Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheswara. Guru Sak Shat. Param Brahma. Tasmai Shri Guravey, Namaha.
This month in class we have been chanting the guru mantra. This is a chant done at the beginnings of teachings, whether it is a yoga class, a meditation or a satsang. It is a beautiful chant. One of my teachers does it at the beginning of our weekly meditation group. She always asks people to join in but I find that I am the only one joining her. I didn't know if the other students didn't like to chant or if they just didn't know the words, so I thought I would share this beautiful chant and tradition by teaching it in classes this month.
This is a chant to the guru, your guru and all gurus. A guru is a teacher. The word has two parts, "gu" which means darkness and "ru" which means light. The guru is said to be one who leads you from darkness to light. There are official gurus or teachers. But almost anyone or anything can be a guru. You can have an official guru or teacher, a swami perhaps, someone who dresses in orange robes and lives in an ashram. Your best friend can be a guru when they have to tell you something that might be difficult for you to hear. Your dog can be a guru when they teach you about unconditional love.
Let's go through the chant.
There are three main gods in the Hindu tradition: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The first part of the chant recognizes the principles these deities represent.
Guru Brahma. Brahma is the god of is-ness or being. The principle of Brahma is that of unmanifested consciousness; the universe before the big bang.
Guru Vishnu. Vishnu is the god of creation. This principle brings all of our world into being
Guru Devo Maheswara. This refers to Shiva, although it does not use his name. The word "devo" refers to god. The word "maheswara" is really two words: "maha" meaning great and "Ishwara" meaning god. So this line refers to "the teacher, the god, the great God". You have to know that this means Shiva. Shiva is the god of death and destruction. He is often depicted dancing on the burial grounds. His dance does bring about death and destruction, but because of the idea of reincarnation, his dance also brings about re-birth. These three lines tell us to remember that the only constant in the world is change and that change can be one of our greatest teachers.
Guru Sak Shat. This refers to the guru nearby, the anyone who could be a teacher in the moment. There is a song by Joan Osborne called "One of Us". (Joan is a real spiritual seeker.) She sings, "What if god were one of us, just a slob like one of us, just a stranger on the bus trying to make his way home?" Since we are all said to be made of a piece of divine consciousness, then any one of us can be a deity and could be standing right next to you right now.
Param Brahma. This refers to the guru that is beyond comprehension, the guru that is beyond the beyond. We just have to open to the present moment to receive a teaching or enlightenment.
Tas Mai Shri Guravey. The "ey" ending to the word guru changes it to be refelxive. This refers to the guru inside of you. The wisdom of your own heart.
Namaha means I bow to.
I hope you enjoy this chant and will join me as we chant it at the beginning of classes.