Satguru

''Satguru'' (), or ''sadguru'' (), means a "true guru" in Sanskrit. The term is distinguished from other forms of gurus, such as musical instructors, scriptural teachers, parents, and so on. A ''satguru'' has some special characteristics that are not found in any other types of spiritual guru. ''Satguru'' is a title given specifically only to an enlightened ''rishi'' or '' sant'' whose life's purpose is to guide the initiated '' shishya'' on the spiritual path, the summation of which is the realization of the Self through realization of God.

Hinduism

According to Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a Hindu ''satguru'' is always a '' sannyasin'', an unmarried renunciate, but not all writers include this stricture. Tukaram, a Hindu ''satguru'', is known to have had a family. Satguru Kabir had a son, Kamal, who was very devout.

The words ''sant'' and ''satguru'' were prominently used in the spiritual ideology of Kabir in the 15th century. Kabir says "''satpurush ko jansi, Tiska satguru naam''", meaning the one who has seen the supreme lord of truth (''satya purush'') is ''satguru''. Kabir wrote "''Devi dewal jagat mein, kotik poojey koye. Satguru ki pooja kiye, sabb ki pooja hoye''", meaning that worship of ''satguru'' includes in it worship of all deities. In other words, ''satguru'' is the physical form of God (''sat purusha'').

In one of Kabir's songs the ''satguru'' is described as the real ''sadhu'':

Vasishtha, Rama's guru, was the ''satguru'' in the Treta Yuga. Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha quoted the ''Yoga Vasistha'' regarding the "real preceptor" (''satguru''):

In Sant Mat and Advait Mat, the living ''satguru'' is considered the path to God-realization.

Sikhism

In Sikh philosophy, Nanak, defines ''satguru'' as truth itself and not a physical entity. This truth emanates from reality and requires no blind faith. In the Japji Sahib he writes "'' Ek onkar, satguru prasad''", which means "there is one creator, his knowledge I have learnedby the grace of God". The Sikh (student) learns from reality as presented by the creator. Truth (''sat'') itself is the teacher (guru).

The recommendation says that the first and the foremost qualification of the ''satguru'' is that he must have known the True Lord (God) himself.

Syncretic traditions

Meher Baba equated worship of the ''satguru'' with worship of God:

According to Dada Bhagwan, a ''satguru'' must maintain self-knowledge:

Satsang

A ''satsang'' is an audience with a ''satguru'' for religious instruction. The name ''satsang'' is a Sanskrit word that means "gathering together for the truth" or, more simply, "being with the truth". Truth is what is real, what exists.

See also

* List of Hindu gurus and sants

References

Works cited

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{{Sikhism

Hindu philosophical concepts
Indian philosophy