Page 50 - Wisdom Unfurled
P. 50

depends upon the power and capability of the Master to establish a sound connection for which high calibre is needed. A sound connection once established shall continue until the disciple secures liberation which in such cases is not a far off matter to be attained after numerous lives. In fact, if a disciple is initiated in the right sense as mentioned above by a guru of high calibre the question of breaking off can never arise. But, for the professional gurus who perform mock initiations to serve their purpose, it is a matter of constant anxiety. Therefore, in order to keep a disciple permanently in their grip, they proclaim it as a divine dictate that he shall be courting all the miseries of hell if he ever thought of breaking off from them at any time. The ignorant masses accept it as gospel truth, trembling at the very idea of doing anything which might displease their guru. So they always try to put up with all their atrocities in passive submission. I am sure that there is not the slightest suggestion to this effect found in our Shastras. It is only ingenuity on the part of these teachers of religion. I hold it to be the birthright of every man to break off from his guru at any time if he finds that he has made a wrong selection or has misjudged the guru’s capacity or worth. He is free to seek another guru if at any stage he finds that his guru has not the capacity to take him beyond what he has already acquired. On the other hand, a conscientious guru must himself, under the circumstances, direct his disciple to seek another more advanced and better qualified guru, so that the disciple’s progress may not in any way suffer. This is the sacred duty of a true, selfless guru. If, however, permission to break off sought for by the disciple, is denied by the guru on account of his selfish motives, the disciple is at liberty to break off from him at once and seek another. No moral or religious law ever forbids him from doing so.
A little advanced among the class of gurus are considered to be those who teach and preach on the basis of their knowledge of the Shastras and other holy books. They have established orders and ashrams, where they enjoy a kingly position among their followers. They go out and address large audiences telling them what to do and what not to do, explaining to them problems concerning maya, jiva and Brahman. People flock to them in thousands to hear their sermons, admiring their high ideas and extensive knowledge, and regard them as greatmahatmas or saints. They ask them numerous intricate questions, and if they are able to answer them out of their stock of the knowledge of the Shastras, their greatness as a mahatma is established in their minds; and they are induced to accept them as gurus. But really they have thus put to test their learning and not the real worth. It must well be borne in mind that it is not the learning or knowledge that makes a man perfect but it is only realisation in the right sense that makes a true yogi or saint. It is just possible that the man who has thus impressed you, with

































































































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