Welcome to Day 5 of our 40-Day retreat, 2008.

We have been really enjoying these days of retreat. And the topic during this retreat is about the Guru Principle, giving us a chance to really understand what the concept of “Guru” means.

The Power of the Word “Guru”
Yesterday I spoke about the word “Guru” and how powerful it is for contemplation; it also gives us a greater understanding of the word, because we tend to look at the word in a limited sense, thinking that Guru is a person. But the word has deeper meaning and so we have been exploring how broad the meaning of this word is. What kinds of meanings are given to this word?

On the last day we spoke of ‘Gu’ in Guru as being about darkness, it represents darkness, and ‘ru’ is for the light. That which is said to be Guru is that Supreme Knowledge, the Supreme Light that can drive away the darkness of ignorance. So it challenges us to see Guru as a light - The light of knowledge, the light of truth…not just a person, but as a light. The light of truth that can dispel the darkness of ignorance. Suddenly that broadens the whole perspective because anything that brings light into our lives, taking away the darkness, we can call “Guru”.

Verse - from Guru Gita
Today I’m going to use another perspective, choosing another verse from this book of wisdom and this gives us another view and broadens the space of how we look at the word. So I’m going to read this verse for you…

Gurkaarashca Guna teeto,
Roopaa teeto Rukarakah,
Guna roopa Viheenatvaat,
Guru rityabhidheeyate

It says that here ‘Gu’ denotes that that which is above the Gunas.  Guna is a quality in nature. So those of you who know about Guna…there are 3 Gunas in the world always operating, 3 major qualities. And there’s a saying that, that which is Guru, is beyond the Gunas. ...Gurkaarashca Guna teeto.

Guna – 3 Qualities
Now, what are these Gunas? What are these qualities in nature that we see everywhere? And there are 3 Gunas. So it’s interesting to understand this concept. In nature if you look about you’ll see 3 qualities.

Tamas

The quality of inertia, dullness, lethargy…it doesn’t want to move, difficult to move, that which is dark. And that quality…or Guna…is called Tamas. So if you look about nature, you’ll see that quality of dullness in nature…inertia, hard to move. And when people are in this quality of dullness, difficult to motivate, we say that person’s in Tamas. And in the same way you have this high inertia quality…difficult to move, to motivate…dull, some may call stupid…ignorant.

Rajas

We also have the quality of being active and that’s called Rajas, Rajas is activity. So in nature you see a lot of things active. So a person who has this quality of being active all the time…dynamic…we say that person is Rajasic…has that quality of activity, dynamism. So in all of nature you see this quality…movement.

Sattva

Then there is another quality that’s called Sattva. And Sattva is the quality of peacefulness, harmony, calmness, contentment. The verse is saying that which is Guru, is beyond these qualities.

Guru is Beyond Guna
What does that mean...that which is Guru is beyond Guna? It means that there is a consciousness that is beyond these 3 qualities.

One of the tendencies we have is that when we see people who are very peaceful, very calm, very contented, we think wow, this is Guru. If we see someone Rajasic, and sometimes Tamasic, we think, there is no Guru there. Truth is, it is saying, “that which is Guru is beyond all 3.”  In the sense of going into that state of Guru, which we are asked to go into for freedom, we have to go beyond these qualities.

The qualities of Guna can teach us
But that which is Guru in the Universe is beyond these qualities and can use any of these qualities to teach us. Can you learn from a foolish person? Can you learn from a Tamasic person? I think we can learn a lot…of what we wouldn’t want to be like, what we shouldn’t be like, what is the experience of being there…we can see it. Can you learn from Rajasic nature of the Universe? Yes we can.

Sometimes we think that which is Guru, is only smiling or can tell us sweet words, and sing us beautiful songs and is always very friendly in nature towards us. That which is Guru is not bound by Sattva, that which is Guru can use Rajasic nature, and Tamasic nature. So that’s beautiful to see, because it expands your view of the Teacher in the Universe. The Teacher is beyond the Gunas.

Personal Experience
 I had the wonderful experience of witnessing this in India, with the one whom I considered to be Guru…that beautiful Being that I met. One day I saw him in the large dining hall, he had a stick and he was making a lot of noise, because people were being very noisy in the dining hall. And this was the first time that I was seeing him in this angry mode.

I’m watching him shouting at everybody, and then when he came a little closer to where I was, I felt this wave of love in him. I felt completely unaffected by the whole thing because I saw even though he was shouting and he looked so angry I felt so much love and then I understood…Guru is beyond this.

And even in looking at this Being that I met, one of the ways that I really tuned into him was by going inside of me and saying “Guru is beyond human form, Guru is beyond the ordinary qualities that we see”. That was beautiful to see. So when we think of the Gunas in life, that which is Guru is beyond all Gunas.

Guru is inside of us
When you are able to go inside of you to touch that state of Guru, you will actually feel that you are none of these qualities that arise in your world. So even though the body might be held in Tamas, when that state of Guru comes within you, you feel so different to the Tamas of the body. You don’t judge yourself by the Tamas of the body, you become free of it. And even though you perform activity and you are very dynamic a certain part of you is completely still, completely unaffected by the whole dynamism of activity. So when that which is Guru appears to be so busy a certain part is not busy at all.

Guru is Beyond All Forms in the Universe
When we think of Guru, and we think of ‘Gu’ in the word, we think of Guna and we think of that which is beyond Guna.

And the other part of it says…Roopa teeto…that which is Guru is beyond form, not limited to form. So when you think that Guru it just a man or woman…Guru is beyond all forms in the Universe. It is not the form, forms in the Universe are perishable, they change, that is the quality of form…this human form is going to change. But there is something inside of us that is not going to change, even though this human form changes.

The Guru Principle
The power of this Principle of Guru that manifests in the Universe is not limited to form. Those who are more aware can see this Guru Principle in everything in life.
Can the sun become a Guru to you? Can the wind become a Guru to you? Can a child become a Guru to you? Can you see how that Principle in the Universe can manifest through all of these things? Can a child teach us how to be humble, how to be sweet, how to have no judgment? Can the sun teach us how to shine on everything and not judge, not discriminate? Can the wind teach us how not to be attached to anything…to flow smoothly?

So does Guru need a form to teach us? Think about that. Can the whole universe become Guru? This is what this verse says, that we should not think that Guru is limited to a form. The wise will say that the whole Universe is filled with Guru. And it says… Guna roopa Viheenatvaat, Guru rityabhidheeyate because that which is Guru is beyond quality and form, we call it “Guru”.

Guru is Beyond Quality & Form in Universe
Today I just want to say to you that which is Guru is beyond the qualities that we know in the Universe. It can assume any quality to teach us, but it is beyond quality. Which means it is not affected by qualities, and it is beyond form, not affected by form. And when your eyes are open, this becomes marvellous, to see the whole Universe as Guru. You can see this Universal Principle taking any form, to teach you through form.

Summary after meditation

Welcome everyone to Day 5, beautiful Sunday.

During these sessions I try to awaken in your Consciousness that awareness of your true nature and the Guiding Power of the Universe, that resides within you and in the whole Universe.

Let us see Guru in the entire Universe, working through people around us, in the things around us that we learn from. And let us not confine our thinking to ‘Guru’ only in a human body, in a specific human body. Let us see the Principle of Guru pervading the Universe.

Let us remember the word Guru has a large meaning. That which is “Guru” is beyond Guna, it is beyond Roopa, it is beyond the qualities of Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva. And it is beyond forms, which means it can assume any quality and assume any form. Only when you are beyond that, can you assume all these without losing your identity.

Have a beautiful day everyone.