THE DICTIONARY defines the word “Guru” as a teacher, a guide, an expert. But to one who has a Guru in their life, he is all of these and more. So the natural question is, what is “more”?
I became a coach nearly 20 years ago. I have coached many athletes and have achieved great results in sports. But does that make me a guru? No, someone who teaches techniques is something else, and I think the word guru is too sacred and powerful. Someone’s Master And if the disciple leaves, he accepts them so that the disciple does not leave. The Guru cannot leave his disciple. So the Guru ends up taking such a responsibility. The Guru takes supreme responsibility beyond one’s lifetime.
I was very lucky to find my guru when I was young and at my weakest. In 1994, just as my career as a badminton player was taking off, a serious knee injury nearly ruined it all. I completely tore the anterior cruciate ligament in my left knee. At the time, such knee surgeries were rare and doctors told me it would be very difficult to recover from the surgery and play badminton. For athletes performing at the highest level, the biggest challenge injuries pose is not physical but psychological. Looking back, I don’t think any other men’s singles player in the sport had to deal with an injury at that level. I was only 20 years old and struggling with the fact that I might never play badminton again. At this critical time in my life, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s presence helped me control my mind and heal my body.
I practiced Sudarshan Kriya, the Art of Living breathing technique, every day. This breathing technique helped me to stay in the present moment and not over-imagine the worst case scenario. I was also dealing with chronic upper respiratory problems. It was a difficult situation because of strict anti-doping rules. I had to take medication. Kriya helped me overcome this. Gurudev acted as a mind coach, psychologist and even doctor. I cannot emphasize enough how important his words and presence were for me at that time. He took full responsibility for my mind, spirit and health. And before I knew it, I was playing again. I was playing my best badminton and winning the biggest tournaments for my country.
I trained in Bangalore and spent Sundays with Gurudev at the Ashram. The spiritual knowledge that Gurudev imparted to me was very profound but what surprised me most was how well his wisdom could be applied to sports. For an athlete, it is paramount to stay focused on the present moment. If you dwell too long on a lost point or think too much about the next point, you will lose the point you are playing. And in badminton, as in any other sport, Single point The difference between winning and losing is focusing on the action itself, rather than on the outcome of the action. This is a mindset that all the most successful athletes have, whether consciously or unconsciously.
But this knowledge was present in the ancient Indian scriptures. It is one thing to memorize and recite scriptural knowledge, but another to interpret its correct meaning. And it is quite another to take a disciple from an intellectual understanding of knowledge to a practical experience of that knowledge. And that is exactly what Gurudev did for me. A Guru does not just give you spiritual knowledge, he once said, he makes you live that knowledge. And one such opportunity to live the knowledge came up for me when I was thinking about my future after retiring from sports.
I was traveling with Gurudev to the Art of Living Ashram in Bad Antgast, Germany. I was discussing with him the possibility of becoming a coach after I finish playing. What Gurudev said to me that day, I will never forget. It made my decision very clear and shaped me as a coach today. He smiled and said, “The Art of Living is to take responsibility for lifting people up. The more responsibility you take, the more God will support and bless you.” A badminton coach is limited to a few hours a day, but what happens during the 16 hours off the court has a huge impact on the life of an athlete and their performance on the court. And here I am trying to put into practice Gurudev’s teachings and what he has done for me and others: to take responsibility for making my students not just better athletes but better human beings.
I feel very fortunate that the tradition of guru and disciple originated in India. But unfortunately, in the last few years, the title of guru has been misused. The recent crowd stampede at Hathras is a prime example. So, it is very important to know who is genuine. Because when we call someone our guru, we commit our mind and body to him. Being a disciple is a big part of submission. And submitting to someone who does not have your best interests in mind can have disastrous consequences. In my experience of being involved in spiritual organizations for 30 years, the authenticity of a movement or organization can be measured by the number and experiences of people who have been touched by it.
Speaking of Gurus, I would like to say this: Looking back at how Gurudev has cared for every aspect of my life, and he continues to do so even now, I realised something: he has not done it just for me, but for lakhs of people across the world. That is what a Guru is to me – someone who takes supreme responsibility for everything that concerns you, in this life and the next, without asking for anything in return.
Pullela Gopichand is the chief national coach of the Indian badminton team.
