As I struggle through life I realize
That I need teachers varied and wise
To teach me how to live my life
Without too much mental strife
So who are my Gurus who can teach
Serenity, knowledge and inner peace?
For I need to learn from as many of them
Because life’s journey is one crazy mayhem!
So I will try and learn from these 25 gurus
Qualities that will take me to my divine roots
I will learn from –
Divine earth, to be patient and tolerant
Wind, the quality of detachment
Sky, to remain calm and unaffected
Water, pure sweetness unadulterated
Fire, the ability to be unsullied and accepting
And above all to be forgiving
Moon, that my divine soul is constant
Sun, that my godly soul is omnipresent
Pigeons, detachment from kith and kin
Python, satisfaction in everything
Ocean, the lesson to be totally serene
No matter what lakes and rivers bring
Moth, to fly away from the passionate senses
Honey bee, to focus on the divine essence
Elephant, not to be attracted by feminine guiles
As it can lead me away from the Lord’s sight
Honey bee, to limit my worldly accumulations
Deer, to avoid senseless and empty incantations
Fish, to avoid the lure of the tongue’s might
Pingala, sleep innocently through the night
Kurara, that possessions are deadly
Child, to abandon pride and envy
Bangle, to move about in solitary fervour
Arrow-maker, to focus inward amidst clamour
Snakes, to possess as little as possible
Spider, to submit to the Lord’s will
Beetle, to meditate on His divine form
Incessantly, night, day, dusk, and dawn
And finally learn from this frail and helpless body
That material attachment is cheap and tawdry
My body is just a temporary instrument
To quickly make my heavenly ascent
Bless me, oh Lord, with Your lotus eyes
So I can learn these lessons in a thrice
And leave behind these worldly treats
And peacefully surrender to Your divine feet
Sources:
- A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s Sreemad Bhagavatham – Canto 11 (Chapters 7 through 10)
- Melpathur Bhattathiri’s Narayaneeyam – Dasakam 93
