"Today is described as Guru Purnima Day. This is not quite correct.
The day got its name because of some gurus who wanted to have an occasion
for receiving offerings from their disciples. The right name for this
day is Vyasa Purnima.
Vyaasa was born on this full-moon day. He completed the codification
of the four Vedas on this day. He completed the writing of the eighteen
Puranas on this day. Owing to the passage of time Vyasa Purnima came
to be called Guru Purnima.
The true meaning of Guru is "one who dispels the darkness of
ignorance". Another meaning of the word is ‘one who is beyond
attributes and forms, namely, the Supreme Self (the Brahmam)’. When
this Self is within you where is the need to search for someone to
teach you? A teacher who teaches others has had a teacher himself.
The one who has no Guru above him is the true Guru. The Sanskrit stanza
which hails the Guru as Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara and as Parabrahman
is misinterpreted. The right approach is to consider Brahma, Vishnu
and Maheswara as the Guru. These three are symbolized by the three
gunas: Brahma is Rajas, Vishnu is Sathva and Siva is Thamas. The whole
cosmos is constituted by the three gunas. The three gunas are present
in man. The trinity is present in the form of the three gunas in every
human heart.
Hence, you are your own Guru. You need not seek him elsewhere. The
so-called Gurus of today seek to impart some mantras and receive offerings
as Guru Dakshina on Guru Purnima day. The mantra is whispered in the
ear and the palm is stretched for an offering. This is what happens
today. It is not the proper sign of a Guru. You are a Guru unto yourself.
All potencies are within you. This is indicated by the Gayatri Mantra.
You have to feel at all times your inherent divinity, which is also
present in everyone. When you help or feed someone you must feel that
the Divine in you is feeding the Divine in others."
