study circle on guru pournima - charlotte sai...

OM SRI SAI RAM

STUDY CIRCLE ON

GURU POURNIMA

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

● I am Sree Rama Krishna Adusumilli● I am a man, 5'10” tall and ...● I am son of my parents● I am husband, father, brother...● I am an employee of Bank of America...● I am educated, cultured...● I am part of social group...● I am a devotee of Swami● I am a human being● I am a spiritual aspirant● I am ATMAN!● I am GOD!!

WHO AM I?

Adi Sankara in Bhaja Govindam -

kaate kaantaa kaste putraH

saMsaaro.ayamatiiva vichitraH |

kasya tvaM kaH kuta aayaataH

tattvaM chintaya tadiha bhraataH ||

Who is your wife ? Who is your son ? Strange is this Samsara. Of whom are you ? From where have you come ? Brother, ponder over these truths here.

Sri Ramana Maharishi, the great Gyani and seer of modern times, asked every seeker who came to him, to probe into the “Who Am I?” principle. The process of negation, of “Not This-Not this” (Neti-Neti) principle, is the direct approach in Gyana Yoga, and the individual discards all that is ephemeral, transient and changing (illusory), by realizing that he is not the body, the mind, the organs, etc., to arrive at the eternal Truth.

Our Swami puts this one basic question, in the form of 3 questions, for the benefit of the novice. Swami says “A Gyani is one who has found the answer to the 3 basic questions: “Where do I come from?, Who Am I? and Where do I go?”- The answer also Swami provides for our benefit: “I come from the Atman! I am the Atman! and, I go back to the Atman!”. “The Atman”, Swami says -“is One”, and therefore going and coming of the Atman does not arise! Swami says, this is the Absolute Being or Existence, the Non- dual state, not bound by time, space, cause and effect - The Satchitananda. This, then is the Blissful state of a true Gyani. Swami says Love is God. This Love is none other than theSatchitananda nature of the Atman.

http://media.radiosai.org/journals/Vol_03/08AUG01/nondual.htm

http://media.radiosai.org/journals/Vol_03/08AUG01/nondual.htm

Purpose of Human life is to achieve this awareness of Self!

● Manushyatvam● Mumukshatvam● Mahapurusha Samasrayam

Awareness of self is not mere knowing but experiencing!!

Shankara Bhagavatpada says in Vivekachudamani : Durlabham Trayam Eva Etat Devanugraha hetukam |Manushyatvam Mumukshatvam Mahapurushasamashrayaha ||

GURU

Gu means darkness and ru means light. Guru is one who removes darkness through light; he imparts wisdom which roots out ignorance. Render unto him as much homage as he deserves, but not more. You repeat the slokha:

Guru Brahma gurur Vishnuh,

Gurur dhevo Maheswarah,

Gurussaakshaath Parabrahma,

Thasmai Shri Gurave namah

This is usually interpreted as indicating that the Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara (The trinity of Godhead) and that he is the visible Parabrahma(God).

But this hymn can be understood in a nobler manner: "Brahma is the Guru, Vishnu is the Guru, Maheshwara is the Guru, truly, Parabrahma is the Guru."

Pray to the God within you, the Maheshwara, the Vishnu, the Brahma, or the Parabrahma Principle to reveal Itself. Accept that as the Guru and you will be illumined. The Gayatri mantra is a prayer for the progressive upsurge of intelligence so that Truth may be grasped by the seeker. Subordinate the mind to the pure intelligence which is but a reflection of the God within. Then, you have the Guru of Gurus as your guide.

http://media.radiosai.org/journals/Vol_08/01JUL10/01-ssspeaks.htm


Guru Poornima is dedicated for offering gratitude to the guru. On this day, the Moon, which is the presiding deity of the mind, is full, clear, cool and bright! It has no blemish or dullness which diminishes its glow. The guru too is pictured and praised on this occasion as unblemished, bright and affectionate. He is full of devotion with a sense of surrender to God. He is tolerant and truly peaceful. He is the living example and embodiment of the virtues he desires his disciples to develop.


The festival is celebrated on the full moon day (Poornima) in the month of Aashadha. The festival of Guru Poornima is one of the most significant celebrations in the Sai calendar. Over the years, Bhagavan has used this occasion for the unfurling of many landmark events of His mission, be it the opening ceremony of the first college campus of Sri Sathya Sai University in 1971, or the inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Project, Stage-I in 1995, or the announcement for the establishment of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, in 1999, or the revelation that He is in fact the Shiva-Shakthi Avatar on earth in 1963.


Vyasa Poornima

Sage Vyasa was born with a great urge for spiritual upliftment and he entered into deep study and sadhana (spiritual practice) even as a child. He acquired such divine wisdom and glory that he is identified with Narayana (God) Himself.

He stands out as the Lokaguru (World Teacher) for he codified the Vedic hymns and prepared the great Vedantic text ‘Brahmasutras’, besides the epic commentaries of the Veda-vedanta (teachings based on Upanisadic philosophies), Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatham.

He is called ‘Veda Vyasa’ because of his service to the students of the Vedas which defied understanding since they were countless and fathomless. It is for this reason it is said Anantho vai Vedah – The Vedas are limitless.



Vyasam vasishta naptaram Sakteh pautram akalmasham |

Parasaratmajam vande Suka-tatam tapo-nidhim ||

VyAsa is the great-grandson of vasishta and the grand-son of Sakti. He is the son of parAsara and the father of Suka. I offer my obeisance to that vyAsa who is free from all defects and is a mine of austerities.

Vyasaya Vishnu rupaya Vyasa rupaya Vishnave |

Namo vai Brahma-nidhaye Vasishtaya namo namah ||

My repeated salutations to Vyasa who is a form of Vishnu and to Vishnu who is a form of Vyasa; Sage Vyasa, who is a descendant of Vasishta and who is a treasure of brahman, (i.e. vedas).

● Veda (Sanskrit: "Knowledge.") from the root vid, meaning to know without limit

Rig Veda Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman)

Yajur Veda Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman)

Sama Veda Tattvamasi (That thou art / You are that)

Atharvana Veda Ayamātmā brahma (This Atman is Brahman)

➔ Brahmanas : Mantras, Karma Kanda

➔ Aaranyakas : Yagnas, Karma Kanda

➔ Upanishads : Essence , Gnana Kanda

● Prastanatrayam – Brahmasutras (Mimamsa), Upanishads (Vedanta), Bhagavad Gita

● Itihasa: Mahabharata● 18 Puranas including Srimad Bhagavatham

Lineage of Gurus

Guru-Sishya Parampara is the teacher-disciple lineage.

Sadasiva samarambam

Vyasa Sankara madyamam |

Asmath acharya pariyantham

Vande GURU Paramparam ||

Narayana samarambam

Vyasa Sankara madyamam |

Asmath acharya pariyantham

Vande GURU Paramparam ||

A Gnany cannot be imitated, A fool should not be imitated.

वविश्विवं दरर्पणददश्यममाननगररीत तल्यवं वनजमान्तगर्पतवं

रश्यन्नमात्मवन ममाययमा बवहिवरविवोद दतवं यथमा वनददरयमा ।

ययः समाकमात्कत रुतते रदरबवोधसमयते स्विमात्ममानमतेविमाद्वयवं

तस्ममै शदररीग तरुमदतर्पयते नम इदवं शदररीदवकणमामदतर्पयते ॥१॥

Vishvam Darpanna-Drshyamaana-Nagarii-Tulyam Nija-Antargatam

Pashyann-Aatmani Maayayaa Bahir-Ivo[a-U]dbhuutam Yathaa Nidrayaa |

Yah Saakssaat-Kurute Prabodha-Samaye Sva-[A]atmaanam-Eva-Advayam

Tasmai Shrii-Guru-Muurtaye Nama Idam Shrii-Dakssinnaamuurtaye ||1||

Meaning:

(Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy Who Awakens the Glory of the Atman within us through His Profound Silence)

1.1: The Entire World is Like a City Seen within a Mirror, the Seeing happening within One's Own Being,

1.2: It is a Witnessing happening within the Atman, (the Witnessing) of the Externally Projected World; Projected by the Power of Maya; As if a Dream in Sleep,

1.3: One Experiences this Directly (this Play of Maya) during Spiritual Awakening within the Non-Dual Expanse of One's Own Atman,

1.4: Salutations to Him, the Personification of Our Inner Guru Who Awakens This Knowledge through His Profound Silence; Salutation to Sri Dakshinamurthy.

In His 1956 Divine Guru Poornima Discourse, Swami simplifies the meaning of ‘Guru’: “The Guru is called so because the letter ‘Gu’ signifies Gunaatheetha - one who has transcended the three gunas (qualities) - the Thaamasik, the Raajasik and even the Saathwik (ignorant, passionate and virtuous); and the letter ‘Ru’ signifies one who is Roopa Varjitha (one who has grasped the formless aspect of God-head)…The ‘Guru’ destroys the illusion and sheds light; his presence is cool and comforting. That is why this day, a Pournami (Full Moon day), is allotted for paying due honour to the Guru. Moreover, the Moon is the presiding deity of the mind and Pournami is the day on which the mind has become fully beneficent. Of course, you must know what you have lost, so that you may start on the search to recover it!”

According to Swami, what have we lost that the Guru helps us find?

A. Learning to control the mind.

B. Our real name.

C. Our relationship with God.

D. The Divinity in all of His Creation.

http://media.radiosai.org/journals/Vol_06/01JUL08/quiz2.htm


In His 1956 Divine Guru Poornima Discourse, Swami simplifies the meaning of ‘Guru’: “The Guru is called so because the letter ‘Gu’ signifies Gunaatheetha - one who has transcended the three gunas (qualities) - the Thaamasik, the Raajasik and even the Saathwik (ignorant, passionate and virtuous); and the letter ‘Ru’ signifies one who is Roopa Varjitha (one who has grasped the formless aspect of God-head)…The ‘Guru’ destroys the illusion and sheds light; his presence is cool and comforting. That is why this day, a Pournami (Full Moon day), is allotted for paying due honour to the Guru. Moreover, the Moon is the presiding deity of the mind and Pournami is the day on which the mind has become fully beneficent. Of course, you must know what you have lost, so that you may start on the search to recover it!”

According to Swami, what have we lost that the Guru helps us find?

A. Learning to control the mind.

B. Our real name.

C. Our relationship with God.

D. The Divinity in all of His Creation.

Correct Answer : B. Our real name.

Swami expands: “The Guru has very often to tell you that you have forgotten your real name or that you have lost the most precious part of yourself and yet are unaware of the loss. The Guru is the physician for the illness which brings about the suffering of alternate birth and death. He is an adept at the treatment needed for the cure.

If you do not get such a Guru, pray to the Lord Himself to show you the way and He will surely come to your rescue.”



Swami says, “I have come here to show you who you really are. You can clearly see your own reflection in Me; what you think you are is not really what you are.”

OM SRI SAI RAM

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