Acquire the transcendental knowledge from a Self-realized master by humble reverence, by sincere inquiry, and by service. The empowered ones, who have realized the Truth, will teach you. (4.34)
The one who gives the knowledge of a subject matter, he becomes our guru for that subject. The duty of a guru is to bring a disciple (chela) close to god and help one establish a relationship with god, not establish a permanent relationship with the guru. We have so many ties of family relationships such as mother, father, brother etc. and there is no need to have one more tie of relationship.
A person is not called father, unless he has produced a son, similarly, one has no right to be called a guru unless guru’s disciple has acquired Self-knowledge. To give Self-knowledge is the only job of a guru. It is said that if god and guru both are standing, whom should a person bow first. One should naturally bow first to guru who brought the disciple close to god. But if a guru did not bring god, then guru has no right to be called guru. The real guru is the one whose only aim is the spiritual welfare of his chela and a real chela is the one who has bhakti (love) for his guru. How can a chela develop love for his guru before chela getting anything substantial from a guru other than just a mantra? There has to be a real guru and obedient disciple for the success of guru-disciple relationship. A chela comes to a guru for a purpose of getting something, and if he does not get anything other than what is written in the books, the chela cannot develop love for the guru.
It may be very difficult to find a real guru or a real chela in this age. A guru should never desire to have many chelas just to run and support guru’s Ashram. A guru who has desire to obtain money from chelas to run his organization becomes a slave to money or a slave to his rich chela. One who has desires - desire to make money, have chelas, build Ashram, to get fame - cannot save himself let alone to save the chela.
A person who expects anything from you - including money, respect, obedience - cannot be your guru, but your chela only! A real saint does not need anything from anybody and does not want to become a guru. His only desire is the welfare of all, LokaSangrah. He works for the welfare of all. A real guru does not want his chela to worship him, but worship Him only. A real guru does not want one to obey him, but obey the scriptures. A guru, who gives you his pictures to worship daily, is a false guru. One should worship nobody, but the Supreme Being. A real saint or guru does not give his picture even in his books. What good a picture in any book does to anybody? How many chelas do you know who have a guru and have realized the Self? One cannot see any difference among the people who have a guru and those who don’t.
Until one has the capability to save the chela, one should never be a guru, because if a guru cannot save his chela, guru incurs sin for sure. The guru who lets chela wash his feet, eat the leftover from the guru’s dinner plate, worship his/her picture is certainly leading towards his own as well as chela’s downfall. Such gurus neither help the chela nor let the chela go elsewhere to another guru. It’s like going to a shop, paying the money, but not getting the goods. If one becomes a guru, then he must help chela realize the Self, otherwise one has no right to be a guru.
A verse from Guru-Gita says that there are many gurus who take away the money from the chela, but very few who removes the darkness of ignorance from the chela. Even the most quoted verse from guru gita (gurur brahmaa, gurur Vishnu…..) is misinterpreted to let chela worship the guru like gods. This verse actually means that a real guru does the job of Brahmaa, Vishnu and Shiva by shaping up, nurturing and destroying the ignorance of the chela.
A true saint’s only intention is the spiritual welfare of people and not to attract people towards himself. They pray to god for the welfare of all:
In ancient time there were not too many true saints, at the present there are very few. Thus our chance of finding a true guru, a real saint is very slim. At present it has become a profession to become a guru. These days guru and chela both are greedy and both get drowned like they are sitting in a boat made of stone. A chela goes to a guru who is famous so that he can boast when someone asks who your guru is. Most chelas go to a guru to get some spiritual guidance. To expect something from a guru is not a fault. Actually, mukti, Self-knowledge and Self-realization is not under the control of a human guru. From where the first guru (Brahmaa ji) got his knowledge is the real guru. He is the Supreme Being, Krishnam vande Jagad-gurum. Gita verses10.10-11 say this very beautifully:
I give knowledge and understanding of metaphysical science (Vivek)
Guru is not the physical body or a just a person, but it is the guru tattva. What a beautiful verse to understand Guru-tattva. Thus self effort and love of god, Bhakti, are mostly needed to attain god, and not a human guru.
THE ROLE OF VIVEK AND SATSANG
In Vedantic philosophy Vivek is power of the intellect that distinguishes between the visible world and the invisible reality. I always advise people to go to a satsang and use the power of intellect and discrimination, vivek, instead of getting trapped by a human guru. Collect the nectar of knowledge from wherever you get like a bee as mentioned in the Guru Gita:
A disciple desiring the nectar of knowledge should be like a bee going from one guru to another. He should stay with one guru as long he gets the nectar and leave as soon as he does not get any nectar from that guru. Most modern gurus would not like, from the bottom of their heart, to loose a chela. Some seekers do go from flower to flower to collect the nectar and distribute to others.
I advise not to establish one more relationship of guru-chela. There are already too many human relationships, establish relationship with God only. God has given us the tool or the guru in the form of Vivek by which one can understand the real and unreal, what to do and what not to do. If one is unable to use vivek or has a dilemma like Arjun had, one should regularly go to satsang and have the doubts cleared. Tulasidas said: one cannot have vivek without Satsang. Real saints do not take chelas, but people are benefited by Satsang with such saints.
THE ROLE OF CHELA
Just as no expert farmer can grow anything if land is not fertile, no guru can help if one is not very sincere in Sadhana and ready to receive Self-knowledge. If chela is very sincere and serious, he can achieve what he wants without any help from a human guru. The story of Ekalavya in Mahabharata can be cited as an example. A Self-realized guru and a very serious and sincere chela both are needed. Both are very hard to find these days. Most people are looking for a guru from whom one can buy a ticket to heaven or Self-realization. It does not work that way. Dattatreya had twenty four gurus, and none of them were personal. One who depends on others for Mukti can never be liberated. In reality, we are neither liberated by a guru or God, but by one’s own sincere effort. Mother does not feed if child is not hungry and cries for it. One must have hunger for knowledge and liberation.
GOD IS THE GURU OF ALL
It is very difficult to find a real guru these days, but if one takes God and Gita as their guru, there is no difficulty. There is no greater well wisher than God. God giver anything if one sincerely asks for it. Whatever you find in a saint or a guru also comes from God. For example, sweetness in the sweet-meat comes from sugar and light in the moon comes from the sun.
There is no sure way to test a guru, therefore my advice is not to have one. Scriptures say that a fallen guru must be abandoned.#