Guru Purnima is a celebration dedicated to the spiritual master, who acts as a guiding light for the spiritual seeker, on his way to perfection, to deification. On this day, the disciples express their gratitude to the master for the teaching, guidance, support and life lessons received.

It is believed that on this day the spiritual practice has an important effect through which the disciple can get closer to his Master and to his divine nature.

It is celebrated by the full moon, the day that bears the name of Purnima, in the Hindu month of Ashadu, which is usually in June or July.

This celebration emphasizes the importance of the Guru Shishya(master-disciple) relationship.

"When the disciple is ready, the Master appears.

If the disciple is no longer ready, the Master disappears."

What is a spiritual master?

The guru or teacher is considered to be a man like all men but who, due to the ability he manifests, can offer spiritual teaching and can also gida a man in his inner becoming. Therefore, when manifesting the state of master it is considered as a manifestation of God or a source of divine guidance.

The Master is any teacher, teacher or other person who guides you in a certain direction. Just as parents are masters for their children. They accomplish in the small, what God does in the sea throughout Creation.

The difference regarding the spiritualMaster is that he leads you to perfection, to the supreme realization, which means to be free, alive and happy, to be in a state of oneness with the Infinite within us, but also with all that exists. It means that we do not depend on the outside to feel fulfilled, but that we find in ourselves everything we need to be happy, to overcome any obstacles.

He sows the seeds of knowledge through which we reach the supreme realization. In this way we come to know God in our hearts, to know the truth and to free ourselves from suffering, living the true reality- that of identity between us, the outside world and God.

In order to reach the spiritual realization, a spiritual master is needed because otherwise it is very likely that we will not be able alone to pass the limits of the ego.

How do we recognize it?

There is a situation in which we feel that we have indeed found an authentic spiritual master, but for this we need a certain spiritual awakening. If we cannot feel this, we can assess whether he is an authentic spiritual master through the coherence of his teaching.

When we find a master and choose to follow him it is important to listen to his directions and in the moments when we do not understand or cannot embrace with the limited human mind what he says. Sometimes it can be beyond what our mind can cupride. In these moments it is important to abandon ourselves to him and keep our trust in him so that we can overcome the limit we face.

It is good to find a single master to follow, and not several, because the teachings can be different, and it is possible that the possibility arises of avoiding the important moments in which we are faced with the limits of the ego and overcoming them.

Meaning of name

The word Guru consists of
gu
and
ru
.

Gu means darkness or ignorance, and Ru means theremoval of darkness, suggesting the role of the spiritual master, namely that of eliminating darkness in the life of his disciple.

This Sanskrit word can be translated as
"he who delivers us from ignorance"

The meaning of this day

Guru Purnima coincides with the birthday of the great rishi Ved Vyasa, great sage considered to be Ady Guru or Primordial Guru, who wrote the Vedas, the Puranes and the Mahabharata. For this reason it was considered that his birthday should be celebrated as the day of the master in general.

The role and importance of the master was very well emphasized in the great Indian epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Therefore
Guru Purnima
is also celebrated as
Vyasa Purnima
.

It is said that on this day, Lord Shiva became Adi Guru - the first Guru and offered knowledge saptarishis.

The day is also celebrated by Buddhists, being considered the day when the Buddha attained enlightenment and gave his first sermon at Sarnath.

Senior Ayurvedic Counselor, Dr Vishakha Mahindroo, says:

"Veda Vyasa, structured the four stars, composed the epic Mahabharata, created the foundation for numerous Puranas and vast Hindu sacred encyclopedias. Guru Purnima is the date on which Lord Shiva, as the Adi Guru or the original guru, taught the seven rishis who were the seers of the Vedas. In Sutra Yoga, Ishvara as Pranava or Om is said to be the Adi Guru of Yoga. The Buddha was said to have given his first sermon on this day at Sarnath, reflecting the power of this sacred time. "

Guru Purnima and Guru Pooja Rituals

On the occasion of this day, various spiritual activities take place, in various temples, ashrams or other places, including Guru Pooja, singing, prayers and fasting.

Festive dinners are prepared at the temples, with dishes specific to this occasion, such as Charnamrit (a combination of sweet curd and dried fruits) along with other simple but delicious delicacies, which include Ladoos, Gulab jamuns, khichdi, Puri Choley, Barfi and a few other things.

"For a disciple to meet his master is to find a "mother" who agrees to wear him for nine months, in order to "give birth" to the spiritual World. Once he is born, that is, he has awakened, his eyes discover the beauty of Creation, his ears listen to the divine Word, his mouth tastes the heavenly food, his feet take him to the different places of space to do Good and his hands learn to create in the subtle World of the soul."

"But you must know that a true Master, in the spiritual sense of the term, is a being who, first of all, knows the essential Truths, not what people have written, created or narrated, but the essential according to cosmic Intelligence. Secondly, he must have had the will to dominate everything, to master and control everything in him, and to be successful. Finally, this science and this domination that he conquered must only serve the manifestation of all the qualities and virtues of a disinterested love. After his disinterest you will recognize a true Master." From the book "The Life of the Masters"