Years ago, in the quiet village of Kaladi, India, a devout couple named Sivaguru and Aryamba gave birth to a divine child who would come to be known as Shri Adi Shankara. Born with precocious wisdom and rare capacities, even at a young age, it was apparent this special child was a gift from God. Indeed it is believed that Shri Adi Shankara was the incarnation of Lord Shiva himself, sent to Earth to save the sanatana dharma (eternal religion; the ancient name of Hinduism). As a youth, he was a child prodigy who performed rituals meticulously and accepted sannyasa at the age of eight. Some years later, when he was a young man, he wrote commentaries on all major works in advaita (the doctrine of non-dualism), one of his greatest contributions to humankind.
Shri Adi Shankara's time on Earth was short but glorious, each moment dedicated to the upliftment of humanity. He lived a completely balanced and God-like life, simultaneously merged in universal consciousness while maintaining a great compassion for humanity. His mission was to help each human being realize that God is within, in others, and in everything everywhere. Thus he toured the length and breadth of the country, renovating temples, correcting and improving ritualism, and establishing spiritual centers. He was also known as the first Shankaracharya: adi means "the first" and acharya means "teacher," the first teacher.
Shri Adi Shankara was not only a great master, he was also a great devotee. He composed beautiful flowing poetry, rich with expression and rhythm, about various gods and goddesses. Some of his works like Shivananda Lahari and Bhaja Govindam were written for the redemption of common people.
Hence, it is no exaggeration to say that Shri Adi Shankara was the best of saints and the best of teachers. His message was simple but powerful: live in the world while remaining aware of its illusory nature.
Life is a precious gift from God that can be beautiful and enjoyable when lived with knowledge and understanding. If we have a clear-cut goal and the means to achieve the goal, our life can be fruitful. However, if the goal is not clear, and the path to the goal is not known to us, our journey is anything but pleasant. For life to be meaningful, it has to be lived with a purpose. The scriptures and the spiritual masters, through their teachings and practical lifestyles, have indicated the goal of life and also the path that can lead us there. They remind us not to forget the goal. Regrettably, the majority of people live purposeless lives. They just move with the accepted social flow, thinking: we should study, we should work and earn money, we should get married, we should have children and maintain a family, and so on. It is true that these are the different stages of life, but while passing through these stages, we should progress towards a higher goal. Unfortunately, most often we forget this, and as a result, we miss the real charm and opportunity that life has to offer. For this reason, Paramahamsa Hariharananda liked to remind us again and again that, "Opportunity must not be neglected for it may never return." Thus herein lies humankind's great dilemma: the opportunity of human life has been given to us but we do not know how to make it purposeful and fulfill the goal of life.
Once when Shri Adi Shankara was traveling with his disciples in the city of Kashi, also known as Varanasi or Benaras, he happened to hear some chanting. When he went to see where it was coming from, he saw an old scholar of language and literature teaching some students the rules of Sanskrit grammar, which was done by memorizing and chanting again and again. Filled with compassion, he approached the elderly man and advised him not to waste time on grammar at his age, but to turn his mind to God instead, in worship and adoration. He said, "You have spent your whole life chanting the laws of grammar, and even in your old age you are still teaching the same Sanskrit rules and having the students memorize them. Why don't you teach them how to love God, or at least practice this yourself? What is the use of chanting grammar rules? Would it not be better to remember God? When death comes to you, what will you do? Death can come at anytime; there is no guarantee how long you will live. You are already old, what have you done with your life?" Gurudev Paramahamsa Hariharananda gave the example of a man trying to cross a river and the boatman asking if he had money to pay the fare. Similarly, we have to cross this world, but do we have the resources, potential, and capability needed to cross it?
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