ensures

Guru Purnima and Significance: A message from His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of The Art of Living Foundation

“Among the 12-13 full moons in a year the Vaishakha Full Moon is dedicated to Buddha (his birth and enlightenment), Jyeshtha Full Moon to mother earth and the Aashadha Full Moon is dedicated to the memory of masters. This is Guru-Purnima.

It is the day when the disciple wakes up in his fullness and in the wakefulness he can’t be but grateful. This gratitude is not of dwaita (you and me), but of advaita. It is not a river moving from somewhere to somewhere, but is the ocean moving within itself. So, gratefulness on Guru-Purnima symbolizes that fullness.

The purpose of the Guru Purnima celebration is to turn back and review and see in this last one year how much one has progressed in life. For a seeker, Guru Purnima is a day of significance, is a day of New Year. It is the day to review one’s progress on the spiritual path and renew one’s determination and focus on the goal, and to resolve what one wants to do in the coming year. As the full moon rises and sets, tears of gratitude arise and repose into the vastness of one’s own self.”

You know, our body has millions of cells, and each cell has its own life. Many cells are being born every day and many are dying. So, you are a moving town. So many cities are on the planet Earth and planet Earth is revolving and moving around the Sun. Same way, there are so many cells and so many living beings inside you and you are moving around. You are a moving township. Like in a beehive, there are so many bees which come and sit, but there is one queen bee. If the queen bee goes away, every other bee goes away. In the same way, there is an atom in our body, the queen bee. If that is not there, everything else goes away. Locate in that, in that tiniest of the tiny atom, the atma or the self. It is everywhere yet nowhere. That is the queen bee and that is what you are. That is what the Divine is, and that is the Guru principle. Like there is fatherhood, motherhood, there is Guruhood also. You all have to play Guruhood at least to somebody. You do play, you keep giving advices and guiding people consciously or unconsciously, and give them love and care. But do it with 100 percent without expecting anything in return. That is living the Guruhood, living the self. There is no difference between the Divine, you and the Guru Principle. It is all coming to one thing, the queen bee.

Meditation is relaxing and reposing in that atom. So, think of all the things that you could be grateful for, and ask what you want. And bless everybody. We receive, but not just receiving is enough, we should give and bless those who are in need.

Click here (or on the banner below) for program details of Art of Living’s Guru Purnima 2013 Celebrations

||JAIGURUDEV ||

Sharing an amazing Guru Grace experience I received from my friend (Mahesh Ram) who lives in Canada with his family. Read it in his own words.  

It is by Guruji‘s  grace, we were blessed with a  baby girl SriVidya on Feb 8th 2013 night 10 pm. This was on a day a 25-inch huge snow storm hit North East USA and Canada. Anything would have delayed us in our trip to the Toronto East General hospital. There were many situations Feb 8th the whole stormy day which could have turned differently, only by Guru ji’s grace and faith all those events turned good.  for my Guru story, I would like to recall a specific incident where a huge tanker truck had got stuck in the snow storm blocking the traffic – gave way like miracle for us to pass through. we experienced Guruji’s grace all through.

Highway runs on the Valley and the hospital is on the high grounds. we have to drive uphill to the hospital which is the shortest access from the highway. Traffic was moving but after some time it had come to a standstill with cars from the highway piling up behind. my wife kept calm and said let us wait in the same place since hospital is only short distance away. I knew the road is a steep uphill and with traffic coming up from the highway – I thought I will get stuck for a long time. Prayed and put my faith on Guruji and decided to make a u-turn and try another round route used by public transport – which I am sure would be  passable. I made a u-turn on the road and started going down – Only then I realized I have to climb up on the other side of the valley. to my fear – far into the road I saw a huge truck coming from the opposite direction has skid and is blocking all four lanes of the road(which by now is only a two lanes or rather no lanes just a snow field with rubber smells from spinning wheels.)

Keeping my faith on Guruji kept moving. serious doubts came when I passed by a cop car which got stuck. As I pass his car I could smell rubber from  spinning wheel. Doubts came – thinking about options now – I can again take the highway. no point. since this is the hospital exit. was still driving slowly with fear if I stop I will never be able to get the tracking to move. Time is around 5 pm – it is dark – freezing snow still falling. With many thoughts – I do not know how long – when I looked up the road ahead – in the far far up ahead I could see the huge truck has nicely moved out of the way and had gone to the side as if like parking. it a miracle – allowing a single line of cars to climb up.. with heart pounding I kept praying to Guruji that no car in the queue should stop or pause. since I was doubtful if I can move again. That was long slow minutes passed – finally came up, took the route which is used by the public transport. we filed into the hospital, when the Dr in the triage room did the exam – after exam – Doc quickly asked the nurse to attach I/V fluid to my wife and before I could get the bag from the family waiting room – she is already being wheeled to the operation room. baby girl SriVidya was delivered through emergency C-Section. though born a little more than a month earlier – Dr said she is just about full term and she is completely fine.

Jai Gurudev !

Thanks for being in my life Guruji..

– Mahesh Ram

Wishes and Greetings to Every Seeker

on the occasion of

GURU PURNIMA (22nd JULY 2013)