"The Guru Gita Goes Mainstream" - Julia Robert's latest film "Eat, Pray, Love" is based on a woman's journey, and her visit to an ashram in India - which is the home of Siddha Yoga, a path I studied since I was 16. In our tradition, we study a set of sutras known as the Guru Gita - "song of the Guru" The "guru" refers to both any authentic spiritual teacher, and "guru" is also simultaneously a principle of Divine transformative awareness which works through all of reality, and teachers, to bring us to realization of the loving oneness of all life. Griffin - an LA based teacher wrote a commentary on the Guru Gita."In truth, the gift of life must always be recognized and never be taken for granted. Why is life so precious? In Siddha Yoga philosophy, we recognize that in this human life we have a rare opportunity. We can transform an ordinary perception of this universe into an extraordinary vision. To be on this planet and to behold the universe from the divine perspective is a sign of an illumined heart. To put this vision to best use in the best way possible is a human being's highest duty." - Gurumayi Chidvilasananda - head of the Siddha Yoga Path
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Eat, Pray, Love refers to a 182 verse Guru Gita, which is the SYDA version I also learned in Siddha Yoga, from Svami Muktananda while he was alive.
I still go to SYDA programs but I believe Chidvilasananda, the current Master, has issued a statement disclaiming SYDA was the context of the movie reference. You may correct me with an affirmative statement by her but if you ask SYDA I'm confident what I said is true to my best knowledge, having read her letter in the Watertown, MA center at the time the movie was popular.
Having said that I was delighted to hear Guru Gita mentioned as it is a wonderful book. HOWEVER - check Wikipedia for 2 other references containing 352 verses. I transliterated the Svami Narayanananda "Sri Guru Gita" as it lacked one (having the Sanskrit and translation only). Check
http://gurugita.vpweb.com/ for details about my transliteration only book. As anyone conversant with this work knows, Gita = Song and the Sanskrit is meant to be sung...my version can be, Narayanananda's not unless you read Sanskrit.
Practitioners from any sect will find this version easy to read as it follows the verse and parsing scheme Baba used in the earlier work, only ALL 352 verses rather than half the story.
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