Guru-disciple relationship.

[Guest guest]

Guru & disciples. There has been a very welcome exchange of views on this subject. To my mind spiritual life is totally an individual affair. Every individual has to struggle and have its (because soul has no sex) own experience. Until it gets its own experience, all learning is just words. In this ‘ism’ or language has no place. Every individual has to find its own path, which is best suited to its own temperament, upbringing and past actions. Indeed God is within each body itself. It is not visible for it is covered with dross of our past actions, attitudes and desires. All our ‘Sadhana’ spiritual practices (Puja, Japa, Patha, selfless work, Yogic exercises etc.) are meant to wash off this dross so that God shines in its own glory within us – visible to only us. What others see or do not

see is none of our concern. A realized soul, who has succeeded in removing this cover over God within him, does not grow horns as Sri Ramakrishna used to say, but his very nature changes. He sees the world from altogether a different perspective. Where does Guru come in then? A child has to learn how to live, read, write, acquire knowledge of the world step by step having full faith and trust in his teachers- starting from his mother onwards. None of them need be experts in their fields, all the same child learns and grows with his faith in them to adulthood, where he is able to take his own decisions. Similarly a novice in spiritual field has to trust and have full faith in his guru, who guides him step by step, so that he gains his personal experience. It is ones own faith in Guru that really matters in achieving progress in spiritual field. There are many instances where

disciples have excelled their Gurus in spiritual attainments. Even then they never loose respect and reverence for their Gurus, for they were instrumental in their progress. Ultimately God alone is Guru and He is within us. In the beginning ones own inner self provides guidance; at appropriate time God in the form of external Guru shows the way. When inner self is purified and all dross is removed, it works as Guru and provides all the guidance needed to progress further. To know God one has to become God- that is to obtain all the qualities we attribute to God. God speed to all sadhaks in the spiritual field. With regards, Chetan