The Relationship between Guru and Disciple

As well as offering us divine qualities and experiences, the Guru has the ability to take from us all that is separating us from God within ourselves; our doubts, our fears, our jealousy our ignorance, and replace it with divinity, but we need to be willing counterparts in this exchange. We have to constantly practise the art of surrender, that is to surrender our lower nature to our higher nature so that we too, can know God intimately.

The Gurus presence in our life greatly expedites this process, like a giant vacuum cleaner, the Guru helps to draw forward and transform all that is undivine inside ourselves, to uncover our soul. It is like an incredible ongoing spiritual cleanse! Not always easy, because like a divine warrior, we must face every part of ourselves that may be slowing our progress and binding us to suffering. Every doubt, every fear, every attachment, every aspect of the ego, every identification with our limited small selves must, when the time is right and we are ready, surface in ourselves to be purified and transcended so that we may eventually merge with our larger Self – which is God.

The result at each step of this cleanse, is an ever new and higher perspective a broader vision, a greater awareness, a deeper and higher consciousness and ultimately Yogic perfection. If we are cherishing or holding onto any aspect of our ignorance, we are unconsciously delaying our journey. A doctor may be able to remove an illness from our body, but if we do not allow the doctor to examine the illness or come near us, we make them powerless to help us. So too with the Guru, we must willingly and unashamedly like a child offer or let go of our ignorance, so that the Guru can free us from the snare of our lower nature. “He begins to realise that his life is really an extended workshop on God-Realisation, and that every hardship or problem simply presents him with another opportunity to achieve progress through surrender and desirelessness.” – Jogyata Dallas.

When a Guru accepts a disciple they take the disciple as an extended part of their own consciousness. The disciple will be able to receive the most from the Master if they too, feel a sense of oneness with the Master as though the Master is a dear friend, the closest divine friend, or part of their immediate family. If the disciple feels that they are separate from the Master as though the Master is a distant acquaintance, or if their meditation practise is irregular, it makes it difficult for the Master to be of any help to them, because the inner connection is weak.

The strength of the inner connection, the oneness, love and faith between Master and disciple is the absolute secret of receiving the utmost from the Guru and making the fastest progress possible. The more you can feel your closeness to the Master, the easier it is for the Master to offer you all that they have and all that they are, as Krishna explained to Arjuna: “But to those who adore me with a pure oneness of soul, to those who are ever in harmony, I increase what they have and I give them what they have not.’ – from the Bhagavad Gita. In the relationship between Krishna and Arjuna we see the perfect example of the ideal disciple. “The relationship between a Guru and a sisya (disciple) is a very special one, transcending that between parent and child, husband and wife or friends.” – Iyengar.

A true Guru, is always quick to acknowledge that they are not the real Guru, that there is only one Guru, and that is God. A Guru is only God’s representative on earth who is helping his brothers and sisters to find the real true Guru, the Supreme. We all have the Supreme inside us but in the case of the Guru, God is fully and powerfully awake and in the case of most of humanity God is yet to awake within or only partially awake.

“Whether you are meditating in your master’s physical presence or somewhere else is unimportant. No matter where you are, if you meditate soulfully you are bound to get his inner guidance. And his inner guidance, which his inner oneness with you, will last forever and forever.” – Sri Chinmoy.

The guidance of a true and genuine Guru is a powerful, important and integral part of the Yogic journey as it has been for thousands years. When a Guru is found, their guidance expedites our spiritual progress in an unimaginable way, in a way that is virtually impossible to achieve through our own efforts. Only you can know who your true Guru is based on your inner conviction when you are in their presence, or if that is not possible with their writings and photograph.

Having a Guru is not something strange or to be feared, it is a natural and normal part of the development of our Yoga practises. As we take the help of teachers for everything else we do in life, so too we need a guide for the Yogic journey. Someone who knows the way and can help us avoid the obstacles and pitfalls.

Having a Guru helps us to feel the nearness of God in our every day lives, so that God is not just a distant reality, or a mere concept. The Guru teaches us to develop our own intimate relationship with God which is very tangible. The Guru will over time feel like a close divine friend, who is always there for you and wants only for you your highest possible good. The very heart of Yoga is Union with God, and this is precisely what the Guru strives for us to experience and achieve.As well as offering us divine qualities and experiences, the Guru has the ability to take from us all that is separating us from God within ourselves; our doubts, our fears, our jealousy our ignorance, and replace it with divinity, but we need to be willing counterparts in this exchange. We have to constantly practise the art of surrender, that is to surrender our lower nature to our higher nature so that we too, can know God intimately.

The Gurus presence in our life greatly expedites this process, like a giant vacuum cleaner, the Guru helps to draw forward and transform all that is undivine inside ourselves, to uncover our soul. It is like an incredible ongoing spiritual cleanse! Not always easy, because like a divine warrior, we must face every part of ourselves that may be slowing our progress and binding us to suffering. Every doubt, every fear, every attachment, every aspect of the ego, every identification with our limited small selves must, when the time is right and we are ready, surface in ourselves to be purified and transcended so that we may eventually merge with our larger Self – which is God.

The result at each step of this cleanse, is an ever new and higher perspective a broader vision, a greater awareness, a deeper and higher consciousness and ultimately Yogic perfection. If we are cherishing or holding onto any aspect of our ignorance, we are unconsciously delaying our journey. A doctor may be able to remove an illness from our body, but if we do not allow the doctor to examine the illness or come near us, we make them powerless to help us. So too with the Guru, we must willingly and unashamedly like a child offer or let go of our ignorance, so that the Guru can free us from the snare of our lower nature. “He begins to realise that his life is really an extended workshop on God-Realisation, and that every hardship or problem simply presents him with another opportunity to achieve progress through surrender and desirelessness.” – Jogyata Dallas.

When a Guru accepts a disciple they take the disciple as an extended part of their own consciousness. The disciple will be able to receive the most from the Master if they too, feel a sense of oneness with the Master as though the Master is a dear friend, the closest divine friend, or part of their immediate family. If the disciple feels that they are separate from the Master as though the Master is a distant acquaintance, or if their meditation practise is irregular, it makes it difficult for the Master to be of any help to them, because the inner connection is weak.

The strength of the inner connection, the oneness, love and faith between Master and disciple is the absolute secret of receiving the utmost from the Guru and making the fastest progress possible. The more you can feel your closeness to the Master, the easier it is for the Master to offer you all that they have and all that they are, as Krishna explained to Arjuna: “But to those who adore me with a pure oneness of soul, to those who are ever in harmony, I increase what they have and I give them what they have not.’ – from the Bhagavad Gita. In the relationship between Krishna and Arjuna we see the perfect example of the ideal disciple. “The relationship between a Guru and a sisya (disciple) is a very special one, transcending that between parent and child, husband and wife or friends.” – Iyengar.

A true Guru, is always quick to acknowledge that they are not the real Guru, that there is only one Guru, and that is God. A Guru is only God’s representative on earth who is helping his brothers and sisters to find the real true Guru, the Supreme. We all have the Supreme inside us but in the case of the Guru, God is fully and powerfully awake and in the case of most of humanity God is yet to awake within or only partially awake.

“Whether you are meditating in your master’s physical presence or somewhere else is unimportant. No matter where you are, if you meditate soulfully you are bound to get his inner guidance. And his inner guidance, which his inner oneness with you, will last forever and forever.” – Sri Chinmoy.

The guidance of a true and genuine Guru is a powerful, important and integral part of the Yogic journey as it has been for thousands years. When a Guru is found, their guidance expedites our spiritual progress in an unimaginable way, in a way that is virtually impossible to achieve through our own efforts. Only you can know who your true Guru is based on your inner conviction when you are in their presence, or if that is not possible with their writings and photograph.

Having a Guru is not something strange or to be feared, it is a natural and normal part of the development of our Yoga practises. As we take the help of teachers for everything else we do in life, so too we need a guide for the Yogic journey. Someone who knows the way and can help us avoid the obstacles and pitfalls.

Having a Guru helps us to feel the nearness of God in our every day lives, so that God is not just a distant reality, or a mere concept. The Guru teaches us to develop our own intimate relationship with God which is very tangible. The Guru will over time feel like a close divine friend, who is always there for you and wants only for you your highest possible good. The very heart of Yoga is Union with God, and this is precisely what the Guru strives for us to experience and achieve.

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