This Article is From Feb 03, 2017

Guru Poornima Predates Religion

Guru Poornima Predates Religion

Book cover of Adiyogi: The Source of Yoga by Padma Vibhushan award-winner Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

A tremendous miracle was happening before everyone's eyes, but they missed it completely. They could not see that his sitting still for days and months on end was the real miracle. They were expecting firecrackers. That did not happen. Everyone left.

Only seven men hung on. They could not leave. This mysterious being was no longer merely the centre of their worlds. He seemed like the kernel of the very universe, the key to all the mysteries of existence.

When he finally opened his eyes, they pleaded with him to share his experience with them. He dismissed them.

'This is not for people seeking entertainment. Go away,' he said.

But they persevered.

Many long years later, unable to ignore their unwavering commitment and radiant receptivity, Adiyogi - or the first yogi, as this being came to be called - relented. He directed his attention to these seven thirsty seekers and began expounding to them the nature of life.

It was on that full moon day - the first full moon after the summer solstice - that an entire exploration of the mechanics of life unfolded on this planet. It was on that day that Adiyogi became Adi Guru, the first Guru. That day is celebrated to this moment in the history of the Indian subcontinent as Guru Poornima.

What makes this day so important?

It was on this day that the seed of liberation was planted in the human consciousness. It was on this day that it was declared for the first time in human history that biology is not destiny, that it is possible for a human being to evolve consciously. The finite can turn infinite. The particular can turn universal. Compulsion can turn into consciousness. It is possible for a piece of creation to become one with the source of creation. The human creature can become a divine entity.

This insight did not give birth to faith. It instead gave birth to science. A science that aimed at making human beings the rulers of their own fate, the architects of their own destiny. Guru Poornima predates religion. It happened before the idea of religion even entered the human mind. The journey did not demand belief in a prescribed set of conclusions. The journey was about exploration - a fearless exploration of the profoundest depths of human consciousness. The ultimate aim was not God. The ultimate aim was liberation.

Excerpted with permission of HarperCollins from Adiyogi: The Source of Yoga by Padma Vibhushan award-winner Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. You can pre-order your copy here.
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