1.4.8 spir. in practice

Guru mantra and act

November 11,1995

Q: If a person is going to perform a negative act (something that should not be done) and takes his/her Guru Mantra, what is the effect?

It is a very good question, very good. First of all, what does it mean to take the guru mantra? If it is a rote formula which is followed, it is helpful because it reminds the human being always of the truth that all are the manifestation of Brahma and Brahma is the only one who acts. But if it is merely a rote statement, it may help the human being, but it will not cure the problem and the need to follow Yama and Niyama is not negated by taking guru mantra. It is no magic formula. What it does, is remind the human being of the truth and when that truth begins to be more and more your reality, then you will find that the guru mantra is merely a reminder, to remind you of what is in fact the reality and in knowing that reality, your actions will become Dharmic.

But merely because you take the guru mantra like a superstitious saying that will protect you no matter what you do, no matter what is your intention and ideation, this is utterly false. If your intention is pure, your ideation pure, your actions will be pure as well. They may be misread by others, but the intentions make all the difference. If two people shout in anger and one person's intention is to hurt and diminish the other person and another person's intention in shouting in anger is to help the person, they may both do the same action, but they have done with different intentions. Therefore, having different intentions, different ideation, the action is not the same.

Action has its root in intention. So if in taking guru mantra, one's intentions are said with purity and love, knowing that all are the very expressions of Parama Brahma and that only that Divine Entity truly acts in the world, you are merely the witness of His action. If this love is taken and the heart is open with good intentions, then surely that will result in good action though it may be something that may appear to others as a bad action. What it appears to others is of no consequence. What is important, is that the intention is one of love with the ideation of divinity. So Mr. A may shout, Mr. B may shout but their intentions being different. Their actions are not the same, though on the outside they may appear to be. So do you understand? Guru mantra is not a magic formula to ward off all bad results and if you take it you may do any ill deed to anyone. It is not like that. If you have ill intent towards others and you wish to hurt those people, the result of that intention will be in your mind and guru mantra will not prevent that. But if you take guru mantra and you see those people as divine and intend good to them and to all beings, then you may do the very same action but results will be different and what is left in the mind will be very different and the unweaving of samskaras will begin to occur.