Day: June 8, 2024

Swami ji said…

Life – replete with its unpredictable
share of the great , and , not so great happenings ; our inability to deal with the unexpected ; our failure in understanding life’s perplexing and puzzling nature – makes us look for a source of guidance ; seek support, advice and directions – from a ‘soul’ – pure and holy – knowledgeable and wise. And , the conclusion that we come to is – Who could be better than a ‘गुरु’ to answer all our questions ? And, we feel fortunate and lucky on being blessed with the opportunity of being blessed with the presence of a self realised ‘गुरु’ by our side. In our excitement and happiness on establishing a connection with a ‘सच्चा संत’ – we must not forget a point most vital – that it is not ‘we’ who choose a ‘गुरु’, but, in fact it is the ‘गुरु’ – who chooses us, allows us to be His ‘शिष्य’, ‘भक्त’, ‘साधक’ and once He accepts us – we become His responsibility.

Each ‘guru’ has his own unique way of imparting instructions and teachings to his ‘bhakts’. Some ‘gurus’ could address their devotees in numbers of thousands ; some in smaller groups and a few on one – to – one basis through direct interaction.The ‘गुरु’ knows very well that He will be tested many a times by His devotees – who expect every unanswered question of theirs to be addressed by Him – related to all spheres of their life ; expect miracles to take place that could change their time and fortune – further validating the faith that they have placed in their ‘गुरु’.The divine bond that connects a ‘गुरु’ to His devotees is further strengthened during the invaluable moments when He reveals the beauty of the spiritual path to them.

It becomes on us – devotees, to be aware of the immense significance of those precious conversations that take place between a self realised ‘संत; a ‘सच्चा संत’ and His ‘भक्त’ ; a ‘गुरुभक्त’. But then are we alert enough to understand the essence of every word that is said and at times left unsaid by our ‘ गुरु’? Do we understand the meaning of the pauses ; the telling silence between His words while He makes us understand the main purpose of our life ? Do we understand what He is trying to convey to us through His silence ?

Before his crucifixion –
Jesus Christ told one of His followers – Peter – that he (Peter) would disown Christ publicly – thrice before the end of the day. Peter was aghast to hear this – as Christ was his Teacher and he loved Him dearly. He could not believe his teacher’s words. Such was the faith that he had in his love for his teacher, his guide. Yet, just as Christ had foretold – Peter, later on, out of fear for his life, did deny knowing Christ in front of the Roman soldiers. Peter eventually became a saint himself and was regarded as one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.

What we learn from this story is – that a ‘गुरु’; a spiritual teacher ; the One who has taken upon himself the responsibility of showing us the way out of the miseries of this world, knows us better than we know ourselves.That He sees in us – our potential as well as our drawbacks ; our flaws and also our strengths better than us. We are an open book to Him and nothing escapes His eye. Once He allots a task to a devotee of His – He expects His instructions to be followed in letter and spirit – as He knows that the devotee was destined to do it and will benefit from doing so in the long run. He stands by the devotee, giving him the strength and direction needed to perform the divine duty to the best of his ability – without letting him getting attached to the outcome of the ‘karma’ being done by him – as he is not the ‘doer’ but a mere instrument in the ‘guru’s’ master plan.

In fact, He even sees that – what we do not want to admit about ourselves. He sees us exactly for what and who we are ! We cannot hide anything from Him. In such a situation, can we ever know better – than our ‘गुरु’? What is good for us, what is not ? Will a ‘गुरु’ know better or us? How can we ever claim to know what is beneficial for us, when we are not aware, or, do not want to acknowledge what is lacking in us? Truly, a ‘guru’s’ guidance, thus, is not just an option, but , is the ‘only’ option for us to act upon in life.

If one observes the relationship between cattle and their shepherd ; one will realise that the survival of the cattle depends solely on following the shepherd. The shepherd does not abandon his cattle nor does the cattle abandon the shepherd.They go exactly where he goes. They follow the path that the shepherd takes. Any cattle that strays, often, never survives long on its own. Their only chance at survival is – if , the shepherd comes back looking for them.

In the spiritual journey, the ‘गुरु
is the shepherd, and the disciples are the cattle. Any and all instructions of the ‘गुरु’ should be followed to live a meaningful life. And, this must not be mistaken for rigidity. A ‘guru’s’ instructions, are like guideposts in a maze.They are to help His devotees from getting lost. One can ignore them at one’s own peril. Following them, has always led to delight and wonder.