Guest guest Posted October 10, 2003 Report Share Posted October 10, 2003 Sookti Manjari > > Who is a Guru? One who preaches to his disciple is a Guru. Who is a > disciple? One who receives preaching from a Guru is a disciple. This is the common > definition of the words – Guru and disciple. Read one after the other, one can > easily make out that their definitions are interdependent. That is, unless > one understands the meaning of the word Guru, one cannot understand the meaning > of ‘disciple’, and vice-versa. How then can this question be answered? > > > Who is having this question? Is it the Guru or the disciple? When it comes > to worldly knowledge, unless there are disciples, the Guru will not have a > career. However, in the spiritual field, a Guru does not have such difficulty. > Our discussion is about the spiritual field. So, let us discuss about Guru and > Shishya with regard to spiritual field. In this field, for the Guru, it does > not matter if there are disciples or not. Therefore, a spiritual Guru will > never face the question -‘who is a disciple?’ > > > Let us come to disciples. Typically, they have spiritual aspirations. They > are unable to achieve spiritual progress on their own. Such a disciple will > feel ‘I need a Guru’. The question – ‘who is a real Guru?’ also comes to his > mind only. ‘How can I become a disciple to a real Guru?’ – this question > also comes to his mind. Therefore, we should try to understand the meanings of > the terms – Guru and Shishya – from the viewpoint of a disciple only. > > > Will it not suffice to say ‘one who has achieved spiritual accomplishment is > a Guru’? May be it is enough, but two questions arise. How to make out as to > how a person has achieved spiritual accomplishment? – this is the first > question. If there are many such persons, how can I know who my Guru is? – this > is the second question. > For someone who is in a state of ignorance, is it ever possible if the other > person has achieved spiritual progress or not? If it is not possible, is > there no way for a person to find his Guru? > > > The uniqueness of human evolution is that man tries to understand the > unknown with the help of something that is known. A disciple who is in pursuit of > his/her Guru should follow the same method. How? > > > A boy studying in primary school once got a doubt if his mathematics teacher > could tell the 100th table. The teacher said, ‘I can’ and within no time, > rattled it out. Now the boy got a fresh doubt. ‘Has the teacher said it > correctly or not’ – was his doubt. He asked another elderly person there if the > teacher was correct. The elderly person said it was correct. Again the same > question arose in the boys mind. Does this elderly man really know if it is > correct or not? Now, analyze this situation. The boy does not know if it is > correct or not. He is reluctant to believe others because there is a doubt in his > mind that the other person may not be correct also. How then can the boy > comprehend the ability of his teacher? > > > Because of the meagerness of the boy’s knowledge, it was not possible to > comprehend the knowledge of the Guru, no matter how many people testified it. > But, looking at the spontaneity with which the teacher reproduced the table, > looking at the confidence of his teacher and remembering the affection that his > teacher had for him, the boy becomes influenced and starts believing his > teacher. With this belief, he studies hard and becomes a scholar in mathematics > himself. He now realizes that his teacher knows not only the 100th table, but > is highly well versed in the field of mathematics. He also realizes that > rattling out the 100th table, which he had thought to be a great feat, is after > all not such a great thing. > > > Similarly, even in the spiritual path, it is very difficult to spot our Guru > by ourselves. Just like the boy in the above example, one spots a Guru by > some extraordinary attributes and by the suggestions of others who have > achieved some progress. Even here, there are some dilemmas. Many people fall for > miracles, ostentatious behaviour, and propaganda machinery of the so-called > great people. > > > What then is the real sign of a Guru? Before we can have the answer to this > question, let us understand as to why we need a Guru. Obviously, it is to > acquire spiritual knowledge! First of all, you must have a burning desire for > it. With such a burning desire inside you, when you go on having the Darshan of > holy men, you will come across one holy man, in whose divine presence your > mind will experience inexplicable bliss and peace. You will forget your mental > turmoil in His presence. You will suddenly feel confident that all your > problems will be solved. Above all, you will feel "He is mine". When you meet > such a divine person, you can be sure that you have met your Guru. > > > Thus, in reality, Sadguru will Himself comes to you. This is because He is > aware of your deficiency and knows that you cannot spot Him. Does this mean > that you should keep quite thinking, "after all, the Sadguru will find me"? No! > Such an attitude is not correct. The Almighty God, for the sake of His > innumerable children who have varied mindsets, will take innumerable forms. Not > all forms are useful to you. Even if the form that is useful to you is > wandering near you, the Guru will not reveal Himself unless the disciple acquires > eligibility. What is that eligibility? The burning desire mentioned above itself > is the eligibility. When such a burning desire sets in, you will never > entertain the question "why should I go in search of my Guru? Can’t I simply keep > quiet?" Not only that, even if someone says ‘you can keep quiet’, you will > not. You will certainly begin your quest. To engage in such a pursuit is your > duty. That itself is the yardstick of your eligibility. Once your eligibility > is proved, the Sadguru will reveal Himself to you in the form of peace of > mind as explained above. > > > From the above discussion, it became clear as to who is Guru. Still, it has > not become possible to define it in one sentence. In fact, to defy all > definitions is one of the important characteristics of a Guru. Although it is not > possible to define who a Guru is in one sentence, we now know who a Guru is. > Keeping this as the basis, can we define who a disciple is? > > > In the beginning of this discussion, it was said, "One who receives > preaching from a Guru is a disciple." We now know who a Guru is. However, you will not > automatically become a disciple just because you could spot your Guru. > > > This sounds like a word of caution. Is this warning meaningful? A person who > is yearning to become a disciple may ask, "After seeing many scholarly and > pious persons, I could finally ‘spot’ a noble person in whose presence my > mind experienced peace and tranquility. Because of this experience, when I am > convinced that He is my Guru, how can anybody say that I am not His disciple?" > A very intelligent question indeed. But it lacks conviction. The person who > puts forth this argument is not fully convinced within himself that finding > his Guru does not automatically make him a disciple. Why? It is because of past > experience that is skulking in the heart. When he was in his first year in > school, he used to address the head master of his school as "Master". However, > the head master had never taught him anything. Actually, it was another > teacher – his class teacher – that used to actually do the teaching. In reality > whose disciple was he at that time? There is another question deep inside his > heart. When he reaches the college level, he submitted an application. He > was called for an interview. He asked to give him a seat in chemistry. But he > was offered a seat in history. But he was bent upon studying under the > Chemistry professor. In the end it so happened that he got a seat neither in > chemistry or history; he was given a seat in mathematics. Now, whose student is he? > Is he a disciple of the chemistry professor, whom he had considered to be his > Guru? Needless to say he is not. Thus, his real life experience also tells > him that just because he considers someone to be his Guru, it may not be true. > When it is so with regard to worldly knowledge, how can it be different in > the spiritual field? > > > Because such thoughts are loitering in his mind, he cannot refute the > condition which says "he who receives preaching" as being the characteristic of a > disciple. But at the same time, this condition causes mental inconvenience; > therefore, he is not prepared to accept it straightaway. > > > What is the problem in accepting it? Let us take the first example. The > student got a seat in mathematics. But he does not have the basic knowledge in > that subject. Therefore, the professor asks one of his assistants to teach him > the basics. Now whose disciple is this person? Is he the professor’s disciple > or is he the disciple of the assistant professor? > The following Sookti is meant for those who are tormented by such doubts. It > defines who a disciple is and also puts forth the duties of a disciple. > Observe this carefully: > > > Tava shishyohamityukte rnate siddhyati shishyataa > Prabhunaa hi pradaatavyaa mantritaa dasataathavaa > > > "Just because you claim that you are a disciple, you do not become one. > Whether it is the post of a minister or of a soldier, isn’t it the king who makes > the decision?" > The first part of the Sookti tells in no uncertain terms that you do not > become a disciple just because you claim to be one. Agreed, it does not confer > disciple-hood. What does one need to do to become a disciple? The second part > of the Sookti gives the answer. It says ‘studentship is not something that > you can earn by your efforts. It is something that a Guru has to confer out of > compassion’. > > > What should one do to become eligible to receive Guru’s compassion? The > Sookti does not answer this question directly. Instead, it does so figuratively. > How? > A king received several applications for the post of a minister and > servants. The king selected one candidate for the post of the minister. He also > selected a few persons as servants. Being a king, he did not need the approval of > anyone to confirm their appointment. No one is above the king. The person > should satisfy the king. That’s all. There are no other criteria here. > Similarly, even in the case of a Sadguru, there is no one above Him. To decide if you > are fit to become a disciple is his left to Him. No one can question it. You > should satisfy Him. Only then you will become His disciple. > > > Among the many applicants, all may not possess the qualifications required > for the post of the minister. Even if they possess minimum qualifications, the > king may give them at least the job of servants. If they don’t have even > minimum qualification, the will simply remain ordinary citizens. > > > Similarly if you have the ability to satisfy the Guru, the Guru will bestow > studentship to you. Although many aspirants have the qualifications, the king > can make only one person his minister, and among the remaining applicants, > he will chose a few people as servants. Similarly, the Guru bestows > studentship only on a few. If you don’t have the required qualifications, you will > remain a devotee. However, you will be a devotee who is constantly longing to > become a disciple by enhancing your qualification. If you do not have this > attitude, you will just remain a wanderer, traveling back and forth. > This meaning is figuratively implicit in the second part of the Sookti. That’ > s not all. There are two words – Mantritaa and Daasataa (Mantri=Minister, > Daasa=Servant). Here, the word Mantri does not merely mean minister. It also > means ‘one who is engaged in spiritual pursuit through Mantra’. What does this > meaning imply? It implies that the Guru who has blessed you, knows as to > which path is good for you – the path of spiritual pursuit or that of Bhakti > (devotion) and decides accordingly. It also implies that unless the Guru makes > some decision, you will not get the status of studentship. You will become a > disciple only after the Guru decides. > > > If the Guru becomes compassionate about you, He will show you some path. For > the Guru to show you compassion, you must first become eligible. How to earn > that eligibility? From the above discussion, we have come to know that the > Sookti does not give a direct answer. Let us see were the answer is hidden in > the Sookti. > > > By indirectly saying that the Guru will show you either the path of > Upaasana(spiritual practice) or Daasya Bhakti(path of surrender and devotion), it > gives you a hint about how one can enhance one’s eligibility. The previous step > to the path of Upasana is Nama Sankeertana. The step preceding the path of > surrender/devotion is listening to discourses on mythological scriptures and > serving the devotees. To do this, one does not require a formal initiation. > Anyone can do this. You must develop a natural interest in these. Once you > become interested and begin to make conscious effort to enhance that interest, you > will get the eligibility of becoming a disciple. When you get the > qualification, you, (who used to serve the devotees) will automatically become eligible > to serve the Guru. If you were hitherto engaged in Nama Sankeertana, you > will become eligible to step in to the path of Upasana. Either way, you will > rise from the level of a devotee to become a disciple. This is the way of > satisfying a Guru and becoming his disciple – is the indirect message hidden in the > Sookti. By the grace of the Guru, after having acquired the status of a > disciple, one should continue to carry on one’s pursuit in accordance with the > directions of the Guru. One should not forget that the pursuit would go on only > as long as one has the blessings of the Guru. One should therefore strive to > become eligible to get more blessings. One should also realize that the > blessings of the Sadguru is both the means and the fruit of one’s pursuit. > > > Can a minister ever think "I have become a minister now. Why do I need the > king’s benevolence?" Even after becoming a minister, his duty continues to be > that of pleasing the king. This is the purpose of comparing the status of a > disciple to that of the minister. That is, the disciple should continue to do > things that please the Guru. This is the hidden > > meaning of the Sookti. > By the grace of Lord Dattatreya, may this message reach your heart and may > you all become good disciples of the Sadguru. > > > Jaya Guru Datta. > > > Sri Swamiji > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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