Guru Purnima – July Reflections

July 1, 2026 Comments 0 Comment

Opening Reflections

Welcome back to The Open Door, the monthly newsletter of the International Nath Order.

July is the month of Guru Purnima — a traditional time to honor the guru, the teacher, and the living transmission of wisdom. This issue reflects on that timeless relationship through excerpts and a practice drawn from the INO writings.

The INO website holds the full writings: Scrolls, essays, and foundational texts. These serve as the central resource for anyone on the path. The Scrolls of Mahendranath are required reading for aspirants. Timeless in nature, they reward repeated reading, often revealing deeper layers of understanding each time.

The Open Door is a monthly invitation to return to the source. It arrives to highlight the Scrolls, essays, and foundational writings that are always available on internationalnathorder.org.

Peace, Freedom, and Happiness to All.

Wisdom from the INO

Two timeless pieces from the INO offer guidance this month, honoring Guru Purnima with reflections on the role of the guru and the nuances of lunar celebrations.

The Guru

For he who knows the Absolute, the One, knows there is little more which need be done.

by Shri Gurudev Mahendranath

In the darkness of life, a brilliant ray,
The most precious thing in the world today.
Above ambition and struggle for fame,
Aloof from the world of form and name.
Beyond the hunger of want and desire,
The Guru sits calm by his sacred fire.

Disciples at the teacher’s feet did learn,
Until they all were Gurus in their turn.
From Gurus of a past beyond all time,
There came the truth in one unbroken line.
So Gurus that have been but now are gone,
Have known the Science of God and passed it on.

Reformers dream their dreams, so very nice,
To turn the world into a paradise.
The Guru knows that though the world is old,
Man has no power to recast or remold.
And though long centuries do pass away,
Men never learn and dream new dreams today.

He knows the mass will never give him ear,
Prefer their life, its hazards and its fear.
To dream that sometime they will have the price,
To turn the world into a paradise.
The Guru sees the world of name and form,
A sorry mess in which men are reborn.

He does not seek to wander far and wide,
Or ever crave for someone at his side.
For he who knows the Absolute, the One,
Knows there is little more which need be done.
But use some particle of time each day,
To guide a soul and help it on its way.

But who can prophesy or warning give
When fast mad world will never give it ear?
How nature bleeds, her work is all undone
And nothing knows of harmony the more.
Is he not lucky, who while there was time,
By yoga traveled to the other shore?

The True Timing of Guru Purnima and the Nuances of Lunar Celebrations

Any day or time is a good moment to worship the Divine.

by Sri Kapilnath

A few thoughts on Guru Purnima and the translation of ideas between the East and West.

Any day or time is a good moment to worship the Divine. With this in mind, let’s take a fresh look at Guru Purnima from the perspective of those who invented the occasion.

Guru Purnima is defined as occurring during the 15th Tithi (Purnima) of the waxing Moon in the lunar month of Sravana with the Moon in the Nakshatra of Sravana.

The Sanskrit word “Tithi” is calculated using the longitude of the Moon and Sun. For those interested, please look carefully into the terms, lunar month, Tithi and Nakshatra.

The main point I am bringing to light here is that indication and timings for the full Moon as found at NASA or local media is based on the moment in which the Moon is 180 degrees from the Sun relative to Earth. This is the definition of Full Moon.

However, the planets are in motion and when the Moon is 180.01 degrees from the Sun, the Moon is now waning and no longer called Purnima. The peak has been reached and Guru Purnima has passed.

Relative to the Eastern concept of the occasion, the Western date and time of the Full Moon marks the closing moment of the Eastern Guru Purnima.

I personally don’t use the Hindu Festival Calendar much but many are nostalgic about the yearly moments of Guru Purnima, Shiva Ratri and Nava Ratri etc.

The Devil is sometimes in the details and plenty is often lost in translation when some concepts are not understood and perhaps simplified due to cultural differences and inattention to details.

I thought I would point this out since many sincere people in the West are devotedly observing Guru Purnima after it has already past and concluded. The same confusion abounds for Shiva Ratri. Shiva Ratri is on the 14th Tithi of the waning Moon. When the New Moon occurs it is all over, etc.

Direct Practice

This month’s direct practice explores the meaning and transmission of Nath Kula Kaula — the spiritual family and magical link of the INO lineage.

Nath Kula Kaula

The alignment to Nath Kula Kaula is a complete yoga in itself.

by Sri Kapilnath

Salutations and Obeisance to the Immortal Line of Shiva’s Naths

Om Shri Dattatreya Namaha
Om Shri Matsyendranatha Namaha
Om Shri Lokanatha Namaha
Om Shri Pagala Baba Namaha
Om Shri Mahendranatha Namaha

Cast your grace upon this author and the assembled readership of this humble essay. May a broader public Awaken to the numinous spirit continuum of the Nath Kula Kaula.

The alignment to Nath Kula Kaula is a complete yoga in itself. The exertion towards alignment may forge a link where hitherto, none existed. In the case of those whose link is established, the process is one of further unfolding in harmony with a mighty stream of Yogis and Nath Siddhas. This is a communion on a sacred spiritual level.

The practical utility of this process and approach should be obvious to perceptive spiritual scientists. Spiritual entities and forces which were at one time directly connected to this earth plane are more easily contacted by the living in the present or future. Added to this is the vitality of the link being passed down in an unbroken mind/spirit transmission or line from generation to generation.

The process of refining and making the magical link tangible is the bedrock or foundation practice for initiates of the INO. One begins to resonate in harmony with That which one engages, aligns with and concentrates on. Focusing our attention with love, ecstasy and gratitude on the spirit continuum of great souls and those more advanced than ourselves is always a progressive karma. In this case, we are not only working with the magical link, but also working with the principle of sympathetic magic.

The magical link is conferred by mind/spirit transmission at the time of initiation in a formal way. If the Nath initiate is properly prepared by earlier transmission and training, then there is every expectation that the higher processes and personal transmutation will proceed if the processes and teachings are sufficiently engaged.

The concept and reality of Nath Kula Kaula is the spiritual rudder which grounds the Nath aspirant in good company, associated values and practical exertion or practice. It is the essence of lineage.

The method is one of alignment with the living Kula members and those that have gone before. It is a method of intentional extension and love to those who would participate within the Kula Chakra or Zonule. Traditionally the process unfolds in a context of alignment and intention.

The easiest method to engage the process is the repetition of mantras which have been passed down through the spiritual family for countless generations and include those mantras given to the living by distinct historical members of the Kula.

This is an excerpt from The Nath Kula Kaula by Sri Kapilnath. Read the complete essay here:

Read The Nath Kula Kaula

Community & Events

More Scrolls of Mahendranath — in print this September

We are pleased to share that More Scrolls of Mahendranath is scheduled for release in early September.

This new collection brings together additional poems, excerpts, and essays by Shri Gurudev Mahendranath, continuing the timeless transmission found in the original Scrolls.

Further details will be shared on social media and in next month’s issue of The Open Door.

Peace, Freedom, and Happiness to All.

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We invite your reflections in the comments (open for two weeks). Share experiences, questions, or thoughts — they are always welcome and may inspire others.

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