Guru - Disciple Relationship

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Q. What is the relationship between guru and disciple and what are their duties toward each other?
A. The relationship between guru and disciple is deeper than all other relations known including man and wife, friends or father and son. The wife can live without the husband, and the husband without wife, but with the true guru and disciple, who share a pure love, the notion of duality disappears and a unity takes place.
The main duty of the guru is to help remove the darkness of avidya (ignorance) by guiding the evolution of the spiritual aspirant. In order to do this the guru teaches all kinds of sadhana on the physical psychic and spiritual planes, and helps the disciple to follow the correct path. The duty of the disciple is to serve and obey the guru and to learn from his teachings, gain from his knowledge and so become self-purified.
A guru is necessary for those people who want to follow the spiritual path and it is important that the relationship is formed correctly. For those who want to practice the meditative way, a raja yoga guru is necessary. If they want to transcend through the path of karma yoga then they must have a karma yoga guru, and the same applies to the bhakti and jnana yoga aspirants.
Q. What is the difference between the guru - disciple and husband - wife relationships?
A. The relationship between guru and disciple is much different from the relationship between husband and wife. The love and attachment, the relationship that is created between guru and disciple helps the disciple to overcome the barriers created by the personal ego. Guru and disciple have been husband and wife. It sometimes happens, as in the case of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa - guru of Swami Vivekananda and Sharadadevi.
Ramakrishna and Sharadadevi were husband and wife, but this was just a social relationship. After Ramakrishna was enlightened and became a guru, he considered Sharada as his higher being. To him she became Kali, Durga, the divine mother, the divine spirit. At such a point you begin to see your wife in a completely new light.
Although the guru and the disciple live on the social plane, the personal evolution of the guru is nevertheless far beyond the social plane. My own opinion is that guru and disciple stand strictly on the spiritual plane, no matter what their relationship is. Even if they live as husband and wife, that is purely on the physical plane, and it is not the purpose for which they live. This or any kind of social, physical, mental or emotional relationship between guru and disciple has to be transmuted. It has to be utilised for spiritual illumination, the elimination of karma and tamas, and for subduing the ego.
Q. How does guru's guidance help us?
A. When the guru's guidance is of a pure nature, the disciple will never fail, unless he leaves the guru due to lack of interest. He may also get discouraged and leave, not understanding the true nature of the guru's help. This sometimes happens if the disciple doesn't feel results quickly enough, or when sickness arises.
The guru watches, instructs and warns his followers in many different ways and on different levels of consciousness. With pure love and constant awareness of his disciples, he is always guiding them. Even if the guru is far away, it does not matter. A mother continues caring for her child even if he is on the other side of the world. In the same way the guru's guidance is both present and necessary at all times.
Q. What is love for the guru?
A. In order to know it you must practice it. This is not the same type of love that exists between family members, but something much greater and longer lasting. The relationship is neither rational nor emotional, but of a psychic nature. The spiritual interaction between a guru and disciple takes place without any disturbance to the mind and the guru's presence is always felt. The moment the disciple thinks of the guru, his mind quietens and communion takes place. When relationships are of an emotional nature there is no peace, only disturbance. But the relationship between guru and disciple is complete without any emotional or negative reaction. This is because on higher levels of psychic interaction, the emotions are more subdued and do not play a great part. After a few years of developing this relationship you will experience how the mind can think and function in a different way and then you will experience this love.
Q. How should one choose a guru?
A. The guru should be chosen with a background of faith; the one who has faith will find a guru. People who are sincerely seeking the spiritual way of life will become disillusioned with the miracle performers and the gurus who exhibit siddhis for selfish reasons. The self-realized guru is high on the spiritual plane, beyond the psychic plane from which these powers arise. He has no need to perform these siddhis for his disciples. If you seek a guru then you must approach with an unselfish heart and pure faith. Then you will find your true guru. Pure faith will never fail you. But the search also depends on your state of consciousness. If you seek money, you will find money; if you look for apples, you will find apples. If you search for a guru with a selfish purpose and an ignorant background, then those who display powers will appear.
Q. Does the guru look for the disciple or does the disciple search for the guru?
A. There are certain cases when a guru may have a mission to fulfil and receives a mandate or message from the spiritual plane in which the disciples are revealed to him. Then he will search in order to find them. The visions are not always clear; sometimes only the image is seen and the name is not given or vice versa. It can also happen that a disciple may see his guru in a dream, even before seeing him in the physical form. Then the disciple searches for the vision revealed in his dream. When spiritual life becomes the aim of a person, he will begin to look for a guru When the time is right, the guru will come to him or he will find the guru.
Q. Should one receive a mantra from a person whom he does not consider to be his guru?
A. Mantra should always be taken from one's guru, then only will it be effective. This is the first form of contact or initiation between the guru and the disciple. Neither mantra nor guru should be changed. Before the guru can pass on the powers of a mantra, he must feel that the aspirant is strong enough and ready to receive it. Many gurus can transmit certain magnetic powers to their disciples, but if the disciple is not ready it can disturb his mental and nervous balance. Initiation is something like an electric shock entering the person's mental atmosphere. In some cases with emotional people it can even result in insanity.
After accepting the mantra, you then become the disciple. When you practice that mantra you strengthen the guru - disciple relationship and once this is established then you can become the channel through which the guru's thoughts are conducted. The disciple must be regular in his meditation. If there is regular contact with the guru, one can draw upon his unconscious help and guidance. In this way maximum benefits are derived from the sadhana.
It is the unconscious mind of the guru which interacts, not the conscious mind. At this level we are all interconnected and related to each other, permitting communion of thought and feeling. Because of this interrelation, the guru knows when a disciple has become unsteady in his mind or when a calamity is going to befall him. If the guru is truly capable, he can even alter the disciple's destiny.
The guru is concerned with only one thing-removing the duality and distance that exists between the two minds of guru and disciple. The disciple may have certain worldly aspects: heart, mind and intellectual power of reasoning, but the guru is not so concerned with these. He knows that his disciple has to leave him at some stage. Therefore he must be sure that the disciple is detached from ego, and there is complete unity and oneness in their relationship.
Q. What is involved in the actual initiation, and what qualifies the disciple to receive it?
A. The Sanskrit word for initiation is diksha meaning the 'desire to give'. Mantra diksha is the giving of a mantra. There are also some higher initiations. However, these are not given unless the disciple is absolutely steady, physically, emotionally and mentally. For instance before the guru leaves his earthly role or body, he may want to transfer certain spiritual powers to different people. This is done with great care. The first thing the guru makes certain of is that the disciple's mind will not waver or lose control at any time. You can cut off his nose, shoot him, pierce his ears or throw him into the Ganges, but he will always remain steady and unaffected. When the mind has lost all worldly and lower sensitivity, it is completely receptive to higher vibrations and unreceptive to lower ones. The lower sphere of the mind is paralysed but the higher sphere has become active and sensitive. Then only are the higher initiations given - the transferral of psychic and spiritual power or traditional knowledge. This is what everybody seeks.
Initiation may be given anywhere: on the banks of a river, in a chapel, underneath a tree, in a lonely forest, in an ashram or in a small room. Great yogis like Swami Sivananda could even impart initiation by letter. But to receive initiation, everything should be quiet. The body must be still, it should not shake or move around. The mind must be relaxed and receptive.
Q. What happens to the disciple after initiation?
A. On receiving the divine spark from the guru, then the disciple begins to have experiences according to his disposition. If he is intellectual, his intellect will be sharpened so that he understands subtle subjects and finds satisfactory answers to his questions. If devotional, he will experience intense love.
Cravings may get stronger for a while but will gradually disappear. Chronic or dormant diseases may erupt but will eventually be expelled from the system forever. Thus the awakened shakti firmly sets the disciple on the road to spiritual perfection.
Devotion to the guru is essential. The divine power is all-pervasive - yet it is the guru who removes the veil of ignorance. As a seeker progresses he has to become his own guru, remaining a witness to his inner processes while surrendering to the inner shakti.
The true guru does not make his disciple renounce the world, but his limited self - he takes away not limited wealth and riches but sins and anxieties.
The greater the disciple thinks his guru to be, the greater he himself will become. The guru is Brahma because he creates for his student a new and wondrous world; he is Vishnu because he sustains and protects him; he is Shiva because he annihilates his world of individuality.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Guru as Doctor
Dr. Swami Shankardevananda Saraswati, MBBS
The guru is the best doctor there is, for he heals not only the physical body, but also the mind and soul. The word doctor comes from the Latin docere which means 'to teach'. Thus both the doctor and the guru have a responsibility to teach others, but they are worlds apart in their methods and ways. The guru teaches the disciple about himself, and in this respect he is more of a doctor than many of today's medical doctors who are unaware of the teaching role inherent in any true healing.
The guru is truly a miraculous doctor to be able to diagnose the problems of his disciples and to know the exact medicine that will help each one to progress along the path of spiritual realisation. The true guru, sadguru, knows each disciple's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual limitations and imbalances. Thus he administers to the needs rather than to the desires of each. The sadguru corrects, directs and moulds the disciple from within. He is like the current that turns on the light globe. This inner direction spiritualizes the whole psycho-physiological organism of the disciple, making him a fit vehicle for the awakened kundalini to pass through.
The guru sees directly into the depths of our being and cures dis-ease, which results from tension at the physical, emotional, mental or spiritual level. Guru often sees disease in terms of milestones to peace and perfection. Diseases have their origin in the inner cravings of the soul, not in the mind or body. When the cravings of the soul are satisfied and fulfilled, one is in good health. But when neglected these manifest in the form of agony, frustration and disease. However, all disease is transitory. It merely expresses longing to transcend the lower nature of ego and disharmony, and reach the highest manifestations of dynamism, grace, power and peace. Thus the guru who sees the innermost nature of his disciples gives them the necessary tasks which will help them to develop and fulfil their spiritual potential.
The body is subject to influences from without and within. It is a tool of the self, which uses the sensory apparatus to function in the world of limitations and sensory experience. Mind and body react to the dimensions of time and space according to the moment to moment experiences, building up patterns in the cells of the brain. These either reinforce or modify the hereditary forces, or modify newly assimilated experiences. From this our bodies form. By the time we reach adulthood many of our reactions are firmly fixed and less flexible than they were in childhood. The more we carry out a routine, the more firmly fixed it becomes in our neuronal circuitry. Thus we form the habits of our daily lives.
These habits result in good or bad health, depending on the type of life we lead. If we do not maintain an open and receptive mind, the patterns can cement and fuse into a concrete mass which becomes harder to modify as we age. The guru sees these patterns in our nature and breaks them down for us. When these mental crystals are removed, he prevents more from forming. This keeps the disciple's mind open, fresh and receptive to life.
Every one of our experiences, actions, thoughts and feelings is recorded in neuronal patterns. It is no wonder then that it takes twelve years to purify the mind. The patterns of learned behaviour affect our lives and cause us a great deal of suffering. Some are more strongly formed than others and we base our whole life on them. We are only conscious of a small proportion of these patterns; about nine tenths of the brain lies dormant, unconscious, but it is still functioning. From these areas, feelings and thoughts over which we have no control arise and dominate our lives. We are slaves to our minds and bodies rather than being the master. An electric current moves through our circuit pulling us one way and then the other, from feeling to feeling, from thought to thought. Thus we react to the world in a preselected and unchanging manner.
The guru is a catalyst for the transformation of mind. Contact with a mind as strong and vast as that of the guru is like turning towards the sun. The light which emanates from his mind is of such intensity that it pulls the mind of the disciple ever upwards. This frees the deep-seated karmas and samskaras which float to the surface of consciousness and can be eliminated from there like so much debris. This process of purification leaves the mind pure and clean, better able to reflect the environment and handle every situation well. Diseases such as schizophrenia, depression, psychosis, neurosis, and anxiety can all be cured and any tendency towards them removed.
Prana is the force or energy which is the basis of all life and the whole cosmos. When one attains cosmic consciousness, cosmic prana or the kundalini shakti awakens in him. Thus the sadguru has immeasurable force at his disposal. The disciple, on the other hand, is limited. He is like a two volt battery coming into the energy field of the sun. But through the guru his level of consciousness is raised, and an increased pranic force pervades his whole being.
When the normal consciousness comes into contact or forms a relationship with a higher consciousness, awareness is expanded by the increase of energy. Old limitations, karmas and samskaras are thrown off" as new realms are experienced. Then the disciple starts to travel into the world of chakras and nadis. Under the watchful eye of the guru, the disciple moves upward through each chakra, balancing and rebalancing the pranic flows in his nadis. Thus the disciple begins to awaken to the spiritual reality within him, and to realise that he is more than skin, bones and thought. He goes beyond the play of senses and mind, and death no longer has any fear for him.
The guru directs the gradual breaking down of these patterns no matter how long it takes, or how painful the process might be. He gives yoga practices to suit the individual's needs in terms of relaxation and quickening this process. The tensions at different levels are reactions of the lower self when it is threatened with change, which, it interprets as destruction. Mental tensions sustain our attitudes and prevent the old from giving way to the new. The only way out of this is to make a conscious effort to change, to strengthen the mind and body so that we can handle all the problems of life as though they were many little children that we have to look after.
With patient effort under the direct guidance of the guru, the grooves and sharp spikes in the brain and mind are worked away and worn down. When the rough edges are smoothed out, the mind becomes calm and peaceful. New areas of awareness open up for us, and through the strength gained, disease becomes a thing of the past. At times during this process the disciple may eliminate poisons from his body through, diarrhoea, colds, boils etc. However, the guru is always there to set the pace so that there is no danger.
At all stages of development the guidance of the guru helps us to find the quickest, easiest solution to dilemmas, problems, anxieties and neuroses. One need only look within for the answer or to ask for help. Under his guidance, neuronal patterns that are destructive to the self and others can be changed into spiritual patterns. This brings the body and its different functions into balance, removing disease and improving the total health of the disciple.
The guru is the ultimate psychiatrist. He can heal the mind, a feat not matched by today's scientific world, despite the many new discoveries in these fields. Psychiatry still lacks the knowledge of what the mind really is. The guru not only knows the mind, but he has transcended it in the process of enlightenment. Through that he knows the minds of all his disciples.
Through the guru-disciple relationship the disciple finally realises that he is not the doer, and that his psychic journey has been controlled by the 'doctor', his guru. Then the disciple surrenders to the guru with full faith in him, and true healing on the spiritual plane commences to become a conscious process. Spiritual healing depends on two things. One is the power of the guru, and the other is the disciple's faith. Faith opens the disciple so the guru's power can flood into him.
"The relationship between faith, and healing power is reciprocal. Faith is the capacity to receive. The power of the spirit is the capacity to communicate, put out and give from the accumulated fruits of inner experience, that have matured in the stillness of a composed and devoted mind. Healing power and faith are like the positive and negative poles of the same force. Where the former exists the latter will be aroused as a natural concomitant."
Lama Anagarika Govinda
Through the guru-disciple relationship, forces come into being which, generate total wholeness and understanding of the self as well as mental and physical health. As the disciple grows in this relationship, he becomes aware of all levels of existence and transcends his limitations. He becomes one with the universe and moves into the realms of cosmic consciousness where the healing power of truth becomes a concrete reality and manifestation of his gurudeva.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

True Discipleship
Swami Agnimitrananda Saraswati
In order to become infinite, we must lose our individuality in the higher self - the guru. A river flows into the ocean and becomes part of that ocean. If it separates again and becomes a river, still it maintains the quality of the ocean. In the same way the aspirant must become one with his spiritual master. He must completely surrender himself to the master in thought and action.
The disciple who sits at the lotus feet of his guru has renounced the world and is in search of higher knowledge. Still many disciples come to the guru and want instant progress. They expect miracles, assuming that the guru will personally hasten their development. But in truth the guru only inspires his disciple. He lets him progress through his own effort, picking him up when he is down, through inspiration, not by accomplishing the task for him. A disciple progresses when his aspirations are high, his heart is pure, he is innocent as a child, and his mind is one-pointed. It takes so many years for a man to become a surgeon or pilot. There are many more pilots and surgeons in this world than gurus. A surgeon heals the body but the guru heals the soul and brings glory to the world. The pilot guides and controls the aeroplane in flight while the guru guides the soul to the highest consciousness.
Disciples are often very fickle. They hop from one guru to another, expecting the next one to be quicker and easier than the last. But we must choose one guru and stick to him through all our ups and downs. The guru puts his disciples to the maximum test in order to see how fit they are, and how they respond in all circumstances. He makes them work hard until they are totally exhausted. Faith in the guru brings many seekers across the ocean of samsara. Today disciples want 'instant samadhi', just as there is instant tea and coffee. They want a shortcut to happiness. They don't realise that in the beginning the spiritual path is full of thorns, whereas worldly life is sweet. But in the end spiritual life brings everlasting joy and worldly life becomes forever bitter. A disciple who sits at the feet of the guru must be like clay in the hands of a sculptor. The guru must be free to mould him into the most fit medium for his divine power. Such disciples rise to the greatest heights and are capable of leading others on the spiritual path and unfolding their divine awareness.
The relationship between guru and disciple is the highest. It is the final relationship that leads to emancipation of the soul.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

High on Waves
On Guru Poornima the guru touches the heart of all disciples.
Be ready; open your heart and mind.
Be aware of receiving the blessing.
There are two circumstances in life,
favourable and unfavourable.
The tamoguni (lazy man) always seeks the favourable.
The rajoguni (active man) always tries to change the unfavourable to the favourable.
But the sattvoguni (pure man) maintains balance in both.
All of us want happiness and favourable conditions.
However circumstances change, not according to our own will but due to conditions over which we have no control.
The desire to modify situations to suit our individual purposes indicates an inability to tolerate unfavourable circumstances.
When the family members are pleased with us,
we are happy.
If they disagree and oppose us, we feel sad.
This means that we can only progress in favourable conditions.
As soon as difficulties arise, our path is blocked.
But the truth is that favourable circumstances make us weak.
While difficult situations sharpen the mind and make us strong.
Adversity nourishes mental strength, equilibrium and stability,
Absorbed in one-pointedness, be unaffected by change.
Only the progress made while facing opposition is everlasting.
If anyone insults us, our first impulse is to strike hack or throw off the unpleasantness,
everyone does this.
Then what is the difference between us and the insult?
When people accuse and blame us,
what is the use of getting irritated
and trying to prove them wrong?
Better not to even discuss it with others.
What does it matter if people think highly of us or not?
If we cannot bear insult, blame and abuse then we lack tolerance, endurance and mental equilibrium.
When we cannot even stand up to these little things in life how will we manage to overcome the big oppositions and obstacles?
How will we ever be able to cross the great barrier of ego, lust, anger, greed, attachment and desire?
Be attentive now and listen carefully to this Guru Poornima message.
At each step of life, learn to maintain inner peace.
Let the whole world abuse you, but remain balanced within.
You may wish to be always in favourable and inspiring places and circumstances.
But remember, changing times and situations beyond your control will one day move you easily into miserable conditions.
At that time you will realize that your efforts to keep yourself in comfortable and pleasant surroundings, even your spiritual sadhana, have all been in vain.
Make a firm resolve now:
Oh God! put me in miserable circumstances.
Give me the garland of insults and abuse.
Pinch my ego with taunts, blame and shame that
I may become strong enough to stand up to any adversity without losing balance.
May I be so strong that I can maintain equilibrium, stability and inner peace in the face of any odds, forever.
And if you are still desirous of affection, love, appreciation, recognition and praise
then, from today, leave this sadhana path.
Be firm in your resolve, either way.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Vande gurunam charanaravinde
sandarnutsa sva atmasukhavabodhe
Nihshreyase mangalikayamane
samsara halahala moha shantaye
The guru shows the path to self-realization and bliss.
He is verily the embodiment of grace.
At his lotus feet I prostrate
to poison worldly delusion and find peace.
The guru is the guide. The exact meaning of guru is 'dispeller of darkness', which is known as avidya or ignorance. When this avidya is removed, the pure knowledge of the self is illumined in all its splendour. Only then will the disciple be able to realise the real self. Therefore, in the beginning of any work, prostrations are always made to guru.
Guru is always gracious. He can see the obstacle or blockage of the disciple and finds a suitable way to overcome it according to the disciple's temperament and tendencies. It can be done in any way, such as by rebuking, beating or advising, and so he prepares the disciple to walk the spiritual path. Nothing is greater than guru. Scripture says that the mantra, devata and the guru are the same. If one pleases his guru by devotional service, then by his grace everything will be easier for him. The identification of oneself with the phenomenal world of time and place, name and form, which bring pain and pleasure to the individual and force him to come again and again into this world in the birth and death cycle, are removed only by his grace. Therefore, after prostrating to the guru, Shankaracharya begins this Yoga Taravali, which in English may be translated as 'Stars of Yoga'.
Scripture says guru is the touchstone. In the beginning, even before creation, there was nothing but Brahma, the supreme consciousness. When he created this universe he kept himself separate in order to return to his original nature. Then he manifested himself in many ways. The part or the consciousness which he kept separate is jagad guru, the touchstone. He is not only the touchstone, but something greater than that. The touchstone can convert stone into gold, a diamond or precious thing, but guru, being a spiritual touchstone, converts the disciple or the stone into another touchstone. In the same way, brahmavid brahmaiva bhavanti means 'the knower of Brahma becomes verily the Brahma'.
In the text it speaks of svatma sukha - what is this self - happiness or pleasure? The Upanishads say that the self is the source of all happiness. Yajna-valkya says that for the self all things - son, wife, husband - seem to give happiness. Actually the self is the source of all happiness. From time immemorial the individual or jiva has been searching for something. What is that something? It may be a nice motor car, television, a beautiful house, one's own wife, son, friends etc. Though these are what he has desired for a long time, after getting them their satisfaction only lasts a little while. Why is it not forever? Because he does not know what he wants or desires. He knows he is searching for something. He wants something which will make him ever contented, ever blissful. Religion gives it many names; it says the target of the search is God, Allah, Jehovah, etc. Whatever the name may be, it is the consciousness of one's self, and here is to be found the end of all this searching. If one establishes himself in the self, then he will be immortal, ever blissful and will enjoy the sat, chit and ananda.
For this the lighthouse, the touchstone, is the guru who knows the way, who is realised and able to guide the disciple in the proper way to reach his destiny. Therefore the guru is always reverenced and salutations are always made to him.
Nihshreyase mangalikamane means embodiment of grace, auspiciousness. Why is he auspicious? The reason is that the guru never expects anything from a disciple. What is the best thing one can give to his guru, who shows the way to self-realization? The self is manifested in the various names and forms of the so-called phenomenal world. All siddhis and all power belong to the self. If one realises the self, siddhis and power follow him like the shadow follows the body. So what can one give the guru who is verily Brahma? The author has written some beautiful lines elsewhere, and some of these lines are as follows:
Who is full, all - pervading
how can he be invited?
Who is the origin and support of all,
what will be the seat for him?
Who is pure,
what will be the bath for him?
Whose abdomen is the whole universe,
what cloth can be offered to him?
Who gives light to the sun, moon and stars,
what lamp can one show to him?
Despite ingratitude or disobedience on the part of the disciple, the guru always does his best to bring light to the erring and unenlightened disciple. If this is so, how can one please his guru? Nothing can be given to him in return for his grace. When Shukadeva went to his guru Janaka to be initiated, Janaka asked for dakshina because after self-realization there will be no guru and no disciple, only sat, chit and ananda. What the disciple can give is his love, his service, his devotion, all his possessions, as a token of his gratitude. How much money one can give to his guru and how much devotion one can show are nothing unless one is able to listen and carry out the command or instruction of the guru. So guru is verily the embodiment of auspiciousness, he always wants to remove or destroy the veil, the illusion of the individual, expecting nothing in return. Therefore, in the beginning of the work, salutations are always made to guru with great reverence.
According to Hindu mythology, halahala is the deadly poison which came out during the churning of the ocean by the devas and asuras. This poison was so strong that nobody could keep his life in front of it, so they prayed to Lord Shiva who gladly drank it. He alone digested it easily. From the effects of this poison his neck turned blue, which is why his name is Nilakantha. He is verily the embodiment of yoga.
The author says that the illusion or delusion of this world is just like the halahala, which agitates mankind and has caused suffering through the ages. Again, the scriptures say that Lord Shiva is the guru of all and resembles every guru. Therefore only the guru will be able to eradicate this halahala or illusion.
What are the illusions of this world which are compared with this poison? These are the wrong identification of oneself with the phenomenal world, name and form, time and place. Whatever is liable to change is not eternal, though it seems to be. Real happiness lies not with the changing thing but with the unchanging thing. This hankering for and running after the unreal causes unhappiness and puts the individual in bondage. This is called 'vasana'. When by the grace of guru, the veil of illusion is removed, then the individual will be able to see his real form, which is pure consciousness, bliss, the eternal.
Psychological comments
Oriental psychology is inseparable from the ways of liberation - yoga, zen, Taoism and so on - with their emphasis on the guru. In the west, where God is an external authority rather than inner bliss, the soul is split from the body and mind. The functions of the guru are split between the religious pastor or father confessor and the psychotherapist.
The psychotherapist, like the guru, provides the techniques that provoke the deeper personality to reveal itself, and the emotional support to sustain the patient through the task of integrating these insights. However, in psychotherapy as in spiritual life, the essential work of confronting the unconscious is all undertaken by the patient. The role of therapist, like that of a guru, is more or less passive - a sensitive response determined by the actions and feelings of the patient.
In traditional Freudian analysis, the therapist is the silent listener to the patient's monologue of memory and fantasy. Like the guru, he intervenes only to shed some light on the patient's psychological blind-spots. It is the guru's habit to accept without judgement all aspects of the disciple's personality and his behaviour, at the same time reflecting this behaviour to show its inconsistencies and irrationalities. This is precisely the hallmark of the Rogerian therapist who provides unconditional support for his patient, while elaborating the patient's assumptions and rationalisations in such a way as to point out his defences and self-deceptions. Just as the guru helps the disciple discover the occult truths embodied in yantras, mandalas and other symbols of the unconscious, so the Jungian analyst guides his client towards integration through the manipulation of dream symbols and personal myths.
As with gurus, so with therapists. It is not the method but the relationship that is crucial. The core of all western psychotherapies is the relationship between therapist and patient; the catalyst to recovery is the unique interpersonal encounter rather than a particular array of techniques. In group therapy, there may be a dozen patients and no leader, but the functions of therapist are spread amongst the group and the interrelationship between its members is of prime importance.
The disciple must surrender to the guru. The patient must be open to the influence of the group or individual therapist. Continued resistance, shutting out, only dooms the relationship and renders any and all therapy ineffective.

[Tapan Mukherjee]

Divine Contract
Swami Atmananda Saraswati
The bond between guru and disciple cannot be compared to any other human relationship. Father and daughter, mother and son, husband and wife, lovers, brothers and friends: all love with a reason, a motive or a desire. But guru and disciple are welded together by a divine affection which is not subject to drifts of emotion or doubts of the mind. They are beyond the formalities that the world lives by. Their relationship takes place on a higher spiritual plane.
The guru chooses his disciple with great care, for he takes as his own only those whose hearts are pure. His ways are mysterious, but there is great meaning behind them.
When Guru Ramdas was preparing to die, he wanted to see the mind of his disciples to find the one upon whom to confer his powers. One day he was passing a sweet-shop and he stopped to purchase some jalebis. His disciples were following behind, and they too began to savour the delicacies in the shop. Guru Ramdas smiled to himself. He next took them to a wine-store and began tasting the different liquors. The disciples said to each other, "We must sacrifice our principles and follow his example, for our guru's sake." To show their devotion they shared a bottle of wine between themselves. Guru Ramdas visited a prostitute's house; he ate chicken, drank bhang, and all the devotees proved their obedience by following his example without hesitation.
It was time for the final test. Guru Ramdas took them to a glass factory and began drinking boiling liquid glass as if it were water. The disciples stepped back, horrified, "Our Guruji cannot be in his senses", they murmured. "He will scald his throat and die - and so shall we if we do likewise."
But one disciple cried, "When Guruji offered you sweetmeats you accepted them, but now in the face of danger we all desert him. Guruji, let me die with you, for I cannot bear to live in this world without you." He swallowed a draught of liquid glass - and with that he instantly attained samadhi, and Guru Ramdas left his body.
In the beginning the disciple may be disturbed by the guru's unorthodox behaviour, but once the guru-disciple relationship is cemented, the disciple has to accept the rough with the smooth, and the blame with the praise. Whether the guru loves him or insults him, his mind should be as unswerving as the mother who has given birth to a girl and never wishes it had been a boy. If the disciple is wise he quickly realises that whatever the guru may do, it is only for the good, and his doubts give way to implicit trust.
There was a boy who was destined to die from a snakebite, and his guru knew it. The disciple used to accompany his master on his travels, and one night they had to pass through the jungle. The boy felt tired, and lay down to rest beneath a tree. The master sat beside him, alert to the dangers that surrounded them. When the disciple was sleeping the guru saw the king of snakes approaching the boy's head. He commanded him to stop, and asked from which part of the boy's body he was destined to take blood. The snake replied, from the throat. So the saint took his knife and gently made a small slit in the disciple's neck. He gave the blood to the snake, who retreated, satisfied, back into the jungle.
When the boy had felt the knife on his throat he had opened his eyes, but on seeing the knife was held by his beloved guru, he closed his eyes again and went back to sleep. The guru woke him and asked: "Why did you open your eyes ? And why did you close them again?"
The boy replied: "I opened my eyes because 1 felt a knife on my throat and I thought that someone wanted to kill me. I closed them again because I saw you, and I know that you would never harm me."
The true guru is as rare as the true disciple. The spiritual aspirant should not look for a gracious smile and eloquent words, nor should he be impressed by the guru who meditates in padmasana for hours together, chanting aum in a sonorous voice, his physique resplendent, his neck embellished with malas and his head adorned with an extravagant turban. The guru can be dirty. He can be ugly. He can be a cripple. But no problem should confound him, whether it be social, political or spiritual. His brain should be able to tackle the source of any conflict and prescribe the cure. No task, however menial, should be degrading to him, yet his hands should master the most complex skill with effortless ease. His knowledge should be so vast and his wisdom so deep that psychologist, scientist and critic will find ineffable truth in his words, while even the child's innocent questions will be replied with sincerity and understanding. He should be as indifferent to flattery as the ocean to a scurry of rain. If he is abused in public, no sign of sorrow or annoyance should cloud his expression, and he should be able to sit before an audience of beautiful women without any lustful thought spoiling his mind. He should have the power to mould his devotee into a greater saint than he is himself, and the desire to remain hidden behind a veil of anonymity in order to enhance the fame of his disciples. That is the behaviour of the man who has balance of mind.
The unity that grows between guru and disciple is so unfailing that the guru can kick his disciple out of the front gate because he knows he will immediately appear at the back door. Similarly, the disciple can abuse his guru with frank hostility if he chooses, for the guru is his own and he adores him. Despite the stature of the guru and the humility of the disciple they can confront each other without formality. Freedom in speech and behaviour is the vehicle by which they reveal, one to the other, their thoughts and feelings. Whether the disciple scolds the guru or the guru scolds the disciple it is of little consequence, for there is no difference between them, and each may just as well be abusing his own self.
My guru has never spared the rod and spoilt me with praise. Many times he has beaten me in public, sometimes for mistakes, sometimes for no apparent reason at all. But his harsh words have made me tough. If he threatens me he is challenging my weak mind, if he beats me he is breaking my inflexible will, and if he kicks me he is clearing away the ignorance that blinds my vision. Once my guru hit me 'till I lay face down in the mud crying, but I saw tears in his eyes, for in punishing me he suffered more than I did.
The guru should be kept inside, for closeness to the guru is spiritual, not physical. It is not necessary for the disciple to live with the guru to be close to him. The greater the physical distance between them, the more faith, devotion and love inspire the disciple. He who lives on the banks of the Ganges rarely thinks of bathing in her, but he who lives far away dreams of having that opportunity. The disciple who always sits in the presence of the guru is blinded by Immortal form, but from a distance the guru's essence shines in meditation, and their souls meet in a mystic embrace.
In many silent and unknown ways my guru has saved and supported me at uncertain moments of my life. It was my guru's blessings that protected me when I lived for six years in a troubled city amidst violence and gunfire. While homes all around were gutted by bombs and even the walls of my ashram were pierced by bullets, the house remained safe.
When I first came to my guru I was a foolish young girl, drawn by an undefined attraction and a simple desire to be near him. I used to sit in his class and chant aum louder and longer than everyone else to make him notice me, and I followed him from town to town on his travels. But although I loved him, I hated the idea of becoming a sannyasin. By force my guru dyed my clothes orange and shaved my head. My resistance was feeble when confronted by the power of his loving will.
My guru can do what he likes with me, for I am his. My only sadhana and my only resolve are to obey him more. I do not care whether he loves me or not, whether he blesses me or not. I pray that he abuses me, hurts me and rejects me. Only I want him in my heart. He is my mother, father, husband and companion. I do not need to massage his feet or sing his name aloud to prove my devotion, for I have kept him inside and closed my ears, eyes, nose and mouth so tightly that he cannot escape, nor can anyone else get in.
Guruji, I pray that I may be reborn in every species and every form to serve and repay you, for this lifetime is not sufficient.