Guru-Sishya Relationship

Guru Stotram - slokam 2

om ajnaana-timiraandhasya / jnanaanjana-shalaakaya
caksur-unmilitam yena / tasmai shri-gurave namah

Salutation (namah) to that (tasmai) Guru (gurave) by whom (yena) the eyes (cakshur) blinded (andhasya) by the darkness (timira) of ignorance (agnyana) were opened (unmilitam) with the collyrium (anjana)-sharp pencil (shalakaya) of knowledge (gnyana).

Salutations to that Guru who applies the collyrium of knowledge with a sharp needle to open the eyes of those blinded due to ignorance (lack of spiritual knowledge). The purpose of approaching the Master is explained beautifully in this second verse of the Guru Stotram -
ajnana- timirandhasya jnananjana shalakaya.

Every action of ours is directed to achieve certain end-results; we are happy when we are successful and unhappy when fail to achieve the intended result. Life consists of a series of transactions intended for our sukha praapti ; but many times, there is only dukha and we feel disappointed and dissatisfied. Ramana Maharishi in his Upadesa Saram has compared this sorry state of affairs to falling repeatedly into the ocean of samsara and has suggested self-inquiry as a way out to derive permanent satisfaction in our lives. Those who need help have to seek a Guru.

By middle age, when our dissatisfaction grows and we feel lost like one blinded due to absence of the light of relevant knowledge, we approach a Guru and seek his guidance to gain gnyana drishti for leading life in a manner conducive to yield a steady, happy state of the mind which will not be easily affected by set-backs and failures.. In other words, every effort that we make is for sukha-praapti, to reach a state of satisfaction, contentment and fulfillment, but the goal is not always achieved despite our best efforts.

It is then that we realize that due to lack of knowledge, due to our agnyana, we are presently mired in this condition seeing no way out. At this stage, we proceed to seek a Guru as advised in Kathopanishad:
 praapya varaan nibodhata
The Guru stotram describes the resulting relationship between the Guru and the disciple.

The Guru is the Master who can remove the obstacle of ajnana. But it is not as simple as removing  something that is covering what is underneath. It is a very tricky process since there is nothing really to be taken out; what is required is a transformation in us that is necessary. The Guru-doctor applies the ointment (anjana) of knowledge to our affected eye and restores the sight – he grants us the gift of gnyana drishti.

The Master's role is similar to that of a sculptor, who uses his hammer and chisel to unlock the hidden potential in a stone. If the stone could communicate with us in words, it will describe the great pain it suffers with every stroke, every blow of the chisel and hammer. Finally, it seems that the torture has come to an end. The sculptor leaves the stone alone for many days. Then one day he returns and starts rubbing the surface of the stone with sand-paper to get rid of even the smallest of imperfections. The stone starts feeling, "I thought everything was done. Why is he torturing me like this again?"

But after having undergone this tortuous process, a beautiful murti emerges from the stone; the real glory of the stone is finally expressed. It is then installed in a temple. It becomes elated because it starts receiving flower garlands, it starts receiving alankara. The sculptor's vision created from a piece of shapeless stone a beautiful art-piece that is worthy of being worshipped. But to reach that state the stone had to undergo the process of chiseling, and fine refinements.

The stone acknowledges to the sculptor: "What a great opportunity you have given me to bring out the best in me!" And in all humility the sculptor replies: "I have done nothing. The potential always existed in you. All I have done is to remove that which was blocking the expression of your potential". If we substitute the words Master for the sculptor and disciple for the stone, we can fully understand the roles of the Master and his disciple.

The relationship between the two is beyond human understanding or expression in words. When we talk of the highest in love, we talk of the natural love of a mother for the children she has given birth to. The love and care of the Master for the student is born out of a deep sense of duty and responsibility that he has voluntarily accepted so that the student may reach the spiritual state in which he himself revels.

His efforts to remove the ajnana, which are so painful for the disciple in the beginning, are intended for the purpose that the student can reach and enjoy the same kind of bliss that the Master is enjoying - nothing less. For, in the field of spirituality, either there is perfection or there is nothing - nothing in the middle. The Master directs all his efforts to help his disciple reach that state of perfection.

The Master is not going to change our lives or our environment; he is not going to change the world that we live in. The Master is only changing our vision, our perception of the world in its as is state. It is not the srishti that has to be changed, it is the drishti that has to change, and the Guru is the person who takes pains in changing that drishti. Here is a person who, with all love and concern, tries to tune our body, mind and intellect and dispel the darkness that we are living in so that we can understand the truth. He blesses us with that vision, drishti, so that, staying in the same srishti, we can enjoy the bliss and glory which is an expression of the Lord.

In order to do this, the Guru has to wipe the slate of our mind clean and create a disciple out of us. Guru is thus Brahma, Guru is Vishnu, and Guru Himself is Mahesvara. Guru is nothing but that absolute truth and happiness which we are searching for. Why is the Guru called Brahma? Why is the Guru called Vishnu? Why is the Guru called Maheshvara? Because in spite of who we are, it is the Guru's mission to create a disciple out us. That is no easy task. It requires total surrender by the sishya to the Guru.

Sishya is defined as —Saasanaat sisyate yah sah sishya - the one who remains in disciplined mode, who is ready for any kind of discipline that is expected by the Master. Or, to put it in very simple words, the one who has accepted the fact that he is going to be disciplined and changed. This is where the concept of sharanagati comes into play. When the Master tells the student to do something, there should be no resistance from the student like, -- "but Sir"…absolutely no choice. It took the Lord Himself all the chapters in the Gita to create a disciple out of Arjuna whom He knew very well. It is the Master's responsibility to create that discipleship in us.

The grace of the Guru expresses itself in every seeker's life as jnana and sakti - the knowledge as well as the capacity to use that knowledge at the right moment at the right time. Jnana-sakti-samaarudah, tattva-mala-vibhushitah. A very beautiful picture of the Master has been painted here. Jnana-sakti-samarudhah, he is samarudah, he enters our life integrating these two things; he bestows upon us, he blesses us with these two things - jnanam ca saktim ca. He blesses us with knowledge and also the capacity to use that knowledge in the correct place, in the correct environment; he builds in us the awareness of the knowledge.

When we listen to Vedanta discourses, we tend to feel that we already know these principles. But knowledge lies not merely in knowing, but also in applying that knowledge, or having the shakti, the saamarthya, the capacity to do so in the right place and at the right moment.
Note:
The text above is an extract from : http://www.chinmayasaaket.org/articles/uddhav/tasmai_sri_gurave_namah.pdf  

ON MILK_ABHISHEKAM IN TEMPLES

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति

patram, pushpam phalam, toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati - Sri Krishna
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"Milk for Abhishekam in temples is a divine offering; let us ensure it is pure, derived from happy cows free to roam in green pastures, eating pesticide-free grass, not from cows confined in narrow stalls, fed high-energy grains and restaurant scraps and injected with growth hormones and  antibiotics"   -- Aparna Hasling

The following is the text of an article by Aparna Hasling in SriVidya magazine, New York :

"I would like to introduce Eco Vidya, the term I have used to identify an environmental version of Sri Vidya. In this modern  age it is ever more important to re-examine the source of  our offerings and determine which of our ritual actions may unknowingly be harmful to the Divine Mother, our Mother Earth. It is not enough to just be vegetarian; we should also consider the effect of  our purchases at the grocery store. It is time that our temple considers  using alternatives to pasteurized  milk.

Milk abhishekam has been a divine act of devotion for thousands of years within the Hindu  tradition. Our ancient scriptures explain that milk is amritam from a divine being, and so it is respectful to pour it on a deity. But those words were written in an age when milk was pure and cows freely roamed  green pastures and ate pesticide-free grass.Today, the milk we buy comes from  agribusinesses,  places that house thousands of cows in confinement dairies, where stalls are sometimes welded shut, where cows are fed high-energy grains and restaurant scraps, and are injected with growth hormones and  antibiotics. Cows are not permitted  their natural grass diet; they are fed only to maximize milk production and minimize cost. These mistreated cows are subject to frequent illnesses and infections; the milk they produce reflects their own health in that their milk must be sterilized before it is sold for human consumption. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration of the United States) demands that milk be pasteurized. This modern technique was not needed when cows were healthy. In 1888 Louis Pasteur  invented a system of heating milk in order to kill bacteriaâ€"but it killed the potentially harmful bacteria as well as the healthy bacteria needed to bolster the immune system.

The cow on the left lives freely in Devipuram, where it is allowed to roam around and graze. Many private, family farms in North America allow their cows the same natural life. But factory farms (like the one on the right) keep their animals in cruel conditions, where they sometimes don't even have enough room to move their legs or sit down.

This technique started as a temporary solution to the problem of contaminated milk in overcrowded cities without refrigeration or adequate sanitation. Raw milk was understood by all parties to be preferred, but unfortunately the focus has never turned back from heating diseased milk to producing and distributing healthy, raw milk.By purchasing hundreds of gallons of pasteurized  milk, we are using our consumer dollars to empower these harmful practices. It is as if we are saying --yes, we want cheap milk at any cost. Agribusiness then responds to our demands by putting more cows on smaller plots, and tormenting them in unspeakable ways to produce more milk. It is our responsibility to advocate for the sisters of Nandi.

The milk-giving cow is the most sacred animal in Hindu religion. She is often understood as the symbol of sustainable life, as well as of the cosmos: her legs are compared to the four Vedas, her eyes to the sun and the moon, her horns to the mountains, and her udders to the oceans. Milk from healthy cows is extremely nutritious for children and is said to delay the aging process in adults. From milk, we make butter, ghee, and yogurt. Even the dung a healthy cow produces can be beneficial and contains ammonia which can eliminate pathogenic bacteria in the home. It can also be burned for cooking fuel instead of timber.

The cow is a symbol of sustainable life. For millennia, the Indian culture has relied on the sacred cow, and now she needs our help.Yes, milk abhishekam has been a divine act of devotion for thousands of years. But it is time to rethink our basic ritual formulas. Please offer abhishekam with anything except milk from cows raised on factory farms: - raw milk, diluted coconut milk, fruit juice, turmeric water, rose water or river water. In doing so, the temple will make a bold statement and serve as an example for the community to become advocates for our Divine Mother Earth."
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My comment:
We take care to prepare Prasadam-offerings like pongal etc with madi in madappalli to ensure purity and respect to the temple deity. Sabari tasted the fruits before offering to Sri Rama. Why don't we examine the milk for fitness to offer it with Bhakti to the Lord? - This is also the theme of the famous Bhajan:

Krishna Govinda Gopala Gaate Raho
Krishna Govinda Gopala Gaate Raho

Log kehte hai bhagwaan aate nahi …
Draupadi ki tarah tum bulate nahi…
Krishna Govinda Gopala gaate raho

Log kehte hai bhagwan khaate nahi…
Shabari ki tarah tum khilate nahi…
Krishna Govinda Gopala gaate raho

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