The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Guru as a catalyst

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Guru as a catalyst

CHENNAI, JULY 6. Ours is a hoary tradition, and knowledge of our cultural and spiritual ethos makes an impact on our collective consciousness. Often, many people fail to appreciate the gold in their possession as it were, and instead chase tinsel, mistaking it for the genuine article. There are many instances of our historical and spiritual vestiges inspiring the West. Our stories have a moral behind them, acting as a source of light to illumine the darkness that often clouds the Self. Just as how there is difference in the skills of different people, so too is there a difference in the spiritual make-up of individuals. However, a common spiritual goal is the thread that binds all humanity. To attain the same, the guidance offered by a spiritual teacher becomes mandatory.

A dirty mirror when cleaned with the proper agent will reflect the image with sparkling clarity. Similarly, we should seek a guru who will help rid the soul of accumulated impurities, said Swamini Gnananda Sarasvathi in her discourse on the occasion of Guru Poornima Day. Just as how one cannot progress academically without the guidance of a teacher from one's kindergarten days, so too does one need a guiding force in one's spiritual quest. Scholars often state that if God gets angry with a person he can appeal to his guru to intercede on his behalf, but if the acharya is forced into displeasure by his disciple's activities, no force on earth can make God intervene on the latter's behalf. However, a guru is not a miracle worker, who can catapult one onto the desired plane of spiritualism within a short span of time; rather, he can only act as a catalyst. If one were to say, "I can do it," it is nothing more than a declaration of ego, which is the opaque barrier between the jivatma and the paramatma.

Often, bogged down by worries of tomorrow, people get mired in misery, and blame their circumstances. It is at such moments that a guru plays the crucial role of helping one to come to terms with the sufferings of this world. The law of dharma is inexorable and as Lord Krishna assured Draupadi, "Everyone will get what they deserve." Ambarisha practised his ordained duties with perfect detachment and was so steeped in devotion that he overcame all attachments to the world by the Grace of the Lord, who, further pleased with the devotee offered him the protection of the Holy Discus. When sage Durvasa mistakenly perceived an insult by Ambarisha and cursed him, the Discus pursued the sage leaving him with no recourse but to surrender to the Lord.

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