Guru is the Brahman

गुरुर  ब्रह्म  गुरुर विष्णु ,
गुरुर देवो  महेशवरः.
गुरु  साक्षात्  परब्रह्म,
तस्मै  श्री गुरुवे  नमः

“Gurur – Brahma
Gurur – Vishnuh
Guru -devo Maheswarah
Gurur – sakshat Param Brahma
Tasmai Sri Gurave namah”

Guru is Brahma, Guru is Vishnu and Guru is Lord Shiva.  Guru is the Brahman infact… my salutations to the Guru.

Today is the Father’s Day.  One role of Guru is that of a Father.  He provides a seed, just as a father.  The energy that is inherent in the Universal Consciousness or Shakti, then germinates it and takes care of it just as a Mother.

This verse has the obvious meaning that is written above.  But spiritually it probably has far more significance.  It is not important who you talk about here.. but it is more about what we associate with the Guru.

All the names/”points of reference” mentioned in the verse are like discrete points in a continuous curve.  In the end, the verse declares that Guru is the “Truth” or Universal Consciousness.   It is as if, you have to point someone to where the moon is on a full moon night as the moon is coming up.  You point the person in a direction.. “there, behind the building is a tree..look at the leftmost branch.. behind that you can see the moon”.  Now, the building and the tree and its branches are near us.. on the earth.  They are NO closer to moon than we are.  Yet, they become a way to show where the REAL Answer to the question lies.

Similarly, the verse starts with the Brahma, Vishnu, and the Mahesh… and then points to the limitless.  That’s what Guru is.  Guru is the Universal Consciousness…. which we are as well.  Devotion is with respect to the limitless not the to the limited.  Guru as an object of devotion is not important.. but as the tree branch from where you can see the moon.

If you see Guru as a person, or as a name, then your devotion or love for him/her will be a selfish and physical love.  But the moment the Guru assumes the limitless form for you.. then your conditional, limited, directed love becomes limitless.  For what of this creation and not of it, is not your Guru?  Even you are part of that Guru consciousness!

Bowing to the Universal Consciousness is really to link to it.  When “I” remain no more… then humility is full blown.. and “I” have really bowed.  Until then, its an act.. a contrived act of obedience or show.  Fake religiosity or devotion at best and hypocrisy at worst.  When one has seen the whole creation – known and unknown – to be One limitless consciousness… then True humility is a natural and obvious result.  Humility is not an act.  It is a property.  One cannot “become” Humble.  Humble-ness is a state not a verb.