JULY 14, 2022
Guru Purnima 2022: It is a day for reflection on our credits and debits. A day to be grateful for all that you have achieved in the past and resolving all that you want to do in the coming years. It is a day to be grateful for all the blessings and knowledge received and to see how the knowledge has transformed our life. Realizing this and feeling grateful for all that has come your way – celebrating this and the tradition of Masters who preserved this knowledge is Guru Purnima.
Ancient seers believe that on this day you can ask for whatever you want and it is bestowed. The highest and best desire is to ask for knowledge and freedom.
It is the day when the disciple wakes up in his fullness and in the wakefulness he can’t but be grateful. This gratitude is not of dwaita (you and me), but of advaita or non duality. It is not a river moving from somewhere to somewhere, but is the ocean moving within itself. So, gratefulness on Guru-Purnima symbolizes that fullness. The purpose of the Guru Purnima celebration is to turn back and review and see in this last one year how much one has progressed in life.
For a seeker, Guru Purnima is a day of significance, in a way a New Year. It is the day to review one’s progress on the spiritual path and renew one’s determination and focus on the goal, and to resolve what one wants to do in the coming year. As the full moon rises and sets, tears of gratitude arise and one reposes into the vastness of one’s own self.
On Guru Purnima, one must reflect, “Where was I before I got this knowledge? Where am I now?” When you see the contrast of where you were without this knowledge, then gratitude wells up.
This full moon is also called Vyasa Purnima. Vyasa categorized the entire lore of wisdom into the 4 vedas, the Upanishads, the upavedas, the 27 smritis, 27 upasmritis a huge lore of knowledge pertaining to every aspect of life from ayurveda to architecture to alchemy to medicine.
This day we remember the contribution of all those who have been on this planet for the wellbeing of the human race. We remember what they have done.
How fortunate you are to perceive the infinity within you – in this finite framework of the body-mind complex. The body and mind are finite but the expression of the spirit is infinity.
For the Seeker, the New Year is from Guru Purnima to Guru Purnima. When it is half way for the rest of the world, we celebrate one whole year on the spiritual path. One year towards the Divine manifestation in our life. One year towards feeling the oneness and seeing the world through the eyes of the Master.
That is the guiding star for us. We say let us do that which a guru, a wise person would have done in this situation. For example, a wise person would never react. He would respond. You will learn by putting yourself in that position (of the guru or wise person) again and again – by attempting infinite patience, immense intelligence, complete compassion and unblemished joy.
Without wisdom one doesn’t live, one merely exists. Life begins with wisdom. This Guru Purnima think about all the blessings that you have received and feel grateful. Everyone should sing and let go and be immersed in the inner bliss.
