Yethe Kar Majhe Julati/Bowing My head In Obeisance

Most often the word 'Guru' evokes an image either of a spiritual leader or a teacher; however, many of our experiences and the people whom we come across, in the journey of life, often offer us invaluable lessons. And Guru Poornima is an occasion, where one can pause for a moment, remember these gurus and express one’s gratitude towards them, while also pondering upon these lessons.

The importance of a Guru is often truly realised by one of the two kinds of people – the first being those who, despite seeking a Guru, do not get one and those, like me, who are fortunate enough to get many gurus in our lives. Today, I want to thank these Gurus and share with others the lessons that I have learnt from them, which have helped me immensely in my journey.

The first Gurus I would like to speak about are my parents. And while that may sound clichéd, I must admit that my gratitude to them is not for giving me birth, but more importantly for the two lessons they have imparted to me. My parents, through example, always demonstrated to me the value of doing good and then immediately forgetting about it. They believed that this not merely keeps us away from the ego of a giver; but also shields us from the pain of our actions not be recognised, appreciated or reciprocated. They considered the opportunity to do good a reward in itself. The other thing they also taught me was placing a premium on one’s values. They proved to me that, after all, one lives with and is answerable only to one’s conscience; and, one will therefore, sooner or later, regret one’s actions, if one compromises the values which one holds dear; for they form one’s core and define who we are.

My second Guru is my PhD guide Dr Nilufer E. Bharucha. Both when I was doing my MA and more importantly when I was pursuing my PhD, she would promptly return a draft, which I had worked on intensely and meticulously with the remark, “Preeti, is this the limit of your vocabulary? You have repeated the word twice on the same page; as if there is no alternative word that can replace it! The dejection, hurt and even anger that I sometimes experienced then was beyond words. But having no other choice I would take it back and work on it more diligently and hand over a better version. Today whenever I get any compliment for my linguistic skills, she is one among my teachers, to whom I owe it all!

If I were to talk about my third Guru it would be Ravindra Talwalkar, my yog teacher. As we practice asanas every day, he urges us to stretch that little more and then a little more than that. Along with that is his comment, “I am sure you will be able to if you try!” At first, the mind and body shows a resistance; one protests (though silently) that one has given it one’s all; that it is the best one can do.? And then gradually, without even realising it, that little more every day, just that wee bit of an extra stretch increases one’s capacity and capability infinitely, way beyond what one can anticipate or even imagine!

Interestingly my fourth Gurus are my four grandchildren. They have taught me, across the past almost 18 years, that age is just a number. They have made me believe that I can and I should and have given me the enthusiasm and the courage to do things that I felt were beyond me, as age kept catching up, year on year. This has helped me realise that being young is a choice made by the mind and heart and has nothing to do with the number of years one has lived. And if one chooses to one can!

The fifth and final Gurus I would like to write about are some of my students, their parents, their spouses and their children. The infinite love they have showered me with and the unconditional support they have given me as well as they faith they have reposed in me has helped me carry on with determination and urged me to become a better version of myself!

On this Guru Poornima, I bow my head in obeisance and thank these gurus, from the bottom of my heart. To these and many others, who have stood by me, I owe my success and I shall always remain indebted to them.

Would love to hear from you about your Gurus and what you have learnt from them! Happy Guru Poornima!!