Foreigners pay tributes to eastern gurus on Guru Purnima

Varanasi, July 11 (UNI) A galaxy of devouts, including foreigners, paid tributes to their gurus from East on the festival of Guru Purnima here today.

Three disciples, two from USA and a Sydney-based surgeon performed 'pujan' of their gurus -- Sai Maa Lakshami Devi and Satua Baba -- at an ashram located on the banks of Ganga river.

''I have been to this Ashram with my guru, the US-based Sai Maa Lakshami to seek blessings from her spiritual master Satua Baba, twice on the occasion of Mahashivaratri. But being here to celebrate Guru Puja of both the gurus has rendered me inexplicable bliss,'' a 52-year-old Colarado-based former painting contractor Dean Mock told UNI.

The blue-eyed man, who joined Sai Maa's global spiritual movement 'Humanity in Unity' and has been rechristened as 'Shiv Dhun' by his guru, said as 'Guru Dakshina,' he has decided to spend his remaining life in spreading Lord Shiva's message of spiritual peace across the world.

''There is no better place than Kashi to take a vow in this regard and that too in front of immortal truth unfolding in form of burning pyres on the mythologically famous Manikarnika ghat,'' he maintained.

His friend from Sydney (Australia) John Coroneos (42), a specialist in alleviating human suffering through his surgical skills, felt the western society had become unbalanced due to the vortex of materialism.

''We need to balance the society through the spiritual balm of Gurus of East, which has deep rooted tradition of spiritualism,'' Dr John said.

Two months back, for gaining spiritual somnolence, Dr John started scouting for Sai Maa and his quest for the right oriental Guru ended in Kashi on the auspicious Guru Purnima day with the Australian surgeon being blessed with the 'darshan' of not only the US based spiritual leader but also her guru Satua Baba.

''I have got a two-in-one spiritual delight and will do whatever to further their humane cause,'' Dr John said.

The third disciple from west, however, has been associated with both Sai Maa and Satua Baba for ten years now and after being rechristened as Paramacharya Swami Parmeshwarananda, the 55-year-old from Chicago wants to carry on his work of spreading the oriental philosophy across the globe.

''Sai Maa and Satua Baba have helped me unite with god and now it is my duty to pay them Guru Dakshina by spreading their philosophy across the globe,'' he maintained.

Besides the grand Guru Purnima function at Satua Baba Ashram, similar programmes were also organised across the city including the Gadhwa Ghat Mutt, Vidya Mutt, Rajkamal Vedanti Mutt and Aghor Pith -- Sarveshwari Samuha Sansthan.

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