Re: What Does the Guru Bring?
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
Namasté
A simple example of guru. John Grimes¹ offers the following:
Once , he says, many years ago I had the chance to meet an Indian monk (saṃyamin¹ who asked me, Who you? .
Having lived in India and being use to this type of English, and being polite I began to answer him, 'I am John Ga_ _ _ ' , but as I reached the Ga of Grimes he said, bas, family name, who you? ( bas is stop~ enough!).
Since I studied Indian thought I very confidently and boldy began to reply ' I am the Imortal ātman' but just as I got to ā_ _ _ again he stopped me, and said bas, book name, who you?
With the first bas, he wiped out the idea I was my body; with the 2nd bas he wiped out my entire mental universe. What was left?
With two small words he has succeeded in conveying to me that I was neither my body or my mind. How then to respond to his question? I said ' I do not know'. He immediately said, find out. I replied 'How ?' He responded not how, find out.
I again asked how. He was holding a cloth in his hand. He opened his fingers and let the cloth fall. As it fell he said let go. He turned and left the room.
praṇām
words & references
- saṃyamin संयमिन् is one who restrains or curbs or subdues; it is self-controlled.
- saṃyas संयस्is to make effort. It is rooted in yas यस् - to strive, or exert one's self. Some like to break up the word to say saṃ + ni + ās which roughly means to throw down completely. What is thrown? All worldly ties. What is key is saṃ or sam सम्- this is to join together, union, thoroughness , completeness.
- John Grimes - an author, with several books/translations to his credit teaches at the Kidaikanal International School, South India
Last edited by yajvan; 27 April 2009 at 10:04 PM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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