GRAND GURU-NATURE (H.H. SRI SWAMI SIVANANDAJI MAHARAJ) he subtle points, the secrets and the Essentially, man is said to be the ever- Ttrue nature of Sadhana, Yogabhyas awakened, ever-shining, luminous spirit. But and spiritual life one has to learn from a he has forgotten his nature and the Guru, as person who has already traversed this path conceived of by the genius of India, is the one and progressed considerably upon it. But if that does the awakening work. Awakening and you should wish to learn these things, you teaching also mean a reciprocal willingness must first become awakened to the urgent to learn on the part of the one who is in need necessity of such knowledge; or else you will of the Guru. Also it suggests another idea that never have the urge or if one keeps himself ever- the hankering for such ready to recieve any such spiritual knowledge. awakening impulse he In your deep sleep of will find such awakening ignorance and sensuality impulses abound in nature. you are entirely oblivious God has so constituted of the lofty purpose of creation as to make it life and the meaning and an ever-ready teacher. importance of spiritual Sadhana. Therefore you Nature herself, the whole have first to be aroused of creation, is a grand to this forgotten fact. Guru, is a great teacher of Once awakened, you mankind, ever-imparting are to be taught all precious lessons, if man the knowledge of the would put himself in the intricacies of the path. proper receptive attitude. The Guru is the one that awakens and teaches. There is the energising, vitalising power of electricity. But the non-conducting wood What part does the Guru play in the evolution fails to benefit by a charge of electricity if of the individual? What should be one’s brought into contact with it in spite of the attitude, if this ancient and time-honoured latter’s power. The wood remains wood. But institution of the spiritual preceptor is to be a piece of copper or iron at once acquires of real practical benefit to you? The Guru, the power, the force and the properties of as has been pointed out above, awakens electricity. Not only that, but itself in its turn you, when you have temporarily fallen off is able to communicate the electricity to other from the awareness of the Ideal and the objects which are of a similar nature. I shall means and methods for its attainment. give you another example that practically 1 demonstrates this truth, namely, ‘the nature or five people. Perhaps there is a man with a is a great teacher.’ Millions of different spiritual bent of mind, Sattvic Samskaras or surfaces receive the impressions from outside tendencies. He may partake of the fruits daily from the rays of the sun. They do not absorb and have a good meditation, do some Upasana the picture. It is only the sensitised plate of and Japa and the fruits that he has thus eaten, the camera, the film that is able to absorb he will convert into Sattvic force, to illumine those impressions that it receives and in itself himself and help in illuminating others. reflects the picture. Thus, you have to learn Another is an athlete. He partakes of the same from the non-conducting piece of wood fruits and then he does exercise. He indulges and the good-conductor iron and copper, in athletics, develops a fine physique and he the necessity of such receptivity; you have runs, jumps and swims. Probably the third to learn from the sensitised surface of films is a glutton. He eats the same fruits and gets and the other blank surfaces, the necessity of Tamasic, sleeps, becomes useless to himself such receptivity. Like this, everywhere you and others. Perhaps, there is another who is turn, you will be able to learn many things. a dyspeptic. He eats the fruits and is not able to digest it. It is the same fruit garden; with You see the example of the Avadhoota in the one, it is Sattvic, another Tamasic, another 11th Skandha of the Bhagawat who learnt Rajasic; and yet to another it gives pain. many spiritual lessons from various things in nature. You have to admit that you are in no Just reflect deeply over another instance. way better or superior or more highly evolved Many people assemble at sacred shrines than Avadhoota and you should always be during holy festival days. The atmosphere readily capable of putting yourselves in this is solemn and elevating. The true devotee receptive mood. It is the lack of this that will be lost in worship and ecstasy. But the makes even the presence of such educators professional swindler in the crowd is looking futile. Your duty is to learn, yet you play out only for a gull. The pick-pocket has truant to this great school called life. Christ eyes only for a bulging coat-pocket and the gave His lofty message and in the end He amorous youth scans the faces of the fair has said, ‘He that hath ears let him hear; he sex. So it does not happen that all of you that hath eyes to see, let him see,’ because the receive the same benefit out of the Satsang message is there, the listeners are there; but and spirituality pervading such sacred and supposing a man is in a dark room and he auspicious occasions. People attend religious wants light; a kind neighbour gets him the discourses, some imbibe the teachings, light; immediately this man closed his eyes- others the funny points, still another mimics what is the use of the illumination that has the manners of the speaker, his gestures etc., been brought into the room? Even so, you while the fourth section seeks to condemn may have teachers; but the moment teaching everything that is uttered at the discourse. is given, you close your doors against it and You give milk to the snake, you have poison. you are in the same condition as before. You prepare food out of grain and give it to man; he turns it into faecal matters. Why spiritual lessons and great ethical teachings fail to make any impression upon You have got those colourful splashes of man? Supposing a very fine garden of health- floral glory abounding in parks, gardens and giving juicy fruits is opened up to a set of four house-balconies. It is earth, it is sunlight, it 2 is water-common elements which abound in boasted strong body, in spite of culture, nature-out of a combination of these three in spite of having moved in high society, you have got these. These floral plants receive and with the external refinement man is water with which we clean our feet; and there at heart, a coward. How you have taken it is the fragrant, cooling; joy-giving flowers resolves-lofty resolves of Ahimsa, Satyam adorning the Lord in church, altars and and Brahmacharya, how Kama, Krodha and temple sanctorums. Different natures receive Lobha are the terrible gates to hell-you have the same thing differently and react differently. all taken a resolve, you have all known that societies like the Divine Life Society stand for Thus, it is not all that are able to be benefitted Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya alas! to by a Guru. Living Sat-Gurus -the grand Guru what purpose! Man will think of himself as a nature - and the silent Gurus, they have a hero. But Ahimsa is not in him. If a mosquito message but they silently give out this message. sits on your hand, you will heroically smash He who has ears can listen; he who has eyes it with a smart slap. It is so simple. But should can see. There are also some, who look but a scorpion approach you, this courage does do not see; some, who listen but do not hear. not come! There essentially man is a coward Thus it is that there are Gurus abounding in and it is not easy for a man to boast of his various shapes of the grand phenomenon of strength. Let him be humble; let him learn nature silent but effective teachers of mankind. from little things. Let him thus keep himself Every copy of a spiritual book, each little open and try to benefit by the lessons that are booklet, leaflet or placard is a silent yet readily ever abounding before his eyes and ears. In elevating teacher. Yet man remains unaffected. conclusion, I say yes let us be not like the house- Why? It is because of the tendency of the fly; but like the bee that even though it has the mind. It always moves downwards. It would option of sitting anywhere it likes, chooses rather revel in the darkness and multiply and to sit upon the flower and draw the honey. die there, than come and live for a short time l in the sunshine like flowers. Man’s mind is something like the house-fly. Of course, sometimes, if some sweet-smelling object is kept, it may perch upon it for a moment. But the next moment it would prefer to Keep yourself calm and alight upon a dung-heap. Its nature is that. unruffled at all times. Be So, perhaps a nice tune might attract your regular in your prayer and attention for a while, but the next moment if meditation. This will give something is given to which it is accustomed you strength and peace.