God Can Be Seen in the Form of a Guru

A Guru is a religious teacher, a divine soul that takes birth to lead mankind out of darkness into light—‘GU’ meaning darkness and ‘RU’ meaning light. Attempting to describe a Guru is practically impossible, for the depth of his attributes is beyond the comprehension of us mere mortals. The languages spoken globally are not rich enough in adjectives to describe the profound nature of a Guru. We, mere mortals, have neither the ability to understand a Guru nor the ability to describe a Guru. However, men in their never-ending desire to conquer all, make concerted attempts to elucidate and explain a Guru by trying to understand his physical and visible attributes.

A Guru listens to the worries, feelings, and callings of countless devotees and helps them overcome their sorrows and miseries. Amidst the most trying situations, sorrowful events, and tragic narrations, he remains unruffled and composed, fascinating and enigmatic. His aura illuminates the entire world. He may appear as a common human, but reality is vastly different. His mind works 24/7, always thinking about the benefit of the devotees and the upliftment of mankind. Even when a Guru appears to be sleeping, he is peeping into the hearts of his devotees, filling them with sacred thoughts. By igniting the holy fire in them, a Guru rids our thoughts of evils. Through his mysterious workings, he places his devotees in situations that benefit them in the long run. He is the puppeteer who has the controls in his hands and with great care, steers his devotees through the trials and tribulations that their previous births’ karmas put them through. A Guru’s only objective is the welfare of human civilization, and by carefully distributing God’s blessings, he helps all men attain salvation.

There is a specific difference between a Guru and a common man, i.e., “Me vs. the body man.” Each and every activity of man starts with the body, is for the body, and ends with the body. Therefore, the raison d’être for humans is the body. This confinement of activities for the body results in the development of materialistic relations, eventually becoming the main cause of all sorrows. Gurus are the opposite. They take birth as humans and, while sharing the human appearance with men, they have no attachment to the body. While being in the body form, they are constantly thinking about the well-being of the world. Unlike common men who become happy after getting small and trivial pleasures in life, Gurus are not guided by such ephemeral pleasures. Unlike common men who get annoyed if something unexpected happens to them, Gurus maintain their equipoise. The Guru is all-knowing and therefore does not waste precious energy and breath expressing happiness or sadness over trivial worldly matters.

A Guru is actually a soul that has come down to do the work of God but cannot do so without the aid of a body. Since the center of a human’s faith is the body, man only accepts the existence of the body and cannot see beyond that. A Guru is nothing more than a body to the eyes of the human limited in thought, and because of this human limitation, he has to take the assistance of the physical body. This assists men to connect to the Guru by connecting to his body. Gurus connect to us through the soul. We take birth with the body and die with it. Gurus put on the body as a dress. Humans are saddled with attachments, whereas a true Guru is free from any attachments. That is the doctrine of a Guru: he is not bound by any confinement. He is free of any gender discrimination because, unlike the body, the soul is neither male nor female. Perhaps this explains why men do what they do and why Gurus do what they do.

A Guru is a fathomless ocean of knowledge and beyond the measure of any science. A Guru cannot be bound by any limitations. Great seers, knowledgeable people, and other learned individuals have stated that God himself comes to earth in the form of a Guru. Many times, God comes in the form of some incarnation. Whether in incarnate form or Guru form, the supreme soul comes for the purpose of freeing the devotees from day-to-day materialistic worries.

God can be seen in the form of a Guru. To see a Guru, to touch him, to listen to his holy words, to seek his blessings is all easy, for a Guru is a storehouse of compassion, and anyone who sincerely accepts him becomes a recipient of the Guru’s compassion. However, while God cannot rebuke a man, a Guru can. It must be borne in mind that even in the scolding of a Guru lies the benefit of the devotee.

A Guru tries to elevate his followers to his own status. The Paras (a stone with unique qualities) can convert iron into gold but cannot make a piece of iron into another Paras. This is the limitation of the Paras. A Guru, on the other hand, has no such limitation and can make his disciple into another Guru like him. This quality of the Guru elevates his status to more valuable than the Paras.

But when can you have the blessings of a Guru? You will get the blessings of a Guru when you try to know yourself. You will have to think about who you are, where you have come from, and where you want to go. You will have to think hard. If you find a Guru, you can be sure to find God as well. You should take both of them as the same, for one cannot exist without the other.

How does a Guru help you to find God? A Guru enables you to see yourself as you should and not how you have been seeing yourself, making you a better man. He gives you this insight and thereafter introduces you to the outer man. He awakens the inner self to realize itself. This awakening of the inner self is like the fragrance of numerous yogas that starts spreading in your entire body, making your body aromatic. With this newfound enlightenment, the Guru not only introduces you to the rest of the world, the world that was always there but that you saw differently, but also to God.

When you get the company of a Guru, you attempt to test him; however, a Guru is beyond every testing state. Rather, it is the Guru who tests you to ascertain the degree to which the follower has, under the expert guidance of a Guru, realized the self. Passing this test not only shows complete self-realization but also opens the doors to eternal bliss.

How you want to establish your relationship with your Guru depends entirely on you; however, sincerity and devotion to your Guru will establish that relationship quickly. God and Guru share one aspect in common—they give you whatever you want from them, but again, your sincerity and devotion determine how quickly they listen.

The lines below explain the Guru-God relationship:

Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwara Gurur Sakshaat Param Brahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah

Having been wisened from the above explanation of a Guru, you may think that you have a better understanding of a Guru, which is correct. However, no matter how close you think you are to realizing a Guru, you are still far from that understanding. It is only through your sincerity and devotion that Guruji may one day decide to give you and other fortunate and deserving devotees a glimpse of who he really is.

Summary

A Guru, revered as a divine teacher, is a beacon that guides humanity from darkness to light. The role of a Guru is beyond the comprehension of ordinary human understanding, as their attributes are deeply spiritual and transcend worldly descriptions. Unlike common men who are attached to the material world, a Guru lives in complete detachment, focusing solely on the welfare of mankind and guiding them toward spiritual awakening. A Guru, seen as an incarnation of the divine, helps disciples realize their true selves and ultimately leads them to God. The relationship between a Guru and a disciple is one of profound spiritual connection, where the Guru tests and refines the disciple’s understanding, ultimately enabling them to experience self-realization and eternal bliss.

Important Points

1. A Guru guides humanity from darkness (ignorance) to light (knowledge).
2. The attributes of a Guru are beyond human comprehension and cannot be fully described in worldly terms.
3. Unlike ordinary people, a Guru is detached from materialistic concerns and focuses on the spiritual upliftment of mankind.
4. A Guru acts as a medium between God and humanity, guiding disciples toward self-realization and enlightenment.
5. The relationship between a Guru and a disciple is based on sincerity, devotion, and spiritual connection.
6. A Guru has the unique ability to transform disciples into enlightened beings, unlike a Paras (philosopher’s stone), which only transforms iron into gold.
7. Finding a Guru is akin to finding God, as both are inseparable in the spiritual journey.
8. A Guru’s scolding is also beneficial, as it is intended for the disciple’s growth and spiritual progress.
9. The Guru tests the disciple’s spiritual understanding, leading them to deeper self-realization and eternal bliss.
10. The Guru-God relationship is encapsulated in the verse “Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwara Gurur Sakshaat Param Brahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah,” highlighting the divine nature of the Guru.