On the Way to Work (Urban Forest Bathing with Dome)

This full moon is both the one called by some “guru purnima“–with rituals to honor the teacher–and also  the relatively rare blue moon. I’ve been seeing lots of postings on social media about guru purnima by my friends who are engaged in the practice, study, and teaching of yoga.  The variations in the postings about guru purnima are as wide as what the person believes is the guru–from recognition of a person who has been named a guru; to teachers, recognized as such; to simply the invocation of our own teacher within.  Suggestions for ritual range from specific puja to just an invitation to think about the concept and to recognize those who have imparted wisdom to us that has enhanced our lives (even if we have to do a lot of work to know that).

I’ve never personally been called to have a guru (among other things, it is too counter to my unprogrammed Quaker upbringing).  I do, though, have many teachers, some more formally serving in that role than others and I cheerfully honor them today.

I invite you to think about what it means to have teachers, i.e., to be a true student.  How we might be living if we consciously interrelate with all around us, human and not, as both a student and teacher all of the time?  What quality of listening and openness would that require?  What might we be learning?  What might we teach?