Do You Need a Guru?
What is it to Make Peace
Reading and Affirmation for July
From the book The Beatitudes: Their Inner Meaning by Swami Kriyananda
Do You Need a Guru?
Truth is one and eternal. Realize oneness with it in your deathless Self, within.
The following commentary is based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda.
Many people scoff at the idea of having a guru. True to human nature generally, they make a virtue of their scoffing. “I am responsible for what I do,” they announce, “responsible for my mistakes as well as for my victories. What would I ever learn if I handed over my development to someone else? To depend on another for guidance would be an act of spiritual cowardice.”
It would be understandable for someone gifted with some trivial ability, for instance with words, to insist on doing his crossword puzzle himself without letting anyone else help him. But supposing, even in such trivial matters, he had no such gift? What virtue would there be in refusing to learn? For that matter, where would the gift itself come from? That which is a gift is not a native ability. Still, crossword puzzles are hardly an important challenge. What if a person wanted to do something daring: to climb a cliff, for instance, but refused to study the art of mountain climbing? He would climb at the risk of his life.
And how much more is risked than physical life in the great adventure of the divine search, where the risk is to salvation itself! Where is the sacrifice in seeking guidance? Even a mountain guide wouldn’t presume to do one’s climbing for one; his purpose would be only to help the neophyte to climb safely. To have a wise guru is not a sign of weakness, but of plain common sense.
All the saints, aware as they are of the hazards of the adventure, agree on the importance of having a guide, or guru. And these are the heroes speaking, not cowards or spiritual weaklings.
Jesus emphasized the importance of having a teacher by asking John to baptize him. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 3, we read of his coming to John. “Thus,” Jesus said to John, “it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”
In the Bhagavad Gita, the fourth Chapter, Sri Krishna says:
Open thyself to those who have attained wisdom. They will be thy teachers. Ask questions of them [both verbally and mentally]. Serve them faithfully, and with devotion.
How is the devotee to recognize one who has attained wisdom? The Bhagavad Gita gives us this inspiring description of the sage:
By this sign is he known,
Being of equal grace to comrades, friends,
Chance-comers, strangers, lovers, enemies,
Aliens and kinsmen; loving all alike,
Evil or good.
Thus, through holy Scripture, God has spoken to mankind.
Whispers From Eternity
24. My Guru
Thou light of my life — thou camest to spread wisdom’s glow over the path of my soul. Centuries of darkness dissolved before the shafts of thy luminous help. As a naughty baby I cried for my Mother Divine, and She came to me as my Guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar. At that meeting, O my Guru, a spark flew from thee, and the faggots of my God-craving, gathered through incarnations, smouldered and blazed into bliss. All my questions have been answered with thy flaming, golden touch. Eternal, ever-present satisfaction has come to me through thy glory.
My Guru, thou voice of God, I found thee in response to my soul-cries. Slumbers of sorrow are gone, and I am awake in bliss.
If all the gods are displeased, yet thou art pleased, I am safe in the fortress of thy pleasure. And if all the gods protect me behind the parapets of their blessings, yet I receive not thy benedictions, I am an orphan left to pine spiritually in the ruins of thy displeasure. O Guru — thou didst bring me out of the bottomless pit of darkness into the paradise of peace.
Our souls met after years of waiting. They trembled with an omnipresent thrill. We met here, because we had met before.
Together we will fly to His shores, where we will smash our planes of finitude forever and vanish into infinite life.
I bow to thee as the spoken voice of silent God. I bow to thee as the divine door which leads to the temple of salvation. I bow to thee — to thy Master, Lahiri Mahasaya, harbinger of Yoga in Benares; and I lay the flowers of my devotion at the feet of Babaji, our supreme Master!
Paramhansa Yogananda
Inspiration from the Rays of One Light
Thus,” Jesus said to John, “it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Matthew 3:15
Open thyself to those who have attained wisdom. They will be thy teachers. Ask questions of them [both verbally and mentally]. Serve them faithfully, and with devotion.
Bhagavad Chapter 4
We will take these meaningful words into our meditation together for deep reflection and contemplation. But firstly, we will listen to the beautiful Psalm of David, sung by Mary Kretzmann.
Psalm of David
Listen to the Psalm of David
Reflect, Meditate and Listen to Instrumental Music
Reflection from the Rays of the One Light
Peace Sangha
This week, I was moved by the words of Matthew 3:15: “Thus,” Jesus said to John, “it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” I also found inspiration in the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4: “Open thyself to those who have attained wisdom. They will be thy teachers. Ask questions of them [both verbally and mentally]. Serve them faithfully, and with devotion.”
Here is a poem I created called “When The River Becomes One”.
When The River Becomes One
Open thy heart, the Masters say
To wisdom’s light, the righteous way
For those who walk the timeless path
God’s breath will carry you gently into the light
From restless waves to inner peace
Each soul guided to stillness from within
Jesus stands by the river’s flow
Krishna plays the flute to glow
A song arises
Seek the wise with a humble mind
Their voices join
Keep calling pure and kind
Surrender to the deathless guide
The yogi who walks at everyone’s side
The one who came to ignite my flame
The One who keeps the truth the same
The rivers become one, bright and strong
Christ’s clear light and the Gita’s song
On Wednesday was her feast again
Holy Mary Magdalene
The shining one
Her holy divine presence
Where all the saints in love belong
Serve the wise with a faithful heart
For questions are really
The sacred bridge to thou art
Serve with pure devotion
Loving all alike is the truest sight
Service is the golden thread
That draws the seeker to the Guru’s embrace
Meet each moment
With trust and surrender
A freedom born of deep attunement
The discipleship, teacher relationship
The sacred healing channel through which
Righteousness flows
Walk with the Guru in the quiet trust
Remember that beneath every trial
There is a quiet river of bliss
Waiting to be felt for all of us not to miss
Walking the path the saints once knew
The timeless path I am born anew
Aum Peace Amen
