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Sashtang Pranam, Strengthening the Bond with the Teacher
October 10, 2011 | Click here to print.
The following teaching is from a talk given by Shri Anandi Ma in 2002.
In the Guru Gita, Lord Shiva teaches that one can transcend obstacles on the spiritual path through the practice of the sashtang pranam, bowing down to the Lord and Guru with the two hands, the feet, the knees, the chest, the eyes, the head, mind, and vacan, or word. Further on in that scripture Lord Shiva clearly states that the “Guru is my form,” and later Shivaji tells Mother Parvati that She also is His form. So when you pranam to the Guru, you are also bowing down to Lord Shiva and to Shakti, the Divine Mother, simultaneously.
Each of the eight limbs of surrender of the pranam holds a special significance:
In this way, through the physical body and its subtle aspects, Lord Shiva has taught humanity the way to simplify and reach the goal by the performance of pranam. Through the devotion of bowing down, obstacles on the spiritual path are slowly but surely resolved.
At the same time, the Teacher has the opportunity to work with the student and manifest for him or her certain siddhis. I don’t mean siddhis in terms of powers, but of understanding, having the clear-cut ability of the buddhi, or intellect, to discriminate at the absolute level. Such discrimination allows you to negate or put aside everything that is binding and restrictive and to be able to fully understand, use, explore, and finally reach the goal.
But of all the siddhis, the only one the disciple really needs is the grace of God and Guru flowing in unlimited amounts, without stopping. If the student practices according to the path shown by the Teacher, everything will open up, the Grace will flow, and the goal will be achieved. The complete way of bowing down through the eight limbs of surrender — the sashtang pranam — serves as a strong medium to deeply, subtly strengthen that connection between the Teacher and the student. It optimizes the level at which the Teacher, the Guru, can work for the disciple. If the student can surrender and cultivate an inner level of trust, faith and devotion, then the heart of the Teacher can melt all other restrictions, boundaries are removed, and the Teacher can do a lot more at much deeper levels.
So it is not just the physical act but the inner intent of completely bowing down, completely surrendering to the Guru, that bonds Teacher and student, allowing the Guru to work completely.
Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, Sarve santu niramayah, Sarve bhadrani pashyantu,
Ma kascid dukhabhag bhavet, Ma kascid dukhabhag bhavet, Om shantih shantih shantih.
May everyone everywhere be happy; Let each and every heart be filled with love, peace, and joy; May all miseries be destroyed; And may each and every soul thirst to reach God. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.
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