A Guru is God’s Grace Upon you! | Guru Ravidas Jayanti

A Guru is God’s Grace Upon you!

Once upon a time two friends were playing the game of hide & seek in their village.

In the first part of the game, the first friend won and in the second part, the second one won the game.

On the next turn, it was the time of the first friend to seek again but they were unable to finish the game because it was getting dark. So they took the decision to continue the game the next morning.

The Dawn of Magic

The next morning the first friend came but he found that his partner is absent. He waited for a long time and ultimately went to his friend’s house to know the reason for his absence.

There, he found that his friend’s parents and neighbors were crying.

To his utter shock, he came to know about the death of his friend last night.

He went near the dead body of his friend, and said, “It is not the right time to sleep; it is time to wake up and finish the game of hide & seek.”

Hearing this, his dead friend got alive.

The magical power of the boy amazed all.

The boy with such supernatural powers was none other than Guru Ravidas, the poet-saint of the Bhakti movement; a kind socio-religious reformer, a thinker, and above all a spiritual soul who took Lord Krishna’s devotee Mira Bai under his discipleship.

Guru Ravidas; a devotee with absolute devotion

Born on the auspicious day of Magh Purnima in Seer Govardhangaon near Varanasi, Guru Ravidas was a divine devotee since childhood.

He used his literary skills to bring change to society. He used to make people understand the meaning of life through his writings and sermons.

Although he worked in the family trade- manufacturing & repairing shoes- he spent most of his time in meditation on the banks of the holy river Ganges.

His sermons teach ‘Ananya Bhakti’ where there is no sense of duality between the worshipper and his God.

He teaches that such devotion can be cultivated by purifying the inner being and living in conformity with God’s decree. To remain in the noble company was a significant part of his teaching. His teachings also advocate inner awakening that entails meditation in the name of God.

Guru Ravidas says no one can attain deliverance from rebirth, by shaving hair or becoming a recluse, or by digging a cave in a distant forest for meditation, but by constant remembrance of God and seeking His grace while doing your duty.

He also says the true Guru could guide how to control the turbulent mind and transcend the illusory power of worldly attractions and a genuine guru could be found by God’s grace alone.

Further, Saint Ravidas says the ego stands as a barrier between man and God, and hence it needs to go away on the spiritual journey.

Overcome ego to realize God

One of the biggest hindrances to God-realization is, indeed, Ego that manifests in diverse forms: pride of power, wealth, wisdom, or beauty. The ego is the part of everyone’s personality that tells them they are better than everyone around them. It causes the emergence of a false sense of contentment keeping people away from the calmness required to realize God.

So, how to attain the seemingly impossible task of overcoming the ego?

For this, you need the guidance of a Guru, an enlightened Master. A Guru reminds you of your true nature and guides you on the path of ethical life. Such a life becomes a strong foundation for your spiritual growth.

A  Guru also teaches you the right way of meditation so that you can experience God’s grace. And when His grace touches you, the barrier of the ego slowly melts away. Gradually, you start seeing God’s grace in everything around you.

And as you receive God’s love through meditation, you stop living a life of duality. Now you find yourself in a beautiful life of unity, making consistent progress towards God-realization.

Thus, a Guru takes you from ego to devotion and from ignorance to God. Certainly, such a life is a truly blissful life. And that’s why Guru Ravidas says that a genuine Guru could be found with God’s grace only.

Easy Meditation for Restless Mind