My heart grew wings

In

BY sharon Bath

as far back as I can remember I have been in love with Love, and have wanted to attach my heart at some pure place. I have always had an attraction to God and spiritual devotion. As a young person I discovered mystical poetry and other mystical writings, and read about exalted love - the love between the disciple and the Guru, and the love between the devotee and God.

The Guru’s darshan (blessed glance) changed the course of my life. I’ve experienced first-hand a small taste of the magnificence that is the Guru. It’s been my privilege to have served two spiritual Masters, Sant Thakar Singh and Sant Baljit Singh. Ten years ago my Master came from India and I learned the meditation practice on the inner sound and light. He passed away in 2005; but before leaving the physical body he introduced his successor, whose guidance continues to light my way.

With reverence and gratitude I can say emphatically that without the Guru’s grace and guidance I could never have journeyed far. I needed the structure and discipline of the spiritual path. I was like a bird dipping here and there, never finding what I was searching for. As a younger person I possessed the heart for God but little self-restraint, and so my spiritual life suffered. I found self-discipline born out of love and respect for my Guru and a desire for God realisation. With the aid of mystical poetry, here are some thoughts on the significance of the Guru.

The Guru

The Saints speak of their own experience in one distinct voice and it’s that of the lover or devotee. They say God is the only true Beloved – hundreds of lovers, but the Beloved is one for all. Further, the Masters explain that there is only God in all creation, though his forms are many.

When you find yourself with the Beloved, embracing for one breath, In that moment you will find your true destiny.

Alas, don’t spoil this precious moment,

Moments like this are very, very rare.

Maulana Rumi

With great humility the Saints all lovingly revere their own Guru whose guidance and care took them to the feet of the Lord. We’ve been greatly blessed to have had many Saints in the world. The Masters tell us that the form that is drenched in the Lord’s remembrance is truly beautiful; the radiation which comes from the Saint blesses all who come into contact with it.

The language of the Saints is love, and it is dazzling! Hafiz, a great Persian mystic from the 14th century, uses the bird as a metaphor for the soul; he shares a secret with us:

Birds initially had no desire to fly, What really happened was this: God once sat close to them playing music. When He left they missed him so much Their great longing sprouted wings, Needing to search the Sky.

Nothing evolves us like Love.

What a great store of love and compassion the Masters have for not only humankind, but all of creation, each ant, bird, lion, tree and blade of grass. He serves them all. The words of the Saints are precious. They are also extremely practical and meant to be lived each day. We can practice the same form of meditation they practiced and walk in their footsteps! Maulana Rumi says, “The Saints are the true devotees of God, always listening to the Divine Music within. That infuses life into the lovers of God.”

The Masters come to wake us up! They remind us that we are the soul, eternal beings, a spark of divinity, and the same essence as God. However, we have identified ourselves with the mind and body so much we have forgotten our true Self. We are so enamoured by the material world that we’ve fallen asleep at the level of soul. Each man’s soul is at the mercy of the mind, which is itself at the mercy of the senses, which in turn, are dragged around by the sense-enjoyments. The Masters say we have become lost in the world and have forgotten our true purpose – to become one with the Supreme Soul. Instead we waste this chance and remain engrossed in maya (illusion).

People fancy they are enjoying themselves, but they are really tearing out their wings for the sake of an illusion.

Maulana Rumi

The Masters proclaim that this human birth we accept so casually comes only with great good fortune. Why? Because it is in the human form alone can God be realised. Khalil Gibran, a contemporary mystic-poet paints this beautiful picture of the daily life of a devoted soul:

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the Beloved in your heart

And a song of praise upon your lips.

On the holy occasion of Guru Purnima, please take some moments to reflect on this prayer from the Upanishads, and consider in which direction your life is taking you.

From ignorance, lead me to truth;

From darkness, lead me to light;

From death, lead me to immortality.

Sharon Bath works on a voluntary basis for Know Thyself as Soul Foundation (Australia), a non-profit incorporated association. The foundation offers programmes and publications on natural living and meditation on the inner light and sound. It offers these services free of charge.

Guru Purnima, a day in the Hindu calendar dedicated to the expression of gratitude towards the teacher, will be marked on July 3 this year

I found selfdiscipline born out of love and respect for my Guru and a desire for God realisation

The Masters tell us that the form that is drenched in the Lord’s remembrance is truly beautiful; the radiation which comes from the Saint blesses all who come into contact with it

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