गुरु गोविन्द दोऊ खड़े, काको लागूं पायं।
बलिहारी गुरु आपने, जिन गोविन्द दियो बताय।।
Guru and God are both before me, before whom should I first bow?
Glory to the Guru who showed the path to God
Jai Jinendra,
Above immortal words of Kabir resonate as we celebrate Guru Purnima this week. For many of us in North America, the holy path of Bhagwaan Mahavira was shown to us by Acharya Sushil Kumarji Maharaj. This weekend as we celebrate Guru Purnima, we will humbly try to return to some of the things he held dear about the relationship of a guru and his disciple.
Guruji on Guru and Disciple Relationship: “’Gu’ means darkness; ’ru’ means light. If somebody can convert darkness into light, then he is a guru.”
Guruji’s talks often covered the relationship of a guru and ‘shishya’(disciple). These demonstrate his deep love for his disciples but at the same time the responsibility he felt of making them understand the true value of the relationship. Here are some excerpts from his talks:
The first test of a guru is non-violence. Non-violence requires love. Non-violence requires devotion, detachment and non-possession. Give up everything and serve the people and feel oneness with all living beings. This is the basic thing. A guru must teach non-violence and self-control.
If you feel that your guru is the only guru, that all others are false, this will create obstacles for your progress. At the same time, however, in the first stage of the disciple’s development, this form of ego is good. Lord Mahavira himself taught that this attachment is useful in the beginning of the relationship between guru and pupil. It establishes a bond with the guru and sets a base for practice. But then, slowly, the truth appears. In the beginning, the guru is “God”, the embodiment of the highest principles; he is everything. But after some time, deeper practice and divine ideals awaken in the disciple, and then guru and practice have equal effect and value.
Slowly, practice and experience begin to guide you. In a subtle way, the guru is there, but experience grows more and more powerful. And one day, when you get complete experience, everything will come from your True Self. Your experience will guide you. You will, of course, have the deepest love for your guru, but experience will have become your true guru.
Siddhachalam continues to celebrate the rich traditions of Gurus taught to us by Guruji. These Gurus continue to guide us every day and show us the correct path of positive thinking. This coming Sunday, July 13th we celebrate Guru Purnima remembering and celebrating all Gurus with Guru Pujan, Guru Chalisa and Guru Vandan. Come and join with your friends and family and be in the divine presence of our Dada Gurudevji in the main temple. They will continue to guide all of us.
Program Details
7:00 a.m.
Temples Open
7:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Main Temple & Parsvnath Temple
Abhishek
Nityaniyam puja
Aarti & Mangal Devo
10:00 a.m.
Main Temple
Guru Pujan, Guru Chalisa, Guru Vandan
Ghee Boli for Aarti, Mangal Devo, Shanti Kalash
Auspicious Presence and Pravachan: His Holiness Swastisri Dr. DevendraKeerthi Bhattaraka Mahaswami ji of Sri Hombuja Jain Math, Karnataka
1:00 p.m.
Gautam Labdhi Bhandaar
Swamivatsalya
Tithi sponsorship for that day ($251) or for 15 years ($2,501)