Zero = Infinity    *****    If you can enjoy sadness, then nothing can stop you from being happy always    *****    Love is the flow of positive energy from one soul to another   *****    An atheist can realise God more easily than the staunchest theist
January 08, 2006

Mata, Pita, Guru, Deva

In traditional Indian way of life, from birth till death, the mother, father, Guru, and God play different roles. The mother takes care of the initial growth of the child. The child's growth is her responsibility. A stage comes when the responsibility is handed over to the father. There ceases her control over the child, and has literally nothing to do with the child anymore. Henceforth, it is the responsibility of the father to aid in the mental growth of the child. The father is now both father and mother. This he does by providing for the elementary education of the child. The person learns all the temporal knowledge. Next comes the Guru. The father's duty is over once he hands over his child to the Guru. For one who has been passed to the Guru, the Guru then becomes father, mother and Guru. Guru is responsible for the atman, the soul. The spiritual evolution of the disciple is his responsibility. The Guru now takes care of all material needs of the disciple as well. He becomes everything for the disciple. This continues till the time the disciple gets spirital enlightenment. At this stage, the Guru introduces the disciple to God, who is nothing but the very essence of the Guru himself, or the Guru-tatwa. After this, the person is now under the responsibility of the tatwa, which takes care of him, forever. This Guru-tatwa is now the father, mother, Guru, as well as itself, sitting in the heart of the person, and guiding him, taking care of him, every moment.

Thus, we see a few things: 1. Clear demarcation of responsibilities, 2. How one introduces the person to another who can take care of further development of the individual. The mother introduces the father once her role is over; the father introduces the Guru once his role is over; and the Guru introduces the God, or Guru-tatwa once his role is also over.

In all this, the cooperation of the individual is a must for his own development. If the child refuses to eat, he cannot physically grow. If he refuses to study, he gets no education. If he refuses to obey what his Guru says, there is no spiritual evolution. Co-operation in the form of obedience is of greatest importance. In this sense, our growth is in our own hands. Unless we offer our co-operation in the form of obedience, we cannot grow. It is for us to realise that the one who is responsible for our growth knows what is good for us, and what is not, and therefore, what they say is in the best of our interests. Such a faith makes it easy for us to co-operate and make use of them as much as possible for our growth.

14 Comments:

Blogger Devilish Angel said...

Well written post...

21:20  
Blogger Somebody Else said...

WEll written.but each of these personalities in life transgress in real terms....The mother is sometimes the teacher.The father is the friend.And Life in general too...experience can be the guru.
Why the puran-ic feel by the way?

04:19  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

good one dude

04:21  
Blogger The Soul Doctor said...

What about orphans?

10:32  
Blogger Trespasser said...

Very articulately written. Kudos to you. A really commendable piece of work.

11:17  
Blogger Tarun said...

I don't agree with the demarcation of roles. At least in my case, with upbringing and education, both my parents were involved and it was not until under grad that i was truly inspired by a lecturer.

The responsibilties of the parents are shared in the upbringing of the child. Yes, it is the mother who cares for the child when it is very young, but that does not mean that the father doesn't play any role in it's upbringing.

04:07  
Blogger The Ignoramus said...

well... you haven't got the point.

when i say that the mother's responsibility is over, it doesn't mean she goes away from the scene. It is about responsibility.

Also, what I am speaking about is the ways of vedic tradition. Not something you see in today's world. So, your example doesn't prove anything. Even my case is like that.

Further, a college lecturer is not a Guru. I am talking about a spiritual Guru.

18:55  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Ignoramus,
I strongly diagree with you post and its contents. While I appreciate your efforts to put in such a post on the web I strongly feel disappointed and I disagree about your understanding and portrayal of one of the main pillars of Indian philosophy where mother father teacher and god are given equal importance in an individual's life. Since I do not think that I can teach you everything in one or two sentenses, I would request you to study more deep about what you have attempted to do and then post it again. I could have simply ignored this post saying it is rubbish. But I am spending my time to write it not because of any other personal compulsion of any intention to demoralise you, but only because of the importance of the topic you attempted. I also would like to bring to your notice that the world of internet is much wider than what we all think. There are many readers from various parts of the world. Hence I would urge you take a relook at this topic, understand it better, if necessary talk to people who know about this topic and then revise your post.

Unless you are not ready to do it, I am sorry to say that, the post remain extremely misguding and meaningless.

20:26  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great if your being raised in a traditanal Indian way . How do son's daughters of crack addicts get a glimps of god?

13:56  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!

10:52  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My Dearest Friend,

I usher not to disregard the merit stemmed from your perception. I thank you rather, for bringing to the fore, any misconstrution that may be suitable and understandly interpretted of the quoted Heirachy. Please allow me the priveledge to ask you read my knowing of the intended dechipher of the quote, and may you base reading further, on the assuirity that I am of utmost respect for every culture, creed and religious belief that is shared amongst the priveledged existance that commonly unites us all as being human and blessed to attain the strived level of peace and accord through a simple virtue by practising selflessness, which is the underlying common teaching in every religion we have all chosen as the ultimate state of comfort. Even a choice not to follow any religious study, is a declared intent to follow a path most comforting.

Without having to justify the Love any form of believed and Loved Creator has for ones subjective acceptance, I can only share enough time to enlighten you of the mentioned misunderstanding I still respect you for stating. Courage to profess as self claim, should never be seen as ignorance, but rather as a pillow to ask for alternate perceptous enlightment.

"Mata, Pita, Guru, Deva" is not a relay of handover responsibilities. These are meant to define the 4 stronf pillars in a persons life. 4 pillars that will always form a foundation as a united single guided Principle in everyones life.

15:27  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

.... (Continued), Even though mortality hyphens the prior two (Mata, and Pita)... (Mother and Father), the latter two are values which can always evolve through a persons life cycle... "Guru and Deva are disciplines that we are subjected to humanly question and emotionally evolve from the molded acceptance we grow to understand of the two. 'Guru' means Teacher, or 'Education' or, 'Experience' taught lessons of life. "Deva" insinuates our choice for guided Supreme life conforming examples by preached guidance. These 4 "Symbols" influence who we are born as, who we strive to become, what educates our reasoning and a higher empowering belief that could bring us back to conformity, if off choice.

"Mata, Pita, Guru, Deva" is specific in its intented "Order" said. It is a reminded intent of the Order of respect. We have to cherish our Mother as most important to our being. A Mother is a reminder of Love, unconditional Love, Nurturing, Security, Growth, the Highest support structure one can ever rely to confide in. Mother is growth and the sustaining foundation of life. "Pita" is the next most important person. He is the creator just as well and seen as the provider and the virtue installer. We strive to be the strength we are all first subjescted to in awe from the definition of our Fathers. A Father who respects your mum, instills imperative values that define your very own respect system. A Father who tones harsh toward u, could equally raise an innate form of harsh social acceptably yet misaligned reason for your belief that anger is acceptable. No faulter on the Father by my said... After all we define our own growth and path from birth (even though we r too young to know it then)... By this I mean, we are all born with the control to define our natural needs and instincts. Don't blame the Father. We have the ability to influence a persons guidance. If we act arrogant, so shall we be our own architect for creating a reprimanding Father. If we show need to look up to and emulate our Father, so shall we heed him into becoming the greatest mentor.

15:29  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

... (Continued: post 3 of 3), "Guru" means Education and is something we should selectively apply and announce as the alternate to otherwise conformed merit for reward. This form can only be priviledged if we are complacent from the guidance of our Mum and Dad. And Finally, "Deva" is the spiritual teachings which culiminate the comfort from all above...

I can explain more definitively, but my faith in you for having the ability to remain questful for knowledge, impedes any doubt that I still believe in your universal love.

After all, allow me to quote a formidable conclusive acceptance... "You are the Friends you keep. Parents and teachers and Religious guidance, are principles that aid us learn from experience. Seemed redundant to re-invent the wheel, learn from those closest to you, not conceding that every has a progressive lesson to teach... But Aaaah!!, that's where I just caught u not paying attention. Offcourse every lesson is progressive... All depends on what u take out of it to strengthen your own growth, either as avoidance or follow by example"...

Life is natural. Life happens. Life always has a sequence of guidance and influence which are tools around us. Learn from these. Learn from our Mother, Father, Teacher and Spiritual chosen Guidance...

"Mata, Pita, Guru, Deva"...

15:32  
Blogger Unknown said...

In which book or upnishath we see this sentance "Matha Pitha Guru Daivam"

Help me...

20:45  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Best viewed in Mozilla Firefox with a 1024 X 768 resolution or higher

Get Firefox