September 4, 2026
In a few days we shall be celebrating the birthday of My Gurudev, Swami Sivananda. He is the light of our life. Gurudev is light. Light illumines, it is not concerned with, nor is it responsible for what we do with or in that illumination. We the followers often err, and I have heard many people blame their Guru for this or that, saying: “He should not have done so-and-so.”
The light is impartial and that does not suit our narrow minds. We expect the enlightened one to pat us on the back and kick others in the pants. Lght hurts the owl's eyes. So we, who are accustomed to darkness, find it hard to face the light. What glorious opportunities we lose because of this diabolical instinct.
His light shines on our life, the light has already reached its destination. We shall not know this unless we tread the path and reach the destination. We do not want to do that, we want the Guru to self-realize for us.
He is the light of our life. Every thought, word and deed that proceeds from us must be illumined by that light. We should learn to look at our own life in the light of our guru; only then does he truly become the dispeller of darkness (gu - gloom, ru - remove). May His light shine forever.