‘Guru,’ a term defined in Sanskrit as divine living entity, signifies the journey from darkness to light, usually mediated by a living embodiment.
One must attend a school to acquire education through a teacher. In the spiritual and psychosocial realm, a Guru upholds the position of a teacher. The Guru listens, guides, protects and inspires human beings to lead prosperous lives.
Arjun of Mahabharata was a top scholar and an astute archer. But he would have lost the battle at Kurukshetra, without the guidance and support of Lord Krishna.
Lord Krishna recited the Bhagwad Gita, enabling Arjun to discern truth and reality.
The Lord said, “Sambhavami Yuge, Yuge,” meaning, “I shall manifest on this earth whenever ignorance prevails.”
Mahabharata portrays a strong and unparalleled Guru-Sishya relationship between Krishna and Arjun, with the latter singing, ‘Karishya Vachanam Tav,’ meaning, “I shall do as you command.”
To know and be convinced of the necessity of a Guru, one must analyse the flow of the contemporary world and reassess our position. Every one suffers from problems and is therefore inflicted by misery.
Though the human body is the most intrinsically developed creation, the real problems begin when the unnatural animalistic ideas take control. When the boundaries of nature are overlapped, the disease inflicts body and results in syndromes of Cancer and AIDS.
Marriages and family relations fall apart even after a long time, because expectation reigns over the element of devotion and sacrifice without proper understanding.
On the global front, poverty is a physical blow. It is the worst misery that befalls mortals. Poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. Greed to satisfy oneself without affinity to others is a global phenomenon, thus poisoning the society.
Minutely observing the incidents of wide array, analysing and introspecting, God ordained that it was the saint or the Guru who can cultivate and instill the true sense of understanding in one’s life and guide the human race.
Supreme Incarnation
A true Saint is the embodiment of God’s realisation and possesses the supreme omniscient powers. He performs as the true servant of the Lord. His constant communion with God and his enthusiasm to fulfill the Lord’s will enables him to guide the humankind on the correct path, eliminating miseries in life.
In the year 1781, Lord Swaminarayan, a supreme incarnation, born in the small hamlet of Chhapaiya near Ayodhya in Northern India, provided humankind with a legacy, called the Akshar Purushottam Upasana, which signifies an incomparable embodiment of a Guru-Sishya relationship.
Lord Swaminarayan graced humanity through a boon, saying, “I shall manifest in the form of a Gunatit saint as long as the sun and the moon will shine upon the earth.”
In present time, this divinity prevails in H D H Hariprasad Swamiji Maharaj, the fifth Spiritual successor in the legacy of Akshar Purushottam Upasana.
Divine blessings
Millions of people around the world live in harmony, piety and free of worries under His constant guidance and inspiration. Swamiji’s vision of affinity and solace is expressed in His message of ‘Atmiyata’, meaning Spiritual Harmony that has transcended the emotions of stubbornness, envy and ego.
He is known as the most secular and universal saint, who even at the age of 79, constantly strives to cultivate humanity, devotion and harmony in people throughout the world.
“O Lord! Whether or not anyone becomes Atmiya (Spiritually Harmonious), please make me one” is His dictum that has become a living inspiration for tens of thousands of human beings around the world.
Swamiji is working tirelessly for spiritual upliftment of all, especially the younger generation. The essence of His teachings is nurturing and cultivating the moral and social family values, guiding them positively towards their defined goals.
The Yogi Divine Society (NZ) Inc has organised a general Public function in honor of His visit to Auckland on February 11, 2012 at Mahatma Gandhi Centre, 145, New North Road, Eden Terrace, Auckland.
This is once in a lifetime opportunity that should not be missed.
Editor’s Note: The above is the edited version of an article supplied by the Yogi Divine Society (NZ) Inc.
