When we feel something is wrong with our vision, we rush to an eye doctor. We are ready to use eye drops or wear glasses or even undergo surgery to fix our vision. It is because we surrender to the doctor and lay down for the surgery that the eye doctor can remove our cataract and restore our vision. This surrender will open our inner eye and we will realize our true Self. In this state, we will be able to see the unity in all beings.
The Master is a skilful sculptor. Sometimes he has to hit parts of the boulder very hard with a hammer and chisel. He gently taps on other areas of the boulder. Some parts need to be completely removed, while other areas just need polishing. Like this, the Satguru is a divine sculptor who brings out the magnificent sculpture hidden within the boulder.
In the process of awakening the divinity within the disciple, the Master can be merciless. In our ignorance, we may call this ‘uncompassionate’. In reality, the Master has no other way to take the disciple to the ultimate destination. It is not a lack of compassion. Instead, it is infinite compassion towards the disciple. The Master, who sees perfection in everything and who is constantly in a state of supreme bliss (Brahmanandam), has nothing to gain from this world or any other world. Understanding this, when a student bows to the will of the Satguru, a true disciple takes birth within. The extraordinary devotion, faith and surrender that a true disciple feels towards the Master is what makes the Guru-disciple relationship so rare and exalted.
Pure love for God transcends even death. Though the Gopis are no longer alive, their love endures to this day.
The bond between Lord Krishna and the Gopis was the true Master-Disciple relationship. Lord Krishna was the True Master. When pure love fills our heart, we are no longer the limited body. We are Supreme Love, which is beyond the body. Love is the immortal principle that makes everything divinely sweet. The True Master is an embodiment of compassion, who destroys the disciple’s ego, filling his heart with unending love, and carrying him from death to immortality. Let us bow down in body and mind to the supreme sacrifice of that Universal Guru.
Butter exists in milk. The mind is like milk. When milk is churned, it become butter. When the mind surrenders, lasting joy arises from within, just as lasting butter appears from churned milk. Milk is good but it quickly spoils and becomes foul-smelling. At that point, the milk is much more revolting that it was ever attractive. We need to convert it into something that gives lasting benefit. Likewise, we need to direct the mind toward God to attain lasting joy.
We need discipline. In the beginning, we need to build a fence around a sapling. If we don’t, then deer and rabbits will eat all the leaves and flowers. The fence scares these animals away so the sapling can grow. Once the sapling grows into a tree, we may even be able to tie an elephant to it. Similarly, in the beginning we need to fence our minds with discipline.
We need sidewalks to walk and cars need to drive on a road. But, a bird doesn’t need anything to fly. It is beyond all that. It is not affected by rules and regulations. Once awareness awakens within, our mind becomes like a compass that always points towards God. The mind is like water. Even water on a mountain always flows down. Even if we turn a jet of water upwards the water will fall down. On the other hand, fire always rises. It even causes water to rise in the form of steam. Similarly, when awareness awakens within, we can rise to great heights. It is like a booster rocket. The booster rocket helps us break free from the earth’s gravity and rise to great heights. Once we break free, then we, ourselves, can fly. Similarly, it is hard for us to break free from our attachments.
Just as we use Google Maps to get directions to a new place, we need the direction of a Satguru to find our way back to the Self. When we go to a new place, we need a person who has been there before to tell us how people and things there are. Only a person who has been to a specific place before will know about that place. Similarly, we are traveling to an unfamiliar place. Relying on the Guru is like going from a normal bus to an express bus.
Our present condition is that of a person struggling to row a boat against the river’s current. On the other hand, being in the Guru’s presence is like rowing downstream. There’s no need to struggle. This is the advantage of being in the Master’s presence. It is like being in a conducive environment. When we sow a seed in a conducive environment, it will sprout, grow faster and give more fruits. On the other hand, when we plant a seed in an adverse environment, the seed may or may not even sprout. It takes many births to get faith in a Master. We should not waste this. We should protect it and encourage it to grow.