Guru

So who is a Guru anyway? Someone as powerful and as noble as God or someone as ordinary as any lay person? Going by the book, it means a spiritual leader but I do not account it as the ultimate definition of a Guru. He or she may be someone who only teaches us what is right and wrong, or someone who only guides us, or someone who plainly listens to what we have to say or may be a combination of all these. For today is the day to revere them and express gratitude to the Almighty for their presence in our lives, Guru is someone who has been conspicuously missing in my life.

I have heard infinite stories about the Guru being the ultimate enlightened one, imparting awareness and educating us on the ways of life. As a child, the only people doing such were my teachers from school and tuition classes. At that time I never really comprehended the significance of having a Guru in my life. I was pretty well-off without one for the simple reason that teachers in those times only did one thing- screeching! I was petrified, let alone deeming them as a Guru. However, as I grew I slowly began to understand the stature of a Guru in one’s life but still do not have one or long for one either. If I were to have one, may be the least he/she could do for me is just listen to me without judging me and making things simple for me. And the one who does so would definitely be my Guru for life.

I know a lot of people who have one and who are Guru themselves. Well, when I say Guru I don’t just mean the angelic ones, but just simple people who have been benevolent and plainly brought about a difference to someone’s life. Basically just the good doers. A very close friend just called me and told how delighted he was because one of his employees just arbitrarily called him and said, “Hello Sir. How are you?” My friend asked how the work was going and the worker replied, “It’s going great Sir. If everyone has a Guru like you, it always would.” My friend was elated. Every word his subordinate stated only exuded the sheer power and influence of a Guru.

A Guru need not be restricted to our school, college or workplace. They could be anywhere. Any person who has touched our lives and has made a huge contribution to what we grow up to be and where we finally end up. A family friend recently visited us. While indulging in profound conversations with her about every fathomable topic and issue, she told me about the bond she shared with her older brother. She is eleven years younger to him. While she was in pre-school and their mother was busy with the household chores catering to the joint family, it was her brother who would look after her. He would wake her up, brush her teeth, bathe her, feed her and dress her up for school. He fulfilled every obligation a mother would for her child. And it never just stopped there as he has been a guiding force for her through all the difficulties she faced over the years. Now she is forty-two and still a little child for her brother who uncomplainingly steer clears all her problems or at least helps her deal with them. He is her Guru- the one she knows she can always trust and bank upon, no matter what.

Although I do not have a Guru, life did give me a chance for a brief period to be one when I would teach school kids post their schooling hours. I was their ultimate authority figure when the case in point would be, well, their studies. I had only three students- two boys and one girl who would study in senior kindergarten, grade one and grade four respectively. We were one happy bunch who thoroughly enjoyed our time studying. While they studied from their books, I would study how to manage them while they did so. They hadn’t the slightest clue what Guru Purnima was all about, yet through all the fanfare they went through at school, they decided to make me a card and wish me. I was absolutely thrilled and ecstatic. No gift ever exuded so much innocence, chastity and mere good wishes. It truly felt great. No words could ever articulate my happiness. It’s been five years since I stopped taking tuitions but the fact that I was someone’s Guru at some point is good enough to make me smile every time I think about it.

In retrospection, I truly feel that every one of us does have a Guru within - The one that certainly inspires someone or the other in his/her course of life. We do give others a chance at least at one point of our life to look up to us or only just thank us for bringing about a difference. We need not be with someone all the way through to be a qualified as a Guru. Just one small difference and that’s all it takes..