DELAWARE, USA, July 16, 2016 (Indic Today): Veneration to the Guru, who is a teacher, leader, guide and philosopher combined, is deeply ingrained in the Indian tradition, with the earliest words of the Veda asserting emphatically that Guru is equal to God, on par with matru and pitru, mother and father, on par with Para Brahman, the ultimate truth. It is a mystical relationship, transcending time and blood ties, forged in the fire of the ultimate source, created as a way of transmitting deepest truths and the best of skills, both subtle and complex, both simple and powerful, constantly honing, transforming, perfecting the Jeeva into everything he was born to be. Preserving, and paying tribute to, one of the most precious relationships in a human being’s life – that between the Guru and the shishya — has always been important, and in challenging times more so than before.
The full moon day (purnima) in Ashada month is observed as the auspicious day of Guru Purnima. This year too, Indic Academy will mark Guru Purnima on the full moon day of Ashadha masa, by honoring Gurus – Academics, Activists, Authors and Artists who have selflessly served the cause of Dharma. However, the scale of this initiative has been taken several notches higher with a decision to honour 108 Gurus. We have chosen scholars, artists, leaders and activists who have consciously devoted decades of their lives towards preserving and promoting our culture and resisting the ever increasing attacks on our Dharmic spaces, our traditions, our Gurus and the very being of Sanathana Dharma itself.
The full list of the 108 selected is at “source” above.