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Guru Poornima

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Kamalji, Aug 1, 2015.

  1. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

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    Guru Poornima





    Everyone is writing about Guru Poornima, I am the least qualified to write about this subject. Neither I am academically literate, and neither do I follow any guru, living or dead( my wife follows a living Guru), nor do I follow any God. But living in a democracy , I can write what I want, so here I am, with my views on this rather delicate subject.



    This day, most, if not all, people go to see their living Gurus, with Guru dakshina, in the form of cash, or sweets, garlands, etc. Huge crowds gather at the Guru’s place, the more the people, the more popular the Guru. The guru blesses everyone. All good things that have happened are attributed to the Guru and his blessings, and all bad things, like sickness, death in the family, financial losses, are thought of to be that of past karmas, and life goes on, till the next Guru Poornima.



    For me Guru Poornima is like any other day, same as the case with my birthday or wedding anniversary.What I don’t understand is , is a spiritual person a Guru, and not an ordinary person ?



    For me the definatation of a Guru is different. It can be He or she, drinker , smoker, meat eater, or a teetotaler. None of these matter to me. What matters to me is, has that person made a difference in my life for the better ? That person is my Guru. Let me state a few Gurus of mine.



    First are my parents. They have made me what I am. Specially my Dad, who seperated us 4 brothers, from business and home, made us independent of each other, gave us a business, home, capital to work, and all the moral support. Today what we brothers are , are all bcs of him and his vision and foresight.



    Second is a buyer of mine, younger to me by a decade. Lets call him Suresh. Two decades back, he came into my life, when he was on the top, and me at the rock bottom, gave me orders, advances, and encouraged me all the way, showing me busienss that I never knew existed. He expanded the calculator of my mind, and it is bcs of him that I am comfortable today. We worked a decade, and then he went into another line. He is my second Guru, he changed the financial course of my life. He could have done without me, I could not have.And he never made me feel small, which he could easily have. How can I forget that.



    Sulekha and Indus are my next Gurus. They taught me how to write, to express myself, and I made good friends at both the places. Really good friends, and they showed me, that a person can make friends even at the later stage of his or her lives. I am ever grateful for that.



    Fourth is an old man at the Bar – A stranger, I asked him some problems of mine, like when staff asks for advance, for his sisters marriage, if I give I lose the man and the money, if I don’t, still the guy will leave me, about friends asking for money. The advice he gave me some 3 decades back has held me in good stead, I don’t know his name, I met him just once, but he is my guru , the money saver guru.



    And there are many others who don’t come to mind now. There have been some kind people in my life.But are guru’s special ? Are u and me capable of being a Guru ? Not the Guru types that we see, but a Guru to few select persons?



    The answer is yes. Each one of us must have gone out of our way for someone at some time of our life, So we are a guru to someone, but it is another matter, that the other person has forgotton our good deed and forgotton us, but our own heart knows the truth , does it not ? How does it matter if we aer not acknowledged. Their eyes cannot meet ours, but it does not matter. What we did made us happy, that is all that matters.



    Me too have gone out of my way for many people, some known, some strangers, and not even one has acknowledged as a guru. HAHA. Feeling sad ? Nope, but I would be happy even if someone remembered me this day, and acknowleged, and said thanks Kamal.



    But never mind friends, I will take revenge, and come back in the next birth, a guru, with a bang.And I wonder , what happens to all that sweets that people take to the Guru. They are perishable, poor chap, he cant eat it all in one day, so what happens, to the fruits and sweets, and the other goodies ?



    Why not have it spread out say over a week or a fortnight, so that there is not too much rush one day, and so that the disciples are spread over the days, and it is good business for the concerned shopkeepers, and hotels of the town. And guru can give quality time to his disciples rahter than rushing thru ina day .



    What say , friends ? You are free to share yr expierences of who went out of their way for u, and also of what u have done for others. Lets share our stories.



    KAMAL MAHTANI
     
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  2. suryakala

    suryakala IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear @Kamalji,

    A nice write up on Guru Poornima.

    As you have mentioned any one who makes a difference to your life can surely be a Guru. And Guru Poornima celebrates that attitude and provides an opportunity to say a thanks to that Guru(s).

    Yes, Gurus can be for material comfort, spiritual comforts or for both. Depending on what is your priority, you seek that aspect of the Guru.

    So nice to see you remember the Four Gurus- three material and one spiritual ( I see Sulekha and Indus have guided you spiritually) with great love and gratitude on Guru Poornima!

    Can you please share the advice of the Guru you met at the Bar? It should be really interesting!

    Sweets, Cash and garlands, etc for the popular Gurus of course! I still feel even if a good idea is spoken by a man who really doesn't believe in it internally, still it may have a positive impact on a passer by, who knows? Anyway, spiritual development comes from within, A Guru encourages it as a catalyst.

    Thanks for sharing those beautiful ideas.
     
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  3. PushpavalliSrinivasan

    PushpavalliSrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Kamlji,
    We have the liberty here to write and express our opinion on any subject as long as we do not hurt anybody's feelings.

    As you have said our parents are our first gurus and then our teachers. Even a child can be our guru if we learn something from the child.

    Our Conscious is our guru and we have to be truthful to that guru. We can live without any guilt if we are truthful to our conscious.

    Well written snippet,

    PS
     
  4. iyerviji

    iyerviji Finest Post Winner

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    @Kamalji you are right our parents are our Guru. They brought us to the world and taught us moral values.
     
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  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Kamalji,

    Guru is the term that is loosely used by many. Actually, Guru is the one who removes the darkness of ignorance and provide the light of knowledge to the disciple without expecting anything in return. His reward is the disciple grasping the knowledge.

    In fact, the saying goes as "Matha, Pitha, Guru and Deivam" and infact, parents are the ones who are instruments in bringing everyone of us into life, provide the platform for moral values and build the foundation for building our character so that we can gain true knowledge and without them the opportunity to gain knowledge is zero. But Deivam is the one that gives grace to someone to be born in the world so that he can gain knowledge understanding the oneness of all. The one who helps you find the path to divinity is actually known as Guru. He has to be one who is above and beyond three Gunas and is capable of providing that knowledge. It could be realized soul in human form or even God Himself manifesting in human form.

    In the self-centered world that we live, there are many who have relentlessly dedicated their lives for the well being of the lives in this planet and let us not trivialize their contributions because of a few who poses themselves as Gurus and focus on materialistic gains. Everyone of them not only provided rich knowledge but also served the humanity as long as they physically existed in the planet.

    Of course, you are free to express your views as much as I have right to express mine. At the end of the day, how we are friends and how we respect each others views differentiates us.

    Viswa
     
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  6. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Kamalji,
    Wonderful revelations about Guru.You have been crystal clear and pragmatic in declaring four Gurus.
    I totally endorse what you say. One need not read scriptures.No knowledge of technical terms which are totally unintelligible is needed to recognize Gurus. A simple sincerity and gratitude are more than sufficient.
    Guru need not be in a human form. It may be in the form of recorded lectures, certain experiences both positive and negative.On many occasions the wonderful 'silence' becomes our guru. We know how Paul Brunton got clarified of all his doubts in spirituality by the very silence of Ramana Maharishi.
    In Shrimat Bhagavatham 11th Skandam, 7th chapter-an Avadhutha elaborates about 24 Gurus from whom he acquired wisdom.

    Shri Dattatreya,the Avadhutha had twenty-four teachers from nature.To quote Bhagavatham

    "many are my preceptors," he told King Yadu, "selected by my keen sense, from whom acquiring wisdom freely, I wander in the world….
    1. The earth,
    2.air/breeze,
    3.sky,
    4.fire
    5.the sun,
    6.pigeon,
    7.python,
    8. sea,
    9.moth,
    10.elephant,
    11ant,
    12.fish,
    13.Pingala the courtesan,
    14.arrow-maker,
    15.infant/playful boy,
    16.the moon,
    17. honeybee,
    18.deer,
    19.bird of prey,
    20.maiden,
    21.serpent,
    22.spider,
    23.caterpillar
    24.and water are my twenty four preceptors.
    Guru Shishya Bhava does not relate to high education but it is a real perception.

    Wonderfully narrated.Very fine kamalji.Congrats.
    Jayasala 42
     
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  7. iyerviji

    iyerviji Finest Post Winner

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    Kamal bro your post is nominated by Jayasala sister, congrats. Even though you said you are not qualified to write the post on Guru Poornima, see Jayakka has given importance to your post and took this to the finest forum.
     
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  8. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Kamalji,

    We learn many things from many people and nature as well as mentioned by Jayasala Madam. They are all Gurus. Yes, first Gurus are parents and in the journey of life we come across many who make a difference in our life.
    Yes, spiritual Gurus are also revered. They guide us in many things. They do what they preach. So, we respect them and give so much value to their teachings and try to follow. It is a matter of faith.
    A good practical blog Kamalji. Beauty of your blogs is that everyone can identify with oneself at some point.
    Thank you.

    Syamala
     
  9. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Suryakala,

    Thank u so much for the first FB, and a good one at that.

    I am not spiritual, not into rituals, though i beleive in God. Now u asked for that old man.

    i had written in a blog about him sometime back, let me repeat again. Once with friends we were at a bar, where i saw an old man , must be around 70 or so, drinking alone. He had something in him, i dont know what, that attracted me, this must be some 30 years back story.So i went and sat next to him, and we spoke.

    i was troubled about a few things, and i asked him the solution to the problem. Here goes

    Problem - A guy in my staff, useful fellow, salary then, 300 per month,. we talk of the eighties. He was asking for 5000 advance for his sisters wedding. Adn he wanted me to cut 50 bucks every month, so i would have to employ him, like it or not for 100 months. My fear was , if i give, he may run away, money and man gone, and if i dont give, he runs away to someione else.

    Solution of old man - Give him as much as u can afford to lose. For example, he said, ask him how much money will the wedding cost, surelyu not 5000 but more. He will say yes the wedding will cost say 25000/-

    Tell him, said the old man, that i will give u 500 advance. Give it to me in writing. And i will not adjust this in your salary. Give me one shot whenever u have it, dont give me in aprts.When u have arranged for 20,000, u will manage to arrange for the balance 4500/- god is there, dont worry, u tell him!!!!

    Acc to the old man, this way, he gets his full salary of 300, he will not ask for another advance till he pays off this advance that he has taken, so yr man will remain with u, he will bnever ask u again for advance, and u are ready mentally to leave off that 500 advance, but u dont tell him that.

    I personally dont look for spiritual development. i am a worldly man, liking all the tempting things of life.HAHA. what to do .

    Thanks a ton.

    Regards

    kamal




     
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  10. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Pushpa,

    Yes rightly said , that we should not hurt anyone , and i try to write my thoughts without hurting the other person, though we may differ. Consience , i agree with u, thank u so much.

    Regards

    kamal

    QUOTE=PushpavalliSrinivasan;3599483]Dear Kamlji,
    We have the liberty here to write and express our opinion on any subject as long as we do not hurt anybody's feelings.

    As you have said our parents are our first gurus and then our teachers. Even a child can be our guru if we learn something from the child.

    Our Conscious is our guru and we have to be truthful to that guru. We can live without any guilt if we are truthful to our conscious.

    Well written snippet,

    PS[/QUOTE]
     

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