THE REAL GURU

     I have carefully gone through the pamphlet "Open challenge to Swami S..... by M.B.Reddy", so kindly sent to you. There is, perhaps, great disillusionment on the part of Mr.Reddy. Total dependence on external aids leads to utter confusion sometime or other. That is why I have been impressing on you that spiritual illumination must always come from within. To hope that realization can come from some external agency, other than one's own self, is to go after an illusion. It is this blind dependence on external props, that is at the root of helplessness experienced by many devotees. The more one looks to external agencies for support, the more he becomes weak and helpless. If at all one has to depend on any power, it must be God and God alone and none else; for He is the Supreme Benefactor of one and all. No one is a Saviour of fallen souls, excepting God. He alone is our Real Guru and Guide.

     At the height of his devotion, even an orthodox Christian like Thomas A Kempis realized the futility of Intermediation, refused to hear any of the Prophets and whole-heartedly beseeched the Lord to speak to him. He says: "Let not Moses speak unto me, nor any of the Prophets, but rather do Thou speak, O Lord God, the Inspirer and Enlightener of all the Prophets; for Thou alone without them canst perfectly instruct me, but they without Thee can profit nothing.

     They indeed may sound forth words, but they cannot give the spirit. Most beautifully do they speak; but if Thou be silent, they inflame not the heart. They teach the letter, but Thou openest the sense. They bring forth mysteries, but Thou unlockest the meaning of sealed things. They declare Thy Commandments, but Thou helpest us to fulfil them. They point out the way, but Thou givest strength to walk in it. What they can do is only without, but Thou instructest and enlightenest the heart. They water outwardly, but Thou givest fruitfulness. They cry aloud in words, but Thou impartest understanding to the hearing. Let not Moses, therefore, speak unto me, but Thou, O Lord my God, the Ever-lasting Truth; Lest I die and prove unfruitful, if I be only warmed outwardly, and not inflamed within.

                                                                                ( Imitation of Christ Book 4. Chapter 2 )

Real Truth Breaks all barriers and speaks with One Voice at all times and climes.

     The sooner the devotee learns to depend upon Divine protection and guidance, the better it is for his spiritual progress and upliftment. Let him not sell the God-Given freedom to others, styling themselves as saints, Gurus or Avatars. When the Supreme Lord, in His Infinite Mercy, is ever ready to come to his rescue and save him, where is the need for him to go after others ? In the Holy Gita, the Blessed Lord has given us the Assurance:- " To those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no other, to those ever harmonious, I bring full security ". ( Chapter.........)

     Let it not be understood that I do not recognize the necessity of a preceptor. Even in our educational institutions, the teacher has an important role to play. But, however good the teacher may be, he cannot assume the functions of the pupil, sit for the examination and answer the same for him. He can, at best, coach him with great efficiency; but the pupil alone should sit for the examination, and answer the papers correctly, if he wished to get through the same. In the spiritual sphere also the Preceptor plays an important role in making his disciple to think on right lines and arrive at his own independent conclusions. Aparoksha Anubhava is at the root of all spiritual Realization. The experience is direct and personal. No one can do it by proxy. By mere slavish imitation one can never hope to realize the Supreme Truth. Only through the exercise of dispassionate and independent judgement, one can arrive at the correct conclusion. That is why, the Blessed Lord, after giving all the teaching, asks His Beloved disciple, Arjuna to arrive at his own independent conclusion. He says : 'Thus hath wisdom, more secret than secrecy itself, been declared unto thee by Me; having reflected on it fully, then act thou as thou listeth, ................63.

     How merciful is the Lord, Our Supreme Master! Despite His infinite Power and authority, He did not wish to impose His own judgement on His Beloved Disciple, Arjuna. On the other hand, He has, very graciously, urged him to arrive at his own independent conclusion, after thinking fully on all that has been said and act accordingly. Herein lies the greatness and grandeur of Holy Bhagavad Gita.

     In the name of God and Religion, there should be no room for exploitation or victimization. Whatever be the qualifications of the Guru, he cannot take the place of God. If every disciple begins to claim his Guru as the only God, then there would be a plethora of Gods in this world and the Only Real God, Our Supreme Master, would be thrown into the background.

     Let us honestly and dispassionately see, what is happening in our country. Here and there, some men for their own reasons cluster round a spiritually advanced person and dub him an Avatar and worship him as such, with the help of mantras coined for the occasion. Some others, with pretensions to spirituality, by their mesmeric and magic tricks, easily delude the ignorant and unwary, playing on their credulity, and succeed in increasing the bulk of their following. Gradually, emboldened by the worship and adulation bestowed on them by the multitude, these people unabashedly proclaim themselves to be the Supreme God come on earth to save all fallen souls. There cannot be greater blasphemy than this. All right minded men must wake up in time, to put an end to this Avatar business which has already caused great harm in retarding spiritual progress, by creating smug self-deception among the devotees. It was, perhaps, because of this, that great intrepid thinker and reformer, the late Revered Swami Dayananda, went to the extent of even repudiating totally all the Avatars of God, so sacred to the Hindus.

     The presence of a Guru should not have any depressing effect on the disciple. A truly spiritual influence is always soothing and uplifting. A real Guru draws his disciple close to him, pulls him up to his own level and makes him turn God-wards. In his company all feelings of difference and distance disappear. Evincing great humility, he will never, even for a moment, think of occupying the place of God. He will always treat his disciples as his younger brothers whom God, the Supreme parent, has been pleased to place in his charge. Thus, all the spiritually advanced souls are in the position of elder brothers, the common parent being Lord God Himself. Hence, our Real and only Guru is Lord God- our Supreme Master, for without Him, none can ever succeed in kindling the light of true devotion in our hearts and finally leading us on to our life's goal - The Supreme Freedom.

JAI SRI RAM