Deivathin Kural # 10 (of Vol 2 )

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 10 (of Vol 2 ) of 15 June 2007.
1. These e-mails, are chapter wise translations of the lectures given by, Sri Chandra Sekharendra Swamigal, of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Every day, after the daily Puja, He used to talk, on various aspects concerning Hinduism. These are published, in Tamil, by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, as Deivathin Kural, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each. To-day's talk is titled, 'Saranagathiye Mukhyam', that is, 'The Most Important Thing Is to Surrender', in pages 73 to 78, of Deivathin Kural, Volume 2. (Unless otherwise specified, 'He' herein includes 'She'.)
2. I spoke a lot about the qualifications of the Guru. Whether he is the initial Vidya Guru, who is a Vedavith or the final Guru, who is a Brhmavith, with the responsibility to fetch the Jeeva to Paramatma; for both excellent behaviour and devotion to God are essentials. I said that , if you get a Sanyasa Guru, who shows the way to inner reality, happens to be someone who never cribs, totally aware, perfectly clean, and an ocean of compassion; then you do not even need God !
3. But, I get another thought, if it is humanly possible for everyone to get such excellent role models as Gurus. 'If you are sincerely thirsting for liberation and knowledge, God will send you a Guru', say the Sastras. For Manikka Vaasakar, Easwara Himself came as the Guru and gave him Upadesa, sitting under the Kurunda tree, Manikka Vaasakar himself confirms this in many places in his poems. Still we are doubtful.
4. How to be sure that the Guru we go in search of, is genuine ? If he happens to be a fake, then what to do ? How do we find out if he is clean or not ? Initially, we think that he seems perfect. Later, we get to know differently or we hear some gossip. Then what are we to do ? If we are to change the Guru, then what happens if the second Guru is worse or equally bad ? What is the surity that we will not be disappointed a second time ? This world is not to be trusted. Different people talk differently. Even good people are not inured from being subjected to gossip and inuendo ! Those who have become a Sishya to a Guru, will find themselves in an embarassing situation, when they hear such information about their own Guru. They will be hard put to decide, as to whether they should believe it or not.
5. What can we do about this ? This is not a major issue, in the case of the Viddhyabyasa Guru. We are not expecting any outlandish character qualities in him. Mostly his aberrations if any may be within human frailties. As a married man with a family of his own, there is not much scope for too much worry. Anyhow, we will be a student under him in an age, when we will not be too interested in judging him. Having been told that he is to be treated as God, the student is not likely to troubled too much.
6. The problem is more with respect to the Sanyasa Guru, who is meant for our inner cleanliness and Moksha. How to trust him ? What do we do, if we find some faults in him ? If we leave him, is it a sin ? Is it Gurudroham, or tantamount to disloyalty ? What happens if our assesment has been wrong ? Let me answer these questions, to the extent I am capable of.
7. I take back all that I said earlier, about the required character qualities of a Guru. That is, I am telling you now to stop assessing the Guru. As the child is with the Viddhyabyasa Guru, put all your guards down with this Guru also. With this Guru who is to show you the path of Moksha, even old sishyas, should place total trust. It does not matter, if this is considered as blind belief.
8. We searched for a Guru. We came to this Guru, believing him to be clean, wholesome and beyond corruption. If we thought him to be anything less, we would not have come to him. Now if we get doubts, what can be done ? Before going to another Guru, the problem of disloyalty to this Guru, remains to be solved. What is the surity of that Guru ? The only solution is to accept this Guru, as God given, as meant for us despite his faults. Not only that God has sent him, Sastras say that God Himself has come as the Guru. All the question about assessing his behaviour arises only when we think of him as a simple, mortal, human being. When we think of him as God in human form; we can stop our assessment. Can there be a God with faults ? Even what is seemingly faults, may only be an error in our perspective. Let us look at it like that. Once we think of him as God, the question of going to another does not arise. It looks laughable to think of going to another Guru and think of him as God in human form !
9. That is why, once you have opted for some one as your Guru, instead of assessing him, we should simply become devoted and serve him. if we do that then it is God's prerogative to bless us with the necessary understanding and awareness. Whether the Guru attains to Gnana or not, we will attain to ! World may laugh at us. Let it. Even if we were to suffer as a result, let it be. Instead of doing profit and loss analysis, instead of calculating name and fame or the loss of it, if we surrender; we are sure to gain the highest advantage of 'Atma Gnana'.
10. In the world, there is no permanent loss or gain. Everything is for some days only. So, instead of being too calculative with the Guru, we should surrender. It is said that :-
bhoomou skalitha padanam bhoomireva avalambanam I
tvayi jata aparadanam tvameva aalambanam guro II
It means that, if we fall from the first floor or a tree, earth will hold us. If we fallby tripping while walking it is again the Earth, that will have to hold us. Same way, any error of omission or commission against anybody, we have to go back to the Guru only !
11. We have to search for a Guru as a duty. It is to obtain a steady mind that we approach elders. Once we identify that the most important thing is to surrender this mind, then how does it matter, to whom ? Let him be whosoever. To go one step beyond, what is so great about being devoted to someone who is great himself ? If you go to a not so seemingly great Guru, and are able to still your mind and gain maturity, we should take it 'as God's will to test and thereby refine us'. If you put a borwell in the Mahamaha pond, anyone can bathe there. But uncaring how dirty it is, if you are ready to take a dip, with the view that it is holy water; then it means that you have true devotion. All these things are a test for oneself and not others. To go to a famous Mahatma, is rather our lazyness in testing ourselves for maturity. It is not enough if the Guru is great. Our Bakthi also has to be effective. If we go to a Temple, will we forego the seeing God because the Archgar is not very well dressed ? To surrender is our job. Even if the Guru is not so great, if we are firm in our devotion, much benefit accrues.
12. Instead of letting the mind of ours go wherever it goes, if we could only tie it down, as we tie down the cattle; and surrender, it is enough. Initially we surrender with the hope that we will be saved. When we remain firm, without changing loyalties enroute, our aim will be achieved, whether by Guru or God.
Sambhomahadeva.