Welcome to Day 25 of our 40-Day Retreat.
“Parama Guru” is the highest of Gurus. Yesterday we spoke about how Parama Guru lives in freedom from beliefs. Today we will talk about the impact of such a Guru, the presence of such a Guru. I will continue to read from Guru Gita which tells us all about Gurus and specifically about Parama Guru, advising us that we should follow this Guru. Let us listen to this verse from Guru Gita. It says:
The Meaning of the ‘Look’
Yasya darshana maatrena manasah syaat prasannataa
Swayam bhooyaat dhrtih shaantih sa bhavet paramo guruh
“By who’s mere darshan (darshan means “the look”), one attains calmness,
cheerfulness and peace of mind. Such a one is a Parama Guru.”
This has so much information in it, its mind boggling. Let me explain. First of all what does a ‘look’ (darshan) mean? When someone looks at you, their eyes are directed upon you. When those eyes are directed upon you, a lot is directed upon you. A look is not a mere look; there is so much more.
Even in an ordinary sense when someone looks at you, you can tell a lot. You can tell how happy they are, if they are depressed, if they are fearful, if they are angry, if they are aggressive, if they are compassionate, if they are grounded, and you can even tell something about their intentions, some of which we call a ‘hidden agenda’. You can see all of this in a look. There is a saying that says “the eyes are the windows to the soul”.
The Experience of the ‘Look’
If you think about the science of the chakras, the chakras constitute our energy body, the body through which our individuality (our ego) acts in the world. Energies flow through these points, through the intentions (expressed or disguised) and actions of a person. We have an experience when a look is directed upon us because of intentionality and the energies from different chakras are there.
Depending on the kind of relationship that you have with the one who is looking at you, different kinds of intentions flow in the space. If someone wants to exploit you, a kind of energy flows in the space, if someone wants to intimidate you, or make you subservient, a kind of energy flows in the space. If someone wants to dominate you, if someone wants to play with your mind and control you, a kind of energy flows.
In that ‘look’, energy travels, based on the relationship and intentions. Some of us are not even aware of those qualities and the kind of energy that flows into the space. For those of you who are more aware, you know how to avoid bad company; you know how to avoid people with negative intentions because your energy body picks it up, even though disguised. When you have been living with someone for a long time, just a look is enough communication between you.
Why is the ‘Look’ of a Parama Guru so Great?
How much is in the’ look’? Why is the ‘look’ of a Parama Guru so great? It is so great because so much more energy can flow in that look. Think about it, when one is in command of himself or herself, in command of the energies, so much can flow in a look.
To even direct the gaze on someone, and hold the gaze from a Parama Guru has meaning. Think about it. Just to be given a glance and a look that is held, it is important there is meaning in that. That such a being can look at you or choose to look at you or choose to stay in that look, or keep the attention upon you, there is meaning in that. In a simple sense it means we are worthy, because through the look of such beings, the Universe reaches out to us with its most powerful grace.
When the ‘Look’ is directed upon us – What Comes out of it?
If that gaze is directed upon us, what comes out of it? What comes out of it, you will not experience from normal human beings. What comes out of such a gaze is unconditional love and compassion. A love that knows no boundary, no hidden agenda, no selfishness, a love that has no condition for loving, a love that doesn’t judge you, criticize you or condemn you. A love that can hold you in its compassion, can hold you in its peace, can hold you in its warmth, kindness and healing power. You see this love coming through those eyes. Through those eyes is a peace so deep, they can lift you above the mind, taking away your confusion, your inner conflict, almost like mist vaporizing before the sun, allowing yourself to become more open to the Higher Self.
The love of such beings is so childlike, when you come into their presence you feel so welcome, so warm. No matter who in the world looks at you otherwise, when such a one looks at you, you become like a child in their presence. You want to tell your whole story and you trust so completely because you feel it in your being, “this is one I can trust”. There is no judgment; there is complete kindness and love. That is what counts in the look.
The ‘Look’ is governed by our Needs, our Openness to Receive and Grace
This ‘look’ is governed by needs, by openness on our part, by our ability to receive (readiness) and by grace, so what flows is what we need. It flows by grace in a very natural way. The Parama Guru doesn’t have to do anything, he looks at you and it flows so naturally. If you are open and you open yourself up, it just flows from one to the other in a natural and spontaneous manner. So when these beings look at us, they are giving, grace is flowing and it all depends on how much we can receive, how open we are.
Sometimes we are intimidated by such a look, we become more conscious of impurities within us, but after a while in the presence of such a being, we realize we don’t have any need for that. Because though they may see so much within us, they treat us with the utmost love and no judgment. Why? Because they know that we are a part of them.
If we need self-esteem for example, by means of their own vital power, they mirror to us what we need, and we feel energized by their presence, we see what we are looking for “That’s the vitality that I want” “That’s how I want to feel.” The words come out naturally, answering our questions. We see in that being exactly what we need, it flows out of him or her. The qualities are so full, so pure, and so beautiful in such beings.
The ‘Look’ Teaches and Communicates with us
Every chakra is alive and is communicating to us through such beings. In their presence every chakra holds us in its power. They teach us:
1st chakra groundedness
2nd chakra discipline
3rd chakra the power of vitality
4th chakra the power of love
5th chakra the power of communication in words and silence
6th chakra focus, concentration, peace of mind, willpower
7th chakra they hold us in that infinite field of goodness and love
That one look is able to communicate all of this, if only you can see what is in the look.
Shaktipat - The Power of the ‘Look’
The darshan of such beings is worth everything. That is why I wanted to go to India so badly when I was 20. “How can I have the darshan of such beings?” “How can I come into the powerful presence of such beings?” “How can I be worthy of their look?” “How can I be so ready, so open and so sincere that they will want to look upon me?” In that look, I wanted to be able to receive everything, I wanted to see what I could become; I wanted to see what possibilities were there for me, if I was favoured by that glance, I was so happy because I felt “I’m worthy”. That’s the glance I got.
The power of Parama Guru is so great if only we could understand it. Just a look from such beings is so powerful. That look is said to be “Shaktipat”, it has the power of extending energy from the one who is so full of the energy, to the one who needs the energy. That power of the look is called “Shaktipat” and it is able to awaken the energies of our soul, that have been dormant.
So the beautiful verse says:
“By who’s mere look (darshan) one attains calmness,
cheerfulness and peaceful mind such a one is a Parama Guru.”
I will leave you with another verse and this verse says:
“By mere remembrance, when you get such a look, that look stays with you forever.
When you get such a look, that is one never to be forgotten.”
With Remembrance of the ‘Look’ - Knowledge of the Self Dawns
And Guru Gita says in another verse:
Yasya smarana maatrena gyaanam utapdyate swayam
Sa eva sarva sampattih tasmat sampoojayet gurum
“By the mere remembrance of whom, knowledge of the Self dawns in one automatically, such a one is our entire wealth’s treasure, therefore the aspirant should be ever devoted to such a one.”
How fortunate we are when we meet such a one, how more fortunate we are that they will choose to look upon us, and how greatly fortunate we are when that glance is kept and we are showered by divine grace through that look.
And with these 2 mantras today, I want to honor all those beings in our world who with their look, can touch our lives so deeply and lift us from ignorance to truth, from the illusion of maya into the awareness of the Self.
