saakshaat, in human form, a representation of ParaBrahmaa – the supreme, omniscient One. So, let us pay homage, with a deep bow, tasmayii to the Guru as we say – Shri Guruve Namah.
But what if one does not have a Guru, in physical form, here on the earthly plane? There are a lot of spiritually realized souls who are capable of helping to accelerate us on our spiritual journey. However, we are often unsure, or perhaps even skeptical of the role or the necessity of a Guru. So, how do we make that final leap to acceptance of a particular Guru?
If you follow a personal Guru, please do share your story – how did you bring yourself to take that final leap of faith, of acceptance? If you don’t have a personal Guru – are you looking for one? Or do you believe that you don’t need one for your spiritual journey?