How to live, enjoy and yet aspire to evolve

Sage Angirasa and Saunaka, the Householder

One of the stories related to Rishi Angirasa is mentioned in the Mundaka Upanishad. A householder by the name Saunaka carried his firewood and reached the forest where Rishi Angirasa was. He approaches the Sage reverently and beseeched “O Holy Sage, teach me that through which the whole universe can be known.” Rishi Angirasa goes on to explain the two different kinds of knowledge on this Earth. The lower knowledge he stated, are the sciences, hymns, rituals, grammar, poetry astrology etc. The higher knowledge is that which leads a man to that which never dies. The Indestructible.

Rishi Angiras explained this further says “This body is like a tree in which two birds live. They look alike. The lower bird is tasting the fruits of the tree and some are sweet and others are sour. The higher bird is just watching the lower bird.  One day the lower bird is tired of everything and starts to weep. The lower bird sees the higher bird which is calm, unattached and at peace. The lower bird hops towards the higher one. It suddenly realizes that the upper bird is also just himself, his true Self . Knowing this, his grief disappears. He realises that the Ego was not real, the Self was real, the observer of all.”

Rhibhu Gita , song of an enlightened soul to guide other seeking souls

The Ribhu Gita forms the sixth section of the Sanskrit work known as Siva Rahasya. It is the teachings of Lord Siva in Mount Kailas to His devotee Ribhu, from whom the Gita derives its name.
Verses 102 to 121. these 20 contain the declarations of the
disciple Nidaga before his teacher Ribhu, expressing the spiritual
achievements secured by him by the grace of his teacher, and
expressions of his gratitude to his teacher, Ribhu.

102. O My Lord Sat Guru! By thy grace I have, in a split
second, shed all sense of differentiation of Self and non-Self; I
have attained the certainty that all is Brahman and I am that
Brahman-Self; I have become settled in the eternal bliss of
Brahman-Self. (Ch.39, v.7)

103. I am verily the Sat-Chit-Ananda-Brahman-Self. I am
the eternal undisturbed peace devoid of name and form. I am
the flawless integral whole of all existence. Firmly I am settled
in my sole Brahman-Self. (Ch.40, v.10)

104. Oh! I have become Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Mahesa,
Sadasiva, Parameswara and his spouse Parvati, Vinayaka,

Subrahmanya, cohorts of sides hosts (Siva ganas) and devotees
of Lord Siva, all rolled into one! (Ch.41, v.-15)

105. I am myself all the devas (celestials beings) and asuras
(denizens of the nether world), Indra the Chief of the devas, the
Lord of the eight cardinal directions, the community of sages,
the swarm of rakshasas (demons), and in fact, the denizens of
this and all other worlds. (Ch.41, v.16)

106. I have become the five elements, multitudinous worlds
scattered in the skies, all existing things and their histories, all the
Vedas, and all the diversities of name and form. (Ch.41, v.17)

107. At one stroke I have become the bodies, senses, and
souls owning them, the mind, intellect, intuition, ego, the primal
nescience and the restless commotion of spirit, and in short all
that is seen and known. (Ch.41, v.19)

108. That gracious person who gives these teachings is no
doubt the embodiment of Lord Parameswara, His Devi Parvati,
Vinayaka and God Shanmukha all rolled into one. (Ch.4, v.5)

109. Heis again, Nandikeswara, Dattatreya, Dakshinamurti,
and in short, the Supreme Lord Siva Himself (Ch.42, v.6)

110. After being duly initiated into these teachings by
the Sat Guru, the disciple must, as long as life lasts in him,
provide his teacher liberally with money, food, clothing and
shelter and loving devotion. This is the sine qua non for the
disciple’s mukti. (Ch.43, v.11)

Only an Enlightened Living Guru, knows the weaknesses of the disciple and tries to correct. Story of sage Rhibhu

A Story of Sage Ribhu
& his Disciple Nidagha
(Chapter 26 of the Ribhu Gita)
as told by Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950)

 Man on Elephant The Sage Ribhu taught his disciple the supreme Truth of the One Brahman (Pure Consciousness) without a second. However, Nidagha, in spite of his erudition and understanding, did not get sufficient conviction to adopt and follow the path of Self-Knowledge (Jnana Yoga), but settled down in his native town to lead a life devoted to the observance of ceremonial religion (Bhakti Yoga). But the Sage loved his disciple as deeply as the latter venerated his Master. In spite of his age, Ribhu would himself go to his disciple in the town, just to see how far the latter had outgrown, his ritualism. At times the Sage went in disguise, so that he might observe how Nidagha would act when he, did not know that he was being observed by his Master. On one such occasion Ribhu, who had put on the disguise of a village rustic, found Nidagha intently watching a royal procession. Unrecognized by the town-dweller Nidagha, the village rustic enquired what the bustle was all about, and was told that the king was going in the procession.

“Oh! it is the king. He goes in the procession! But where is he?” asked the rustic. “There, on the elephant,” said Nidagha. “You say the king is on the elephant. Yes, I see the two,” said the rustic, “but which is the king and which is the elephant?” “What!” exclaimed Nidagha. “You see the two, but do not know that the man above is the king and the animal below is the elephant? What is the use of talking to a man like you?” “Pray, be not impatient with an ignorant man like me,” begged the rustic. “But you said above and below— what do they mean?”

Nidagha could stand it no more. “You see the king and the elephant, the one above and the other below. Yet you want to know what is meant by 'above' and 'below'” burst out Nidagha. “If things seen and words spoken can convey so little to you, action alone can teach you. Bend forward, and you will know it all too well.” The rustic did as he was told. Nidagha got on his shoulders and said: “Know it now. I am above as the king, you are below as the elephant. Is that clear enough?” “No, not yet,” was the rustic's gentle reply. “You say you are above like the king, and I am below like the elephant. The 'king', the 'elephant', 'above' and 'below'— so far it is clear. But pray, tell me what you mean by 'I' and 'you'?”

When Nidagha was thus confronted all of a sudden with. the mighty problem of defining a 'you' apart from an 'I', light dawned on his mind. At once he jumped down and fell at his Master's feet saying: “Who else but my venerable Master, Ribhu, could have thus drawn my mind from the superficialities of physical existence to the true Being of the Self? Oh! Gracious Master, I crave thy blessings”

King Janaka And His Guru Ashtavakra

This eye opening story will Guide disciples, how to be a disciple, and How Guru tests before he gives something substantial. How ouer show and emty words can't fool a genuine Guru. How disciples can get jealous and can make grave mistakes.
In the path of search becomeing a good disciple is extremely important as much its important to find a genuine Guru...............


King Janaka was a truly phenomenal man of great intensity. Though he was a king, he was a true seeker. He was burning to get enlightened. His longing for enlightenment was so strong that before he encountered Ashtavakra, he gathered in his court everyone in the whole land who could be of spiritual value. He welcomed them, treated them well, gave them the necessary sustenance, and supported them because he was hoping that somehow he would get enlightened.

Every day, he finished his temporal duties as quickly as he could and spent hours listening to these people, conducting debates and discussions to somehow know which is the way to enlightenment. Different scholars who had mastered different traditions of spiritual scriptures would sit together and start off great intellectual debates which would run for days, weeks and months. They used to be marathon debates; and usually, the winner of the debate would receive a great reward. They would receive a great deal of money or be appointed to some high position in the kingdom. These were not ordinary people. He had gathered good ones, but no one could give him enlightenment.

Kahola was invited to one such debate and he went accompanied by Ashtavakra. The debate began and a great argument was underway between the best scholars there. Many intellectual questions were raised and the intricacies of the scriptures were being discussed, when Ashtavakra stood up and said, “All this is empty talk. None of these people knows anything of the Self. They are all talking about it, but not one person here including my father knows anything about the Self.”

King Janaka looked at Ashtavakra – this young boy with a twisted-out body speaking like this – and said “Can you substantiate what you just said? Otherwise you will lose even that crippled body of yours.”

Ashtavakra replied, “Yes I can.”
But You have to give me Guru Dakshina, Any one of these three
Body
Mind
Wealth
Now King Janaka Was confused what to give as Gurudakshina? He asked for some time and went to discuss with his wives. Wives sade if you give wealth, how will you run your kingdom, if you offer Body it will belong to Rishi Ashtavakra and then we will lose you, Then King Janaka decided to offer Mind as Gurudakshina.
Ashtravakra was very plesaed but yet he thought of testing the King before accepting him as a disciple.
Ashtavakra said, “If you want to receive this TRUTH, you must be willing to follow my word to the limit. Only then I can offer this to you. If you are willing to just do what I ask you to do, I will see that you know yourself.”

Janaka appreciated this straightforwardness and said “Yes. You tell me anything, I will do it.” He was not simply saying that. He really meant it.


Ashtavakra said, “I live in the forest. Come there and we will see what to do.” And he left.

After a few days, Janaka went in search of Ashtavakra in the forest. When a king goes anywhere, he always goes with his guard of soldiers and ministers. Janaka set off into the forest with his retinue. But when they entered the forest, the jungle kept getting denser and denser. Gradually, after many hours of searching, Janaka got separated from the rest of the group and lost his way. As he was wandering around in the forest searching for a way out, all of a sudden he came upon Ashtavakra sitting under a tree.

When he saw Ashtavakra, Janaka began to dismount from the horse. He was on one stirrup and his other leg was up in the air when Ashtavakra said, “Stop. Stop right there.” Janaka just stopped in that absolutely uncomfortable position – hanging onto the horse, with one leg up in the air.

He just stood there in that absolutely awkward position. We don’t know for how long. Some legends say for many years, some say it was just a moment. The chronological time does not matter. He stood in that position long enough. Long enough can be just one moment. Because of that absoluteness of him following the instruction – just stopping there, where he has to be – he became a fully realized being.

Once Janaka became enlightened, he got off his horse and fell at Ashtavakra’s feet. He said to Ashtavakra, “What am I going to do with my kingdom and my palace – these things are not important to me anymore. I just want to sit at your feet. Please let me stay with you in your ashram in the forest.”

But Ashtavakra replied, “Now that you have attained, your life is no more about your likes and dislikes. Your life is no more about your needs because you have none actually. Your people deserve an enlightened king. You must stay as their king.”

Reluctantly, Janaka stayed back in his palace and governed his kingdom with great wisdom.

Janaka was a true blessing to his people because he was a fully enlightened master, but he functioned as a king. In India, many sages and saints were once kings and emperors who willingly and voluntarily gave away everything they had and walked as beggars, with great dignity. There have been many like this – Gautama Buddha, Mahavira, Bahubali – but an enlightened king was a rare being. Janaka remained a king but as often as possible, whenever his regal responsibilities gave him some time, he would visit Ashtavakra in his ashram.

At the ashram, Ashtavakra had gathered a few monks who were being taught by him. These monks slowly began to resent Janaka because whenever he came, Ashtavakra went out of his way and spent a lot of time with the king because they had such a good rapport with each other. The moment Janaka came, both of them lit up. With the monks whom Ashtavakra was teaching, he did not light up the same way. There was something between Janaka and Ashtavakra, which was resented by the monks.

The monks would whisper to each other, “Why has our Guru sold out to a man like that? It looks like our Guru is getting corrupted. This man is a king. He lives in a palace. He has got so many wives and so many children. He has so much wealth. Look at the way he walks. He walks like a king. And look at the way he is dressed. Look at the ornaments he wears. What is spiritual about him that our Guru should even pay attention to this man? We are here totally dedicated to our spiritual process. We have come here as monks but he is just ignoring us.”

Ashtavakra knew that this feeling was growing among his monks. So one day he arranged for something to happen. He was sitting and speaking to the monks in a hall and king Janaka was also present. As the discourse was going on, a soldier came barging into the room, bowed down to Janaka but not to Ashtavakra, and said, “Oh king, the palace is on fire! Everything is burning. The whole kingdom is in disarray.”

Janaka got up and just yelled at the soldier, “Get out of here! How dare you come and disturb the sathsang[1] and how dare you bow down to me and not to my Guru! Just get out of here!” The soldier fled from the room. Janaka sat back down and Ashtavakra continued to speak.

A few days later, Ashtavakra set up something else. All of them were once again seated in the hall and Ashtavakra was giving a discourse. Right in the middle of the discourse, a helper in the ashram came running into the hall and said, “The monkeys have taken the clothes off the clothes-line and are playing havoc with the monks’ garments.”

All the monks immediately got up and ran to save their clothes. They did not want the monkeys to tamper with them. But when they got to the clothes-drying area, there were no monkeys and their loin cloths were still hanging on the clothes-line. They realized what had happened. They hung their heads down and walked back.

Then as a part of the discourse Ashtavakra said, “Look at this. This man is a king. A few days ago his palace was burning. His whole kingdom was in turmoil. Wealth at its peak was burning, but his concern was that his soldier disturbed the sathsang. That was his concern. You are monks. You have nothing. You don’t have a palace, you don’t have a wife, you don’t have children, you have got nothing. But when the monkeys came and picked up your clothing, you ran. Most people would not use your clothing even as mop cloths. That is the kind of clothing you wear. But for that loin cloth, without even paying attention to what I was saying, you just ran out to save those worthless pieces of cloth. Where is your renunciation? He is the true renunciate. He is a king but he is a renunciate. You are monks. You are using things that other people discard, but there is no renunciation in you. This is where you are. That is where he is.”

One’s progress within oneself has nothing to do with what a person does on the outside, what is most important is, what a person is doing within him or herself. What you are doing with the outside world is just social; you conduct yourself as it is suitable for the situation in which you exist. It has social relevance but no existential or spiritual relevance. How you are within yourself is all that matters.

Harvest of a Quiet Mind

THE MASTER SAID:-

1.) A student once confided to the Master that he feared he could not continue on the spiritual path because his bad habits were so strong it wore him out fighting them. “I’m too caught up in mistakes to make any progress,” he said sadly. And the Master said, “Will you be better able to fight tomorrow than today? You have to turn to God some time, so isn’t it better to do it now? Just give yourself to
Him and say, ‘Lord, naughty or good I am Thy child. Thou must take care of me.’ If you keep on and don’t stop trying you will change. A saint is a sinner who never gave up.”

2.) To a young devotee seeking his advice the Master said, “The world creates bad habits in you, but the world will not stand responsible for your actions springing from those habits. Then why give all your time to the world? Reserve even an hour a day for actual scientific soul-exploration. Doesn’t the Giver of the world itself, of your family, money, and everything, deserve one twenty-fourth part of your time?”

3.) The Master often stressed the need for balance between activity and meditation on the spiritual path. “When you work for God, not self, it is just as good as meditation. The work helps your meditation and meditation helps your work.

4.) One disciple, greatly distressed because a fellow-disciple seemed to be making greater spiritual progress than he, complained to the Master about God’s seeming lack of cooperation with his own efforts. And the Master said: “You too much keep your eyes on the platter instead of on your own dish, thinking of what you didn’t get instead of what has been given you.”

5.) To a student who complained that he was too busy to meditate the Master succinctly remarked, “Suppose God were too busy to look after you?”

6.) One of the students overheard someone criticize the Master and was very displeased. He told the story to the Master, who said, “One does not do good without being criticized. But what of it? Those who love God don’t take their eyes from Him. In pleasure and pain, sickness and health, success and failure, they are unshaken. That is how you must be. What is said won’t affect what I am unless I am weak and let in the negative thoughts of criticism. You see, it is not others who make us suffer, but ourselves. Why listen to negative things? You are concerned with God.”

7.) The Master was returning late one night to Mount Washington,* after a visit to his desert retreat. Seeing a quiet park as he passed through a small town, he asked that the car be stopped, and then requested everyone to get out and take a little exercise. A number of passers-by were obviously curious about the little group taking its exercise at such an odd hour, and the exercisers felt slightly uncomfortable at being a part of this exhibition. But the Master said, “They think it is unusual only because they don’t do it.”

Paramhansa Yoganand 

Six Reasons We Let Up in Our Spiritual Efforts by Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi from anandsangh

1.Fear of failure
One of the main reasons people let up is fear of failure. “What if I try really hard and I don’t get there?” To answer this question we need to remember the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita which tell us there is no failure. However far we get in this lifetime, that’s where we will take up the spiritual path again in our next life.
God and Guru bring us these choices over and over. Often, they take us to the point of failure so we can ask ourselves, “What do I really want?” “What if I fail?” We simply have to say, “Because of my karma, I may not achieve freedom even if I do my best, but I’m moving in that direction and I’ll go as far as I can in this lifetime
2. Fear of the effort involved
Another reason we let up is the fear of the effort involved. We think, “What a massive job this is. How can I ever put out the amount of energy it will take to find God?”

But it’s a mistake to think, “It’s only going to get harder and harder.” The truth is, as Swami Kriyananda often said, the spiritual path is “at first difficult and then effortlessly liberating.” We need to understand that the more energy we put out on the spiritual path, the more the universe supports and sustains us.
3. Fear of loss of self
Another reason we let up is the fear of loss of self. The ego is afraid. “I know who I am right now, but I’m not sure who I’m going to become.”

In one of the most beautiful passages in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, “The soul is that which cannot die.” Krishna explains that even those limiting parts of ourselves never die; they simply get transmuted into higher expressions of ourselves. So when we begin to think, “I’m pretty good the way I am,” we should try to break through the limiting thoughts and say, “I want to experience that higher expression of myself, my soul nature.”
4. Four: Uncertainty about the goal
Another reason we let up is our uncertainty about the goal: samadhi. We’ve read about it and we’ve heard people talk about it, but we don’t know what it is. It’s as though we’re not sure where we’re going and wondering how we can get the thrust to get there.

For the sincere devotee, samadhi is an extension of where we are right now, and every step of the way is a step closer to the goal. When you sit and meditate, do you feel peace? Do you feel joy? Do you feel freedom? We all feel something. Use those feelings as markers along the way. We’re moving in that direction already and one day we will reach the goal.

Think of the hours it takes for athletes to prepare for the Olympics. They don’t know if they will get the gold medal, but they try for the gold, and that’s what we need to do. The spiritual path is not competitive. We can all get the gold; we can all get there. Even though we’re not entirely certain what “there” is, our hearts know. We wouldn’t be on the spiritual path if we hadn’t had glimpses of that freedom.
5.  Forgetfulness of the goal
Another thing that causes us to let up is forgetfulness. Yogananda says, “Material entanglements, sweet and mysterious, make us forget who and what we really are.” We look at our lives and we start thinking, “Oh, my life is my job, my friends, and my family,” and we get lost in that world. And we forget what motivated us to pursue the spiritual path, to seek God.

To re-motivate yourself, try to remember what it was like when you first saw Yogananda’s picture, or when you first read Autobiography of a Yogi, or when you first began realizing, “I don’t think this world is going to make me happy.” Let’s prompt our memory. “Why did I come onto the spiritual path in first place? Let me not forget that.”
6. A sense of unworthiness
Another thing that holds us back from totally committing our energy to the spiritual search is a sense of unworthiness: “I’m not good enough. Maybe those people who’ve been at Ananda Village from the beginning are going to find God, but the chances for me are not so good.”

Swami Sri Yukteswar said, “the past lives of all men are dark with many shames, but all things in the future will improve if you’re making the right spiritual effort now.” We need to say, “Whatever I’ve been in this life or another life does not define who I am.” I’m now trying to move forward and not accrue any more bad karma.

Let the journey continue......

Dohe, kabirdas ji ke "GURU MAHIMA"

गुरु सो ज्ञान जु लीजिये, सीस दीजये दान |
बहुतक भोंदू बहि गये, सखि जीव अभिमान ||

अपने सिर की भेंट देकर गुरु से ज्ञान प्राप्त करो | परन्तु यह सीख न मानकर और तन, धनादि का अभिमान धारण कर कितने ही मूर्ख संसार से बह गये.|
Here Kabirdas ji is requesting us to surrender the head( The Ego) at the holy feet of the guru. Ignorance of this one thing has prevented so many souls from progressing, from taking help from the living Guru.


गुरु पारस को अन्तरो, जानत हैं सब सन्त |
वह लोहा कंचन करे, ये करि लये महन्त ||

गुरु में और पारस - पत्थर में अन्तर है, यह सब सन्त जानते हैं | पारस तो लोहे को सोना ही बनाता है, परन्तु गुरु शिष्य को अपने समान महान बना लेता है |
A living enlightened Guru has the power and knowledge to turn an ignorant soul in to an enlightened divinity. Guru importance is un questionable


कुमति कीच चेला भरा, गुरु ज्ञान जल होय |
जनम - जनम का मोरचा, पल में डारे धोया ||

कुबुद्धि रूपी कीचड़ से शिष्य भरा है, उसे धोने के लिए गुरु का ज्ञान जल है | जन्म - जन्मान्तरो की बुराई गुरुदेव क्षण ही में नष्ट कर देते हैं |
The dirt of negativity has made our soul  dirty, The guru washes of this dirt with is gentle touchings, practices and empowerments to bring out the hidden divinity in us. He does it out of love for us.


गुरु कुम्हार शिष कुंभ है, गढ़ि - गढ़ि काढ़ै खोट |
अन्तर हाथ सहार दै, बाहर बाहै चोट ||

गुरु कुम्हार है और शिष्य घड़ा है, भीतर से हाथ का सहार देकर, बाहर से चोट मार - मारकर और गढ़ - गढ़ कर शिष्य की बुराई को निकलते हैं |
At times Guru has to become strict to shape up the progress of the shishya, never run away from an enlightened , genuine Guru, instead allow him to shape you up.


गुरु समान दाता नहीं, याचक शीष समान |
तीन लोक की सम्पदा, सो गुरु दीन्ही दान ||

गुरु के समान कोई दाता नहीं, और शिष्य के सदृश याचक नहीं | त्रिलोक की सम्पत्ति से भी बढकर ज्ञान - दान गुरु ने दे दिया |
What can we offer to the Guru who is divinity in human form, be a good reciever, or the gift will go waste.


जो गुरु बसै बनारसी, शीष समुन्दर तीर |
एक पलक बिखरे नहीं, जो गुण होय शारीर ||

यदि गुरु वाराणसी में निवास करे और शिष्य समुद्र के निकट हो, परन्तु शिष्ये के शारीर में गुरु का गुण होगा, जो गुरु लो एक क्षड भी नहीं भूलेगा |
Even if Guru and shishya are physically away from each other, if the shishya holds Guru in his heart and remembers him all the time, he will still get all the benefit from the Guru.


गुरु को सिर राखिये, चलिये आज्ञा माहिं |
कहैं कबीर ता दास को, तीन लोकों भय नाहिं ||

गुरु को अपना सिर मुकुट मानकर, उसकी आज्ञा मैं चलो | कबीर साहिब कहते हैं, ऐसे शिष्य - सेवक को तनों लोकों से भय नहीं है |
The disciple who hold Guru as his divinity, as his pride, as his Master and follows his instructions happily, they need not fear anything in the 3 worlds


गुरु सो प्रीतिनिवाहिये, जेहि तत निबहै संत |
प्रेम बिना ढिग दूर है, प्रेम निकट गुरु कंत ||

जैसे बने वैसे गुरु - सन्तो को प्रेम का निर्वाह करो | निकट होते हुआ भी प्रेम बिना वो दूर हैं, और यदि प्रेम है, तो गुरु - स्वामी पास ही हैं |
Those who stay close to Guru but have no love for Guru are still far far away from the Guru. If the love is in the heart Guru is close to you.


गुरु मूरति आगे खड़ी, दुतिया भेद कुछ नाहिं|
उन्हीं कूं परनाम करि, सकल तिमिर मिटि जाहिं ||

गुरु की मूर्ति आगे खड़ी है, उसमें दूसरा भेद कुछ मत मानो | उन्हीं की सेवा बंदगी करो, फिर सब अंधकार मिट जायेगा|
When an enlightened Living Guru is in front, see everything in him, serve him, the darkness of ignorance will go away very fast.


ज्ञान समागम प्रेम सुख, दया भक्ति विश्वास |
गुरु सेवा ते पाइए, सद् गुरु चरण निवास ||

ज्ञान, सन्त - समागम, सबके प्रति प्रेम, निर्वासनिक सुख, दया, भक्ति सत्य - स्वरुप और सद् गुरु की शरण में निवास - ये सब गुरु की सेवा से निलते हैं |
Only by remaining in contact with an enlightened living guru, directly or in mind, by serving him in whatever way possible, by observing him and listening to his teachings and with surrender to him, one really lerans and gets
Real knowledge. Brotherhood, love for all, tendernes, compassion, attachment free joy, devotion, and ultimately the knowledge of self


सब धरती कागज करूँ, लिखनी सब बनराय |
सात समुद्र की मसि करूँ, गुरु गुण लिखा न जाय ||

सब पृथ्वी को कागज, सब जंगल को कलम, सातों समुद्रों को स्याही बनाकर लिखने पर भी गुरु के गुण नहीं लिखे जा सकते |
 This one is my favourate, and I wish those who reject the Living genuine Guru out of ignorance or misconception can get some change of mind. If Kabirdas ji is saying so, find a Living Guru, surrender to him, and you will know that What Kabirdas ji saying is absolutely true. Guru mahima aparampar hai, no words can discribe it.

पंडित यदि पढि गुनि मुये, गुरु बिना मिलै न ज्ञान |
ज्ञान बिना नहिं मुक्ति है, सत्त शब्द परमान ||

‍बड़े - बड़े विद्व्न शास्त्रों को पढ - गुनकर ज्ञानी होने का दम भरते हैं, परन्तु गुरु के बिना उन्हें ज्ञान नही मिलता | ज्ञान के बिना मुक्ति नहीं मिलती |
This is the truth. By reading one only understands intellectually, how can it match up to an enlightened Guru who has EXPERIENCED every word written and more. Its like The Pandit can discribe the fruit for one hour even without seeing and tasting, But a Gyani explains the fruit out of experience of eating. How can both be compared.


कहै कबीर तजि भरत को, नन्हा है कर पीव|
तजि अहं गुरु चरण गहु, जमसों बाचै जीव ||

कबीर साहेब कहते हैं कि भ्रम को छोडो, छोटा बच्चा बनकर गुरु - वचनरूपी दूध को पियो | इस प्रकार अहंकार त्याग कर गुरु के चरणों की शरण ग्रहण करो, तभी जीव से बचेगा |
Be like a child in front of the Guru, let the mind be like a clean slate, be hungry for the knowledge, be free of arrogance of knowing from whatever you have learned so far, or have read. Do not let it come in the way of learning.


सोई सोई नाच नचाइये, जेहि निबहे गुरु प्रेम |
कहै कबीर गुरु प्रेम बिन, कितहुं कुशल नहिं क्षेम ||

अपने मन - इन्द्रियों को उसी चाल में चलाओ, जिससे गुरु के प्रति प्रेम बढता जये | कबीर साहिब कहते हैं कि गुरु के प्रेम बिन, कहीं कुशलक्षेम नहीं है |
Try to win Guru's love, one can win Gurus love by loving Guru like a family member, taking care of his needs, by giving pure bhakti, by supporting his wor, by offering slefless service, by practicing the sabhana sincerely, by surrendering the Ego and accepting him whole heartedly. Once you win Gurus love, everything else will be taken care.


तबही गुरु प्रिय बैन कहि, शीष बढ़ी चित प्रीत |
ते कहिये गुरु सनमुखां, कबहूँ न दीजै पीठ ||

शिष्य के मन में बढ़ी हुई प्रीति देखकर ही गुरु मोक्षोपदेश करते हैं | अतः गुरु के समुख रहो, कभी विमुख मत बनो |
Most important teaching, let the love for Guru keep growing in your heart, this love will wash of all the negativity , will prepare you for self realisation. Never ever leave an genuine enligheted Guru, be with him.

Tasmay Shri Guruve namah

Guru Mahima in Guru granth Sahib

Every realised master has acknowledged the importance of a living Guru. The realised master pass on the treasure of divine knowledge and powers to a worthy seeker and makes him/her the next Guru. If a Guru doesn't find a suitable person to pass on the legacy they ask pl to rely on the knowledge documented in words. But all realised masters have become realised only after the touch of another realised master as his/her GURU
Found these beautiful sayings by Guru Arjan Dev ji, praising his Guru Nanak dev ji, and explaining the path of Guru bhakti Yoga ,


1. ਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇਆ ਭੰਨਣ ਘੜਣ ਸਮਰਥੁ ॥
गुर नानक हरि नामु द्रिड़ाइआ भंनण घड़ण समरथु ॥
Gur Nānak har nām driṛ▫ā▫i▫ā bẖannaṇ gẖaṛaṇ samrath.
Guru Nanak implanted the Naam, the Name of the Lord, within me; He is All-powerful, to create and destroy.
Guru Arjan Dev  
Only Guru has the power to initiate and facilitate a seeker in to divine experience of oneness

2. ਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਰਣਾਗਤਿ ਤੋਰੀ ॥੪॥੨੬॥
गुर नानक सरणागति तोरी ॥४॥२६॥
Gur Nānak sarṇāgaṯ ṯorī. ||4||26||
Guru Nanak seeks Your Sanctuary. ||4||26||
Guru Arjan Dev
Only With complete surrender the disciple can learn from Guru

3. ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਤੁਠਾ ਕੀਨੀ ਦਾਤਿ ॥੪॥੭॥੧੦੧॥
गुरु नानकु तुठा कीनी दाति ॥४॥७॥१०१॥
Gur Nānak ṯuṯẖā kīnī ḏāṯ. ||4||7||101||
Guru Nanak, greatly pleased, has bestowed this gift. ||4||7||101||
Guru Arjan Dev
When the Guru is pleased with the disciple after seeing his/her devotion, dedication, surrender, seva, genuineness, humbleness, love  and complete loss of ego, only then the guru bestow upon him/her the divine gift of grace and gives him the key to divine oneness

4.ਅਬਿਚਲ ਨੀਵ ਧਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਿਤ ਨਿਤ ਚੜੈ ਸਵਾਈ ॥੨॥੧੫॥੨੪॥
अबिचल नीव धरी गुर नानक नित नित चड़ै सवाई ॥२॥१५॥२४॥
Abicẖal nīv ḏẖarī gur Nānak niṯ niṯ cẖaṛai savā▫ī. ||2||15||24||
Guru Nanak laid the immovable foundation, which grows higher and higher each day. ||2||15||24||
Guru Arjan Dev

When the Guru sees that the heart of the disciple is ready and clear of weeds of negative attributes he sows the seed of real divine, purest love. But first the Guru works hard on and with the disciple to prepare the foundation. Then the disciple has to build further on this solid foundation.

5. ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਤੁਠਾ ਮੇਲੈ ਹਰਿ ਭਾਈ ॥੪॥੧॥੫॥

गुरु नानकु तुठा मेलै हरि भाई ॥४॥१॥५॥

Gur Nānak ṯuṯẖā melai har bẖā▫ī. ||4||1||5||

Guru Nanak, pleased and satisfied, has united me with the Lord, O Siblings of Destiny. ||4||1||5||

Guru Ram Das

Once the Guru is pleased then he can gift the supreme happiness of oneness with the divinity

6.ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਤੇਰਿਆ ਚਰਣਾ ਕਉ ਬਲਿਹਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੧॥੪੭॥

गुरु नानकु मिलिआ पारब्रहमु तेरिआ चरणा कउ बलिहारा ॥४॥१॥४७॥

Gur Nānak mili▫ā pārbarahm ṯeri▫ā cẖarṇā ka▫o balihārā. ||4||1||47||

Guru Nanak has met the Supreme Lord God; I am a sacrifice to Your Feet. ||4||1||47||

Guru Arjan Dev 

The one who has merged with divine, the one who has experienced the divine, its worth sacrificing for such a Guru. One will find the God after surrendering oneself at the holy feet of such a Guru

7. ਸਭ ਤੇ ਵਡਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਜਿਨਿ ਕਲ ਰਾਖੀ ਮੇਰੀ ॥੪॥੧੦॥੫੭॥

सभ ते वडा सतिगुरु नानकु जिनि कल राखी मेरी ॥४॥१०॥५७॥

Sabẖ ṯe vadā saṯgur Nānak jin kal rākẖī merī. ||4||10||57||

Guru Nanak is the greatest of all; He saved my honor in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga. ||4||10||57||

Guru Arjan Dev

Without an able Guru its difficult for the soul to find its way back out of traps of Moha, Maya, ahankar etc 

8. ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਬੋਲੈ ਦਰਗਹ ਪਰਵਾਨੁ ॥੨॥੬॥੮੬॥

गुरु नानकु बोलै दरगह परवानु ॥२॥६॥८६॥

Gur Nānak bolai ḏargėh parvān. ||2||6||86||

Guru Nanak speaks - it is confirmed in the Court of the Lord. ||2||6||86||

Guru Arjan Dev 

The word coming from an enlightened master is word of GOD

Do not doubt out of ignorance.

9. ਗੁਰਿ ਅਮਰਦਾਸਿ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ਕੀਅਉ ਵਸਿ ਵਾਹੁ ਵਾਹੁ ਕਰਿ ਧ੍ਯ੍ਯਾਇਯਉ ॥

गुरि अमरदासि करतारु कीअउ वसि वाहु वाहु करि ध्याइयउ ॥

Gur Amarḏās karṯār kī▫a▫o vas vāhu vāhu kar ḏẖeā▫i▫ya▫o.

Guru Amar Daas brought the Creator Lord under His control. Waaho! Waaho! Meditate on Him!

Bard Bala-y 

Meditate on the Guru who is lord Himself in Human body...... 

10. ਗੁਰਿ ਨਾਨਕਿ ਅੰਗਦੁ ਵਰ੍ਯ੍ਯਉ ਗੁਰਿ ਅੰਗਦਿ ਅਮਰ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ॥

गुरि नानकि अंगदु वर्यउ गुरि अंगदि अमर निधानु ॥

Gur Nānak angaḏ var▫ya▫o gur angaḏ amar niḏẖān.

Guru Nanak blessed Guru Angad, and Guru Angad blessed Guru Amar Daas with the treasure.

Bard Kal-sahar 

Guru Pass on the treasure to able disciples, its the Guru parampara. One must inquire the parampara of the Person before making him or her your Guru.

Different Types of Bhakti explained by Swami Vivekananda

1.The lowest form in which this love is apprehended is what they call the peaceful — the Shânta.

 When a man worships God without the fire of love in him, without its madness in his brain, when his love is just the calm commonplace love, a little higher than mere forms and ceremonies and symbols but it lacks intensity and continuousness. We see some people in the world who like to move on slowly, and others who come and go like the whirlwind. The Shânta-Bhakta is calm, peaceful, gentle.

2.The next higher type is that of Dâsya, i.e. servantship; it comes when a man thinks he is the servant of the Lord. The attachment of the faithful servant unto the master is his ideal. Complete surrender and no questions asked, how a servant is ready to take orders happily and do everything for the master. Lakshman and Rama shared this type of relation.

3.The next type of love is Sakhya, friendship — "Thou art our beloved friend." Just as a man opens his heart to his friend and knows that the friend will never chide him for his faults but will always try to help him, just as there is the idea of equality between him and his friend, so equal love flows in and out between the worshipper and his friendly God. Thus God becomes our friend, the friend who is near, the friend to whom we may freely tell all the tales of our lives. The innermost secrets of our hearts we may place before Him with the great assurance of safety and support. He is the friend whom the devotee accepts as an equal. God is viewed here as our playmate. We may well say that we are all playing in this universe. Here one understands the play and cooperate, participate and enjoy every role allotted.
If you are poor, enjoy that as fun; if you are rich, enjoy the fun of being rich; if dangers come, it is also good fun; if happiness comes, there is more good fun. The world is just a playground, and we are here having good fun, having a game; and God is with us playing all the while, and we are with Him playing. God is our eternal playmate. Arjun and Krishna enjoed this expression of bhakti.

4.The next is what is known as Vâtsalya, loving God not as our Father but as our Child. This may look peculiar, but it is a discipline to enable us to detach all ideas of power from the concept of God. There is no fear or awkwardness in this relationship.
The mother and the father are not moved by awe in relation to the child; they cannot have any reverence for the child. They cannot think of asking any favour from the child. The child's position is always that of the receiver, and out of love for the child the parents will give up their bodies a hundred times over. A thousand lives they will sacrifice for that one child of theirs, and, therefore, God is loved as a child.  Yashoda and Kausalya experienced this bhakti with Krishna and Rama

5.There is one more human representation of the divine ideal of love. It is known as Madhura, sweet, and is the highest of all such representations. It is indeed based on the highest manifestation of love in this world, and this love is also the strongest known to man. What love shakes the whole nature of man, what love runs through every atom of his being — makes him mad, makes him forget his own nature, transforms him, makes him either a God or a demon — as the love between man and woman. In this sweet representation of divine love God is our husband. We are all women; there are no men in this world; there is but One man, and this is He, our Beloved. All that love which man gives to woman, or woman to man, has her to be given up to the Lord. Madhura bhakti makes one forget the world, its rules, its customs, there is only beloved god in mind, heart and soul.
When one sees God to be the lover, get intoxicated like Meera then this bhakti is called Madhura Bhakti.
Swami Vivekananda

BHAKTI know it , understand it. Explained in details by Swami Vivekananda

                                                        DEFINITION OF BHAKTI

Bhakti-Yoga is a real, genuine search after the Lord, a search beginning, continuing, and ending in love. One single moment of the madness of extreme love to God brings us eternal freedom. "Bhakti", says Nârada in his explanation of the Bhakti-aphorisms, "is intense love to God"; "When a man gets it, he loves all, hates none; he becomes satisfied for ever"; "This love cannot be reduced to any earthly benefit", because so long as worldly desires last, that kind of love does not come; "Bhakti is greater than karma, greater than Yoga, because these are intended for an object in view, while Bhakti is its own fruition, its own means and its own end."

The one great advantage of Bhakti is that it is the easiest and the most natural way to reach the great divine end in view; its great disadvantage is that in its lower forms it oftentimes degenerates into hideous fanaticism. The fanatical crew in Hinduism, or Mohammedanism, or Christianity, have always been almost exclusively recruited from these worshippers on the lower planes of Bhakti. That singleness of attachment (Nishthâ) to a loved object, without which no genuine love can grow, is very often also the cause of the denunciation of everything else.

 All the weak and undeveloped minds in every religion or country have only one way of loving their own ideal, i.e. by not considering the other ideals at all.

This kind of love is somewhat like the canine instinct of guarding the master's property from intrusion; only, the instinct of the dog is better than the reason of man, for the dog never mistakes its master for an enemy in whatever dress he may come before it. Again, the fanatic loses all power of judgment. Personal considerations are in his case of such absorbing interest that to him it is no question at all what a man says — whether it is right or wrong; but the one thing he is always particularly careful to know is who says it. The same man who is kind, good, honest, and loving to people of his own opinion, will not hesitate to do the vilest deeds when they are directed against persons beyond the pale of his own religious brotherhood.

Danger exists only in that stage of Bhakti which is called the preparatory (Gauni). When Bhakti has become ripe and has passed into that form which is called the supreme (Parâ) where The bhakti evolves, refines, and purifies to extreme level.

Swami Vivekananda

Now how we will know that our love is purified enough?, how to purify? who will give guidance if stuck?

A GURU is mandatory