"Guru" A Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field

Who is a "Guru"?

A Guru is someone who has knowledge or wisdom in a certain field. In India, the term Guru is pretty famous. Some relate this term with spirituality and for some, it is someone who has expertise in their subject. You can call them subject matter experts. For eg. A Guru can be an experienced car mechanic, a bus or truck driver, a gym or yoga instructor, a kindergarten teacher, or a college professor, for their pupils.  It's not the designation that matters but their level of expertise. 

India, a land of spirituality has witnessed many realised saints and Gurus. Because of their knowledge and experience in spirituality, many people form different part of the world came here to learn about spirituality and religion. There is a slight difference between spirituality and Religion. A  religious person has certain beliefs that are practiced to attain God however spirituality is a way of life. It's knowing your mind, body, and soul by connecting with self, others, and further with the divine entities 

Some people came to learn how to broaden up their mindset and physique by learning yoga and for some, the religion of Hinduism was fascinating enough to study the religion and its practices. 

In Hindu culture, the status of Guru is considered to be much more than God. Kabir Das, a famous Indian poet has referred to the importance of guru in many of his sayings. Some of his sayings are as follows:- 

"गुरु गोविंद दोनों खड़े, काके लागूं पाँय

बलिहारी गुरु आपनो, गोविंद दियो मिलाय"

गुरू और गोबिंद (भगवान) एक साथ खड़े हों तो किसे प्रणाम करना चाहिए – गुरू को अथवा गोबिन्द को? ऐसी स्थिति में गुरू के श्रीचरणों में शीश झुकाना उत्तम है जिनके कृपा रूपी प्रसाद से गोविन्द का दर्शन करने का सौभाग्य प्राप्त हुआ।

Hear the poet Kabir Das asks in the first line,

गुरु गोविंद दोनों खड़े, काके लागूं पाँय 

If Guru and God both are standing together then whose feet shall I touch first (it's a form of gesture to show respect)

बलिहारी गुरु आपनो, गोविंद दियो मिलाय

He then says that it's because of the spiritual knowledge given by the Guru that I have been able to attain God. 

This is how Kabir Das shows the importance of a Guru. 

In another saying he says:- 

"गुरू बिन ज्ञान न उपजै, गुरू बिन मिलै न मोष

गुरू बिन लखै न सत्य को गुरू बिन मिटै न दोष"

कबीर दास कहते हैं – हे सांसरिक प्राणियों। बिना गुरू के ज्ञान का मिलना असम्भव है। तब तक मनुष्य अज्ञान रूपी अंधकार में भटकता हुआ मायारूपी सांसारिक बन्धनों मे जकड़ा रहता है जब तक कि गुरू की कृपा प्राप्त नहीं होती। मोक्ष रूपी मार्ग दिखलाने वाले गुरू हैं। बिना गुरू के सत्य एवं असत्य का ज्ञान नहीं होता। उचित और अनुचित के भेद का ज्ञान नहीं होता फिर मोक्ष कैसे प्राप्त होगा? अतः गुरू की शरण में जाओ। गुरू ही सच्ची राह दिखाएंगे।

In this saying the poet Kabir Das says 

गुरू बिन ज्ञान न उपजै, गुरू बिन मिलै न मोष।

You can not attain salvation until you have a Guru to guide you and give you spiritual knowledge. 

गुरू बिन लखै न सत्य को गुरू बिन मिटै न दोष

Unless you don't have a Guru you will be unable to find a difference between right a wrong. Then how will you attain salvation? 

In order to celebrate the importance of a Guru in our life, we celebrate a festival known as "Guru Purnima". This video is from the Guru Paduka Pooja ceremony in the Divine life society Rishikesh. 

On this day people show reverence to their beloved gurus and thank them for giving the wisdom that helped them grow financially, mentally, physically, or spiritually. This festival is celebrated every year on the day of the full moon (Purnamasi) of Ashadha month, usually falls in June or July. This day is also celebrated as the Birthday of Ved Vyasha who was the writer of a famous Indian epic Mahabharata

On this day we do a ceremony at my home. In this ceremony, we keep the picture of our Guru or their Padukas as an emblem of the Guru. Usually, the saints wear wooden sleepers that are known as Padukas. 

The Guru’s sandal is an expression of the devotion to the Truth that Guru symbolized. A Guru stands on his sandals (Padukas) and also on the strength of his wisdom. So traditionally the worship of Guru-Paduka has been an adoration of spiritual wisdom. Paduka pooja is done to purify our mind, body, and soul via various physical actions like offering flowers, milk, honey, water, ringing the bell, listening to the shankh nad (sound), and singing the hymns in makes us feel the presence of divine power. 

Such integration and surrender create an atmosphere of love and reverence, enabling the nobler potentials within us to blossom. 

Then using various mantras we start the Paduka Pooja. 

Here I have share another video of Hymns that the devotees sing while doing the Paduka pooja ceremony. 

Since a child is born he/she meets many gurus in there life time but there are few who always stay close to your heart. For some it's there mother, father, any relative friend or teacher or you yourself. Please comment and let me know if you have anyone in your life who gave you wisdom and is your Guru?