Sadhana for Week 6
Speech Level: Chant GuruStotram daily after bath
Quote:
The constant mental awareness of the Ideal through the person of the Guru steadily raises the moral tempo of the student, which would otherwise take long years to develop.
Anecdote:
Swamiji, whatever you teach is there in the books. What do I need a Guru for?
Swami Chinmayananda: “Why don’t you ask this question to the books? The very fact that you are asking these questions clearly shows that we need teachers to teach us.
If, for every perfect act in the world in any activity, we need the guidance of an instructor, we can well understand the need for a guru in the spiritual path; for, there we have to deal with the subtlest forces and the enormous confusions of the vehicle called the mind and with its moods called delusions.
The guru-disciple relationship is unavoidable. It is not true to say that one can reach the goal just through books.
The Guru is not a person, he/she is a personality and an institution. The Guru is the radio through which the Lord contacts the student.
The teacher’s job is to nurture the student with right thoughts, but the blossoming – the fragrance of the personality – must come from within the student.
How does one choose a guru?
It is not a question of the disciple selecting the guru. He gravitates towards a guru and he will find exactly the guru he needs for his present state of mental development. So, choose whatever guru comes to you, but understand that the only guru is He, the Lord, who expresses in many forms. We revere and worship the Lord as manifesting through the individual. No individual mortal is ever a preceptor. The Lord alone is the teacher everywhere at all times.
When a student meets his Teacher, it is always a miracle. He/She is immediately attracted to the teacher and the words of the teacher ring a bell. Another speaker may speak better but only his/her teacher will attract him/her.
Incase you get the rare privilege of meeting such a Master, and you happen to really understand a little of what he says – then progress has to happen. It is unfailing. It is very productive. Whenever anyone meets his/her teacher, it is always a miracle.
Look out when you meet a Master.
Incase you cannot find such a Master or there is lack faith, then don’t have a living Master as a Guru until you have absolute faith. Have a Master who is not in the physical form as your Guru or the Lord as your Guru.”
Watch a Video of Swami Chinmayananda on Who is the Guru? How to find a Guru? https://youtu.be/9Q9wRhtt7As
(The resolution is low. Please bear with the quality)
Chanting
Chanting is to sing the praise/glory through verses (Shlokas), to repeat or sing a word(mantra) or phrase or ?continuously.It is a simple but very powerful and effective tool to integrate our personality, invoke devotion, elevate our thinking and purify our speech.
What is Guru Stotram? Why Chant Guru Stotram?
Guru stotram is a selection of 14 verses from the Guru Geeta, found in Skanda Purana. It is a conversation between Lord Shiva & Parvati on the glory of the Guru.
Guru Stotram is a praise of the Satguru. Gu – Darkness. Ru – Remover. Satguru is one who removes the darkness of Sat or Truth and reveals the Self to us.
Guru stotram is a praise of the Satguru who has blessed us with the Vision of the Self. It is also an expression of Gratitude to the Guru & the Lord for having the guidance of a Master in our lives.
If we don’t have a Guru yet, chanting Guru Stotram is to express our sincere yearning to the Lord that may we have the blessing of guidance from the Satguru. When there is a sincere demand, the Lord sends the Guru.
Chanting Gurustotram will also develop& strengthen Guru Bhakti. We must be grateful to our Guru and pray to the Guru for devotion & surrender.
The most important is our own self effort. Keep purifying the mind. When we come to deserve a master, he/she shall reach us. Chanting Guru Stotram is our self effort.
Gurustotram verses with meaning and audio link are enclosed below:
Download Gurustotram Verses with meaning here - http://www.chinmayahouston.org/pdfs/gurustotram.pdf
Chanting by Smt.Pramodini Rao(From the CD titled – My Prayers. Available at chinmayamission.com or chinmayapublications.org https://drive.bitcasa.com/send/FPeXavwYZw_DTEtBYcrUbsWB8B4vrMvV2Ib9dfA9ocPD
How to?
1. Every morning after a bath, light the lamp kept at your altar.
2. Have the form of the Satguru/Lord in front of you as an idol/picture at the altar.
3. Observe the picture carefully for a minute or two.
4. Sit still and breathe deeply 5 times so that body is relaxed and mind is quiet.
5. Visualize a circle of white light in the space between the two eye brows or in the heart. Invoke the form of the Satguru/Lord. Imagine that you are in front of the Satguru/Lord with folded hands and devotion in your heart.
6. Chantthe Guru Stotram. If you have not memorized it, chant seeing a book/printout or listen to the audio of Guru Stotram
7. Pray for anything you desire…materially or spiritually.
8. Sit quietly for a minute or more.
9. After chanting is done, offer some flowers and prostrate mentally.
10. Rub your palms, place them on the face and gently open your eyes.
Benefits:
1. The best start for the day!
Taking a bath is the act of cleansing the physical body and makes us fresh. By chanting the GuruStotram we purify our speech and invoke devotion/Gratitude in our heart.
2. Strengthens the bond with the Satguru/Lord
Chanting of Guru stotram helps in remembering the Guru and strengthens our bond with the Guru. The Grace of the entire Guru-Parampara (Lineage of Great Masters) flows through us.
3. Humility
Every stanza is a salutation to the Guru – Tasmai Shree Gurave Namah. Its an expression of humility. The more humble we are, easier it is for us to discover Self-Knowledge
4. Surrender
We are born again and again due to our desires born of incompleteness. Only through the knowledge of my completeness as the Self, we will be able to get out of the bondage of desires and rebirth.
Repeated chanting reinforces faith in the Guru which leads to surrender and Freedom.
Beginners and Advanced:
Beginners:
1. Do as advised above.
2. Learn 2 stanzas every day. By the end of the week you should be able to chant Guru Stotram without any aid.
Advanced seeker:
1. Wake up early in the morning before sun rise.
2. Follow as above.
3. After chanting sit quietly for 10 minutes and reflect on 2 stanzas of Guru Strotam daily.
4. To reflect on the stanzas, you may like to listen to the talks on Guru Stotram to know the meaning and significance of the verses. Please use the links below:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Bxw0YpWTMWp6MmJnRzV0NWI4LWM&usp=sharing
These four talks were given in 2004 by Br.SattvikaChaitanya (Now Swami Swatmananda)
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UNTO HIM OUR BEST