Guru Poornima - Thanks and Gratitude to all my Gurus

On the Auspicious Occasion of Guru Purnima, I extend my heartfelt greetings and Best wishes to our respected Parents, all Teachers & Mentors.  

Guru Purnima is an Indian & Nepali spiritual tradition dedicated to spiritual and academic teachers. Those who are evolved or enlightened humans - and ready to share their wisdom, with very little or no monetary expectation.

It is believed that a person is blind without a teacher to guide him. 

Mother and father are a child's first teachers. 

But after that, the Guru becomes his or her second mother or father.

The Shastras proclaim that a human being is born twice - known as Dvija. 

First, by the union of the father and mother - and second, when he is accepted by a bona fide Guru. 

The Guru acts as a father and delivers him the knowledge - with the help of mother Gayatri - a personified symbol of the holy scriptures (the personification of the knowledge & wisdom).
In other words, Guru is considered the father, and the Holy Scriptures and literature are considered the mother. 

Guru teaches with the help of, or according to, the Scriptures.

The festival of Guru Poornima is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) in the month of Ashadh (July-August) in the Hindu calendar of India and Nepal.
The full moon symbolizes perfection.
Guru-Poornima is a symbolic reminder of the belief that Guru is Poorna - perfect.
We cannot learn much from someone if we have doubts about their knowledge in the subject we want to acquire.
In order to learn, we need to have faith in the Guru - the teacher.
Therefore, we always try to find a Guru who has perfect knowledge of the required subject. Once our curiosity about the Guru’s Gyan or knowledge is satisfied, we must have faith in his teachings.

One of the most popular beliefs about the meaning of Guru Poornima is - 

That Guru Poornima is not just a symbol of gratitude of the disciple towards the Guru - it is also a reaffirmation of the belief that the Guru is Poorna.

While contemplating this belief, a thought occurred to me.

A teacher asked his young student:
“Johnny. How old is your father”?
“Six years,” Johnny said.
“How is that possible?” the teacher asked.
“Duh..... Because he became a father when I was born.”

A person is not a father until he has a child.

He becomes a father only when his child is born.
Similarly, doesn’t a Guru become a perfect Guru when his disciples achieve perfection?

Therefore, the gratitude towards the Guru is not just singing the Guru’s praises and offering thanks and gifts.

The student or disciple must strive to understand the Guru's teachings and imbibe them.

Just as parents become happy and proud of their children’s achievements, the Gurus also feel happy and proud when they see their disciples achieving heights and perfection. 

Seeing the children prosper, parents feel a sense of achievement that their love and sacrifice have paid off ... that they have fulfilled their role as parents. 

Similarly, seeing the disciples become perfect and attain the same heights, the Guru may feel that he has fulfilled his role as Guru. 

Therefore, sincere and genuine gratitude towards the Guru would be when we start working seriously towards achieving perfection in ourselves to make the Guru feel happy, content, and fulfilled. 

May the Lord bless us all to achieve that Poornima.

To all my Gurus 

Who taught me to be what I am

'Rajan Sachdeva'