by Sri Bimal Mohanty
VOL No. 38
April. 2004

ATTEMPTS TO DESCRIBE BRAMHAN - Part 12

"Based on the lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

There are a couple of related issues, which need clarification, while we talk about Gurus. Many of us are staunch devotees of great many saints, whom we revere and worship. Are they not our Gurus and we their disciples? Yes they are indeed Gurus. Anyone - no matter how high or low he is- who genuinely draws me towards satchidananda, the truth, its realisation and the ensuing bliss, is my guru. They are like beacons of light that show us the path. Even our scriptures are our gurus, as the sikhs have this unique concept of the 'granth' as their guru.

However, when one becomes fortunate enough to come in contact with a direct interactive guru at personal level, his progress becomes faster and easier.

The relationship between a teacher and a disciple is akin to a caring parent and the child who needs constant nursing. Therefore the influence of a directly interacting Guru is immesurable.

Then in life we come across so many people who preach spiritual knowledge, through discourses(satsangs), writings etc. What should be our attitude to all of them? Here again, as long as their actions draw us towards the path of dharma, towards Satchidananda, they are worthy of reverence. One should listen to them, contemplate on their sayings, without the least disrespect. As Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, devotion to any knowledgeable person or teacher (..guruprajna pujanam) is part of one's tapasya. Their contribution to our sadhana could be and may be limited, but soon the mind will pick the essences of their words and move on it own charted path.

One thing is worth remembering. A disciple does not find a Guru. The divine grace sends the Guru to the disciple when he is ready. Preparing one self and remaining in readiness for this divine grace is the sadhana of the disciple.

With this background, we shall next see what window Mundaka opens for us to give another glimpse of that Bramhan.

In our earlier discussions in the context of Katha Upanishad, we discussed about the etrnality of Bramhan - the nitya amongst all anityas - and the ultimate consciousness that is Bramhan- chetanaschetanananam.

Come to think of it, what is really this super chetanaa? There have been many views expressed to answer this and the Mundaka Upanishad has again another angle to look at Bramhan in this context.

Earlier we learnt from the Bramhasutras that Bramhan is the original source of all and the Isha Upanishad described Bramhan as inseparable or indistinguishable from any thing in this creation.

The Mundaka adds another dimension by saying that:

Etasmaat jaayate praano manah sarvendriyaani ca Kham vaayurjyotiraapah prthivi visvasya dhaarini.

Firstly, it qualifies that not only Bramhan is itself everything in this creation, but it also is the source of the very ingredients by which this creation was created and continues to be re-created. The space, the air, the energy, water and the matter, which combine in different ways to produce the creation that we see are all indeed same as Bramhan.