GURU SMARAN SAPTAH- Day 2-4th May 2021
May 4th 2021.
Sevika : Aditi Agarwalla
Tuesday class
Attendees : 10
Highlights: The class started with invocation and Guru Stotram, followed by a summarization by the students sharing their inspiration from Gurudev’s diary ”My trek through Uttarakhand”.
There are many lessons for us when reading this book specially at a time when Covid 19 has affected each of us in many ways. We learn about courage and faith, fear and sublimation, perseverance and single focus, about concern for others be it fellow travellers or any living creature, about lessening our burdens and appreciating what we are blessed with . When Gurudev wrote this he was a novice seeker just like we are in our spiritual journey. His attitude to complete this trek with humour and determination is necessary in all aspects of our lives. His unwavering faith that he will complete this journey because that’s what he’s set out to do is what we need to incorporate in our daily living. We need to appreciate and value all that we have compared to those less fortunate than us. Hardships will come( shoes broke, blood sucking flies, no tea, jagged stones) but they have to be understood as a part of the journey and that they will pass to bring good things( the rivers , each with their own ebbs and flow, the endless flowers, the shade giving trees, the silent wise sadhus) His understanding of nature as his trek continued, the tranquillity it offered him in spite of his arduous journey and his capacity to appreciate its sheer magnificence is what is necessary for us to imbibe in our lives when we are faced with difficulties and hurdles. By having faith in the Divine and accepting that we can make mistakes but yet to be able to get back on one’s feet is essential in achieving our goal towards happiness and spiritual growth. Often in his journey he did not know that the map was painting an unrealistic picture or what lay ahead, whether the path was treacherous or physically daunting yet he was able to silence his mind and move forward with an equanimous spirit and with concern for others he met along the way. We learn from this book that as long as we carry our heavy load on our shoulders without sharing it or getting rid of it, we cannot move forward freely and without fear. Our ego holds us back . We have to learn to unburden our minds from desires and possessions but yet have the wisdom to utilize what is offered to us to make our journey smoother. In our day to day lives our rigidity and fixed mindset is an hindrance and creates undue hurdles. Just like Gurudev crossed over the almost non-existent bridges with courage and step by step we must pursue our spiritual journey with the same fortitude and optimism.
It ended with a bhajan sung by Sonia Vasunia, followed by Arti of Pujya Gurudev
