Jesus Meets His First Disciples - Part 2

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Jesus Meets His First Disciples - Part 2

 

Rabbi, " master " : as guru, one

who is master of himself

 

(p.184) In his supportive role of assisting the mission of Jesus, John the

Baptist turned many of his own followers toward Jesus--in particular, those who

had been disciples of Jesus in past lives. The first of these was Andrew,

brother of Simon Peter; and the other unnamed person of the " two " with John the

Baptist has been logically proposed as being John the Apostle himself, since his

is the only Gospel that relates this episode. These two devotees, on the

commendation of John the Baptist, and responding to their own inner devotional

attraction, followed Jesus to his residence, addressing him reverentially as

Rabbi, or Master.

 

The word 'rabbi' is a Jewish title of respect which means " my Master, " a form of

address recognizing one who is qualified to teach. Applied to one's guru,

'Master' is synonymous with the proper form of addressing the guru with the

respectful suffix of 'ji' or 'deva': Guruji, Gurudeva, Master. The word 'master'

may be traced etymologically back through Latin, 'magnus', great; with 'magnus'

being akin to Sanskrit 'mahat' (great; important, high, eminent: 'maharishi', a

great knower of God). The widespread generic usage of 'master' as a title (as

also that of 'guru') to denote any ordinary teacher or mentor should not

disrespectfully belie the proper usage: as an appellation for a God-knowing,

divinely endowed guru.

 

From the cradle to the grave to ascension in Spirit, the whole of civilization

is based on the passing down of knowledge from the learned to the learning.

(p.185) The infant learns from his parents, the youth from his schoolteachers

and professors, the worker from his trained supervisors, the artist or musician

from his superiorly accomplished instructors. The level of attainment rises or

falls with the aptitude of the " student " and the qualification of the " mentor. "

In no other field is this as true as in spirituality. In India, where religious

doctrines are melted in the crucible of testing experience to separate truth

from dogma, the verdict is that the only sure way of finding God is to learn

about Him from one who knows Him. The Hindu scriptures say, " When a spiritually

blind novitiate is led by a blind teacher, then both are misled " --an admonition

voiced similarly by Jesus. [1]

 

God is 'The' Master, ruler of the universe; and those who manifest their oneness

with Him may also be honored as masters. A spiritual master is not a wielder of

authority over others, but rather a master of himself, fully self-possessed and

controlled in body, speech, and mind, with all his senses fully reined. He never

allows himself to be compelled by temptation to do anything against his

discrimination-guided will, unlike those who think that freedom, or free will,

is to do whatever entices their minds. A master is he who knows in what lies the

best interest of his true Self, the soul, and so never entertains evil in

thought or deed.

 

Self-mastery is the citadel of wisdom. When the title of Master is used in

addressing a personage of this stature, it signifies reverence for him who knows

truth offered by one who desires to have that knowledge conferred on himself by

the guru.

 

The Second Coming of Christ (The Resurrection of the Christ Within

You) Volume 1, Discourse 8, pg. 184-185

Paramahansa Yogananda

Printed in the United States of America 1434-J881

ISBN-13:978-0-87612-557-1

ISBN-10:0-87612-557-7

 

Notes:

 

[1] " Fools dwelling in darkness, wise in their own conceit, and puffed up with

vain knowledge, go round and round staggering to and fro, like blind men led by

the blind " (Mundaka Upanishad I.ii.8, translated by Max Muller, 'Sacred Books of

the East', Volume 15, 1884).

 

Jesus said: " Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the

ditch? " (Luke 6:39). See commentary in Discourse 33.