Daily Readings from the Works of Swami Venkatesananda


insights & Inspirations (Venkatesa Daily Readings Vol 2) — The Best Worship: Guru

July 17, 2023

The Best Worship:  Guru

     One tends to grow into the likeness of the person or the object one worships, provided of course the worship is not a mere imitation or a show or conform-isms, but the inevitable consequence of one's own love and conviction. Jesus, Buddha, Rama, Krishna, etc., came to be worshiped by sincere devotees out of pure love; and then the worship was continued in the hope that the lesser devotees might develop such love and grow in divinity. But then, the film stars come to be worshiped; and one can easily see in the life-styles of the modern youth the ease with which they are growing into the likeness of the film-stars.

     Next only to the film stars, the peoples of the world today honor, adore and almost deify and worship the military heroes, killers or defenders (depending upon from which side you speak!). History exalts them. Politics holds them before the public eye, decorating them and glorifying them in order to recruit more of them. No wonder that more people think of war than of peace and Godliness. O lover of peace!  Worship the Guru Who is the Light of God, and turn away from the worship of the gunman who is the devil's agent, a messenger of darkness.

      It is only by His Grace that one can even know when one has a Guru; otherwise there is 'neither a guru, nor a disciple'; and when the disciple has totally surrendered himself to the Guru, once again there is 'neither a guru nor a disciple'. In the words of Sri Shankaracharya one feels 'chidanandarupa sivoham sivoham' (I am infinite consciousness). We seek the Guru. But then we have our own notions and ideas which block our vision. Not all cowherds may be Krishna; but one of them may be. Not all princes may be Buddha; but one of them may be. Not all carpenters may be Jesus; but one of them may be. God or Guru does not have a stereotyped behavior. "Do you love God?" asks Gurudev.
 

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