Amritapuri ashram

Inner presence of the Guru

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Today Swami Kaivalyananda answered a number of questions from the brahmacharis on the topic of the Guru, as we recently celebrated Guru Purnima. Here was one question; ‘what is the importance of the physical closeness to the Guru, or living with the Guru?’

Swami said, ‘if one has gained the necessary samskara from previous births and is able to be firm on the path of spirituality, then there is no importance to the physical closeness or distance of the Guru. What is important there is the inner presence of the Guru.

Some people stay in the physical presence of the Guru for a long time, they may even be disciples in the ‘inner ring.’ However, they never strived for that inner presence. Therefore, they never truly accept the Guru. They accept the Guru externally. Therefore, it is seen that those same disciples reject the Guru externally. After many years of living close to a Master, they leave. This is because they lack that inner presence.

Also, one thing we should understand is that ‘Gurutvam,’ the quality of being a Guru, is something that exists in the mind of the disciple. That isn’t something that exists in the Guru. Why? Because we daily chant, ‘Guru sakshat parambrahma.’ Guru is the Supreme Brahman. There is no place for ‘Gurutvam’ there. Therefore, ‘Gurutvam’ is something that is manifested in the mind of the disciple. Without that, there is no Guru.

Then as to the subject of the physical closeness to a Guru, Swami said that that may be necessary for those who are infants (shishu) on the spiritual path. For them, they have no other means but to rely on the physical presence. But just because one is an infant, it doesn’t mean that you can desire to always be that way. For example, a mother takes care of her infant, but that isn’t so he can remain an infant forever. It is for him to grow up and become independent. No Guru desires their disciple to be dependent on them forever. Their only wish is for the disciple to become independent. Therefore, one cannot be stubborn, thinking, ‘I will remain an infant forever.’ Even if one does this, the infant will be growing up naturally. Therefore, though a spiritual infant has to rely on the outer presence of the Guru, as one progresses, that ultimately has no importance. Instead, what is ultimately important is the inner presence of the Guru.

At the end of the class, it was seen that there was a visitor; the ashram monkey! He entered near the Kali shrine, drank some of the oil, then sat near Kali. Then he found some fruits that are usually given to Swami after class and helped himself to a nice meal. It is said that Hanuman loves to hear satsang…

Piyush,
August 2, 2007

Comments

3 responses to “Inner presence of the Guru”

  1. Sandeep

    Does that mean one could be in the “inner ring” without striving to have the “inner presence”? If so what is the definition of “inner ring”? Thanks.

  2. piyush

    Definately, one can be in the ‘inner ring’ of disciples without having the inner presence of the Guru. There are many examples of this, in the case of disciples of famous mahatmas from the past, and in the disciples of today’s time. I don’t feel it’s necessary to go into the details.
    When I said ‘inner ring,’ this means the disciples who are physically closest to the Guru. There was one close disciple of Buddha who tried to kill him, because he wanted to be the Guru. Likewise, Christ’s disciple Judas betrayed him to be killed. Are these the signs of a true disciple, or one who has the inner presence of the Guru? That is something we should really reflect on whole-heartedly.
    One thing we should understand is that we are attracted to the Guru not out of their inner, true being, but out of the Guru’s external bhavas and expressions. That is what attracts us to the Guru. We keep the Guru on the level of our emotional attitudes; ‘the Guru loves me, the Guru is pleased with me.’ All these are emotions on our level. We super-impose these on the Guru, who is beyond all such emotions. Therefore, because we have a purely emotional attitude to the Guru, that liking for the Guru can easily turn into dislike or even hate, depending on how the Guru acts towards us.
    That is why Swami said that all the importance in spirituality is given to the inner relationship with the Guru. When one has such a bond, the words like ‘close,’ ‘far,’ ‘in the body,’ ‘left the body,’ none of these have any importance.

  3. Vidya

    I often regret that I am so far physically from Amma, living in rural Louisiana, so I have had to learn to hold Her in my heart.

    After the hurricanes wiped out my home, I really felt lost and abandoned for some time, but now realize the one thing I can never lose is my Amma. I will be Her child forever.
    Through the past 13 years of following Amma, I have often been working 2-3 jobs to survive and have little time to be in Her presence,perhaps only one program per year, but I always pray to her and feel she is watching over me.

    When I can’t sleep at night, I chant my mantra and imagine I am cuddled up in the lap of the divine mother in Her universal form, wrapped in a fold of Her sari and Her incomparable love and I drift off and the next thing I know it is morning.

    As hurricane recovery continues, I realize I have been blessed and that I am in a better place, a place Amma wanted me to be and I am grateful to be her child forever. Although difficulties remain, I have been greatly, greatly blessed, perhaps in ways that I have not yet fully realized.
    Vidya

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