Purnima means “full moon day.” Guru Purnima is the day when the moon is the fullest of the whole year. It follows shortly after the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, usually in July.
“Gu” means darkness and “ru” means light. So Guru means “dispeller of darkness.” Gurupurnima is the day when it is said that the rays of the sun touched the earth for the first time. It is the day of wisdom, the day of light. Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, lead us from the darkness to the light. So, Gurupurnima is the beginning of the spiritual year. It marks the beginning of chaturmas- a four month holy period of moderation and spiritual activity.
On this day the aspirants offer their devotion and the fruits of their practice to the master in the form of their gratitude and love. Every disciple makes a new sankalpa (renew their will) to practice more and to understand better the Guru’s teachings and to do Guru Seva and to be worthy of receiving the Guru’s grace. On Gurupurnima we seek the blessings of our Guru. Through our concentration on the Guru on this day, through our mind, our prana, our Self, we can experience a darshan with the Guru.
Who is the Guru?
The Guru is a spiritual preceptor, who initiates his disciples onto the spiritual path and guides them towards liberation. The Guru is one who has realized his identity with That, the absolute source of everything, and assumes the responsibility of guiding others to that realization. As such God is manifested in the form of the Guru. For one who does not have a physical Guru, God himself is the Guru.
Sometimes, a physical guru merges with the Absolute Being Consciousness and Bliss, leaving the physical plane. They remain able and willing to help true aspirants. The Guru in subtle form remains however as the grace bestowing power of God. Guru, God, Self, all pervading consciousness, Shakti, all one.
Guru tattva or Guru principle: is the principle by which Nature, creates, sustains and destroys all life in both our inner and outer universes, in whatever way is necessary for us pass from ignorance to wisdom, from egoism to Self-realization. It has existed since before the universe was created, and so transcends time and space. The Guru principle exists within everyone as the inner Self, so when we honor the outer Guru, we also honor our own Self. It is the impersonal Shakti, the spontaneous force which creates whatever is needed for the greatest expansion of sadhana. It is more powerful than the external guru because it always accessible.
