The guru is Brahma, the guru is
Vishnu, the guru is the Great God (Shiva.
The guru is the Supreme Being,
appearing right before one's own eyes.
To that guru do I reverently bow.
BRAHMA
VIHSNU
UMA-MAHESHVARA
(Jimmy Thapa)
BRAHMA
VIHSNU
UMA-MAHESHVARA
(Jimmy Thapa)
Teachers come
second (after the Gods) in the Hindu hierarchy of respect. The full
moon day of the lunar month of Shravan (Saun in Nepali - June/July) is
set aside for students to pay homage to their teachers and receive
blessings from them in return. This year it falls on the 25th of July.
It's also a good day to receive
initiation or a mantra, or begin a spiritual practice. This is
the day to remember those who have imparted their experience and wisdom
to us, all those lights that led us to a larger life, the giants on
whose shoulders we perch so precariously. In the Hindu hierarchy
of respect, teachers come second only to the Gods. One's parents,
and particularly one's mother, are considered to be our first, if not
ultimate gurus.
This day is also the birthday
of Veda Vyasa, the ancient seer who separated and collated the Veda
into four books, thus making it possible for
mere mortals to comprehend the grandeur of divine Vedic knowledge. Vyasa is also credited with
transmitting the great epic of the Mahabharata, which was written down
with the help of Ganesha. At a place called Vyas on
the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway, special worship is performed to the
Maharishi.
For Newari Buddhists, this full-moon (Dilla Punhi) is sacred as the day when the Buddha entered the womb of Queen Mayadevi. Religious functions are held at monasteries and temples to commemorate the event.
For Newari Buddhists, this full-moon (Dilla Punhi) is sacred as the day when the Buddha entered the womb of Queen Mayadevi. Religious functions are held at monasteries and temples to commemorate the event.
It is considered to
be an important day for farmers as well, as this day brings in the much
required rains for the planting season.
Best wishes for an auspicious
and significant Guru Purnima,
Love & pranams,
Billy
Billy