Guru-disciple relationship

[Guest guest]

An English disciple , major Chadwick , kept a record

of such an assurance given to him in the year 1940 :

 

Ch: Bhagavan says he has no disciples ?

 

Bh: Yes.

 

Ch: He also says that a Guru is necessary if one wishes

to attain Liberation ?

 

Bh: Yes.

 

Ch: What then must I do ? Has my sitting here all these years

been just a waste of time ? Must I go and look for some Guru

in order to receive initiation seeing that Bhagavan says

he is not a Guru ?

 

Bh : What do you think brought you here such a long distance

and made you remain so long ? Why do you doubt ?

If there had been any need to seek a Guru elsewhere

you would have gone away long ago.

The Guru or Gnani sees no difference between himself and others.

for him all are Gnanis , all are one with himself ,so how can

a Gnani say that such and such is his disciple?

But the unliberated one sees all as multiple , he sees all

as different from himself ,so to him the Guru-disciple relationship

is a reality , and he needs the grace of the Guru to waken

him to reality. For him there are three ways of initiation ,

by touch,look and silence.(Sri Bhagavan here gave me

to understand that his way was by silence,

as he has to many on other occasions.)

 

Ch: Then Bhagavan does have disciples !

 

Bh: As I said , from Bhagavan's point of view there are no disciples ,

but from that of a disciple the grace of the Guru is like

an ocean. If he comes with a cup he will only get a cupful.

It is no use complaining of the niggardliness of the ocean;

the bigger the vessel the more he will be able to carry.

It is entirely up to him.

 

Ch: Then to know whether Bhagavan is my Guru or not is just

a matter of faith , if Bhagavan will not admit it.

 

Bh : (sitting straight up, turning to the interpreter and speaking

with great emphasis.)

Ask him , does he want me to give him a written document ?

 

 

Few were so persistent as Major Chadwick in their demand

for an assurance.

 

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" from """""""""""""""""""""""""

RAMANA MAHARSHI

AND THE PATH OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE

by ARTHUR OSBORNE

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""