My first Guru

          Until the age of ten I was not aware of the true meaning of the word poverty. The world was a place filled with happiness. When I faced an incident mentioned in the previous article, my mind changed. I realised that the worldly life is a mixture of happiness and sorrow. I worked with enthusiasm to eliminate poverty. After entering into the pit housing the weaving loom at 6 AM, I would work continuously till 9PM in the night. In between I would have my breakfast at the loom. I will drink the pudding of ragi within 2 minutes. I would come out of the loom for having my lunch. Lunch and a short rest will be completed within 20 minutes. Again weaving will continue. My dear mother and father would plead with me saying "Dear, Do not perform excess weaving. Your body will become wasted; only we know the greatness of giving birth to you." Stating my desire in weaving I would reply to them sincerely and humbly, "Dear Mother, this desire brings only benefits to our family". When I gave such a reply, my mother would often shed tears of joy. I would keep thinking about the future while in the loom.

My first Guru

          At this age I got a Guru. Suiting my age, he immersed my thoughts in Devotion to God. At times even when he spoke purely about Advaitham, I could n't understand it. At that time his age was 75. His name was A.Balakrishnan. His righteous preachings ignited my thoughts. As per his advice I was disciplined and behaved modestly. I was interested in performing bhajans. Still I would keep thinking about the Truth underlying his explanations. Within my 12th year my mind kept on thinking about a few substantial questions.

1. What are the feelings of happiness and sorrow? What is the beginning and end of these?

2. Who am I? What is soul? How does the soul function within the body?
    Why does disease and aging occur?

3. Who is God ? Why did he create this Universe?

4. Why Poverty occurs? How did it come to exist? How to eradicate it?

        These questions occupied my thoughts. My guru at that time preached only Bhajan songs, poems of single stanzas... Still he could not answer any of my questions. But I got some explanations related to my questions. Those are:

1. We should worship God and rectify our shortcomings. As a result God will appear and reveal his state to us.

2. Have to select a good business with more profit and practice it. Because of it poverty would disappear. Weaving would increase the poverty rather than decreasing it.

3. Have to reach an Enlightened Guru. With his help should know about the explanation for soul, explanation for consciousness. These are the explanations revealed by my inner light.

-Vethathiri Maharishi