Today is GURU PURNIMA- "WORSHIP THE TEACHER" DAY IN VEDIC TRADITION OF THE HINDU- The 3rd of July 2023, the month of Ashad Sud Punam - The full moon in JUly, Guru Purnima- is a very auspicious day celebrated by all HIndus and Vedic scholars in deep devotion and gratitude to their Masters- the Teachers-. A Guru may be any Teacher, and the ultimate Guru is considered to be the Highly Enlightened Spiritual Master.
The word guru is derived from the Sanskrit root words, gu and ru. Gu means "darkness" or "ignorance", and ru means "dispeller."[Therefore, a guru is the dispeller of darkness or ignorance. Another interpretation is "To sit Near The Enlightened being " to dispel ignorance.
We all know that without a teacher , we cannot gain the insight into deep knowledge.of any subject in life. Our First Guru is our mother , and then both parents who teach us to speak, walk , unders stand ourselves, and eventually to face this life with courage..
Guru Purnima is Rishi or Sage Vyas , who is said to have been a Demi God, who wrote the Brahma Sutra, and also started writing the great epic Mahabharat - the story of Lord Krishna and his teachings to the great warrior and his devotee Arjun on the battlefield.
Guru Purnima in the Vedic Tradition is Celebrated in Worship and Honour of the ancient Sage Vyas or Veda Vyas who is considered to be the ogreatest sage in HIndu Vedic History , as the original Sage who started the Guru Shishya Parampara- the Teacher -student traditon of utmost respect and humility..
Sage Vyas is believed to have been born on this Day, constructed the four Vedas- the written texts of the ultimate scirntific knoeldge of life, which formed the bases of the ancient advanced civilisation of the HIndus called Sanatan Dharma and Hinduism.
On this day the HIndus perform various rituals to honour their teachers and the Sages in order to receive blessings of knowledge and spiritual wisdom.
1. Paying Homage to Gurus: Devotees visit temples, spiritual centers, or the homes of their gurus to seek blessings. They offer flowers, fruits, incense, and other symbolic items as a mark of respect and gratitude.
They may even offer Guru Dakshina - a humble offering of a sum of money , or a useful item or something they fele the Guru would cherish...
The Guru-Shishya parampara - Teacher Student tradition has laid down rules of Conduct in order to maintain a deeply respectful between teacher and student..
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Guru Puja: Special puja (ritual worship) ceremonies are performed on Guru Purnima.
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Chanting and Bhajans: Devotional songs and hymns are sung in praise of gurus.
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Discourse and Teachings given by the Guru himself
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Seva (Service) - a selfless voluntary service to the Guru or to any organisation or to a group of needy people..
- Meditation
According to the Vedic religion of the HIndus, the position and status of the Guru is sacrosanct , the aim being to instill the feeling of humility in the desciple so that they feel the hunger for more knowledge and spiritual uplift.
On this Purnima Day we send our deepest reverence and gratitude to all teachers and disciples in the world...
So What can you do today to reap the benifits of tis auspicious day?
Light a lamp- a symbol of inner nlightenment, Dedicate soem time to quiet contemplation and meditiationin solitude or iwith your Yoga group , the temple or the Church or your place of worship, n the presence of your Guru- your teacher , and express your gratitude, and your desire to know yourself... do Pranayam breathing
Happy Guru Purnima- Teacher-- Student Day!