Guru

We live in a more westernized world, where the teacher is a "professional" who is paid to render specific " education services" to obtain either educational qualifications or specific skill-sets. Respecting the teacher is not necessary. In fact, to call the teacher by his/ her first name, is now perfectly acceptable, just as you would call anyone else. ( "What else is the name there for?") This the flow of the times, and we need to accept this, if we are to survive in this "modern" world. However, two things need to be looked into.

One - the quality of the teacher. In good old days, the teacher, under the guru shishya parampara, used to play multiple roles in the life of a student. The parent; the teacher; the coach; the mentor...   all rolled into one. For which he had to go through immense rigour and " earn his stripes" , as it were, before he climbed that altar. In other words, the guru's life was as much of a penance, as that of the shishya. The Guru had to make sure that he befitted the role of the Guru.

Two - the student. The Student had to look for the right guru. Had to make himself worthy of that guru. Was required to be humble. Was required to serve the guru and the guru-patni in all aspects of life. Was allowed to argue with the guru, with the sole purpose of vichaaram ( probing to further one's knowledge), within the ambit of the Tarka Shastrams ( rules for questioning/ debating). The guru himself used to usher the shishya to a "higher" guru, when he realized that the shishya was ready to take on larger vistas.

These were the ideal situations. The point is - we come from a culture that requires the guru to be of the highest calibre, and the student to surrender at the guru's feet in all humility, with the aim of learning as much as possible from the guru - and if possible - going on to better the guru at some stage, in an humble manner.

On Guru Purnima day, I am tempted to quote Adi Shankara's 6th Stanza in his treatise Guruvashtakam. Just as a reminder to all of us, that , no matter how high we fly, let us remind ourselves to be at the feet of our gurus.

यशो मे गतं दिक्षु दानप्रतापात्

जगद्वस्तु सर्वं करे सत्प्रसादात्

मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे

ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्

yasho me gatam dikshu danapratapaj-

jagadvastu sarvam kare yatprasadat |

manashcenna lagnam guroranghripadme

tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim tatah kim ||

"My repute has travelled in all directions through my philanthropy and prowess; all the things of this world are in my hands as rewards for my virtues; but if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?"