Guru and Goal

Pragya Mahajan

All Masters have said that God is the Guru, the true Master. He is the Controlling Power within us. Where that Power manifests, that manifested God-in-man is called a Master. So the true Master is God Himself. Not God Absolute, but the God who has come into expression, who is sustaining and controlling the whole Universe.
Guru Nanak was asked, “Who is your Guru, Your Master?” He replied, “The God-into-Expression Power, the Shabda is the Guru. My soul is His disciple.” Kabir also said the same thing. He was asked, “Where is your God residing?” He said, “Beyond and above these outgoing faculties. If you come up there, you will find Him.” In which human body, He is manifest, that body is respected. For the manifestation of God in Him, we respect Him, we love Him.
Our soul is at present attached to outward things, to the physical body, to our children and families. So we have to come back again and again where we are attached. All things are changing, not stationary. So we should love someone who is not changing. “O God, Thou art eternal, unchangeable permanence Thou art, we wish to be attached to Thee”. Those who are attached to the changing panorama of life cannot see God unless they withdraw from it. The true Guru, the manifested God-in-man is able to draw our attention from outside, drag us up and open the inner eye to see Him. He can remove the darkness of ignorance and is called a Sadh, Sant, Mahatma or Guru. We respect His body only for the reason that God is manifest there.
God is also within us, but He is latent. The God in Him is competent to take us to the seat of soul and see the light of God in our heart through the technique of meditation taught by him. It is wonderful body where God is manifest. To love Him is the first thing to get the highest aim of our life, which is to experience God in our hearts and feel His presence. This is accomplished by removing all our grossness and impurities and regulating our mind which becomes subtle and divinised and reflects the divinity so far lying unmanifested because of coverings of ignorance.
Christ said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Whosoever wants to attain what his Guru has attained will have to follow the footsteps of his Guru to reach the goal and apply his teachings in letter and spirit. The problem with todays’ disciples is that neither they are disciplined nor do they follow the principles which the Guru practises with the result that they fail to attain the highest goal of human life for which one approaches a Guru. Despite numerous Gurus we find the moral standards and human values diminishing day by day and there is so much disharmony, restlessness and dishonesty prevailing in the families, society and the nations.
Human body is the highest rung in creation. We should make the best use of it. And the best use is to know God and realise the truth before life passes into death. To know God we should know ourselves first. Self knowledge precedes God knowledge. It is not a matter of inferences or feelings but is a matter of self-analysis, of rising above body consciousness. When we know the Self, we become knower of the Overself, which is controlling us in the body.
So the best thing is to love such a person in whom God is manifested. If one comes across a Pole where that Powerhouse is connected, one comes nearer to the Powerhouse. Maulana Rumi says, “When you come across a true master, you come nearer to God, because God is manifested in Him.” The highest ideal before us is to know God, but to know God we must meet somebody in whom He is manifest and who can manifest in us the same God Power that is working within the body. He does not ask to leave the world and go to the forest. He says remain in the world, pay off all debts and direct your footsteps to God. He who can guide you in that direction is called a Master. Masters have been coming in all religions. Remain in whatever religion you are but meet such a Master in whom God is manifest and who has the competence to make that Power of God manifest in you. It is the Master whom we should love in the world for He sees that God resides in every heart and has respect for everybody.
Sri Sri Paramhansa Yogananda says, “Without a Guru the average devotee cannot find God. It requires 25% devoted practice of meditation techniques; 25% blessings of the Guru; and 50% grace of God. If you remain steadfast in your efforts to the end, He will appear before you.”

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