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Guru Purnima

The full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashaad (July - August) is observed as the auspicious day of Guru Purnima, a day sacred to the memory of the great Rsi Vyasa. It was he who observed that the depths of knowledge previously memorized were at risk of being lost, as the minds of humankind deteriorated. And so he went into trance and then recited the four Vedas, which the faithful Ganesha transcribed. Vyasa even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Guru of Gurus.

On this day, all spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Vyasa in honor of his divine personage and all disciples perform a puja of their respective spiritual preceptor or "Gurudev." Traditionally, spiritual seekers intensify their spiritual sadhana from this day.

The period Chaturmas ("four months") begins from this day. Chaturmas marks the beginning of the monsoons, and so the heat dissipates, farmers are able to begin sowing the crops that will sustain people through the dry and cold seasons, and it is also difficult to travel. In the past, it made the ideal time for wandering spiritual masters and their disciples to settle down at a place to study and discuss the Sutras cognized by Vyasa.

GururBrahmaa GururVishnuhu, GururDevo Maheshwaraha, GururSakshaat Param Brahma, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.

The enlightened Guru is Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. Guru is truly the Almighty Brahman; our salutations to Him/Her, the Divine Spiritual Master.

The syllable "Gu" means "darkness"; the syllable "ru" means "dispeller." So the word "Guru" means "the one who dispels darkness." Since the Guru is the means by which one aspires to attain the Light, it is common to treat God and the Guru as one.

For those who are lucky enough to have a Guru, Guru Purnima serves to refresh and renew the commitment of the disciple. For those who seek a Guru, it is a good day to focus one's energy on becoming aligned with the Guru essence, so that the appropriate teacher(s) may appear.

Until one makes a commitment, one's Guru may be a parent, a friend or "The Guru Granth" (The Book of the Guru). A Guru Granth may also be the Bhagavad-Gita, The Bible, the Koran, or any great spiritual text.

To make observances, or perform your own puja, it is good to get up at Brahmamuhurta (4 a.m.) on Guru Purnima. (In 2006, that date is July 11). Meditate on the lotus feet of your Guru. Mentally pray to him/her for Grace, through which you make all progress.

Make offerings to the lotus feet of your Guru, or his/her image or picture with flowers, fruits, incense and camphor. Fast or take only milk and fruits the whole day.

In the afternoon, sit with other devotees of your Guru and discuss with them the glories and teachings of your Guru. If you have no Guru in the flesh, go to someone else's celebration to partake in the satsang.

An alternative (especially for those who do not have a personal Sat Guru) is to observe a vow of silence and study the books or writings of a great Guru, and to mentally reflect upon those teachings. Silence is most useful for refining the focus of one's energy, and therefore aids alignment.

Since it is traditionally a day on which to begin sadhanas (spiritual practices), it is good to take the energy and reflected Light from Guru Purnima to move oneself to a new relationship with Guru and God.

About the Author: Margaret Mahan has been a student of Jyotisha for the past 13 years, and of related subjects, including Ayurveda, since 1988. She has been trained in Parasari and Tajika Varshaphal Jyotisha by the renowned Hart de Fouw, and in the special techniques of Prasna and Astakavarga found in Kerala, India, by the wonderful Mr. G. Ramesh Nayak.

Margaret co-founded Sushakti with Dr. Robert Svoboda in order to promote the growth of Ayurveda in the West. Dr. Svoboda was a long time coach in Ayurveda and also in medical astrology, and Tantra Shastra.

Margaret has been a purebred cattle rancher, organic food producer, community activist and college executive, among other things. She holds graduate degrees in public policy and public administration, and diplomas in community development and adult education.

She continues to study and practice Jyotisha, Sanskrit and Ayurveda from her home in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Margaret Mahan's email address is mjm108@uniserve.com.

From the June/July 2006 issue of Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter. The newsletter is administered through Yahoo Groups at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jyotish_ws/