Do You Guru?-

[Guest guest]

dear ompremji,

 

i really loved the way you interpreted this message giving it a

totally different 'meaning' !

 

i am reminded of a story involving a disciple of sant kabir. how can

we receive a guru's grace?

 

as long as we have arrogance and pride in us, one can never receive

the grace of a sadguru.

 

this is the story of Dharam das, a wealthy merchant.

 

one day sant kabir went to dharam da's house in benaras and knocked

on the door.

 

dharam das and his wife were sittibng near the fireplace having a

conversation.

 

KAbir said to Dharam das " i AM KABIR; a weaver by profession. iI

just want to tell you one thing . why do you kill innocent beings."

 

dharam das's wife retorted, " are you out of your mind? my husband is

innocent; he does not believe in killing anyone."

 

BUT KABIR PERSISTED. He again warned dharma das and advised him to

stop killing innocent beings.

 

Dharam Das said to his wife, "No, listen to him. I've heard of Kabir.

He is a great mahatma. He must know what he is talking about." But

the wife said to Kabir, "It's a bunch of nonsense! My husband is very

virtuous, and so am I. We don't kill anything?"

 

"If you want to realize God, become like this sand. Become nothing.

People should be able to step on you, kick you, throw you, do

anything to you, and you shouldn't care. You should feel, 'I am

nothing, I am nobody -- what does it matter?' And at that moment,

when you really feel that you are nothing, when you are not just

saying it but are really feeling that you are nothing, then you will

disappear and the All will shine. You will realize your oneness with

the ocean of God."

 

"Break the wood that is burning in the fireplace," said Kabir, and

with that he left. Dharam Das immediately picked up the piece of wood

and broke it. Out came hundreds of ants. They were being burned alive

inside the wood, and Kabir knew it. Dharam Das was shocked. He

said, "I must see Kabir!" He opened the door and looked out, but

there was no Kabir. He said, "O, what a loss! I could have received

initiation from that great mahatma! Kabir knows everything. He knows

me. He knows all the things that are hidden." But his wife

retorted, "He's not a great saint. He's just an ordinary sadhu who

pretends to be a mahatma. Arrange a feast for the sadhus, and you'll

see Kabir come running to eat."

 

Dharam Das, like a fool, agreed to this proposal, and he arranged a

big feast. Sure enough, hundreds of sadhus came from all directions.

But Kabir wasn't there. After a while, Dharam Das's wife said, "Why

don't we do it again somewhere else, far away, on the other side of

the city?" So he did it again, and then again. This continued many

times. He went to other cities and held feasts there as well. But

Kabir never appeared.

 

Finally Dharam Das had no money left. He had to sell his house, his

wife left him, and he became a beggar. He was very depressed. Still,

he had only one desire, and that was to see Kabir. One day he lost

heart and went to the Ganges River. He said to himself, "I'm going to

jump into the river. If I can't see my Guru, there is no reason for

me to live." He was just about to jump into the water, when Kabir

came walking along the river.

 

Kabir went up to him, caught him by the arm and said, "Dharam Das!

What are you doing?" Dharma Das said, "I wanted to die because I

couldn't see you. For so long I was feeding everybody, but you never

came. Why do you come to me now? If you had come to me then, when I

had all that money, I could have served you in so many ways! Now I

have nothing. I am nobody. I am a useless beggar." Kabir said, "I

didn't come to you when you had so much because then you were very

proud. Now you have nothing, and you know that you are nothing. Now

you are ready for my grace. You are ready to receive initiation." And

he initiated him. Dharam Das eventually became Kabir's successor in

that tradition. It was only when he reached that point of humility

that he could receive his Guru's grace.

 

a story told by ammachi.

 

in order to develop spiritually, onee needs to be totally 'humble' -

it is only when there is no pride and arrogance that one can receive

a guru's grace.

 

 

jai gurudeva!

 

jai durge ambe bhavaani ma!

 

love

 

p.s. btw , ompremji- i liked your quotation from AL ANON twelve steps

programme. a favorite one of mine is let go and let god/ess! l

 

thanks once again for a truly e;levating post. l