Sri Sathya Sai International Organization

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Editorial

The True Guru

Part 2 of 2

In the previous issue, in Part 1 of the Editorial, we reflected on the many ways in which God lovingly guides the spiritual seeker through parents, saints, scriptures, Nature, and the many experiences of life. Each of these reveals an aspect of the Guru Principle and prepares the heart for a higher revelation. Yet, all these outer Gurus ultimately lead us to the Supreme Guru–the Avatar, who comes not merely to teach spiritual truths but to awaken us to the eternal Reality within. In this concluding part, we will explore the Avatar’s unique role as the embodiment of the Guru Principle, His extraordinary methods of imparting wisdom, and His timeless message that the highest guru is none other than the inner Guru–Sat-Chit-Ananda.

The Avatar as the Guru

After learning from our parents, saints, scriptures, and the great university of life, we are fortunate and blessed to come to the Avatar. This marks the culmination of the journey and the end of the spiritual quest. The ultimate experience is to come face to face with the Avatar.

God, who is beyond name, form, attributes, time, and space, out of infinite compassion and love, takes a beautiful human form with a sacred and sweet name to guide us along the right path. He not only guides us on the spiritual journey but also protects us in our worldly lives.

The Avatar is the complete expression of God as Guru, for the Avatar is Sat-Chit-Ananda incarnate, functioning simultaneously as the universal Mother, Father, Friend, Guide, and Guru for all humanity. We have our Swami, the Kali Yuga Avatar, who is Gurunam Guru, the teacher of teachers; Jagadguru, the universal teacher; and the Parama Guru, the divine teacher. He shows us the way and demonstrates that He is the manifestation of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara. That is why we chant on the sacred Guru Poornima day:

Swami clarifies that this shloka does not suggest the elevation of one’s guru to being Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara. Instead, it implies that the divine alone can be one’s true guru. Swami declared this truth about Himself at the First World Conference on May 17, 1968:

“This is a human form in which every Divine Entity, every Divine Principle–that is to say, all the names and forms ascribed by man to God–are manifest. Do not allow doubt to distract you.”

Swami is the supreme Parabrahman. That is why we say, “Swami is All in One, One in All, All in All, and beyond All.”

• “All in One” means that all names, all forms, the entire universe, all galaxies–everything–is embodied in Him.
• “One in All” means that He is the indweller in every being. 
• “All in All” means that everything is permeated by Him. Every atom, every cell, every moment is filled with His divine presence.
• Finally, “Beyond All” means, as the Upanishads declare, that He transcends everything, even the manifested universe.

He is the supreme Parabrahman who has descended to teach humanity the path back to divinity. When the Lord descends as an Avatar, taking human form, He comes with many missions. In this Avatar, He has declared that He has come to revive the Vedas, protect His devotees, give insights into scriptures, and restore dharma.

The Guru Who Bears Our Burdens

Guru Poornima holds a unique and sacred significance in the history of the Sai Avatar. During the days preceding Guru Poornima in 1963, Bhagawan suffered a stroke and the left side of His body was paralyzed, causing deep anguish among His devotees. On Guru Poornima day itself, before the assembled devotees, Bhagawan miraculously healed Himself from the illness by sprinkling water over His limbs and immediately rose to deliver a powerful discourse.

He revealed that He had voluntarily taken on Himself the suffering meant for one of His devotees. On that same sacred occasion, Bhagawan also disclosed the mystery of the Sai Avatar Trinity–Shirdi Sai, Sathya Sai, and the future incarnation of Prema Sai.

Here we see the true guru–not just as a teacher–but as God Himself, who out of boundless compassion, walks beside His devotees, bears their burdens, and redeems their suffering. Such a guru is not merely an instructor in spiritual philosophy; He is also a friend, companion, guide, and the very Lord of Love.

Unique Insights Into Scriptures

The Avatar also comes to give us a deeper insight into the scriptures. For instance, there is an episode that occurred during His previous incarnation as Shirdi Sai Baba.

There is a beautiful verse in the Bhagavad Gita (BG 4.34) in Chapter 4, Jnana Yoga:

One of Baba’s devotees, Nanasaheb Chandorkar, a Sanskrit scholar, was reciting this verse in Baba’s presence. Since he thought that Baba did not know Sanskrit, he was quietly mumbling the verse to himself. Baba asked Nanasaheb to explain the verse he was reciting.

The scholar explained the traditional meaning. Learn the Truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him with reverence and render service unto him. Then, the enlightened one can impart knowledge unto you because he has realized the Truth. Even great commentators such as Adi Shankaracharya have explained it in this way.

But Baba probed him to explain the meaning, word by word, and understand its inner message. The scholar, then, fumbled and failed. Hence, Baba explained the deeper significance of the verse.

He said that the Guru does not “give” knowledge, because true knowledge already exists within us. (Thus it is not upadekshyanti te jnanam, rather upadekshyanti te ajnanam). We are the embodiments of knowledge. We are the embodiments of wisdom. Nothing new needs to be added. What obscures this innate wisdom is ignorance. Therefore, the Guru’s role is not to impart new knowledge unto us but to remove the ignorance that veils our true nature. Once ignorance is removed, the wisdom that is already within shines forth naturally.

Swami often illustrates this with a simple example. Imagine you have a dirty white cloth. When the dirt is washed away, you have not created whiteness. The whiteness was always there. You merely removed the dirt that concealed it. Likewise, the Guru removes ignorance, and our inherent wisdom shines forth.

Swami also gives many profound insights into scriptural teachings. Let us consider just two examples. The first concerns the Vedantic approach of Neti, Neti–”Not this, not this.” Traditionally, when one seeks to realize Brahman, one rejects identification with the body, the mind, the intellect, and the external world, saying, “Not this, not this,” by a process of negation until one finally realizes Brahman.

But Swami gives an even deeper understanding of this teaching. He says that the process does not end with negation. Initially, one begins by saying, “Not this, not this.” But once Brahman is realized, one recognizes that everything–including what was previously denied–is nothing but Brahman. So the proclamation of “Neti, Neti” now becomes, “Not only this; not only this.”

Nothing can exist outside of Brahman. Therefore, nothing can ultimately be excluded from Brahman. Brahman alone is the ultimate Reality.

Another valuable insight Swami provides is the interpretation of the word samadhi. Usually, according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, samadhi is seen as the highest state of meditation, where one becomes absorbed in pure consciousness, unaware of the external world. This is the common understanding.

But Swami gives a much broader explanation, saying that one can live in samadhi all the time. He clarifies the meaning of the word itself: samadhi = sama + dhi. Sama means equal, and dhi means buddhi (intellect). When one maintains perfect equanimity under all circumstances–whether in pleasure or pain, honor or dishonor, profit or loss, heat or cold–one is living in samadhi. Thus, samadhi is not merely an occasional meditative experience but a continuous state of awareness and equanimity under all circumstances.

Teaching Methods of the Avatar

Another fascinating aspect is the Avatar’s teaching methods. Again, let us take an example from the life of Shirdi Sai Baba. There is a wonderful Upanishad known as the Isha Upanishad (also called Ishavasya Upanishad). It is concise, containing only 18 verses, yet it is one of the most profound scriptures in Vedanta. Swami often spoke about it and even wrote a commentary on it, as did many great masters. 

During the time of Shirdi Sai Baba, there was a devotee named Das Ganu. He was a fervent devotee who composed many hymns in praise of Sai Baba. At one time, he had an urge to write a commentary on the Isha Upanishad. He tried his best but could not understand its deeper meaning. He approached many scholars and saints, but none could satisfy him completely. Finally, someone suggested, “Why don’t you ask Sai Baba? He is a realized soul.” Das Ganu went to Baba and sought His guidance.

Instead of giving any specific guidance or interpretation of the Upanishad, Baba simply told him, “On your way back, stop at Kakasaheb Dixit’s (a devotee) house. The maid servant there will teach you.”

Everyone thought Baba was merely joking. How could an uneducated maid servant explain the profound wisdom of the Upanishad? But Das Ganu had absolute faith in Baba. He believed that if Baba had said so, there must be a reason behind it. On his way back, he stopped at Kakasaheb Dixit’s house. There he saw a young maid servant dressed in torn clothes, but perfectly happy.

Moved by compassion, Das Ganu asked his friend to buy her a new sari. The next day, she wore the beautiful new sari and danced with great joy. The following day, however, she carefully folded the new sari, put it away for later use, and once again wore her old, torn clothes. Yet she was just as joyful and carefree as before, regardless of whether she wore the new sari or the old, torn clothes.

The opening mantra of the Isha Upanishad is one of the most concentrated statements of Vedantic spirituality. The text is traditionally rendered as: 

Through this simple incident, Das Ganu understood the essence of the Isha Upanishad and received many lessons.

The first lesson is to be content with whatever God has provided you. If you constantly crave more and more, you will never find happiness. The second lesson is to recognize the same divinity in the giver, the gift, and the receiver. The one who gives, the act of giving, and the one who receives are all manifestations of the same divine Reality. Such was Baba’s extraordinary way of teaching. This is what Swami emphasizes when He says that in service, the one who serves, the one who is served and the act of service are all one, the same divine. 

Likewise, Swami often uses the simplest objects to communicate the highest spiritual truths. One such object was His handkerchief. With an ordinary handkerchief, He conveys profound spiritual wisdom. 

1. Swami would often hold the handkerchief tightly in His hand and then let it go, saying, “Holding on is difficult. Letting go is easy.” Likewise, holding on to worldly attachments brings grief, suffering, and bondage. Letting go brings freedom and joy. 
2. Swami also points out that a handkerchief is made of threads, and the threads themselves are made from cotton. Cotton, thread, and cloth may seem different, but they are essentially the same substance. Similarly, God, creation, and the individual appear different, but in reality, they are one. We must learn to perceive this underlying unity. 
3. Swami explains that you cannot easily tear the handkerchief because it is woven together from countless threads. However, if you separate the threads, each one can be torn apart very easily. When the threads are united, they have strength. Similarly, unity gives us strength. Therefore, we should always preserve unity. 
4. On several occasions, Swami holds the handkerchief in front of His face and asks, “Can you see Me?” When the devotees reply “No, Swami,” He explains, “In the same way, Maya stands between us and God. Although God is always before us, we are unable to perceive Him because of delusion and illusion. Remove the veil of Maya, and we will see God.” 
5. Swami also points out that after repeated use, a handkerchief becomes dirty. What do we do then? We wash it, and it becomes clean again. Similarly, our heart is originally pure. Over time, however, it gets covered with impurities such as desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride, and jealousy. Through spiritual practices and, above all, by God’s grace, these impurities can be washed away, restoring the heart to its original purity. 
6. Holding up the handkerchief, Swami says, “This is my kerchief. I am not a kerchief. Similarly, when I say that this is My body, I am not the body. The body is separate from Me. Who am I then? We need to inquire and find out the answer.” 
7. The white handkerchief takes on the color of whatever dye you dip it into. So too, “Yad bhavam, tad bhavati”, Swami would say–whatever thoughts and feelings your mind is immersed in, it gets colored by that. Another message Swami would emphasize with the analogy was, “Tell me your company, and I shall tell you who you are.” 
8. On April 12, 1993, Swami crumples His handkerchief in the palm of His hand, and says, “When I hold the handkerchief like this and ask you, ‘What is this?’ you will say, ‘It is a piece of cloth.’ … When I unfold it and ask, ‘What is this?’ you will say, ‘It is a handkerchief!’ Out of that big handkerchief, if you know just a small bit, can that be called full knowledge? No, try to acquire total wisdom. Only God has total wisdom.” Then, Swami says, “This awareness is Constant Integrated Awareness, which is changeless. It is chith.” 
9. During the Summer Showers in Brindavan in 1979, Swami says, “In our daily lives, when we have to sit somewhere, we choose a clean place and cover the ground with a handkerchief or a newspaper.” Though the entire property belongs to us, we sit only in a clean area, placing our handkerchief. In the same way, God is everywhere but He manifests in a pure mind and heart. 

These are some of the simple and common, yet striking examples through which God teaches the highest spiritual truths.

The Guru Within–Sat-Chit-Ananda

Ultimately, however, we should remember that whether it is Rama, Krishna, Shirdi Sai, or Sathya Sai, the physical body has a beginning and an end. But the Sai Principle is eternal. Sai Consciousness is all-pervading. Therefore, now that Swami has left His physical body, we must internalize this truth. That is why Swami repeatedly emphasized that Sat-Chit-Ananda is our true Guru–Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss.

Even in the very name Sai, the answer is hidden. S-A-I means “See Always Inside.” When we look inward, what do we discover? BABA: Being Awareness Bliss Atma, which is nothing but Sat-Chit-Ananda–Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss. Therefore, we must give greater importance to the inward journey, for it is there that we discover the truth.

Let me share a couple of personal experiences that illustrate the importance Swami places on this inward path. In 1996, Swami blessed me with the privilege to speak on the occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, the celebration of Lord Sri Krishna’s birth. Before giving a talk, it was common practice to seek Swami’s blessings by doing padanamaskar, touching His divine lotus Feet. Accordingly, I went to Swami, did padanamaskar, and prayed, “Swami, please speak through me.”

Swami immediately replied, “No.” I was a bit perplexed and taken aback. Then He continued, “I won’t interfere with your inner Swami.” Even while He was physically present before us, He was giving greater importance to the connection with the inner Swami.

In fact, on another occasion, I asked Swami about the sacred practice of padanamaskar. I told Him that it is such a blessing to touch His feet and do padanamaskar. But many times, we are unable to get that opportunity, even when in Prasanthi Nilayam. So, I said, “At such times, we resort to worshipping Your feet and doing padanamaskar mentally. Is it as effective as physically taking padanamaskar, Swami?” He replied that manasa pooja, or mental worship of His feet is not only as effective, but also more powerful. In fact, this is consistent with His first message when He declared Avatarhood and sang the famous bhajan, “Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam” (Oh Mind! Worship the feet of the Guru.) 

This is a lesson for all of us. We must internalize Swami’s love and His teachings. After all, Swami repeatedly tells us, “I am with you, in you, above you, below you, around you.” His teaching should not remain a mere saying or philosophy. We must experience it directly.

Let me share another experience. By Swami’s grace, I have had the privilege of visiting Him many times in a year to have His darshan, receive His blessings, and seek His guidance regarding my medical practice, family matters, and other important decisions.

But there were times when, due to work or family commitments, I could not travel to Puttaparthi. Even when we did go, there was no guarantee that Swami would speak to us. Everything happens solely according to His divine will. On one such occasion, I asked Him, “Swami, sometimes I need Your guidance immediately. I may be 10,000 miles away from You, or even if I come here, it might not be possible to speak with You. What should I do?”

Swami gave a beautiful answer that applies to all of us. He said, “Go to a quiet corner. Go to your puja room or to a place where you regularly perform your spiritual practices, because such places are filled with sacred vibrations. Sit there quietly for about 10 minutes. Silence the mind. Withdraw the outgoing tendencies of the senses. In the depths of silence, the voice of God can be heard.” He then told me, “The guidance that comes to you then is from Me.”

Therefore, we must internalize this all-pervading Lord, this eternal Sai, who is always ready to guide us.

Offering Gratitude to Our Sadguru

We should feel deeply grateful that we have been blessed with the Avatar–not merely an Avatar, but Parabrahman–the Supreme Lord as our Guru and Guide.

He taught us how to progress on the spiritual path. Not only does He take care of our spiritual well-being, but He also looks after our worldly needs and challenges. He protects us just as the eyelids protect the eye. Every one of us has had countless experiences demonstrating how lovingly He takes care of us. But then the question arises: How do we express our gratitude to Swami? 

Swami Himself gives the answer: “Implicitly, completely, and immediately follow My teachings.”

That is our primary responsibility and top priority. We must delve deeply into His teachings, understand them, assimilate them, and above all, put them into practice. Secondly, we must cultivate absolute and unwavering faith–faith in Him, faith in His teachings, and faith in the Organization that He Himself established. This Organization is unique in the history of any Avatar. During His physical sojourn, He established it Himself and gave it to us as His divine gift–a priceless opportunity to participate in His mission. And He assures us, “Just by participating in this Mission, your life will be redeemed.”

Therefore, we should cherish and fully utilize this opportunity. How do we do that? Simply by living in love, following His directive, “Start the day with Love. Spend the day with Love. Fill the day with Love. End the day with Love. This is the way to God.”

We also need to remember that true discipleship requires complete surrender. Bhagawan often draws attention to the Bhagavad Gita (BG 2.7) on this topic. Although Arjuna was Lord Krishna’s friend and brother-in-law, Krishna did not start teaching the Bhagavad Gita until Arjuna surrendered completely and declared, “I am Your disciple. Please instruct me. I take refuge in You.”

Similarly, if we want to derive the fullest benefit from our relationship with Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and attain the supreme goal, we must accept Him as the supreme Parabrahman, establish the sacred relationship of Guru and disciple, and surrender ourselves completely at His divine lotus feet.

Let us pray to Swami for devotion, dedication, and determination, so that we may implicitly follow His teachings, walk the path He has shown us, and attain the supreme goal in this very lifetime.

By His grace and blessings, may we realize our true nature–that we are the embodiment of Divine Love, the embodiment of the Divine Atma, and the embodiment of Divine Bliss.

Jai Sai Ram.