The Process of Self-Discovery

Today we are celebrating Guru Poornima. The day is usually observed as an occasion for offering worship to the Guru (the religious or other preceptor). There are eight different types of gurus, who impart spiritual instructions of different kinds. Among these, the really important guru is "Vihitha Guru", the preceptor who removes the doubts in the minds of the disciples and reveals to them the process of Self-discovery and Self-realisation. The guru should destroy the darkness of ignorance (about one's Reality) and illumine the mind of the disciple. The illumination must result in the perception of the One Reality that is beyond name, form and attributes. No purpose is served by going in search of gurus. There is a guru in each of us. It is the Atmic principle. It is the Eternal Witness functioning as Conscience in everyone. With this Conscience as guide, let all actions be done.

Swami explains that there are different masters in that thought for the day, with different kinds of instructions.

We find it in his words in the study circle or the explanation of Darshan, it is removing the doubts in the minds of the disciples and he shows us the path to self-discovery and self-realization. 
In an interview he asked, 'why are you here?' We all didn't know the answer and finally he answered it and he said, 'self-realization'.

In the study circle it is about removing the doubts on the mind of people and that is when all the faces lighten up when those doubts are removed.

As the man coming in our dreams to awaken, he leads into the process of self-discovery. Even if it would only be about staying in touch as he made that inside connection, it results in self-discovery. We have to talk about something and what else would there be is in focus when it is about Swami but self-discovery by thinking over his words and that is what we find in listening to his words, self-discovery.

At the beginning I didn't know what to tell and he said, 'not at all ready' and then I began to write and wrote down what came in my mind without too much judging it but trying to make sense and he said, 'now ready'.

He is telling us here what we are doing and what it aims at if he comes as the man in our dreams to awaken, it results in self-discovery.

The study circle is about listening to Swami's words with others together and we share our thoughts and that also results in self-discovery, only the intensity is not as big as it is when we do it every day. People are not regularly and therefore, that growth they were talking about is relative, only if we keep doing it we get familiar with his teaching. That it is removing doubts and clarification of the ideal helps to understand it a lot.

The guru should destroy the darkness of ignorance (about one's Reality) and illumine the mind of the disciple.

The Soul's Journey to Realization

The relationship with the Lord is described as developing from Salokya (in the vicinity) to Samipya (nearness), to Sarupya (Form of the master) and then on to Sayujya (absorption into the Form). You can understand this clearly, if you take Salokya to mean, being in the kingdom ruled by the Lord, or as a servant in the palace where He dwells. You are under His fostering care. In the Samipya stage, you feel you are a personal attendant on the Lord, privileged to be near Him and to be called upon by Him for some personal service. You have neared the principle of Godhead, intellectually; you feel His presence ever, emotionally. Next, the stage of Sarupya is like being the brother of the King. He can wear the same robes. One has the splendour, the glory that bespeaks the full blossoming of the Divine latent within. Lastly, when you are the son, the heir apparent, you approximate as much as possible to the Royal Power and so, you can say, 'I and My Father are One.' These are the stages of the soul's journey to Realisation of the Oversoul.

This thought for the day is for me important as it talks about the brother of the king and it corresponds to dreams and insights I had about it, and he was the king when he left the body, of course it was the man coming in our dreams to awaken present in that way as the king.

Some of it as it feels like the core of it is in that thought for the day and it feels like bringing it together.  

Every insight has its own meaning and its own right and has to get to a right conclusion, he was also in the dream and said that he is the insight and the following step. 

The brother of the king we mentioned already and in many ways as it had been in the dream stage as brother. In these words is the right answer, it is about that brother, it is a stage in the progression of the soul to oneness or the oversoul. 

That oneness is in the Atmic principle and we talk always about that Atmic principle, because it is the basis and the answer to the spiritual question, 'who am I' and everybody has to answer it on his own level and in his own awareness.

It is all about oneness, he is the one, he is 'that' and as he always was telling us, 'I am God', with other words, the 'I' is universal and not identified with the body and 'that' is divine love and God.