| In Sanskrit, the word Guru
comes from the verb root gri, meaning “to invoke” or “to praise.” Guru is also an adjective, and can mean
heavy, serious, or venerable. When
put together, Guru translates to “heavy one.” There may also be a connection to the root “gur” which means
“to lift up.” The Guru Gita, or
“song of the spiritual teacher” is found in a collection of mantras called the
Markandeeya Purana. In the context
of this work, the root gu means “darkness” and ru means “removal.” A guru is a teacher who has attained
enlightenment and has the ability to pass on this wisdom to others, removing
the darkness and shining the light of understanding. Besides a teacher type of guru, there is also an inner guru,
the higher self that listens, our inner wisdom and intuition. According to the Vedas, this inner guru
is the most important source of knowledge. In modern times, we have learned that guru translates to
“Gee-You-Are-You.”
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