Message for Guru Poornima

Conversations with His Holiness Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

On Guru Poornima this year (2009), the devotee went to Ashram to meet Sri Swamiji. He was wanting to ask Sri Swamiji's message for Guru Poornima for the benefit of devotees all around the world.
When the devotee sat beside Sri Swamiji, His Holiness started a beautiful conversation, which reminds one of the spiritual conversations of the yore which reveals the supreme truth.
'What is the way to realization?' asked Sri Swamiji to the devotee.
The devotee was taken aback. He understood that the message was coming only in a very different way!
'Vina mahat pada rajobhisekam. Swamiji, only by reaching the feet of the guru can one get gnana (wisdom)'
'What does reaching the feet of the guru actually mean?' Sri Swamiji was certainly in a questioning mode!
'Reaching guru's feet means.. Well... Going to his abode and prostrating to him...' The devotee answered with hesitation
'That is true. Physically prostrating to a guru and being in his physical presence is good. That is a different story... But is it all?'
The devotee could not answer any further....
Sri Swamiji continued...
'When a disciple sheds all the adverse modes of the mind like kama (desire), krodha (anger) etc. and completely leads his life with the clear understanding that it is the Guru who is running his life - adverse or otherwise, completely emptying the mind of personal likes and dislikes, seeing everything as Guru's leela, in due course of time, disciple's mind will be completely synchronized with the mind of the Guru. When that happens, then disciple's mind becomes submerged with the Guru's mind, which is pure brahman (God). This is how a disciple attains liberation by attaining the feet of a Guru.'
On the auspicious occasion of Guru Poornima, the devotee was awe-stuck with this short and simple message of Guru's grace. He had a question in his mind, 'But why on a Poornima?'
Sri Swamiji gently smiled and continued...
'You may ask why we celebrate the Guru on a Poornima! This is the time in the month, when moon is complete, shines bright without a shade of darkness on it. In our Vedas it is said, 'Chandrama Manaso jatah' - there is a close relationship between the mind and the moon. (The moon was created by the Virat Purusha's mind). Poornima signifies the mind without any darkness of impurity. Hence Poornima...'
The devotee's unasked question was answered.
Sri Swamiji went on...
'Now one may ask why in the Ashada month?'
The question itself was not thought of by the devotee. He looked at Sri Swamiji wide eyed!
'This month is the start of night for the Devas.  A year for us is a day for the Devas. Their day time spans our six earth months.  The night time equivalent to the 6 earth-months starts in ‘Aashada’ month. The moon is visible only during the night. This is start of Devas' night. Hence we celebrate Guru Poornima – the Full Moon day of of Ashada.'
'What a beautiful message deep with meaning for Guru Poornima!' thought the devotee as he collected his bag to return to the city...