From Darkness into Light

 

Lead Us

“From the unreal, lead me to the real!

From the darkness, lead me to the light!

From death, lead me to immortality!”

Upanishads

          There is an article in the new Parabola titled, “The Guru’s Grace: the ongoing presence of Neem Karoli Baba,” or Maharaj-ji, as his followers called him. You may remember that he was Ram Dass’ guru. The article is written by Parvati Markus with Swapnil Abrol, who was secretary to the Guru, and is in the current issue (Winter, 2022-2023) of Parabola. It tells about the purpose of gurus, and the manifestations of Neem Karoli Baba since his death in 1973.

This article helps me to understand what a guru is: “Guru literally means ‘the remover of darkness’ –whether that is the darkness that stems from hurtful thoughts, words, and deeds, or the darkness of ignorance that keeps us from loving others and ourselves.” As I read it, I thought, boy, do we ever need a guru—someone to remove the darkness from our political and ecological worlds. We need the ancient words that will restore us to sanity and remind us that the path of darkness will not lead to light.

Maharaji-ji’s presence is still felt among his devotees today in a palpable way. Like Jesus and Mary, Mohammad, and perhaps, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, he is thought to be a “realized being,” one who has completed his work here but stays to help others. One realizes that such beings do not need to be present in physical form to be influential. The “physical connection is not necessary for the soul connection. That connection is love—unconditional, unreserved, unlimited love.”

Such love is forever, it never dies or fades or wanes. As Swapnil Abrol writes, “The guru’s grace is available around the clock, 24/7, for your whole life and beyond.” One description of Maharaji-ji by a follower, Dada Mukerjee, was,
“He is so vast, he is so vast! When he was in a body, he was able to reach only so many, but now, now he is unlimited.” The spirit of light, of goodness and unconditional love is ever-present and unlimited.

I say this to let you know that whatever fears you have, whatever uncertainty you may experience as a human being trying to live through uncertain times, you can take comfort in the Guru’s grace—whether that guru is Jesus or Mohammad, or Maharaj-ji. The essence of creation, the ground upon which we move and breathe and have our being is love, pure and simple.

                                        In the Spirit,

                                        Jane