I have been asked by my guru to explain the unique tradition that exists in our relationship which is known as Guru-Shisya. The phrase refers to the teachings of a guru to a disciple where subtle and advanced knowledge is conveyed and received. To me, Professor Dr. P.H. Kulkarni is like a living encyclopaedia, a friend and a father-figure wrapped up in a wonderfully humble package with enormous wisdom, humour and a sense of fun. I often smile quietly to myself when I think of him. I remember him in his lovely simple stone-built office having his afternoon cat nap – often falling asleep while I am still talking and asking questions (I know it is enough to send anyone to sleep!). How his eyes light up when he talks about his beloved wife or encourages his students. The way he speaks so gently and kindly to his patients. “Let it be, let it be” he says with a smile in his voice and within moments of sitting down his patients almost forget what was troubling them so much before they were in his presence. I thought I would start my assignment at the very beginning, by asking myself what is a teacher? Who is a teacher? What is the role of a teacher? What makes a good teacher? In the classroom, a teacher imparts his or her knowledge and inspires you to do better, to be better and achieve your potential. Teachers exist in many forms outside the academic arena. After much thought I have come to the conclusion each and every one of us is a teacher in some way. Indeed, everyone who comes in to our life or touches it in can also be called our teachers; this is because they have come to teach us something about ourselves. When we have learned all the lessons required we are only then able to reach a state of ultimate bliss, according to Buddhist philosophy. From our parents to complete strangers we bump in to – they all are our teachers who offer us a chance to learn valuable lessons and insights in to our very soul. I think the role of teacher shouldn’t just apply to people because I am touched by the unconditional love we receive from other sources. In Hinduism many life forms are idolised and worshipped as Gods, such as Tulsi or Holy Basil which is the incarnation of a Goddess; and why not? Plants give their healing gifts to us – they give us food, medicine, shelter and many other necessities of life. Animals too are worshipped. While I was growing up in India, it was not common place to have pets as most people are struggling to survive – searching for food, shelter and warmth to protect their families. I do remember being chased by a pet Buffalo once… but that is another story. I never had a chance to form bonds with animals and so I tended to keep my physical distance. Cows of course are sacred back home in India but it often pains me to see animals, including cows whose habitat has been taken away from them and are left scavenging the waste in the streets. Their needs are neglected due to mass human poverty and as a result all manner of wildlife – pigs, dogs, cats, goats are left to forage the rubbish scattered all around. We’ve taken away their habitat, we’ve cultivated the land, we’ve built our homes without giving God’s other creatures any consideration. It is difficult to explain to my family back home of the interconnectedness of all things – by taking away these habitats it is ultimately we humans who will suffer - who are suffering because we are not learning from these great and wise teachers around us. By discarding our plastics and other rubbish we are poisoning them. They too have needs in order to survive; they need the basics of food and shelter, to protect their offspring and future generations. Pollution and climate change is affecting the planet’s wildlife and ultimately will threaten the survival of mankind. Living in the UK I have been lucky enough to know a very cheeky and extremely cuddly cat called Angus. He has taught me about the wonder of animals. My partner, rescued him from a cat shelter. What really impresses me about Angus is that he always comes to greet me at the door and whenever I see him, he always has time for some hugs. He doesn’t harbour any grudges - even if I throw him out of the house for being naughty, a bit later he is back purring away blissful and content. This kind of an unconditional love is alien to many humans who have some how lost touch with this level of kindness and compassion. There are many other teachers in my life who have all given valuable lessons. From my best friends who help to keep me grounded to other special people I have met in passing. I have also been honoured by some of the finest academic teachers throughout my life. Some lessons I have learned in my life been hard lessons. These lessons help us to realise it is how you deal with them and move on from them that count. The people who bring these hard knocks in life are teachers too – they have helped me to be stronger, kinder, and more compassionate as well as develop more empathy for those who are less fortunate than myself. The word guru can mean different things to many people. In the West we liberally use the word guru to mean someone who is knowledgeable about something, such as the world famous Deepak Chopra who is often called a Lifestyle Guru. People can also become self-appointed gurus, labelling themselves everything from Marketing guru to Computer guru. In our world, not all Gurus are necessarily honourable teachers. I have a bit of a problem with following some one blindly. I believe we have to be guided by our own intuition, by our own inner teacher or the goodness within us. I say this because I think there are many false gurus out there – people who use their knowledge purely for financial gain or power such as those who advocate hatred or a warped sense of reality like some heads of religious sects. I say it is important to choose your guru wisely. In many respects I believe the wisest among us are probably our own gurus and look within ourselves for the answers. I guess, the benefit of having a bona fide guru is that he or she cuts down the journey time towards many insights – they’ve simply had the power to connect within their souls and in so doing have figured out lots of things already. Therefore they are equipped to guide us in the right direction. In Asia, particularly in India, the relationship between a Guru and a student is a sacred one. It is a bond that is as old as the hills. This passing of knowledge from word of mouth has enabled Ayurveda to survive many invasions and devastation for generations. The Sanskrit origins of the world guru can also mean different things; I believe all the terms are wonderfully descriptive. As a noun it means “the imparter of knowledge”. As an adjective it means “heavy” or “weighty”; so implies someone who is so heavy, they are literally bursting at the seams with knowledge and spiritual wisdom. If you break the word up – gu means “shadow or darkness” and ru – means “light”. Therefore a guru is a soul who disperses the darkness of ignorance and leads you in to the light of knowledge and wisdom. [According to Advaya-Taraka Upanishad (verse 16) guru is someone who dispels spiritual ignorance (or darkness) with spiritual illumination (or light).] In Hinduism the importance of finding a Guru who can impart transcendental knowledge is very important. In the epic poem, The Bhagavad Gita, the relationship and exchange of wisdom between God in the form of Krishna to his friend Arjuna, a prince is shown as the ideal relationship between a guru and his student. This bond is known as Guru-Shishya. The conversations they have on the battlefield prior to a huge war, I believe reflects the battle we all have moment to moment between the forces of good and evil which exist within us and the consequences of the choices we make in our lives. Krishna is said to be satguru or True Teacher. These oral traditions, like the passing of the love and wisdom that is Ayurveda can be traced back to about 2000BC at the time of the Upanishads Texts. In fact Upanishad in Sanskrit comes from the words upa – which means “near” and sad which means “to sit” – in other words the knowledge that is passed when we sit down next to a spiritual teacher In the Upanishads there are five signs that you are with a satguru or True Guru: 1. Knowledge flourishes (Gyana raksha 2. Sorrow diminishes (Dukha kshaya) 3. Joy wells up without any reason (Sukha aavirbhava) 4. Abundance dawns (Samriddhi) 5. All talents manifest (Sarva samvardhan I believe these five statements apply to Professor Kulkarni. When I am in his prescence or even think about him or some of the things he has said or done - knowledge flourishes. I always feel happy and content and somehow, somewhere the knowledge that is within me is slowly released – little by little, drop by drop. Until one day, these drops will maybe form a river and lead me to the oceans of enlightenment. Ohm. Shanti, shanti