Gurupurnima and Guru Shishya Relationship: Why it's still significant

Today is Guru Purnima, a festival and a day of tremendous spiritual importance to Hindus and Buddhists across the world. We, Indians, have always revered the relationship of knowledge sharing between Guru (teacher) and the Disciple (student). This occasion of Gurupurnima is celebrated on the day of the Full Moon (Poornima). It is also known as Vyas Poornima. The significance of Guru Poornima is that spiritual seeker, disciples and students offer worship and show their gratitude and respect to their Guru (spiritual teacher) on this day. Buddhists across the world also celebrate Guru Purnima to honor and express their commitment and faith in following the teachings of Lord Buddha. It is also believed that Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon on this auspicious day at Sarnath, in Uttar Pradesh.

[Image: Pixabay]

Simply put, today is the day to show and express gratitude to those whom you have learned from.

Guru-Shishya Relationship between Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda

When my mind dwells on this beautiful relationship of Guru-Shishya bond that takes the merits of several previous lifetimes to evolve, the first person whom I think of is Swami Vivekananda. His relationship with Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa is full of examples of how a perfect Guru-Shishya bond can illumine the heart and intellect of even a hard core atheist. During the second meeting between Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, it is known that when the Guru touched Naren's heart, Naren lost outward consciousness.

[DO READ: Meditation - SIGNS of PROGRESS]

This is a very normal experience that spiritual seekers experience in the divine presence of spiritual masters. That is what spiritual masters transfer to you - a peek into the real world, beyond all that we perceived before they came into our lives.

[READ: How to NEVER EVER give up on the spiritual path]

If you read varied narratives about their relationship as Guru and Disciple, you are likely to come across several instances wherein other older disciples of Sri Ramakrishna were filled with jealousy and even anger that their Guru was sharing more time and knowledge with a new disciple called Naren who talked to their Guru like an equal and questioned everything the Guru said. When asked, Sri Ramakrishna revealed that in young Naren, he recognized a relationship between them that had spanned several previous lifetimes. He also said that he recognized Naren had actually been a Rishi who had come down to earth to love and serve humanity. Their story and their intense relationship portrays how the greatest love a mortal can experience is that of communion with God and Guru - both lead the self to its place of origin - and beyond the fleeting, tumultous waves of the illusory mind.

[READ: Four Paths to Divinity in HINDUISM]

Nature of the Mind is the Nature of Everything, Just let it Be

Like the Buddhist masters often say, "The nature of the mind is the nature of everything, as vast as the sky, as fleeting as the clouds that are meant to pass by." If we learn this simple fact and assimilate it, we would be able to respect, honor and pray for the well being of all sentient beings so that they come closer to experiencing the primordial truth of oneness.

Friends, I wish you all a sacred, enlightening Guru Purnima. May the Almighty One bless you with abundant divine energy. May the spiritual masters and high souls that protect and guide you be pleased with your prayers and actions now and always. May all sentient beings in this world reach the primordial truth and ultimate happiness by detachment from the illusion of life and its materialism. May all transient beings in all worlds find and be at peace.

Samasthaa lokaa sukhino bhavanthu.

♥♥ I thank you with all my heart for reading my post. I dedicate this post with love and gratitude to all of you who love your Guru and God. May your life be forever blessed by the Guru whom you follow, with an abundance of loving thoughts and energy always. ♥♥

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