Sri Guru Gita – 13 February 2014 – Episode 56

Jaya Guru Datta. English summary:

Jaya Datta.

Illusion and ignorance are the same. It’s the darkness that envelops the mind. The further we want to get away from it, the stronger and closer it gets. It is the nature of illusion. We may wonder why the darkness of illusion increases with our spiritual pursuit. There’s only one reason for this. You are not really starting your spiritual life. You are just thinking about it, biding time and putting it off to tomorrow.

Your mind will not let you embark on your spiritual journey. Will your mind let you give up your big house, wealth, fame, wife, children etc and embark on your spiritual journey? No, it will not. Even at the time of death, the spirit is hankering after these possessions. This is what is called delusion. That’s the darkness. The only light that removes this darkness is the light of Guru.

The sloka continues to explain the qualities of a Guru.
Sloka:
Yadanghri kamala dvandvam dvanda tapa nivarakam
tarakam bhava sindhosca tam gurum pranamamyaham

This verse offers obeisances to such a Guru whose pair of lotus feet can wipe out the passions caused by the dualities of joys and sorrows, cold and heat and which can ferry across the ocean of life. Through this sloka, they are providing a definition for Guru as one whose lotus feet can wipe out the passions caused by dualities.

Attachment and detachment manifest themselves in strange forms in life. Some people gain attachment from detachment. A person may renounce everything and build a big temple. But, he’s always immersed in thinking about the temple, about how he built the temple, how tall the temple tower is, how many storeys it has, how many little temples he built around the main temple, how big the temple periphery is, how beautiful the decorations are and so on. He’s only thinking about the temple and is absorbed in admiring it. It’s as if the temple takes precedence over the Guru. He considers himself an accomplished spiritual seeker. He brags to everyone about having built the temple.

Similarly, a distinguished person that made donations toward something is constantly bragging about being the donor. All these are attachments that spring out of detachment. They did some good deed, but they didn’t give up attachment. Your donations were done with attachment. Your good deeds were done with attachment, you desire to brag about it. Some others are worried about not receiving all the ancestral rites after they die. Let’s see how to overcome such fears.

Jaya Datta.

Jai Guru Datta Swamiji.