Guru Ki Mahima Aparampar

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Guru ki Mahima Aparampar" by Sadhvi Pramukha Shri Mainasundariji:

This discourse, presented by Sadhvi Pramukha Shri Mainasundariji, powerfully elaborates on the immeasurable glory and importance of the Guru (spiritual teacher) from both Jain and non-Jain perspectives. The author's style is described as simple, effortless, and heartwarming.

The core message is that the Guru's significance is boundless and their contributions are infinite. They are the immortal singers of the ascetic tradition and great proponents of Jain culture, acting as the carriers of the timeless message of Samayika (equanimity) and Swadhyaya (self-study) into every home and to every person.

The author uses evocative analogies to illustrate the Guru's unknowable qualities. Just as the sun's light defines its existence, a rose's fragrance its essence, and sugar its sweetness, the Guru's virtues are embodied in their life of renunciation, austerity, meditation, silence, self-study, and spiritual practice. Attempting to measure the Guru's qualities is likened to trying to weigh Mount Meru on a scale, measure the earth with a child's footstep, or capture the vast ocean in cupped hands – all impossible feats. While difficult tasks might be achievable through divine intervention, understanding the Guru's virtues is profoundly challenging.

The Guru is compared to a station for the train of life. A train at a station is safe, can be repaired if it malfunctions, and receives essential sustenance like coal, water, and rest. Similarly, our lives, prone to deviations caused by false beliefs, ignorance, and misconceptions, can be swiftly corrected at the "station" of the Guru.

Furthermore, the Guru is described as the helmsman of the boat of life. Just as a helmsman safely guides passengers across the sea, the Guru escorts noble souls across the ocean of worldly existence. This is why, when asked what is rare in the world, the wise answer that a true Guru is the rarest of all.

The text distinguishes true Gurus from those who merely adopt the title for material gain. It criticizes those who possess wealth, luxurious homes, vehicles, and worldly comforts, stating that such individuals cannot lead anyone across the ocean of suffering. The true meaning of "Guru" is derived from the word's etymology: 'Gu' signifies darkness (ignorance), and 'Ru' signifies light (knowledge). Therefore, a Guru is one who dispels the darkness of ignorance and brings one into the light of knowledge.

The Guru's speech is beneficial for the world, characterized by both linguistic gentleness and profound depth of emotion. Their words awaken inner consciousness in the listener, fill life with new enthusiasm, and have the power to transform an ordinary person into a divine being and the soul into the divine. The author humbly admits that the glory of the Guru cannot be fully captured in words or within a limited time.

The Guru is the foundation and center of a disciple's faith. Through the Guru's grace, profound spiritual knowledge is attained, as alluded to in the Uttaradhyayana Sutra. Guru's grace is the sun that dispels inner darkness and is infinitely fruitful. Kabir's saying is quoted: "Bathing in pilgrimage yields one fruit; meeting saints yields four fruits. Meeting a Guru yields infinite fruits."

The Guru's grace can dismantle mountains of obstacles and make life blessed. Gurus are inherently compassionate; their benevolent gaze can transform murderers into devotees, sinners into pure beings, wicked individuals into virtuous ones, and immoral people into righteous ones. The Bhagavati Sutra equates the Guru to a "God of Dharma." Gurus are those who help others cross over.

The Guru's virtues are inexhaustible. They are the fathers of the four-fold Jain congregation (monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen). Their benevolence surpasses that of a father by thousands of times. Like the sun dispelling darkness with its rays, Gurus, endowed with scripture, conduct, intellect, and knowledge, dispel the darkness of ignorance within the congregation and shine like the sun. They are treasuries of virtues and constantly promote the progress of the religious order.

Gurus are described as purer than the moon and more radiant than the sun. They are fragrant like incense and illuminating like a candle. They are fearless like a lion and profound like the ocean. While not Tirthankaras (conquerors of time), they skillfully manage the congregation in their absence, like Tirthankaras. They adhere to the five great vows (Panchvidh Achara) and ensure their disciples do the same. Gurus guide lost and stray travelers onto the right path.

They have also served as excellent physicians, curing the disease of worldly attachment with the medicine of Right Faith (Samyaktva). The author reiterates the difficulty of describing the Guru's glory, comparing them to the boundless sky, the single moon illuminating the night, the sun shining upon all directions, the Koh-i-Noor among gems, the rose among flowers, and the philosopher's stone among rocks.

Similarly, among the many who adopt the ascetic way of life, only the true, detached, and renunciate Guru possesses true glory, dignity, and praise. Hence, it is said that only saints can ferry the world across. Gurus are deities of compassion and shining jewels of Indian culture, the divine gem in the garland of saints. The saying, "This body is a creeper of poison; the Guru is the mine of nectar. Even if you give your head to get a Guru, it is cheap," highlights their invaluable nature.

Just as a lamp needs oil, a clock needs a key, and the body needs medicine and nourishing food for strength, life needs a Guru to be refined through renunciation and austerity. It is said, "Life doesn't begin without a Guru." Indeed, the support of a Guru is the shore of life and the spectacle of peace. Without a Guru, one cannot navigate even in darkness.

In conclusion, the author grapples to find a suitable comparison for the Guru, questioning whether to call them mother, father, or friend, ultimately deeming any such comparison insufficient and recognizing the Guru as equivalent to a Jina (victor over passions).