Welcome to Day 28of our 40-Day Retreat.
I have been speaking about Parama Gurus and today I will take a slightly different view. I want to speak today about the compassionate Gurus in service to humanity.
Enlightened Beings Have a Choice
It is a choice that Gurus make to serve humanity with their selflessness. If we are able to see that, then we are able to appreciate the great gift that they are to us. We are the benefactors of that choice. Our commitment to them, our honouring of them, doing what pleases them most, what will make them happy, then that becomes very important to us.
I am going to read to you a verse from Guru Gita that speaks about the choice enlightened beings have when they get to that state:
Maunee Vaagmieti tattvagyo
Dvidhaabhoot chrnu Paarvati
Na kashchin mauninaa labho
Lokesmin bhavati priye
Shiva, the cosmic teacher is speaking “Oh Parvati listen to me, there are 2 classes of knower’s of truth, the Mauni and the Vaagmi. The Mauni, the ones who are silent is of no benefit to the world.”
Vaagmi tuutkata samsaara
Saagarottaarana kshmah
Yatosau samshayach chettaa
Shaastra yukti anubhootibhih
“The Vaagmi, on the other hand, is capable of taking students across the great whirlpool of the ocean of sansaara.” Samsaara saagaro means “the ocean where life and birth continuously takes place”. “The Vaagmi is one who can take disciples or students across that ocean so there is no longer the compulsion to be born again and to come back into this field of activity.” It frees them from this samsaara, this world. “He’s able to clear the doubts of all those who come to him (seekers) by virtue of his knowledge of the Shastras (the scriptures, the ancient wisdom) by his own compelling and convincing arguments and with the power of his own direct self realization.”
Making the Choice to Serve Humanity
When we become enlightened we can stay in that state (being silent). We are free. We don’t have to get involved in peoples lives. So for those who get involved it is out of compassion - to take on the problems of so many people, their frustrations, their emotional crises, their confusion and their limitations, to work patiently and loving through all of it, touching their lives and bringing transformation, never stirring, keeping steadfast in that centre of truth. By that power of self realization they are able to touch lives and create a better world.
This is, as compared to the one who remains silent, happy in himself or herself, and is not concerned with the rest of humanity. Of course I do believe their presence has value, but Guru Gita here is speaking about the value that comes from directly helping people. Not indirectly helping by the force of your presence but by directly helping people, you can clear their doubts and you can help them become free from this world of suffering and ignorance.
In looking at the choice they make, this should move us to appreciate their presence. When I think of my own search, I was searching so deeply and it was agonizing, it was suffering. These beings made themselves available, made their homes available so that we could go and draw from their wisdom, presence, patience and love, be transform and move into a space of freedom. When I think of that, there is a lot of gratitude in my heart.
The Inspiration to Serve Humanity
That is a powerful inspiration for me to be the same. When I think of all those people searching, my heart goes out in compassion. How can I create an environment for them? How can I create a home for them? They become like my family. The moment there is a need, my heart goes into the mode of responsibility. If I have this state of awareness, if I am in this state of freedom and happiness and there are so many people out there who need it, why am I keeping it? I got it freely, I need to give it.
This is what inspires me to do what I do. To create that energized atmosphere in which I live, and to invite people into it lovingly. To work with them patiently, with understanding, with compassion, knowing that they are in a state of ignorance, and they are seeking to come out of it. That draws me into great compassion.
Gratitude for Gurus Who Serve Humanity
I salute all those beings across the world who made a choice to get involved in peoples’ lives where there is so much limitation and suffering, and to continue to stay in that choice completely in service to humanity without the idea of self. For me when you reach that state of awareness, then you have even more power to make a choice, you have more freedom to say “I don’t want to get involved,” but you do.
I have gratitude not just for the assistance that I received but on behalf of the world for the assistance that we all receive from those beings who live in the light and who choose to enter into service to humanity selflessly. If those of you who have received that, ever think of gratitude - “what can I do in return?” If you really know the nature of these beings, you will know that there is nothing that you give them physically; not even praises, compliments, or the word of thanks. But when you begin to show transformation, when you begin to use the wisdom that they have given to you, to transform yourself, this begins to please them. When you make the choice to serve others as you have been served, then that pleases them most. They feel fulfilled for having made the powerful choice of serving the world selflessly. Think about that! Engaging in selfless service I feel that is the most that I can do, for all that I have received on the journey, the giving back, the making use of the teachings.
Time Does Not Wait for Us
Another important thing to understand is that time does not wait for us. When you meet such a teacher you may think “well this is a great teacher, nice teachings, as soon as I am finished with my work in the world and I retire, when my children grow up, then I’m going to give a lot of attention to what this teacher has to say. It’s such a boon to have him in the world.” We need to see that time is very important. We need to set our priorities right. Are we really concerned with freedom or are we concerned with just our physical welfare and that of our family, that we postpone that journey?
When you meet such beings, be aware of time. Be aware of how much time you have in the world and how much time they have in the world. Be aware of those precious moments that you have available and don’t waste it. For those of you who believe in being born again, if you want to wait for another lifetime, think about all the years of suffering that you may have before you meet such beings again. Whilst you are in this lifetime and you have met and you understand, don’t wait for the next because you do not know what kind of situation you are going to be in or the world will be in. You don’t know how long it will take to get there, or how long until the human brain becomes mature enough to begin the journey again. So whilst you have the opportunity, use it.
Saluting the Vaagmi
When we think of the choices these beings have made, we think of the time that is available to us and we think of what pleases them the most. Then that will drive us to work really hard, to appreciate their message and to serve humanity as they serve.
I want to salute all those Vaagmis who work hard to make our world a better place.
