THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GURU: AS VIVEKA CHOODAMANI DESCRIBES

G.BALASUBRAMANIAN

Vivek Choodamani, one of the early propositions on Advaita, deals with the power of discrimination (Viveka) and means a crest-jewel of discrimination. It is presented as a detailed dialogue or a verse between the spiritual teacher and the student. While the authorship of the book is attributed to Adi Sankara,, the book is accepted as a powerful document to discern the difference between the eternal and the temporal, the real and the unreal, the Prakriti and the Atman through a process of self-realization.

Though the text deals with a variety of issues relating to the student-teacher relationship, the emancipation of the self through various stages of one’s growth profile in the pursuit of wisdom and subsequently liberation, the part of it dealing with the characteristics of a Guru (the teacher) is indeed very impactful and is relevant to all teachers beyond the parameters of time and space.  The text is as follows:

Let us try to enlighten ourselves with the power of the message that is detailed in the verse.

1.                JIGNAASU - जिज्ञासु

The term “jignaasu” really means “one who is curious to know”. This is indicated as one of the prime requisites of a teacher. The thirst for knowledge, the curiosity to know the unfathomed oceans of knowledge makes a teacher a student for life. It helps the teacher not only to expand the domains of one’s previous knowledge, but to periodically question one’s own beliefs and revalidate them in the context of the new knowledge gained. This curiosity also opens up his mind’s eye to see the invisible, to listen to the unheard, to experience the unknown. It facilitates the journey from the world of “known” to the “unknown”

A “jignaasu” is indeed a researcher as his quest and curiosity triggers the power to question and analyse concepts, beliefs and systems in place and to seek out a meaning and utility of the knowledge both at the micro and at the macro levels. A ‘jignaasu” might have to willingly accept ‘change’ as a part of one’s learning curve and as a Guru has to usher in changes in the spheres and universes of Knowledge and its operation. The ultimate focus on a ‘jignaasu’ is to seek the truth, discern the difference between the untruth and the truth. This process is a long drawn one annihilating the limitations of time and space.

2.               Pragyam प्रज्ञां

“Pragyam” means ‘well established in knowledge’.  The knowledge of a Guru is never superficial. He has gone through several challenges to acquire knowledge, examine its authenticity, validate its credibility and to organize the same to a context, need and appropriacy. However, this does not absolve the Guru of a response to the change dynamics that irrigates the field of knowledge incessantly allowing for newer flowers of knowledge to blossom and thus spreading fragrance of new knowledge to the entire eco-sphere of the operational domain.

The authenticity of the knowledge of a teacher has to be absolute so that it does not seed doubt, fear, insecurity or duplicity in the minds of learners. Only a Guru, who is well established in knowledge would be able to let the knowledge to be put to test and subsequently allow it to be processed through intense experimentation. The Guru who has qualified to be in “Pragyam” would be able to deal with knowledge in a dispossessive manner extricating the underlying advantages on its fulfillment.

3.             . Vrijino वृजिनो

“Vrijino” means one who has not afflicted by ‘desires’. Desires are emotional triggers for possession, achievement, authority and for liberation too. When not mentored, desires play the role of starters for temptations. Desires trigger an urge for fulfillment and thus develop the hunger of gratification. Desires, on fulfillment, lead to further desires and thus create a continuous compulsion in the mind to find ways and means of fulfillment.  Hence it is important to handle the desires in a dis-possessive and un-afflicted manner.

“He who reigns in himself and rules passions, desires and fears is more than a king”, says the eminent poet John Milton.  “The root of suffering is the attachment” said Buddha. It is therefore important to handle the desires with the kind of moderation they need and observe them playing their role as a distant observer. The Guru needs to have this strong sense of neutrality and develop a dispossessive attitude towards anything than tends to provoke consumerist behaviour. Unless the teacher doesn’t have this power vested in oneself, it cannot be encouraged for adoption in the disciples.

4.      Shantonirindhinivanalaha    शान्तोनिरिन्धिनिवानलः

The Guru is “as calm as a fire that has burnt its fuel.” One has to understand the depth of its meaning and not examine it casually at its superficial level. The fire after consuming all the fuel still remains hot within, though its external appearance depicts the state of ash. Though the Guru remains calm on his external appearance, he has a burning curiosity and passion for continuous expansion of knowledge. Though he appears as a person who has traveled from a past, his innate nature relates to the present and his inner eye is looking at the future.

The ability of the Guru as a harmonizer of the past, present and the future is indeed indicative of a supreme state of Human Excellence. That alone could guide the disciples with knowledge which is experiential and futuristic. “The fire” referred to in this context does not refer to the emotional state of either impulsiveness or aggression, because he sublimes to a high-level of emotional intelligence and thus looks people, events and processes with a sense of equanimity. 

5.                Daya sindhuhu   दयासिन्धुः

A Guru is indeed “an ocean of compassion.” Compassionis one’s  ability to be in congruence with others thoughts, feelings and their consequent actions. It is the ability to an individual to move beyond the realms of simple understanding of others, to reach out to their inner feelings and respond both meaningfully and adequately to relieve the pain and suffering arising out of them. It is accepting and experiencing others in our own consciousness.

Says Albert Einstein “A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

The real objective of education is to help and enable the learner to expand the universe of his Being to higher levels of consciousness and the Universal consciousness. In order to create that environment, the Guru needs to be compassionate himself, understanding the learner and accepting him with his strengths and \ teacher remains unhurt or stressed out by the feelings and actions of the learner. He appreciates the context, the time and the space in which they exist. A learner is never punished for his actions, mistakes and misgivings. The teacher reaches out to the learner to make him realize them and take suitable steps to follow the path of righteousness. 

 Krishna, detailing his universal role to reach out to every living thing, tells Arjuna Bhagavad Gita “Out of compassion I destroy the darkness of their ignorance. From within them, I light the lamp of wisdom and dispel all darkness from their lives. “By describing the teacher as “an ocean of compassion”, the text emphasizes on the need of limitless compassion towards those trusted with them.

6.                 Bandhuranamatham satham बन्धुरानमताम् सता       म्

"The Guru is a real friend to those who have surrendered to him.” The word ‘surrender’ here refers to the gravitation of the learner to the teacher. The urge of the learner to remain in the universe the Guru’s intellectual impact and maximize one’s learning at the earliest available opportunity with comfort and conviction. The Guru becomes not only a transmitter of the power of knowledge, but becomes a mentor to the learner to explore knowledge through one’s own understanding, experience and adventure.

All this is done in a friendly environment so that the learner doesn’t experience any stress either due to the physical presence of the Guru or because of the previous knowledge accessed through him. The atmosphere of friendliness is created through emotional connect between the teacher and the learner; hence this does not impact or reduce the kind of reverence the learner has acquired from the Guru.

This clearly indicates that any misadventure on the part of the teacher to create an environment which shows that the knowledge flows from the ivory pedestal of his existence will not render the desired impact nor would help the learner to become independent in his pursuit of knowledge.

The above indicators of the characteristics of a Guru appear to be relevant to all systems of the teacher-learner relationships immaterial of place, country or institution.