On Guru Purnima; mantra; benefits of a good night's sleep

The Adiveda Weekly #8

Jul 10, 2022

Hari Aum Sadhakas!

The full moon day in the month of Ashada (this year on 13th July) is known as Guru Purnima. It is also known as Vyasa Purnima since Vyasa is our first Guru who edited the Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas as well as the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam. All Hindus owe a deep debt of gratitude to him and this day has been kept aside for his worship as well as for the worship of one’s personal guru.

The Hindu way of life

According to Hindu tradition, the guru is the ropeway to salvation. When the time is ripe for the disciple’s advance the Lord himself will take on the form of an earthly guru in order to help her. In fact tradition has it that the guru is even greater than god. We cannot see god but the guru who is present before us pure of heart, filled with wisdom and who desires nothing but the welfare of the disciple both materially and spiritually is surely superior to god. The guru is the one who opens our eyes to our own reality and also instructs us on the type of sadhana by which we can attain this reality. There is no one higher than the guru. After having attained human birth which is very difficult to attain, the most important duty we owe to ourselves is to get a guru who will remove our ignorance and allow us to realise the nature of our own true self.

Once we have come across such a guru who is pure, totally selfless, filled with learning, yet humble and interested in our welfare we should put all our faith in him and know that god himself has come to us in the form of the guru.

Reflection of the week

“In the opening verses of his Vivekachoodamani, Adi Shankara says: These three rare boons are obtained only by the grace of god. Birth as a human being, the burning desire for liberation and the great good fortune to attain a realised sage as one’s guru.”

For your everyday practice

Recite this mantra daily as part of your morning and evening sadhana.

“Guru Brahma, Gurur Vishnur, Guru Devo Maheshwara,
Guru Sakshath Param Brahma,
Tasmai Sri Gurave Namaha!”

“I bow to that divine Guru who is none other than Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The Guru is verily Brahman itself.”

For your health and well-being

Get enough sleep every night.

A good night’s sleep does more than refresh you for the next day. Did you know that when you sleep, a category of your brain cells (called glial cells) change in size, so that your cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid in your brain and spinal cord) can flush through more effectively, carrying away any accumulated debris/toxins? The process is literally like your brain getting a little wash through the night. The more time you are thereby able to spend in sleep, the more time your body has to engage in this process. Hence, allow yourself as much sleep as you need to feel refreshed and rejuvenated the next day! Sleep cleans out your brain’s debris. For many people, this is between 7-9 hours of sleep/night.

By Dr. Poorna Menon, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

From Vanamali Mataji’s desk

When you go on a journey to a new place, it’s very important to have a guide. When you embark on a spiritual journey, a guru is absolutely essential.

The bond between guru and shishya (disciple) isn’t forged in a day or in time. It is a bond that has existed for many births. When the disciple is ready for spiritual advancement, the guru will come of his own accord. He would recognise the disciple even if the disciple does not recognise him. The guru is chosen for you by God. All you have to do is to wait patiently till he appears.

In today’s Guru Purnima special, Mataji explains the need for a guru and the story behind Guru Purnima.