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Gurudeva is a must in one’s Spiritual Journey
Given that we now live in a digitized modern world, even spirituality is not spared by the beings of modern living. Technology and reach have played a major role in deciding the relationship between master and disciple. It is of vital importance to recognize who is a true master as to who can qualify as our spiritual master or Gurudeva.
A Guru Should Not Seek Position or Possesion
The ancient Vedic scriptures come to our aid in this regard. Let us consider some traits of a genuine guru. A true guru is always concerned about the welfare of his disciple. He does not hanker for position or possession and does not expect his disciples to revere and eulogize his own position as a guru. Although Gurudeva undertakes pains to instill genuineness into his disciples, a true seeker should be aware of certain traits in his spiritual guide.
A Word of Caution For Sincere Seekers
A true seeker should forsake a master who is a slave of wealth. A guru who appreciates wealth off or from his disciple is a fraud of the first order. Such a guru can only doom his disciple. He can never take his disciple to God-realization. One need not go looking for one’s Gurudeva.
What a True Guru Does to Check the Aspirant
If a seeker is extremely one-pointed and committed, providence automatically makes arrangements whereby the true aspirant meets a God-realized spiritual master. Many a time, the disciple, after having accepted a spiritual master, is made to feel that Gurudeva is greater than God. This is a grave situation. If a guru feels that some disciple is giving him reverence more than what is to be given to God, he should be checked and reprimanded by Gurudeva.
7/8 Questions from Sanatana Dharma
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Duty of The Guru is to Free his Disciple
A true guru is one who is constantly trying to bind the aspirant to the Lord and not to himself. A guru who is addicted to position, possession, and disciples is in no way God-realized as he is himself bound by the shackles of Maya, the cosmic illusion. Many people wonder that there is no dearth of knowledge on spirituality, the internet being an example, then why go for a guru? This is a subjective matter.
Self-Dependence in Spirituality is Very Rare
If the aspirant has developed maturity gained over previous lifetimes, he is self-reliant, surrendered to God, and has clarity about life. It is a special case, yet this is an extremely rare situation. A person of this type takes up spiritual practices based on his continued association with saints and other enlightened beings. Association with realized masters is indispensable.
Nevertheless, such an advanced aspirant would have cleansed many layers of his unconscious mind and is easily able to connect with higher consciousness. He may not need a personal guru, but yet he must continue associating with enlightened beings. Most people are not in a position to use this discretion.
Internet is no Alternative to the Guru
All said, scriptural knowledge, the internet, and other sources of knowledge are by no means substitutes for Gurudeva. It is an emphatic fact that the knowledge and directions that arise from the heart of an enlightened master come from the Supreme and retain phenomenal gravity.
Potency of Gurudeva
The common folks are bewildered by cosmic illusion, Maya, while the guru, the perfected master, can never be. A true seeker has to surrender to the enlightened being, the guru, and offer his ego to Gurudeva. Only then can truth be penetrated into by the seeker, whose heart has been lit and softened by the Grace of the living master.
The potency of a true guru is such that if a disciple in a surrendered mood accepts his teachings, one’s Gurudeva’s mere words and teachings have the capacity to knock off untold layers of ignorance from the mind of that disciple. The association of an enlightened guru has the power to purify and transform the disciple.
For a true seeker or aspirant, books can be of help with regard to generating curiosity or providing motivation in spiritual subjects. But books can in no way be equated to the potency of an enlightened being. It is only the master who can blow away the ignorance of the disciple, which books or the internet can never do.
An enlightened master’s mere presence benefits the entire society. Then what to talk of a committed seeker? It can even transform the lay seekers whose minds are utterly impure. One of the popular utterances of Vedic scriptures is that Gurudeva and the disciple are made for each other. It is the intention of seeking that drives the purpose of the seeker.
Some Wierd Reasons Why People Look For Gurus
For example, some look for a guru because others talk about their gurus, while some others talk about gurus because they are forced to believe that Gurudeva can help them satisfy their material desires better. Some look for a guru out of curiosity in spiritual matters, and some do to beat their depression and boredom. The reasons could be innumerable.
Just One Intention can make the Guru Work for You
Yet, in the spiritual parlance, unless one seeks a guru, given that one’s ultimate goal is liberation, that seeking can never be called serious seeking. Before one begins searching for one’s Gurudeva, one should re-examine one’s true intentions behind the act of looking for one’s Gurudeva.
He should ask himself whether he is committed to attaining liberation or not. If liberation is a fancy word that has caught his attention, then he may continue with casual spiritual exploration—books, lectures, study circles, etc. All this will then be of very little value. Lord Krishna says in the Gita that out of millions of seekers, only one is serious.
Out of thousands of serious ones, only a few tens will become committed towards attaining liberation. Out of these tens, only one attains me. Thus it is rare that somebody gets extremely committed to liberation. In the truest sense, only such a committed being can attain the complete Grace of an enlightened master.
If one is truly committed to liberation, the Supreme Lord himself will become the guide. One shall either find one’s eternal Gurudeva, or Gurudeva will find the seeker. Towards the path of self-realization, one may find many enlightened masters as one progresses, who will serve as catalysts in accelerating one’s efforts in finding the guru, which in the final analysis are steps towards one’s own liberation.
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