GURU PRAYER
Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwara
Guru Sakshat Parabrahma
Tasmai Sri Guruve Namaha
The Guru is Brahma the creator, he is Vishnu the sustainer.
He is Lord Maheshwara (Shiva), the destroyer.
The Guru is the Supreme Absolute.
Salutations to the Guru.
Devotee: How is the Guru found?
Ramana Maharshi: God, who is immanent, in His grace takes pity on the loving devotee and manifests Himself according to the devotee’s development. The devotee thinks that He is a man and expects a relationship as between two physical bodies. But the Guru, who is God of the Self incarnate, works from within, helps the man to see the error of his ways and guides him in the right path until he realises the Self within.
Devotee: What should the devotee do then?
Ramana Maharshi: He has to only act up to the words of the Master and work within. The Master is both ‘within’ and ‘without’, so He creates conditions to drive you inward and at the same time prepares the ‘interior’ to drag you to the Centre. Thus He gives a push from ‘without’ and exerts a pull from ‘within’, so that you may be fixed at the Centre.
You think that the world can be conquered by your own efforts. When you are frustrated externally and are driven inwards, you will ‘Oh! There is a Power higher than man!’
The ego is like a very powerful elephant which cannot be brought under control by any less powerful than a lion, which, in this instance, is no other than the Guru, whose very look makes the elephant-like ego tremble and die.
You will know in due course that your glory lies where you cease to exist. In order to gain that state, you should surrender yourself. Then the Master sees that you are in a fit state to receive guidance, and He guides you.
Sri Ramana Maharshi