SRI DATTA YOGI RAJA

On Tuesday, July 19th, after the Sri Chakra Puja, Sri Swamiji asked Datta Yogi Raja to come near him and invited him to have a jovial and yet enlightening dialogue. This dialogue was conduced by Sri Swamiji in the manner of Sri Guru Gita where Devi, even though all-knowing, asked certain spiritual questions to Shiva on behalf of humanity and her children. Lord Shiva answered the questions, and this became the basis of Guru Gita. Sri Swamij’s questions and Sri Datta Yogi Raja’s answers are summarized below:

The first question from Swamiji was: 'Is there any truth in believing that some days are auspicious, as explained by the science of astrology, and other days are not?'

Sri Datta Yogi Raja answered: “On the one hand it is true that all days are the same for a true devotee in order to worship God, however, it is also true that on some days the whole nature itself helps and supports the devotee to be in a certain mood and the mode where the spiritual practice is greatly helped. For example, on the Guru Purnima day which is the full moon in the month of Ashada, or July, Sun and Moon are positioned together in Dhanu Rasi (the House of Sagittarius). Sagittarius is owned by Jupiter, also known as Guru. The spiritual significance of all this is that Moon which is symbolic of the mind, and Sun which is symbolic of the Soul, merge together in the presence of the Guru (Jupiter) who is fullness like Purnima, Full Moon. Therefore, Love, Devotion and Surrender come very naturally on this day.

Similarly, on the Sivaratri Day which occurs one day before Amavasya or the New Moon the mind represented by the Moon is on the last vestige of its dominant nature. So, practices of keeping vigil all night and fasting makes the old conditioned mind disappear very easily yielding place to newness of the Soul.

Swamiji said: 'Yes, this is correct. But I also want to know if there is anything like a "bad day"?' Datta Yogi Raja continued: 'There is nothing like a "bad day". It is only the intensity of the seeker which swings up and down and makes it appear, as if some days are not conducive to Satsangh (spiritual investigation) and Sadhana (the spiritual practice.) Also, it is found that in the same household some days become "bad day" for one person, and "a very good day" for another person. One person may get an award, and another may meet with an accident. These fluctuations occur as the result of the Karma of the individual, as well as Samkaras which are impressions at the level of the DNA imprinted on the individual. To conclude, there is nothing like a day which is inherently bad.'

Sri Swamiji asked: 'What is Guru? Is it the appearance, and the beard or a special colored dress that makes a Guru? What is a form of a Guru, is it the face, the hand, etc.? Some people say, "a certain person is a Sath Guru, and a certain person is not." How can we identify the Sath Guru?'

Sri Datta Yogi Raja answered: 'Guru is the dispeller of the darkness of ignorance and the harbinger of the true light of knowledge. He quoted from the Guru Gita: Gukarastwa Andhakararasya Rukara Teja uchyate. The word Guru consists of two letters: Gu and Ru, where Gu indicates Darkness and Ru indicates the Light. At another place Guru Gita explains Gu to represent Guna (inertia, activity and balance) and Ru to represent Rupa (form); Guru is beyond both. It throws light on the nature and form of Guru as being beyond form and conditioned by individual characteristics.

The most beautiful place in the Scripture that throws light on the true nature and form of the Guru is in the Guru Gita opening stanza of meditation on the Guru. Pratyaksha Akshra Vigraham guru Padam Dhyayath Gurum Saswatham. It is explained that the inner makeup of the Guru is truly the Garland of Letters or Akshara. These are indeed composed of the seed syllables or the Bija Mantras which are the sacred Sanskrit letters.

Who is Sath Guru? The word Sath Guru has two parts where Sath means Truth and Guru means Teacher. That Guru who lives as an embodiment of Truth and who can lead us from un-Truth to Truth is Sath Guru. Many can teach knowledge but only Sath Guru can lead to liberation, so we have different words for them, such as Upadyaya, Acharya and Sath Guru.

Upadyaya quotes and gives specific knowledge from the Scripture.
Acharya teaches the code of conduct and practice that leads to the Truth.
Sath Guru is one with Truth and radiates is moment to moment through the silence and peace that surrounds him, and can provide a special transmission (Shakti Pata) to the spiritual seekers that is beyond Scriptures.

Summarized By Datta Yogi Raja

*for the full coverage of the Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji's visit to Canada please visit: dattapeetham.com