"The tortoise is on one bank of the river and her young ones are on the other side. She gives neither milk nor warmth to them. Her mere glance gives them nutrition. The young ones do nothing but remember their mother. The tortoise glance is, to the young ones, a downpour of nectar, the only source of happiness. Similar is the relation between the Guru and disciples."
- Shirdi Sai Baba (to get my free e-book on His teachings, you may click here).
All serious spiritual aspirants interested in getting Enlightenment must necessarily have a Guru for their guidance. That is because we don’t know much about the means or end. Unlike material goals, spiritual goal is always abstract as is the path. Even though we read a lot regarding path or goal, we won’t understand it completely. So, unless there is a Guru to guide us, we won’t make it.
I don’t mean the verbal guidance - we can read a lot from books or hear a lot from the enlightened people. It is about controlling our words, thoughts and desires that are responsible for manifesting the process of Enlightenment. After all, Enlightenment is a process of manifestation.
Bhagavad Gita talks about two kinds of Enlightenment - one in our individuated consciousness and another in the universal Consciousness. A person enlightened in his individuated consciousness is not capable of controlling our words, thoughts and desires - only a person enlightened in the universal Consciousness is. That is because, spiritual guidance involves assuming the omniscient and omnipotent capabilities of the all-pervading universal Consciousness.
You need not search for a Person enlightened in the universal Consciousness. That Person need not be alive with body now. The soul of such Person doesn’t take birth again. And even after shedding His body He will be very much alive and in complete merger with universal Consciousness. If you surrender to His soul, He’ll guide you.
Who are such Persons? There are many - Shirdi Sai Baba, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ, Chaitanya Mahaprabu, Sankara, Ramanuja to name a few. You may choose any one - mostly, it will be other way around, if you know what I mean.
Just worship One in your residence and request Him to guide you daily. That’s enough. He’ll guide you - wherever you are and whatever you do.
Many persons who are enlightened in their individuated consciousness, may offer to guide you. Remember that they can’t. They may claim that they are Gautama Buddha and so on. Remember that they are not. They may ask you to leave your properties, profession and relations and move to their place. Don’t do that - you are already in the best environment for Enlightenment to happen to you. Don’t spoil that. They can only describe what Enlightenment feels like and some can explain the path but none of them can control your words, thoughts and desires to make you walk in the path.
With the subtle guidance from the One Who is enlightened in the universal Consciousness, it is very easy to walk the path leading to Enlightenment. There is absolutely no need for you to renounce your family, social or professional life. And there is no need for you to stick to any particular dress code or food code, either. Your Guru will take care of your spiritual as well as material needs.
All serious spiritual aspirants interested in getting Enlightenment must necessarily have a Guru for their guidance. That is because we don’t know much about the means or end. Unlike material goals, spiritual goal is always abstract as is the path. Even though we read a lot regarding path or goal, we won’t understand it completely. So, unless there is a Guru to guide us, we won’t make it.
I don’t mean the verbal guidance - we can read a lot from books or hear a lot from the enlightened people. It is about controlling our words, thoughts and desires that are responsible for manifesting the process of Enlightenment. After all, Enlightenment is a process of manifestation.
Bhagavad Gita talks about two kinds of Enlightenment - one in our individuated consciousness and another in the universal Consciousness. A person enlightened in his individuated consciousness is not capable of controlling our words, thoughts and desires - only a person enlightened in the universal Consciousness is. That is because, spiritual guidance involves assuming the omniscient and omnipotent capabilities of the all-pervading universal Consciousness.
You need not search for a Person enlightened in the universal Consciousness. That Person need not be alive with body now. The soul of such Person doesn’t take birth again. And even after shedding His body He will be very much alive and in complete merger with universal Consciousness. If you surrender to His soul, He’ll guide you.
Who are such Persons? There are many - Shirdi Sai Baba, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ, Chaitanya Mahaprabu, Sankara, Ramanuja to name a few. You may choose any one - mostly, it will be other way around, if you know what I mean.
Just worship One in your residence and request Him to guide you daily. That’s enough. He’ll guide you - wherever you are and whatever you do.
Many persons who are enlightened in their individuated consciousness, may offer to guide you. Remember that they can’t. They may claim that they are Gautama Buddha and so on. Remember that they are not. They may ask you to leave your properties, profession and relations and move to their place. Don’t do that - you are already in the best environment for Enlightenment to happen to you. Don’t spoil that. They can only describe what Enlightenment feels like and some can explain the path but none of them can control your words, thoughts and desires to make you walk in the path.
With the subtle guidance from the One Who is enlightened in the universal Consciousness, it is very easy to walk the path leading to Enlightenment. There is absolutely no need for you to renounce your family, social or professional life. And there is no need for you to stick to any particular dress code or food code, either. Your Guru will take care of your spiritual as well as material needs.
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