Approaching the Guru

On the very auspicious day for Guru Purnima this year, we reflected on the role of the Guru and the process of approaching one in humility and surrender. We reflect upon the opening scene of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and we offer a running commentary on these profound and moving verses of the Guru Gītā, the Song of the Teacher:

oṁ brahmānandaṁ paramasukhadaṁ kevalaṁ jñānamūrtiṁ
dvandvātītaṁ gaganadadṛśaṁ tattvamasyādilakṣyam
ekaṁ nityaṁ vimalamacalaṁ sarvadhīsākṣibhūtaṁ
bhāvātītaṁ triguṇarahitaṁ sadguruṁ taṁ namāmi

"I bow to that true guru, who alone is the bliss of Brahman and the giver of supreme happiness, the very embodiment of knowledge, beyond all duality, as vast the sky, the very definition of Reality (i.e that which is indicated by the mahāvākyas of the Upanishads), non-dual, eternal, stainless, the Indwelling Witness in all beings beyond the mind, untouched by the three guṇas (sattva, rajas and tamas)." 

This lecture is part of our series on the role Guru in the Tāntrik tradition, which you can watch here.