UNITED STATES, June 17, 22012 (Huffington Post by Vineet Chandler): A popular narrative in the Bhagavata Purana, one of Hinduism’s most beloved and venerated wisdom texts, involves a king who meets a forest-dwelling sage. The sage’s peaceful demeanor and obvious contentment, even amidst apparent poverty, astound the king. “Who is your guru?” the king asks, eager to know where the sage learned in such a way. In response, the sage enumerates a list of 24 gurus — a list of unlikely sources of wisdom that even includes natural phenomenon, and animals — each of whom demonstrated to the sage a valuable lesson that he incorporated into his spiritual practice. Of course, the numerical list is merely illustrative; for one who is eager to learn, the sage explains, the world is filled with countless teachers. Though most of us tend to think of gurus in a strictly singular sense, and while many Hindus do accept one particular guru as their primary spiritual guide or mentor, they are also encouraged to learn from others. Indeed, Hinduism holds that anyone — and ultimately, everyone — can be a part of our spiritual growth if we can develop the ability to see them in that way.
I have had to remind myself of that principle, and of the story of the sage and his 24 gurus, as I’ve played the role of a father to my daughter, Shruti Sara, for the past three years. At certain times, bogged down by the seemingly mundane aspects of child rearing, it has been hard to discern the spiritual dimension. At others, though, the presence of the Divine has been palpable and awesome.
Has being a father helped me to be a better Hindu? In a certain superficial sense, the answer is no. As much of a joy as Shruti has been, and continues to be, she has also dramatically uprooted our lives. My wife and I have had to severely reduce our involvement at our local temples, and cut back on seva (service) that we can perform there. Attending festivals and holiday observances have become less about honoring the Deities being celebrated, and more about juggling diaper bags and car seats or managing temper tantrums and picky eating. Regimented practice and worship have taken a backseat to keeping up with a toddler’s largely spontaneous and unpredictable needs.
And yet, on a deeper level — on a level, perhaps, that invokes the spirit of the sage and his 24 gurus — my first three years of fatherhood have taught me a great deal about what it means to be a person of faith, and have forced to evaluate and re-evaluate how I wish to live out my spiritual path, my Dharma. Being a father has been a blessing in my life, yes, but it has also been a catalyst for my spiritual development in a way that I’ve never experienced before. In this sense, Shruti has not only helped me to be a better Hindu; she has helped me to re-define what being a Hindu is all about.
Read the full article at source.