Every year the Guru Purnima festival is celebrated in Hinduism to pay homage to spiritual and academic teachers or instructors known as Gurus. The term guru (Gu meaning darkness and Ru, light) refers one who dispells darkness or ignorance, thus leading us to the Light. For those on the spiritual path, he is a realized soul, known as Satguru, the True Guru or the Guru who reveals the truth. This festival is held on the full moon day (Purnima) in the month of Ashadha (June–July) according to the Hindu Calendar – on 21st July in 2024.
Lord Krishna teaches his disciple Arjuna
This homage includes Gurus of the past, where, for example, the festival is celebrated by Buddhists in honour of the Buddha, and in Vedic Hindu tradition, the day is also celebrated in honour of the sage Vyasa, who is seen as one of the greatest Gurus in ancient Hindu traditions. This homage is also paid to Lord Shiva, who some Hindus consider the first Guru as he began the transmission of Yoga to the Saptarishis (the Mind-born Sons of Brahma).
This is beautifully explained here,
Who is Lord Shiva? Is Shiva a person?
Shiva was not a man who walked our planet. Lord Shiva is the supreme consciousness (Divinity) eternally present everywhere. He is present from every atom to the whole universe and beyond. When we talk of Lord Shiva as the first Guru, it is not the physical form. Lord Shiva as Guru is the Divine light that resides within everybody which brings enlightenment or knowledge. The whole expansive space in the universe is not void but is brimming with divine consciousness and this space contains all knowledge. This infinite consciousness is Shiva, the first Guru.
Continuous Transmission of Light
It is very important to know that God’s sustaining Light has been continuously transmitted to humanity ever since humanity has existed, and that we are not left alone in our struggle to reach the source of this Light. Between the Divinity and humanity there is a realm of spiritual beings which forms the spiritual realm, divided into several planes. The entire Hierarchy of Spiritual Beings (angels and Masters) represent a synthesis of forces or of energies, which forces or energies are consciously used for the furtherance of planetary evolution.
This is where the fifth kingdom is found, on it’s particular plane. It is called the Kingdom of God by some as it is composed of highly advanced persons, who live through their Higher consciousness, which is merged in God. It includes a particular group – the spiritual Hierarchy of Masters.They watch over the planet, composed of the other four kingdoms – mineral, plant, animal, and human. They live on Earth in physical bodies – either dense physical bodies, or etheric bodies. They are indeed intermediaries who transmit to us Light (including Love and Wisdom) and well-being as Caretakers, Gurus, who carry out God’s plan. They are like parents who watch over their children.
Here are some key notions to clarify the background to this :
▪︎ God created the universe according to His Plan using the three energies of the Trimurti (Trinity): Shiva, the initiator of the creation, the force of destruction and regeneration; Vishnu, the preservative (or sustaining) energy; Brahma, the creative or formative energy).
▪︎ God does not work alone, he works through several categories of agents or assistants in the spiritual realm to carry out His plan. So when we are told that Brahma (third aspect of the Trinity of God) created something, this was necessarily done through the appropriate agents, starting with the Prajapati — ‘Mind-born’ sons of Brahma (Archangels, Architects of the Universe) who, in Hindu scriptures, are said to be the fathers of mankind.
▪︎ When God creates something, or beings, He does not create them perfectly finished. Our planet has taken ages and ages to become what it is today. So it is with Man, and he has still not finished his development.
▪︎ God’s creation, the universe, is ruled by cycles of energies and so nothing happens by chance. All things change and develop according the the cycle in play, as it pushes the creation up the ladder of evolution to a higher place in the spiral. These cycles condition everything, thus giving a particular touch or colouration. This includes Man. However, man has free will and so can choose to follow his heart and so benefit from them; or else often follow only his lower mind and so go in the opposite direction – thus creating “friction”, which causes suffering.
▪︎ The Hierarchy of Masters, these Elder Brothers of the race who watch over humanity, establish plans for long periods of time, and condition the energies which the planet needs to exist and develop. They have trodden every step of the path of suffering, have undergone every experience, have surmounted every difficulty, and have won out. They have one and all undergone the crucifixion of the personal self, and know that utter renunciation of all, which is the lot of every aspirant at this time.They are characterised by a love which endures, and which acts ever for the good of the group; by a knowledge which has been gained through millennia of lives. That is why they are perfectly qualified to assist humanity in its development.
They know how to intercede on our behalf to get what humanity needs at each stage of its development – something which humanity would not be able to do by itself. For example, the Divine Mother’s help is indispensable for man to be able to get out of the labyrinth of the lower self, and the Sacha Avatars always work closely with Her in the work of the transformation of consciousness. When speaking about meditation, Sacha Baba Kulanandaji says that Her help is necessary:
Mahamaya is the Goddess of creation, bondage and liberation. We have to ask the Mother [Mahamaya, the Shakti of God, the creative, enlightening Power] for grace.
▪︎ These Masters often work through established lineages, (of which there are several in India), through individual Masters in different countries and to a lesser degree through any person who manages to develop to the point where he can receive their instructions and dedicate his life to carrying out God’s will. There are therefore always such Beings among us at all times.
Avatars
Among these great Masters, there is a class who resolve to follow the path of Krishna, the Path of Avataras, thus renouncing their completely blissful state; they resolve to work on Earth, and out of their own choice live in bondage for the sake of the race. In this way, they become a receptacle for God or Great Beings close to Him, who then work through them to carry out God’s Plan.
Some Examples From The Sacha Lineage Avatars
Avatars of the Sacha Lineage
Saints Kacha Baba (? — 1914), Sacha Baba Girnari (? — 16.06.1944), Sacha Baba Kulanandaji (06.08.1910 — 06.09.1983), Hans Raj Maharajji Sacha Baba (07.08.1922 — 23.10.2011)
They inaugurated the latest cycle of activities of the lineage, and laid the foundations to adapt its form and teachings to the new incoming energies which lead to greater intellectual and spiritual capacities.
In one of his speeches to his disciples, Saint Maharajji Hans Rajji explains why Saints or realized Masters all assist God in His work:
Spirituality must be manifested by all, for God’s creation must become perfect. That is what saints work for, when they watch over humanity’s evolution, thus serving God. This evolution comes about in two ways: either easily and harmoniously when men cooperate with this transformation, or else difficulties will bring about this change. This is so not only for individuals, but also for nations. ( Maharajji Hans Rajji’s Diwali Message, 28 Oct. 2008)
■ The first Avatar of the Sacha lineage in its present cycle, Saint Kacha Baba, (Avatar of Vishnu and Rama), known as the greatest Saint in Varanasi, was working actively from the 19th C to help prepare the world for the new cycle of energies which had started off. At the beginning of the 20th C, with the parliament of Saints of which he was the president up to 1914 he worked in the Universal Soul to create conducive conditions for man to turn to God; at the same time he worked with the government to better the material conditions of people in India, to enable them to turn to God more easily. Also, like Lord Krishna (Bhagavad Gita) he used his ashram so that whatever light it gained would spread to the world.
When it was time, in 1914, he invested Girnari Baba with all the necessary powers to further the Shift in humanity’s consciousness (Parivartan in Hindi, the Change) so that people would more easily adapt to the transformative energies which would bring in the small “golden era” — after the present transition period from the Kali Yuga sub-cycle energies — Aquarius (2,160 yrs), an era of more wisdom where man would be much closer to the Divinity.
In this initiation, Saint Kacha Baba conferred him the title of ‘Sacha Baba‘ meaning the Sage of Ultimate Truth to attest to the fact that from then on he was endowed with the ultimate Truth, Love, Power and Wisdom of God, becoming the divine Being whose responsibility it was henceforth to lead humanity to that same divine state.” (Shri Hans Raj Maharajji and the Dawn of a New Era, p. 143)
■ In his messages to his disciples, Saint Maharajji Hans Rajji now and then mentioned his role as an Avatar. Here, he refers to his connection with the Divine Being known as Sacha Baba who incarnates in the Avatars of the lineage, particularly at this time when the Hierarchy sends us assistance to weather the time of change (Parivartan) from the cycle of darkness (Kali Yuga) to one of greater Light.
One day I had a profound mystical experience where I had the darshan (to spiritually meet a Great Being) of three great Divine Mothers, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi et Mahasaraswati. Tripathi was with me that night. When I wanted to bow down before Them, They refused for They said, “You are Narada, you are Vishnu, you are God.” Then I understood that Sacha Baba wanted to incarnate in me. (Maharajji’s Basant Panchami Message 11th Feb 2008)
He did become an Avatar for Sacha Baba.
Through the last three Sacha Avatars – Saints Girnari Baba, Kulanandaji and Hans Rajji – all Avatars of Vishnu and Narada, Sacha Baba worked in the Universal Soul to create a spiritual atmosphere which made it easier for man to reach a higher state of spirituality. He also interceded with The Divine Mother so that She would improve the material and spiritual condition of human beings, thus making it easier for them to turn to God. These quotations from the book Shri Hans Raj Maharajji and the Dawn of a New Consciousness, 2008 illustrate this point.
■ So the Divine Mother made him (Saint Sacha Baba Girnari) the following promise, “In future I will create an auspicious spiritual atmosphere so that the whole world will move towards God.” (Ch. 17, The Divine Mother’s Promise)
■ On the seventh night, the Goddess (the Divine Mother in the form of Annapurna) materialised as she had done the other nights and once again asked me (Saint Kulanandaji) to have some food, which I rejected as I had done before. Then she told me,‘Baba, if you accept to start eating again from today, I solemnly promise that I will meet the basic needs of whoever knows you in this world, whether by face or by name, for ever and ever.’
This time, I was not the only one concerned, for the Goddess promised her blessings and support to many people through me. Consequently, I accepted her offer.
[…]
My dear son Tripathi, you are used to my name and my face, so wherever you may live in the world, even in a cave or in the mountains, because you know me, Annapurna will take care of your basic needs. You don’t need to look for money, clothes or food for you and your family. On the other hand, it is also your duty to work towards making the Sacha Mission known in the world so that the problem of famine and lack of basic necessities will be solved for man. (Ch. 28, The Promise of the Goddess Annapurna)
■ “It is difficult for us to know how much this great soul Sacha Baba (Saint Kulanandaji) has done for humanity. But from the little which has been revealed, it is said that one of the results of this special mission is that Sacha Baba made it possible for a disciple who establishes a perfect heart to heart connection with a Master of the Sacha lineage, to obtain liberation in this very life, thus becoming a jivanmukta. If not, he will obtain this liberation on leaving our world, i.e. what we usually call death, which means that he will no longer have to reincarnate again on this Earth as an ordinary man; but he may come back to help carry out the plan of the Great Beings.
To sum up, we could say that Sacha Baba has considerably reduced the distance between man and God, not only through his teachings, but also by this special work carried out on the higher planes, so that disciples of the Sacha lineage can attain realization more quickly. The fact that he was the incarnation of such a great Being as a Kumara (a Mind-born Son of Brahma) had certainly allowed him to carry out such action.
As Saint Hans Raj Maharajji has pointed out, this grace is not reserved for a small elite. Indeed, Sacha Baba’s work is universal and so this grace is available to whoever makes the effort to harmonise himself with a Master of the lineage and seriously follow the sadhana given, along with the teachings of his heart. Sacha Baba lived and worked for the spiritual upliftment of the entire humanity, and not for the progress of just a few individuals.” (Chapter 29, An Avatar and a Guide)
■ Maharajji: The Master is God, and one does not disobey. That is why in 1958, when Sacha Baba [Kulanandaji, his Master] told me that if I could manage to fulfil the basic needs of the ashram [in Allahabad] for food, then he in turn would satisfy India’s basic needs for food, thus putting an end to recurrent famine in the country. I had faith in what he promised. I therefore went to Punjab to ask the people there to donate cereal, which I transported to Allahabad. I devoted myself to this task every year until 1972. My Master kept his promise, for today, India is self-sufficient in food. (Hans Raj Maharajji’s Basant Panchami Message 11th Feb 2008)
■ […] one of Maharajji’s main tasks at the present time, and which is hardly known, is to work with the Divine Mother so that in future humanity will turn directly and naturally to God right from birth, as was the case with man from the first races far back in the past, and which has now been forgotten. However ancient Indian Scriptures like the Puranas bear witness to this. In those distant times, man was not at all materialistic, but close to his inner being. Consequently, from birth, it was natural to be able to reach the divine plane. (Ch. 45, The Torch Bearer)
Humanity Must Make the Right Choices
In the past members of the Hierarchy of Masters lived with men as Divine Rulers, instructors and brought civilization to humanity in its infancy. Under their rule, civilization reached a very high level, until many people in some parts of the world, having turned their backs on God, saw their world destroyed by floods, earthquakes, man-made disasters, etc., and so their civiĺization went back to a primitive state, while others remained untouched. This was not punishment from God, but the karmic results of their action.
Unfortunately humanity has again reached this point – the ending of Kali Yuga energies, where spiritual and scientific knowledge is more and more used destructively; and the fact that man is spirit in a body with a mission to accomplish has been completely forgotten. Selfless love is now often seen as weakness or a bad word, while a never-ending state of war has developed all over the world. This is quite simply sawing off the branch on which one is sitting! We have been warned that at the ending stage of the Kali Yuga (which is now) new energies will push man to change for the better or perish, as they usher in an era of greater Light.
The energies which will bring about this spiritual change started coming down on Earth from the middle of the 19th century. However, before the new era comes fully into being, there is presently a period of transition which could be dangerous for man, if he does not adapt quickly enough to these new energies. This is because they push him in the direction of more spirituality, living through one’s heart, and being less egotistic, while many prefer to continue a selfish, materialistic way of life. Those who do not harmonize with these energies will be swept away by the resistance offered to them just like a person trying to swim against an extremely strong current of water, since they are very powerful, and have shaped everything which exists and consequently cannot be fought against. These people could behave so negatively that they could create problems for others in their sphere of influence. A good example of this is the two World Wars in the 20th century. (The Parivartan or Great Spiritual Transformation)
Maharajji has insisted that one must do some spiritual practice which will enable us to raise our vibrations and connect with the Divine, such as meditation, reading passages from the Holy Scriptures, meetings with the Guru, singing spiritual songs or the constant chanting of God’s name, or whatever practices one finds in one’s religion which help us reach the goal.
“ You must be prepared for the Parivartan (Shift in Consciousness); it is going to come very soon, whether you want it to or not. The Gods will be here on the Earth. Those who survive will be those who are close to God. Sacha Baba Sant [his master Sacha Baba Kulanandaji] had noted in his diary that the ones who survive will be those who submit themselves to God. Depending on the nature of the destruction, the number of survivors will vary. If the destruction is caused by a nuclear disaster, thirty to thirty-five per cent of the population will survive. But in that case, the survivors will not be of much use because they will be very severely handicapped. On the other hand, in the event of natural or other means of destruction, fifty-two per cent of the population will survive.
A minimum of two or three hours a day should be devoted to God to be saved from these disasters. This sadhana can be for example japa (repetition of a mantra preferably given by a Master), satsangs (informal gatherings with a spiritual teacher), meditation on a verse from the Bhagavad Gita. Even one verse only communicates the essence of life. Do participate in satsangs.” [Maharajji Hans Rajji, Guru Purnima Festival 2004]
One last point – the work of a Satguru is truly important, even vital for the progress and well-being of the planet. Maharajji has said that if saints left India, the planet would fall apart, be destroyed. Words cannot express our gratitude for their dedication. For several decades Maharajji prayed constantly for a nuclear war to be avoided, and finally there was none (he left the physical world in 2011). Today there is a spiritual battle going on between the forces of Light and the forces of darkness. We will win this battle once again thanks to the help of the Spiritual Hierarchy (both angels and Masters).
However, it is important that humanity call upon them to fight with us, to fight for us, because in so doing, we strengthen the bridge between our two worlds and so their help comes more easily. We cannot win this battle alone. We do not need to know details about them, if we remember that they are sent by God to assist His creation. The call, or prayer of a sincere heart is heard, and is always answered – in accordance with the law of karma. It is through our hearts that we speak to God and the Hierarchy of Light, and it is through our hearts that we can know the answer, whether positive or not. This becomes possible when the connection between the lower consciousness and the individual soul is strong enough.
Let us not wait for Guru Purnima to connect with our elder Brothers. Let us often have a thought of gratitude and love for them as they take care of us in ways we do not even imagine.
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The Call of the Heart 