Recap of Yesterday

Yesterday I spoke to you about how my consciousness shifted into really experiencing what may be called Guru Consciousness. For the first time I began to identify with the state that we call Guru Consciousness. It was an exciting shift. I was confused in the whole of the first week of my 40 Days in 1978, but now there was amazing clarity!

However, even though now I had a tool to continue, there was still the mystery of how to continue. I had a few books with me. Books are the experiences of people. I had one book that was based on the technical aspect of this energy and that was very meaningful to me as it quoted ancient verses that were full of wisdom. That led me and helped me on the path. Then I had two books by whom I would call ‘realized souls’ that gave me their experiences and thoughts. Those books were extremely helpful to me. In fact I think that through those books I was able to be guided.

I also said to you that around the home where I was in a secluded room, the entire space was held in a certain powerful energy field. That space was supported by a tremendous amount of discipline, and by the members of my family who were around me. It was amazing how the Universe took care of me and guided me. As I said before, I was thousands of miles away from the physical teacher, whom I respected and admired, but I did not have that kind of physical relationship where I can pick up a phone and call the teacher. I worked through his teachings, his writings and words. And I worked with that power that was coming up inside of me.

Expansive role of Guru Tattwa
I have been using the verses of Guru Gita to speak to you about this mystery and how it unfolded within me. I will choose yet another verse for you that is very relevant to what happened to me. And how we can see that the Guru Tattwa manifests not only within a person, and need not manifest even in a person who is conscious that it is manifesting. But Guru Tattwa can manifest in the Universe, as well as through people who are conscious that it is manifesting. It can also manifest in people who are unconscious that they are actually helping someone to learn. So it is marvellous how the Universe works.

Let me read this verse to you. It is very inspiring. It says:

Gurur madhye sthitam vishvam
Vishvam madhye sthito Guruh

Gurur vishvam na chaanyosti

Tasmai Shree Gurave Namah

This Universe is situated in the Guru
And the Guru is in the midst of the world
This world itself is nothing but the Guru
Salutations to the Guru

Gurur madhye sthitam vishvam - the Universe is centred in the Guru. It takes the mind away
completely from the physical Guru

Vishvam madhye sthito Guruh - the Guru is in the midst of the Universe

Gurur vishvam na chaanyosti - the world itself is nothing but the Guru.

Evolution in Consciousness, from Darkness into Light
Just contemplate this verse for a moment. It stretches our mind and our thinking to see that Guru is bigger than everything we know. Everything in the Universe supports Guru Principle. In fact if you think deeply, the Universe itself is moving from ignorance to light in terms of consciousness. The consciousness that is embodied in the Universe- in human beings, plants, animals and in minerals - is in an ascension, an evolution in consciousness moving from darkness into light. In the Cosmology of ancient India there are ages that move from darkness into light: Kaliyug into Satyug, going gradually through Dwaapara and Treta. So the Universe is centred in this aspect of Guru, and Guru here meaning the movement from darkness into light, the freedom from the embodied to the disembodied – the Brahma Consciousness.

Then the next line says: The Guru is in the midst of the Universe. Not only is the whole universe in this evolutionary process but every individual in the Universe can be an instrument of Guru consciously or unconsciously. They support this process of growth from darkness into light. Think about that deeply. Some are conscious of the process and they help us to move from darkness to light; some are unconscious but they help us, nevertheless. So they are a part of the Guru Principle that is working through them without their knowing it. One may call that “unconscious instruments” helping others to become more aware.

The Guru is, therefore, in the midst of the Universe working through individuals as conscious instruments whom we call Gurus, and unconscious instruments who do not even know now that they are functioning in that capacity. Neither do we even recognize that.

When life becomes an Adventure
The verse also says that there is nothing else in the Universe but Guru, which means that everything in the Universe, individually and collectively, is meant for us to grow. When you think of that, it is a lot of food for thought!

When you think of Guru as a person, you are seeing only a tiny portion of the picture. You are missing the very big role that Guru Tattwa has in the Universe. It means that we are constantly exposed to learning. When we see that we don’t become a victim anymore. We learn from any and everything. And when we begin to experience that, life becomes an adventure, a complete adventure!

Guru Principle at work
Think about that with reference to your situation. Think about all the times that you feel as a victim, and when you do not think of life as a learning and growing process. Even in all the difficult situations you have, you do not see them as a learning and growing process. You do not see the Guru still at work. If you become ill, you do not see the Guru Principle at work. If a seemingly unintelligent person speaks with you, you do not see the Guru Principle at work. You need someone operating through a sattvic mode –very peaceful, friendly and compassionate, then you see the Guru Principle at work. You do not see how each person in our Universe can teach you. So my whole spiritual journey has been based on this broad concept of Guru.

Implicit faith in the Universe
On my initial trip to India I was motivated to go so that I can be in the presence of enlightened beings. I wanted to feel the energy of that presence, the stimulation of that presence. But before I left for India, my thought was that whomsoever I would meet on the journey was whom the Universe would send to me. That was a very powerful thought that took me throughout my entire journey. From the moment I went in the airplane, that was my thought. So I was already thinking of the Universe in support of my journey. Although I was so much in agony inside, so much in pain because of separation and loneliness and lovelessness, because of ignorance of who I really was, in all of that pain I never lost faith that my Universe was taking care of me. And within a matter of about two weeks I ended up in a place where it began to feel like home, and profound energy transformation took place within me.

What was even more amazing was that I did not meet the physical Guru who was the Master in that organization. However, I met a group of people who were very dedicated and who inspired me. I found a place that was so energized by such discipline and consciousness that my own energy was activated without the presence of a physical teacher. What is that, if not the Guru Principle at work! Each person there became an inspiration to me.

Life as a Learning and Growing Process
I even remember when I thought that some of the people had big egos, (and you know how we like to see the ego in everybody). I thought that one of the persons who gave me seva was certainly someone with a very big ego. It took me a little while to understand how, in a sacred place like that where I could be so profoundly influenced by the energy, I could meet someone like that! And when I looked at him, he seemed not to even follow the discipline of the place. Ultimately, I came to rest within myself. I became at peace when I thought that the Universe had him there, so he had to be my teacher. He was going to teach me how to be really humble. And that I became to everybody.

I remember asking someone for a piece of soap to wash my hands and the person said, “No!” I felt humiliated, unappreciated. I thought, a piece of soap was all I asked for. But I had to move my awareness away from that. And when I was asked to clean toilets, again it was a task that I would not go after if it was the first work given to me. Then one of the gentlemen there came and said: “Do you know that this is one of the best work? If you were to do this you would get lots of grace.” He changed my whole awareness of work in a sacred space. So I carried the cow urine, shoveled the cow droppings, I pulled the grass, and I cleaned the toilets- all joyfully! I saw everybody as a perfect instrument of the Universe, no matter who they were.

In the first or second day someone invited me to go outside of the Ashram, and I went about 10 o’clock during the rest period. I saw people smoking and eating all kinds of food, and I thought it was not yet mealtime. I thought to myself, “This is not where I want to be.” So I stayed inside the Ashram and it did not matter who were going outside. It did not matter to me how many things were sold outside. I came here for a particular reason. I became very disciplined. In my awareness I just held the idea that this whole place was held by Divine Consciousness, by a Greater Power. And that served me exceedingly well.

A shift in Guru Consciousness
I left India four months after I initially visited, but as a very happy person. I felt a great power inside of me. I was focused on my journey and that never stopped. But I did not see the Guru as a human being. I saw the Guru as a power within me, a power around me, and as the power of the Universe, as beautifully described in this verse from Guru Gita.

We will stop here for today and I will continue this wonderful journey of understanding what Guru really means, and the essence of Guru Principle or Guru Tattwa.