The Eternal Guru Part – fifty Seven

The Eternal Guru

On July 29th 2007 falls Guru Poornima, the festival celebrating the birth of revered Sage Vyasa and the occasion to express our love, reverence and gratitude to our teachers and preceptors. Swami, most often, gives a revealing discourse on this occasion every year, and let us recapitulate now one such His discourse delivered two decades ago in 1987.

By being endowed with the human form, men do not become really human. The evolution from animal to the human being has taken millennia. The world is peopled today by billions of human beings. But how many of them display genuine human qualities? Man is still going through birth-pangs of real humanness. Only when human qualities are manifest can man claim to be truly human. In that humanness there is Divinity. It will wear the mantle of Truth. It will be the embodiment of Dharma (Righteousness), Prema (Love) and Santhi (Peace). It is only when men display these qualities that they can be regarded as human. If mankind is able to achieve at least this level of humanness, it would be sufficient.

Swami often gives to devotees Vibhuti or Bhasma (the sacred ash). Many people smear their foreheads with this ash. What is the inner significance of this ash? When any object that has a name and form is completely burnt, it is reduced to ashes. The name and form are gone. All things are one and the same in the final state as ashes. When Vibhuti is given, Swami wants the recipient to understand this Advaitam (basic oneness). The devotee should get rid of Ahamkara (ego arising from the feeling of separateness) and sense of Mamakara (“mine” and “thine”). These two are based on name and form and when they are destroyed, the underlying unity of the Divine can be realised.

People constantly talk of Advaita (non-dualism), but hardly live up to their professions in practice. One must practice what one preaches or professes. Today there are not many gurus who live up to their beliefs or teachings. Their actions belie their words. No purpose is served by going in search of gurus. There is a guru in each of us. It is the Atma (spirit) principle. It is the Eternal Witness functioning as Conscience in everyone. With this Conscience as guide, let all actions be done…

In the Tretha Yuga (the time of Lord Rama), the Divine elements were on one side and the demonical elements on the other… In the Dwapara Yuga (the time of Lord Krishna), the divine and the demonic elements – namely, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, were in the same kingdom… But today, these divine and demonic forces are battling in each human being. This is the mark of the Kali age.

The Eternal Guru – divine wisdom for positive guidance

The Eternal Guru is the inner light that guides every sincere seeker from ignorance to wisdom, from fear to faith, and from restlessness to peace. A true guru is not limited only to a physical form, a place, or a period of time. The real guru principle is divine, timeless, compassionate, and always present within the heart of those who seek truth with humility.

In human life, guidance is very important. A child needs a teacher to learn letters, a student needs guidance to understand knowledge, and a traveler needs direction to reach the destination. In the same way, the soul needs spiritual guidance to understand the purpose of life. Without wisdom, the mind runs behind desires, ego, pride, and temporary pleasures. With the guru’s grace, life receives direction and meaning.

The Eternal Guru teaches that spiritual knowledge is not only collected from books. Sacred books are valuable, but the truth must be awakened within. A person may read many scriptures and still remain disturbed if the heart is not pure. The guru helps the seeker transform knowledge into character. Truth must be lived through kind words, honest actions, self-control, service, and devotion.

The role of the guru is to remove darkness. Darkness means ignorance, confusion, selfishness, and false identification with the body and mind. The guru does not give something completely new from outside; rather, he reveals the divine treasure already hidden within the seeker. Just as a lamp helps us see what is already present in a room, the guru’s wisdom helps us recognize our own spiritual nature.

The Eternal Guru does not encourage blind dependence. Instead, true guidance makes a person stronger, clearer, humbler, and more loving. The guru teaches the seeker to think rightly, act nobly, and listen to the voice of conscience. The purpose is not to create fear, but to awaken faith. It is not to bind the devotee, but to free the heart from ego and illusion.

A true guru’s teaching is always rooted in love. Even correction comes from compassion, not anger. Sometimes the guru may speak firmly because the seeker needs discipline, but behind that firmness there is deep care. Just as a doctor may give bitter medicine to cure illness, the guru may give hard lessons to cure pride, laziness, attachment, and weakness.

The Eternal Guru can be experienced in many ways. Sometimes guidance comes through a living master. Sometimes it comes through scripture, prayer, silence, nature, or a sudden awakening in the heart. Sometimes life itself becomes the teacher. Pain teaches patience, failure teaches humility, service teaches compassion, and devotion teaches surrender. For a sincere seeker, every experience can become divine instruction.

The disciple’s duty is also important. A guru may show the path, but the seeker must walk. A teacher may explain truth, but the student must practice it. Spiritual progress does not happen by admiration alone. It requires discipline, faith, purity, and regular effort. Prayer, meditation, selfless service, good company, and control of the senses help the seeker receive the guru’s grace more deeply.

The Eternal Guru reminds us that ego is the greatest obstacle on the path. Ego says, “I know everything.” Humility says, “Teach me what is true.” When the heart becomes humble, wisdom enters easily. A proud mind argues with truth, but a pure heart absorbs it. Therefore, surrender does not mean weakness. It means opening the heart to higher understanding.

In daily life, the guru’s message should appear in our behavior. If we speak harshly, hurt others, and live selfishly, then our devotion remains incomplete. Real devotion means becoming more truthful, patient, compassionate, and peaceful. The best way to honor the guru is to live the teaching, not merely praise the name.

The Eternal Guru also shows that God is the supreme source of all wisdom. Human gurus are sacred because they reflect divine light. They remind us that the same light exists within every being. When we follow the guru’s path sincerely, we begin to see unity behind differences. Love expands, judgment reduces, and life becomes more peaceful.

The world today is full of information, but information alone does not bring wisdom. People know many things, yet many hearts remain confused and restless. The guru principle teaches us to move from information to transformation. It asks us to purify our thoughts, control our desires, serve others, and remember God in every situation.

The Eternal Guru finally leads the seeker toward self-realization. This is the highest goal of human life. We are not merely the body, name, position, or personality. We are divine souls, carrying peace and love within us. The guru removes the veil of ignorance and helps us experience this truth.

When the heart follows true guidance, life becomes sacred. Duties become worship, difficulties become lessons, relationships become opportunities for love, and silence becomes filled with divine presence. The guru’s grace is not only for one day or one moment. It continues to guide, protect, correct, and uplift the sincere seeker at every step toward eternal peace.