Are you caught in illusion?

I am reminded of this beautiful story of Narada from Vedic tradtion which we can learn about the power of illusion (maya).

Narada was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu – the preserver in the Hindu Trinity of Gods. After sometime, he became very proud because of his closeness to Lord Vishnu. He believed that he was not affected by the daily situations in life that continued to keep a person from growing spiritually.

When Lord Vishnu saw that Narada’s pride was blocking his spiritual progress, he decided to teach him a lesson. A true master will never allow a disciple to get stuck along the path to enlightenment.

One day, Lord Vishnu asked Narada very softly “Narada, can you please fetch me some water to drink?”

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Guru is a principle, not a person

Tomorrow is Guru Poornima, it is a Vedic Festival that is celebrated as per the Hindu moon sign calendar to express reverence towards the Guru who is guiding humanity towards the ultimate goal of Enlightenment.

For most people who are too centered on logic, they cannot fathom why a person requires a Guru in his life, let alone having with a living Guru. Only a being, who experiences the heart and the depth of cognitions, will be able to taste the sweetness of a magical life with a living Guru.

What is Guru?

The true meaning of Guru is “one who dispels darkness of ignorance”. “Gu” means “darkness of ignorance” and “Ru” means “one who removes”. Fundamentally, Guru is not a person it is a principle (Guru tattva). The one who has no Guru above him is the true Guru. Guri here refers to the Atmic principle present in every human being. The real Guru who can reveal the Atmic principle is a Jnaanamurthy (embodiment of wisdom); He is the very embodiment of Divine principles; and He is one who takes upon Himself a form to teach the same to the disciples; he is God Himself. Another meaning of the word Guru is “one who is beyond attributes and forms”. Gu stands for Gunaatheetha – one who transcends the three Gunas (Satva, Rajas and Tamas); Ru stands for Rupavarjitha – one who is formless. The One who is beyond all attributes and forms is none other than the Supreme Self (the Brahmam) who resides in the heart within each of us. Only God can be regarded as One who is beyond attributes and forms.

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Guru ends the search for your Self

Today is the auspicious day of Guru Poornima – a Hindu festival that is celebrated as per the Hindu Moon Sign calendar to express reverence towards one’s Guru who is a teacher or mentor. The syllable “gu” is darkness, and the syllable ‘ru’ is said to be light. Swallowing the darkness of ignorance, that Guru is indeed, without doubt, that supreme knowledge. The first syllable “gu” represents the illusory principles such as maya. The second syllable “ru” is the supreme knowledge that destroys the illusion of maya. Thus the Guru’s state is the highest in the Vedic tradition.

According to the Guru Gita:

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