Long time ago, there were four elderly men who were seeking answers. The first one was miserable and he wanted to know how to get out of his misery. The second one wanted more progress and success and wanted to know how to get that. The third one wanted to know the meaning of life. And the fourth one had all the knowledge but still, he lacked something, and he did not know what that was.
So these four people were wandering for answers and they all landed up in one place where there was a Banyan tree. Under the Banyan tree, a young man was seated with a big smile, and suddenly all of them thought that this person could give us the answer. The four thought that this person was going to solve their problems. So all four of them sat there The young man who was sitting under the Banyan tree with a smile did not say a word, yet all of them got the answer that they wanted.
This is the first story of Guru Purnima. That was a full moon day, and that is how the Guru Parampara (lineage of the Guru order) started. All these four elderly people became Gurus.
They all got what they wanted:
- Misery was gone
- Abundance and happiness arrived
- The seeking stopped
- The knowledgeable one got a Guru to express himself
That fourth man had everything, he had all the knowledge but he did not have a Guru to connect to. So the inner connection to the Guru happened.
That’s why Adi Shankaracharya said, “ Mouna Vyakhya prakatitha, para, Brahma thathwam yuvanam”. (Meaning: I praise and salute Dakshinamurthy (The first Guru), who explains the true nature of the supreme Brahman through his state of silence).
The symbolism of the story
In the story, the teacher is young because the spirit is always young, whereas the students are old. There are so many similes associated with this. Seeking makes you old. Seeking for the world, or for liberation, or for anything, makes you old. So the disciples were old, and the Master was young.
What is the symbolism of the Banyan tree? A Banyan tree grows on its own. It does not need anybody’s care or protection. If the seed of a Banyan tree gets inside the crack of a stone, where there is not much water, it will grow there also. All it needs is a little mud and very little water. Sometimes it does not need even that. And a Banyan tree gives oxygen all the time. This is one tree that gives oxygen for 24 hours. Its all-giving nature symbolizes the Guru Principle.
Guru means the one who removes darkness, misery, loneliness, and lack and brings abundance because lack is only in the mind. So the Guru removes the lack and brings freedom.
Guru Purnima is a day to be thankful to your mentors and teachers. Explore Guru Purnima 2022 programs.
