Guru lives in the world but does not belong to the world.
The guru wants nothing for what he is doing because it is his duty and the purpose of his life. If he guides you, he is not obliging you; he is merely doing his work. He cannot live without doing his duty selflessly, for selfless love is the very basis of enlightenment. Such gurus guide humanity and radiate life and light from the unknown corners of the world. The world is not aware of them, and they do not want recognition. You may try your best to do something for your guru, but you cannot, because he doesn’t need anything. As the sun shines and lives far above, the guru gives spiritual love and remains unattached. This is why you should give your love and respect to your guru. If my guru and the Lord were to both come to me, I would go to my guru first and say, “Thank you very much. You have introduced me to the Lord.” I would not go to the Lord and say, “Thank you very much, Lord. You have given me my guru.”
In addition the guru should have inner strength and compassion. Compassion means that the teacher loves his students and wants them to grow and practise. If compassion is not there, then imparting knowledge is like planting seeds in a barren field in which nothing will grow.
You can feel if someone is phony or genuine when they say they love you. What do you mean by the word love? Love is when someone does things for you and does not expect anything in return. But if a teacher expects money or something else from his students, then that is a labor fee and has nothing to do with teaching. If you ask, “Guruji how much do you love me?” The teacher will reply, “My dear chela, as much as you love me, I love you the same.”
I spent the first forty years of my life going to many teachers. It became like a hobby to me. In vain I was roaming here and there, journeying far and wide, crossing the mountains and seven seas to seek and discover myself. Then finally I realized the teacher is within me. All I could do was laugh at myself and my foolishness. People called me wise, whereas I should have been called stupid for searching for myself outside instead of being still and looking within to become aware of what I already am. Finally I realized that I was the most extravagant vagabond I had ever met for wasting my breath and time searching for myself here, there and everywhere.
I am not condemning teachers, because they help. But if you ignore the teacher within, you will not be able to open the keys of the book of life. Your conscience is the greatest guide within you, but you do not listen to it because you don’t have self-confidence. Once you deserve to tread the inner path, everything will be open for you. And don’t worry about the mistakes; you are bound to commit mistakes when you are learning. In the process of learning, mistakes become the pillars of success, provided you don’t give up.
Reprinted from: The Ancient Traveler: Writings on Love by Swami Rama
