GODS AND GURUS

“India has given the world Mahatma Gandhi, ashrams and the idea of a guru. Because of Hinduism, there are so many millions of gods, and the gods do not bother anyone”, said Canadian novelist Yann Martel.True. Our gods do not bother us, but some of our gurus do.

India gave birth to great seers like Adi Sankara, Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekanda, and Sree Narayana Guru.In contrast, we have seen highly controversial pontiffs and gurus. The present senior pontiff of the revered Kanchi Kamakodi Math was arrested on charges of murder. The recently nominated junior pontiff of Madurai Adheenam, a famous Saivite center , has been facing many criminal cases and was also in jail . The chief priest of a popular temple, who is referred to as “Amma” (Mother or goddess) had to face raids by the central government agencies in their premises. A self – styled Kalki Bhagawan (the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu) ,who had many followers some years ago, has now gone into oblivion.

Indians have had the fortune of the spiritual guidance of some great personalities. Shirdi Sai Baba, worshiped as god all over the country in the imaginatively designed temples, led a spartan life. A Muslim by birth, he combined the tenets of Hinduism and Islam. He preached a moral code of contact: Love, forgiveness, help to fellow human beings, contentment, and devotion to god are its main elements. He refused to be treated as god during his life time. Jiddu Krishnamurthi, the globally acclaimed philosopher, was trained by the Theosophical Society to be the “vehicle of the expected world teacher” ; but he renounced that role without any hesitation. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Yoga and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living are excellent tools for self –development. Swami Chinmayananda founded a mission which trains highly competent young persons for spiritual pursuits and service to society.Satya Sai Baba’s benevolent services in the fields of health care and provision of drinking water to millions are legendary. But after his Samadhi the controversies regarding the assets of the Trust are unsavoury.

“The hands that help are holier than the lips that pray”, said Mother Teresa. Mata Amirthanandamayi has been rendering health, education and social welfare services with huge funds raised in India and abroad. These services are praiseworthy. But there appears a tendency of corporatisation of the health and professional educational programmes of the Math. Her “hug” has a healing effect on the devotees like the well-known “saichiatric” impact of Satya Sai Baba. At the same time deification of the Mata by her followers blurs the dividing line between the god and the guru. In an article titled “The Mother of All for All Time”, C.Radhakrishnan ( winner of Kerala and Kendra Sahitya Academy Awards) wrote “ Amma prescribes the amrit of universal love to cure humanity of all disorders and pains”. If that is so, could not the precious life of the young Satnam Singh have been saved? It is desirable that Gurus remain Gurus.