Guru Tattva

Guru is the one, who takes us from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, who is guide in this great forest of creation, leads us from the world of untruth, ignorance, death to realm of truth, knowledge, eternity and bliss. All this is dependent only on the grace of guru. 

 गृणीते तत्त्वमात्मीयमात्मीकृत जगत्त्रयम्, उपायोपेयरूपाय शिवाय गुरुवे नमः।

(Grineete Tattvam Atmiya Atmikrit Jagat Trayam, Upaya Upeya Roopaya Shivaya Guruve Namah.)

I bow down to that Guru-form-Shiv, who makes one experience all the three realms like one's own atma, who gives the knowledge of self realization, one that is the means and also that which is to be attained.

He makes us understand the meaning of Atma, Anatama and Parmatama, one who gives sight to a blind (ignorant) person and gives him qualification (wisdom) to see his own atma while making him see the grand play of the Mahashakti all around. 

Depending upon ones temperament (स्वभाव), one likes or dislikes any thing. By establishing in Sva-bhav and walking on its path alone, he can attain joy and bliss. Jeev has separated from Sva-bhaav and he is running around like a mad person in the world in the search of bliss (आनन्द) but alas he can not find it. If he could get that bliss then there would have been no need to search it. The only cause of this is that he has disconnected himself from his own self. Because of this, he is bereft of natural sight or Shakti and hence unable to see his own self. Why his confusion does not end? The main cause of it is ignorance (अविद्या). Till ignorance is not annihilated, confusion will keep prevailing. This is an established truth. Whatever efforts we make in the world, all are in opposite direction only. 

One who is himself awake, can wake up another sleeping person. Due to the effect of ignorance, people are unconscious. The wise one, who is always awake, possess powers, is mercy filled, he alone can provide the medicine of knowledge to the ignorant person and remove his blindness and thus open his eyes. Ignorant can not do like this. Hence, God himself is Guru. With his grace alone one is able to identify a guru. There is none like him. He is one alone, no power can stand in front of him. Who can take a jeev near Ishwar without his desire itself. Because of his desire only, power of descending grace, guides the disciple slowly-slowly towards his real svabhav. Thus purifying him, he establishes the disciple in his real self. The pure base on which that great power of grace of Parameshwar descends is known as Guru. Hence Parmeshwar himself is the only Guru, and pure consciousness is his form. 

But still we can not see him, he cannot identify him, though he is our own. Lord is all powerful and he has many forms. The power of deliverance which comes out of Parmeshwar is known as Guru. As darkness stands nowhere near light, ignorance in front of knowledge, consciousness is omnipresent but its effulgence is evident in the form of Guru in the world. By dual gaze (भेद दृष्टि), Guru's level is higher than even the divines. There is nothing higher than the Guru. 

Parameshwar can be guru but what good it is to a jeev who is residing in this mortal world? Because of this alone Parmeshwar descends in the form of Guru and attracts him and takes him to the real place. His grace only makes one identify him. This is power of guru.

What is the difference between a Guru and a Prophet (अवतार)? Both though are different but still they are one only. Slow descent (अवतरण) of the Shakti in  the world is known as Prophet or Avtaar. The flow of energy of knowledge which descends from the all powerful Shakti is known as Guru. Rest of the downward flows of the fore-mentioned Shaktis are known as Avtaar. Purpose of Avtaar or prophet is to guard the cosmic balance. 

To save the dharma in the world, prophets come from time to time. When opposing forces, force dharma to obscurity then, from the inspiration of the great self, a partial power of maha shakti or great force descends and re-establishes the discarded dharma and thus removes the great imbalance of the creation. But taking jeev to his real self is not the purpose of a prophet or avataar.  It is the job  of the guru to guide the disciple who has forgotten his real home to come back. 

शिवे रुष्टे गुरुस्त्राता, गुरौ रुष्टे न कश्चन।

(Shive Rushte Gurustraata, Gurau Rushte Na Kashchana.)

But if there is need then sometimes, Prophets also undertake the work of giving knowledge to the disciple. One more thing is that it is not fixed that prophets can be only gods, sometimes even their disciples, those jeevas who are ever free, can also be prophets. But apart from Parmeshwar, none other can be 'Guru'. Like in the world, nobody can have two fathers and two mothers, but they are one only. In the same manner, Guru is also one alone not many. As a single beauty is seen differently by different people due to their mental attachments, in the same manner same Guru tattva is observed differently by different people as different bodies, in different places, at different times. 

From oneness duality arise and in the end it becomes one again. That which is formless, does not take many forms all of a sudden. First it takes a simple form, from its eternal entity, this itself is a disease (व्याधि). That one form, due the effect of time and space becomes many. All the different forms in the cosmos are just deformations of that very unique and single entity which is the cause of all. So lord at any time can be formless, with form, there is no doubt about it. Disciples cannot observe the eternal form of guru, that which is observed by them is not his actual form. Due to their individual sanskars, what ever form they see with their ignorant attachment gaze, they see him differently. Those who transcending their bhav, try to observe their guru, they only see his great form. Both pravritti and Nivritti dharma is expounded by the gurus. Like knowledge, though, is of many kinds but in essence is one alone, in the same manner, the base or carrier of knowledge, the guru is also one only. 

Talking on wordly level, Knowledge is of two types, one can be transferred through sermon while other is realized through experience. For sermonizing, guru needs body, but many yogi though without physical body (विदेह), for giving sermon generate a body and this form is called Nirmandeh (निर्माण देह) or nirmanchitt (निर्माणचित्त). This is generated by them through dhyan or meditation. Some time even nirmankaya also does not appear but one hears through as celestial pronouncement. The knowledge through which one gets ultimate freedom cannot be delivered through sermon. It appears in the heart of the jeev on its own. For gross knowledge, there is no specific laid down sequence. One can acquire everything through it. This is also known as Divine-eye (दिव्य चक्षु). Before atma darshan, whole world is seen like a city. His cosmic darshan is also gross darshan. One who gives such a gaze (दृष्टि) are called guru. So guru gives both Shabdgyan (sound-knowledge) and parthiv gyan (gross knowledge). What ever happen on the journey to atam darshan is grace of guru alone. Swabhav itself is Guru, Parmeshwar or lord Himself is Guru, only taking their refuge knowledge and wisdom can arise.

The great form of guru is Un-manifested. The knowledge which comes from this form is the purest knowledge. 

The form of guru which is self effulgent, non-fragmented and manifested pure form, the knowledge which comes out of it extremely pure. Till the jeev transcends the bhava, he cannot have these two kinds of knowledge.

When inner established atma hears some divine speech or sermon or message, the knowledge which arises inside due to ones bhav at that time is called third level of knowledge. This is attained by ordinary people due to their good fortune only.

When That pure entity descends in a pure physical mortal jeev, it shines in him depending upon its capacity of reflection, the knowledge which one receives from such a jeev is called of fourth level. This kind of knowledge is achieved at the first level by jeev. But such jeevas are also few and far between in this creation. One must remember that the one giving sermon in the form of the guru is not that mortal bodied guru but infact the lord sitting in him is the real sermoniser. A jeev can never sermonize to any other jeev. 

As light is everywhere all around us but it cannot enlighten the inner darkness. So to remove the darkness of ignorance we need a fire inside. The base in which this fire of wisdom and knowledge is burning is called Guru. That shakti alone can awaken the disciple. This burning fire is present in every jeev but they are not conscious of it. This fire is eternally burning in our Sahasrar chakra. But outward oriented jeev is not conscious of it. The jeev has to turn inwards and become aware of it and initiate his inner journey towards it.....Om.......www.shaktanand.blogspot.com.

Guru Tattva-Yogiraj Vishuddhanand Prasang and Tattva Katha- written by Pt. Gopinath Kaviraj ji.