Happy Guru Purnima Day, Also Known as Teacher’s Day – July 2012

(CHAKRA) Guru Purnima is a festival most commonly celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists. On July 3rd 2012, disciples & students offer worship and pay their respects to their Guru (spiritual teacher). It falls on the day of full moon, Purnima, which is usually in the month of Ashadh (June–July) of the Shaka Samvat, Indian national calendar/Hindu calendar. Purnima is also known as Vyas Purnima. In Vyasa Jayanti thousand of people worship Veda Vyas with Lord Sri Krishna and Guru Parampara. This is the day in which Guru Puja is also celebrated.

For Buddhists, Guru Purnima is celebrated in the honor the lord Buddha who gave His first sermon on this day at Sarnath, UP, India. While Hindus celebrate it in the honour of the great sage Vyasa, who is looked at as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions. The Guru Purnima festival is common to all spiritual traditions within Hinduism, where it is dedicated to the expression of gratitude towards the teacher by their disciple/student.

Relationships between the Guru (teacher) and the Disciple (student) is considered to be very sacred. This relationship is purely spiritual in nature and is independent of age of the two. It is based on maturity of Gyan (Spiritual Knowledge) and Shrada (Spiritual Practice).

As a day of remembrance towards all gurus, through whom God grants the grace of knowledge (Jnana) to the disciples,special recitations of the Hindu scriptures especially, the Guru Gita, a 216 verse ode to Guru, authored by the sage, Vyasa himself, are held all day; apart from singing of bhajans, religious hymns and organising of special kirtan session and havan at many places, where devotees from all over gather at the ashrams, matha or place where the seat of Guru, Guru Gaddi exists.

May guru’s blessings always shower on you a wish you a very Happy Guru purnima. The Chakra team wishes everyone a happy Guru Purnima.