THE SPIRITUAL PATH

The guru is all the gods.  He is invoked as Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.  The daily prayer to the guru takes the form:

"Gururbrahma gururvishnugururdevo maheshvarah

Gurussaakshaat parambrahma tasmai sreeguravenamah."

Looking upon the guru as God himself, the spiritual aspirant impresses him by his humility, his earnestness and his ministrations, and obtains his grace. Pleased with the aspirant, the guru initiates him into the ultimate spiritual truth on which the pupil meditates and realizes it himself.

As the Upadesapanchaka has it, brahmaasmeeti vibhaavyataam:  He contemplates: 'I am Brahman' and finally stands as a realized soul, as witness to the identity of the individual with the Supreme: parabrahmawmanaa stheeyataam.  

This final realization is the result of jnaana of the Supreme Truth received from the guru and contemplated on by the pupil. In that state, one is freed from the shackles of life and is said to be liberated even while one is alive. This state is called jeevanmukti.   This is the goal of the spiritual path laid out in our religion.

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