Guru Purnima Satsangs at the Australian Ashram - Melbourne
Amma ’s children will celebrate Guru Purnima at the Ashram on Friday 18th July. It will be a festive occasion honouring all Gurus but particularly our Divine Mother. Satsang will start at 7.00 pm followed by dinner at 8.00 pm. At 9.00 pm we will be able to watch one of Amma’s Guru Purnima DVD’s. Please bring a plate to share.
Address:842 Frankston-Dandenong Road,
Carrum Downs, Vic 3201.
Phone: (03) 9782 9927
Email: ashram@ammaaustralia.org.au
Guru Purnima Satsangs in Sydney
To honour our beloved Amma, there will be two satsangs and special Guru Purnima celebrations on Friday July 18th, 7.30 - 9pm. There will be a traditional Paduka puja as part of the celebrations. You are warmly invited to participate at either of these venues:
Marsfield Guru Purnima Satsang - Friday 18th July 7.30 - 9pm
Hosts: Veena & Sagar
Address: 7/7 Brunton Place, Marsfield
Phone: (02) 9876 1259
Rose Bay Guru Purnima Satsang - Friday 18th July 7.30 - 9pm
Host: Rani Fogden
Address: 8/22 Dover Road, Rose Bay
Phone: (02) 9371 6768
Guru Purnima Satsang in Perth
Date: Thursday, 17th July - 7pm
Host: Selvi & Scott
Venue: 5, Cordelia Avenue , Coolbellup
Contact: 9331 1783
 About Guru Purnima
Guru Purnima is traditionally held to be Bhagawan Vyasa's birthday. According to the Indian calendar it falls on the 15th of the month of Ashada. Bhagawan Vyasa is called Veda Vyasa - or the Compiler of the Vedas. Bhagawan Vyasa saw that, in the coming yugas, men would be of grosser mind and would lack the ability to learn and retain all of the Vedas. So he compiled the Vedas into four parts - the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Veda.
Furthermore he wrote the Puranas so that the common people could also benefit from the knowledge of the Vedas - he conveyed the same spiritual principles through the medium of stories and parables. He is also the author of the Brahma Sutras - the quintessence of Vedanta. So it is but fitting that his birthday is celebrated as Guru Purnima.
This day also heralds the coming of the life-giving rains, the monsoon season in India. During this season, sannyasis traditionally stay at one place and engage in scriptural studies and contemplation. This period is called the Chaturmasya or literally the four months. Guru Purnima is the day from which this period commences.
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Amma on the Guru
"Satsang and spiritual books have the power to turn our minds towards good thoughts. That alone, however, will not enable us to go forward with steady steps.
Ordinary physicians will examine the patient and prescribe medicines. But if an operation is required, one has to see a surgeon. Likewise, to rid our minds of all the dirt, and to progress towards the ultimate goal, we have to take refuge in a Guru."
Amma
Question: "Isn't it slavery when one follows the Guru blindly?"
Amma: "My son, to know the Truth, we have to get rid of the sense of 'I'. It is hard to achieve this just by doing sadhana on one's own. To eliminate the ego, it is essential to do spiritual practice under the guidance of a Guru. When we bow down before the Guru, we are not bowing to that individual, but to the ideal in Him. We do it so that we may also attain to His level.
"We can rise only through humility. The seed contains the tree within it, but if it is content to lie in a storeroom somewhere, it will be eaten by mice. Only by going under the soil will its true form emerge. When you push the button down, the umbrella unfolds; it is then able to protect one from the rain.
"Because we respected and obeyed our parents, elders, and teachers, we grew and gained knowledge. They nurtured good qualities and good behaviour in us. In the same way, obedience to the Guru elevates the disciple to a more expansive, higher plane.
"It is to become the King of kings later that the disciple takes on the role of a servant now. We put a fence around a little mango tree; we nurture it and raise it, so we can get the sweet fruit later. The disciple shows reverence to the Guru and obeys him, in order to reach the Truth that the Guru represents.
"When we board a plane, they ask us to fasten our seat belts, not to show off their power over us, but for our own safety. In the same way, the guru asks the disciple to obey certain rules, and to practice restraint, only to elevate him. He does this only to protect the disciple from the dangers that may befall him. The guru knows that the disciple's ego-driven impulses will cause danger to him and to others. The road is for the use of vehicles; but if you drive your car any way you please, accidents are sure to happen. That is why we are asked to obey the rules of the road. Don't we obey the policeman who directs the traffic at intersections? We prevent many accidents by doing so.
"When our sense of 'I' and 'mine' are about to destroy us, we are saved by following the Satguru's advice. He gives us the training needed to avoid such circumstances later. The very proximity of the Guru gives us strength.
 "The guru is the embodiment of selflessness. We are able to learn what truth, dharma (righteousness), renunciation, and love mean because the Guru is a living embodiment of those qualities. The Guru is the very life of those qualities. By obeying and emulating him, those qualities take root in us.
Obedience to the Guru is not slavery. The Guru's aim is only the safety of the disciple. He truly shows us the path. A true Guru will never see his disciple as his slave. He is filled with love for the disciple. He wants to see the disciple succeed, even if it means hardship for himself. The true Guru is indeed like a mother.
"Guru and God are there within everyone. But in the beginning, an external Guru is necessary. After a certain stage is reached, one can grasp the essential principles from every object and thereby progress. Until a boy becomes aware of his goal, he studies his lessons out of fear of his parents and teachers. Once he becomes conscious of his goal, he studies on his own accord, foregoing sleep and enjoyments like going to the movies. The fear and reverence toward his parents which he had until then was not a weakness. Children, when the awareness of the Goal dawns, the Guru aspect within also awakens."
Question: "Amma, who is greater, God or the guru?"
 Amma: "In principle, God and the Guru are the same. But we may say that the Guru is higher than God. The Guru's grace is something unique. If the Guru wants, he can remove the effect of God's displeasure. But even God cannot remove the sin that comes from dishonouring the Guru.
When you realise God, you can say that you and God are the same. But even then, you cannot say that you are the same as the Guru. It is the Guru who initiated the disciple with the mantra that led to Self-realization. It is the path shown by the Guru that led the disciple to the goal. The Guru will always have that special status. Even after realising the Truth, the disciple will stand before the Guru with great humility." http://www.amritapuri.org/cultural/guru/byamma.php
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