As we embark into 2024, the Mission community has been celebrating Gurudev’s (Swami Chinmayananda) 108th Jayanti (birthday). In the Chinmaya Mission New York community, we will be celebrating by inviting Gurudev into our homes and performing Guru Paduka Pujas under the guidance of Brni. Shubhani Chaitanya. 

What: Guru Paduka Puja
Starting: 22 January 2024  through 8 May 2024
Where: In devotees’ homes

We perform Guru Paduka Puja out of love, reverence and gratitude for all of the teachings that we have received from our entire Guru Parampara (lineage of teachers), especially Pujya Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda.

In many ways, we all have benefitted from his Grand Vision of sharing Vedanta with anyone who is sincere to dive into the Truth – from all backgrounds, all faiths, and all age ranges. We have been inspired by his teachings from our littlest shishus (very young toddlers) up to our vanaprasthis (senior members). We wouldn’t be here without his vision and mission today. 

This is a beautiful opportunity to celebrate a worshipful era from Pujya Gurudev’s life and His legacy of dissemination of knowledge. For those who would like to participate and offer gratitude, please sign up at: 

REGISTER for Guru Paduka Puja

Significance of Guru Pādukā Pūjā

Who is the Guru?
A Guru cannot be limited to any single form. A Guru is a living presence who comes in many forms: such as a mother, father, teacher – guiding us on the path of dharma (righteousness). Amongst all of the forms of Gurus, there is a special Satguru who is a Jīvanmukta (liberated one) and a visible form of God. This Satguru awakens us to the Truth of who we are and helps us realize the Guru within.

Symbol of the Padukas
The padukas are impressions of the feet/footwear of God or Guru. One Paduka represents Truth or Self-Knowledge in which the Master is established, the other Paduka is the symbol of awakening other people. Just as a lit candle, lights up other candles, the Master too has realized the Truth and their life is spent in awakening others.

Worship of the Padukas
Wake up and awaken others! When we worship the padukas, we pray to awaken to the Reality that is already innate within us and we seek blessings to share these teachings with others.

Padukas & Humility
Self-Knowledge is the direct means to awaken to the Truth. To attain Self-Knowledge, humility is required. Worship of the Padukas represents humility. When we touch the feet of the elders or the Guru, or when we worship the Padukas, we bow our highest part of our body (head) towards the lowest part (feet) of the Guru. The head is the symbol of ego, filled with preconceived notions, arrogance about money, power, pleasure, body, beauty and fame. By worshiping the padukas , we surrender our ego along with all its preconceived notions. By being humble and open, we are ready to receive knowledge. We are ready to do what it takes to know the Truth. In this way, the Padukas show the goal as well as the path, which is through humility.

Story: Are we willing to know the Truth?
There was once a king who wanted to know the Truth. He went to his Master and said “Can you please guide me to the Truth?” The Master, who lived on the outskirts of the kingdom, said “You have to live here, and since I don’t have accommodation in my cottage, you will have to live in the pigsty outside.”

The king said “Pigsty? Not possible. I can’t stay there.” He went back. He ruled the kingdom for a few more years. However, he felt very uncomfortable and disillusioned that there was no real happiness in the world and went back to the Master. The Master said, “I had told you that you will have to stay in the pigsty. If you are ready then we can start right this moment.” The king said, “I really want to know the Truth but that is a little too much. If you permit me, I will build one more cottage next to yours and I will stay there.” The master replied “It is not possible.” So, again the king went back and ruled for another few years. The third time when he came, he didn’t go to the Master. He went straight to the pigsty. The Master went there and said, “Now you are ready. Come, stay with me. The idea was not that you had to stay there, but whether you were willing to do what it takes to know the Truth.”

Padukas & Surrender
During the pūjā, we often say ‘namaḥ’ (na mama – not mine) with each name of the Guru. We remember that nothing is ours; it is a gift from God, including our very own children. We realize that we are not creators, builders or owners of anything. We are simply caretakers; our dharma lies in doing our absolute best and surrendering to the higher power. We are simply instruments; our dharma lies in channeling the desire of Divinity and not our own selfish motives. Even the so-called burden that we willingly carry is not ours, it is already carried by God so we can just trust and let go.

Padukas & Gratitude
Ādi Śaṅkarācārya says that three things are a sure sign that the Grace of God is with us:
1. Human birth – manuṣyatvam
2. A burning desire to know the Truth – mumukṣutvam
3. The Refuge under a Wise One – mahāpuruṣasaṃśrayaḥ

The very fact that a Satguru has come into our lives is a sign of the Grace of the Lord. The fact that we are able to study, understand and share that knowledge with others is also a sign of Grace. When we perform the pūjā, we express that gratitude.

It is the Uncaused and Infinite Compassion of the Satgurus, which makes them leave the quiet moments of nirvikalpa samādhi, a life of seclusion and solitude to come down to live amidst us and guide us to the Truth patiently. No matter what we do for such masters it is never enough because everyone and everything else in the world makes a finite being into a better finite entity. Ex: A poor man gets money, a sick one becomes healthy, an ignorant one gains a degree etc. Though they appear to get what they desire, their sense of finitude or incompleteness does not go away. No matter how much they gain, they are still not fulfilled. They crave for more. Fulfillment only comes when we realize our nature as the Infinite. It is the Satguru who guides us, who wakes us up to this awakening. What can we offer such a master who ends the hunger of many lives and saves us from the cycle of continuous birth and death? Gratitude and service is the least that we can do.

Swami Chinmayananda always said that the entire work of Chinmaya Mission is the glory of Sri Swami Tapovanam. “I shall consider myself fulfilled if my life and work become my message of adoration and gratitude to my Teacher. Words can never gather Him in their embrace. Love alone can. Let us all adore Him and work for His fulfillment which is the goal of Chinmaya Mission.”

Pā-Du-Kā – Etymological meaning:
Pā means pāti (it protects). The grace of the Guru always protects the disciple, whether the disciple knows and acknowledges it or not. The moment one comes under the umbrella of a Satguru, of a Master who has known the Truth, the grace of that Master always protects. It is not that grace doesn’t protect other people. Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda said that grace is like the sunlight. Sunlight is always available. But when we surrender, we open the window and allow the light to come in. Others keep their windows closed and complain that it is dark. For spiritual students, Grace is very important because we have many weaknesses that cannot be overcome just by our effort. We may try very hard – anger, lust, jealousy, passion, insecurity, the very sense of identification with the body – all these are very difficult to overcome by self-effort alone. Grace is necessary. The more the student invokes Grace, the more Grace protects the student.

Du means Dunoti (it burns away). When the worship of the Padukas is done regularly as our sādhanā (spiritual practice), the devotion that grows in one’s heart will burn away all the negative tendencies and limitations. Furthermore, in the fire of Self-Knowledge, gained by the Guru’s grace, all our ignorance is burnt away and karmas of many lives are destroyed.

Kā means Kāśate (it shines). A person shines in one’s own true glory when all the negativities are gone. The Self within reveals itself and one gets established in one’s true nature.

Click here for more information on why we perform this puja.

Learn more about Chinmaya Mission New York and about Pujya Swami Chinmayananda through various channels below,

PLATFORMS:

• https://archives.chinmayamission.com/gurudev/intro
• https://www.youtube.com/user/ChinmayaChannel
• https://www.instagram.com/swami_chinmayananda



 

If you have further questions, please send an email to info@chinmayanewyork.org.