It is said that the awareness of one’s true nature is veiled by ignorance accumulated over endless lifetimes. One can strip away this covering of darkness by cultivating spiritual wisdom ; and thereby attain liberation of the soul. But how can such wisdom be obtained ? This question has been answered in shloka 4.34. Sri Krishna has advised that one should ‘seek wisdom from the seers by humble reverence, by service ; and by asking meaningful questions. Those self-realised souls having seen the truth themselves would impart knowledge to him’.
Until one has himself seen the light within, he needs the guidance of a spiritual mentor. Therefore, it has been suggested that one should approach a spiritual master, the one who has not only known the truth theoretically (tattva-gyani), but has himself experienced it (tattva-darshi). When one reaches out to an enlightened soul with an attitude of reverent service and worthwhile enquiry, such a teacher helps him in finding the deeper meaning of life.
The function of a spiritual mentor is quite different from the working of other teachers. Whereas a teacher of any subject helps his pupils in gaining knowledge in that branch of knowledge only, a spiritual teacher aims at complete transformation of his disciple. Everyone possesses the truth in his deeper self. But this truth is out of one’s sight due to his entanglement with the phenomenal world. The goal of a spiritual teacher is to enable his disciple to experience the truth of his real self. He awakens him to his true nature.
A bona fide master imparts knowledge of the scriptures and reveals spiritual wisdom to his disciples. He shows the path of liberation to them. He monitors their advancement on this path. He also cautions against the pitfalls on the way. A realised master has the power to cleanse and transform his disciple’s heart and mind because the knowledge which emerges out of him is imbued with the light of his own experience.
Bhagavad Gita does not approve of spiritual slavery. One must respect his teacher, but there is no question of complete surrender before him. Whenever there is an insistence on blind faith in the teacher, there is a great danger of misuse and abuse of that authority. Gita has blended seamlessly the reverent service with the unhindered right of relevant enquiry and free examination. It has set the example of heart-to-heart conversation between the disciple and his teacher (in Arjuna-Krishna dialogue). Therefore, instead of following the teacher blindly, the aspirant should ask meaningful questions from him. All doubts must be cleared. The intellect must be satisfied. This quest for wisdom must continue, till perfection is reached.
Those who have realised the truth, owe a duty to their less evolved brethren to help them in their endeavour for wisdom. Thus, in ancient India, a great tradition of master-disciple (guru-shishya) relationship was established. But this pious tradition has of late been grossly misused by some unscrupulous elements. These charlatans declare themselves to be self-realised and open shops of instant nirvana. These self-proclaimed god-men exploit the emotional vulnerability of various sections of society and also the fears of individuals, and establish financial and political fiefdom of their own. Self-aggrandisement, wasteful fanfare, obscene luxury and stipulation of servility have become the hallmark of these fake spiritual leaders. And there are also those who live a life of seclusion, and torture their own bodies to display their self-proclaimed spiritual prowess. Magical tricks are often portrayed as super-natural powers. All such absurd practices are against the age-old glorious traditions which promote sharing on the part of the teacher, and enquiry and reflection on the part of the disciple.
The knowledge gained through the teacher should be valued highly. But it cannot be applied thoughtlessly. Let one reflect on the knowledge gained, and discover the truth for himself. His concepts should be his own, and not imposed by the teacher. Not only that. An aspirant must seek rational basis and experiential evidence for those ideas and beliefs.
A question is often asked as to why is it necessary to have a spiritual mentor, when information about the spiritual principles is available these days in such abundance. A related question is how to choose the right mentor for oneself. The answer to these questions depends upon one’s own attitude towards life. If one is of contemplative mind and can discern the truth for himself, and is self-disciplined ; he may not require a guru. But if one is not very confident of his own understanding, and cannot practice restraint on his own ; he may need a mentor to motivate him, guide him and to correct him when necessary. Choice of the guru is also a matter of personal judgement. After gathering and verifying information about the teachings, private conduct and other activities of a spiritual teacher, one can make an aware choice as to whether or not to follow a particular guru. While making such a choice, one’s own spiritual needs must also be kept in mind.
To conclude, the spiritual journey of an individual can be a pleasant experience if he is eager to understand and experience the truth ; and his mentor is willing to share his wisdom with him.
