638-Swami Nikhilananda Saraswati

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Friday, December 17, 2021. 6:00. AM.
Guru - The Ultimate Giver :

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Udarahridaya is one who is large-hearted, gives generously and gives whatever is asked for. Such greatness is revealed in Ramacharitmanas wherein the Lord declares, “You can ask for anything. There is nothing that I cannot give to My devotees. I will give you whatever you ask.”

From the standpoint of the seeker, asking is a very good sadhana, but we must know whom to ask and what to ask for.

Whom to Ask :

 ‘Ask and you shall receive,’ says the Bible. Our problem is that we do not ask. The ego does not like to ask because it amounts to submission. By asking, we are accepting our own helplessness and limited abilities. So, we do not like to ask.

On the whole, we ask from people in the world. Besides, we do not even know what we should ask for. Just like Manu and Shatrupa, we must ask only for the Supreme. Their devotion was true and single-pointed. They wanted God alone. Being pleased with their tapas, the Lord appeared before them. Overcoming their hesitation, they asked God for a son just like Him. Since there is no one similar to the Lord, He, Himself promised to come as their son. Later, in their births as Dasharath and Kausalaya, He fulfilled this promise and was born as Shri Rama. The Lord is udara - the very epitome of generosity.

 Guru – the Ultimate Giver :

The greatest generosity is in giving without any sense of possession. When we say, ‘I am giving,’ it shows a sense of possession and lessens the nobility of the action. The greater giver is one who gives without a sense of ownership. And the greatest is one who gives himself.

The Guru is the greatest giver. The world, starting from Indra Bhagavan, can give material things. But, it is only the Guru who gives the Ultimate.

Most spiritual organizations have one great Guru and the rest are followers. But Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda’s greatness lay in the fact that he gave everyone the opportunity to become great like himself. When a lamp is lit, it dispels darkness and brings light. When one lamp lights another, they both acquire equal status, both dispel darkness and we cannot differentiate between them. Only the second lamp is aware of its origin and has gratitude and reverence for its source.

From the worldly standpoint, there is no difference between the two, because the Guru makes the disciple like himself. The Guru is udarahridaya, both from the worldly and the Ultimate standpoint.

When we joined the Mission as students of Vedanta, we came with impressions of the world that we had lived in. Our ideas about college included impersonal interactions with professors and monetary transactions. In the Mission we discovered a completely different world. There were no fees, everything was free - food, clothing, boarding and lodging. Not only, were we given the priceless knowledge of the scriptures, but Pujya Gurudev made sure that we lived in comfort, as well.

On completion of the two and a half year course, there was no binding obligation to serve the Mission. The brahmacharis had the option of choosing to stay with the Mission or following some other path. A brahmachari once asked Gurudev, “You are doing so much for us, what do you expect from us?” Gurudev answered, “If I come to your town and you see me, I will be happy if you just greet me with ‘Hari Om’! If that is also not possible, I will not mind.”

Such was Gurudev’s generosity and benevolence.

Selfless Giving

Most worldly teachers do not share their full knowledge with their students. The Guru gives everything he has to the disciple - the highest Knowledge and even himself, if required, for the student’s benefit. All this comes with no expectations at all! The generosity and selflessness of the Teacher is unparalleled.

In all other relationships, even in the most selfless - like parent-child or husband-wife - there are some expectations. Giving is looked upon as an investment; people always expect a return. Spiritual Teachers are the best givers because they are fulfilled and do not want anything. Identified with the Supreme, their giving is total and complete.

The scriptures rate ungratefulness as the greatest sin, but Mahatmas are unaffected by ungrateful recipients. They give in spite of everything.

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