Washing the feet of Guru - Symbolic meaning explained by Swami Chinmayananda
Just as a Shivling represents Shiva, a Saligrama represents Vishnu, in the same way, the feet of the teacher represent to the student not the feet, but the concept behind.
Just as a Shivling represents Shiva, a Saligrama represents Vishnu, in the same way, the feet of the teacher represent to the student not the feet, but the concept behind.
What we are invoking is Brahman the Lord. But we cannot directly go to Him. We want a symbol. At this time, there is no symbol more sacred than the feet of the Teacher.
Therefore, we borrow the feet of the Teacher for some time, and the Teacher allows us to play with them! We wash the feet and worship them, as though they are the Lord Himself.
We clean them with love, put sacred ash, adorn with sandal paste and do all that we do in a puja at the temple; we worship the feet as though they are that Shiva Linga or a Saligrama, invoking Him, the Ideal.
Swami Chinmayananda
Related
Different Meanings of Guru from Guru Gita
The letter ‘Gu’ denotes that He is beyond the three Gunas and ‘Ru’ denotes that He is beyond forms. Because He is free from Gunas and forms, He is called the Guru.
Related
Different Meanings of Guru from Guru Gita
The letter ‘Gu’ denotes that He is beyond the three Gunas and ‘Ru’ denotes that He is beyond forms. Because He is free from Gunas and forms, He is called the Guru.