The True Guru Is Within You
Whether it is art, science, history or even tying a shoelace, one cannot learn anything without a teacher. Spirituality is a science-the science of dealing with the inner Self. If one needs a teacher for all material sciences, then what to say of spirituality, the most subtle science of all?
One does not really choose the guru. The relationship comes about spontaneously. However, for there to be a guru, there must first be a disciple. Once the disciple is ready, the guru appears.
A sadguru is someone completely devoid of ego. Having transcended the sense of a separate self and all likes and dislikes, the sadguru makes no claims. Such a guru sees only divinity-the self-luminous Self, pure awareness-in everything.
The sadguru is the epitome of pure love, compassion and self-sacrifice. He will be humbler than the humblest and simpler than the simplest. In fact, in a true guru-disciple relationship, due to the incredible humility of the guru, it will be difficult to tell the difference between the guru and the disciple.
One day Darkness approached God and said, “I’ve never done anything to hurt the Sun, but he goes on torturing me. Wherever I go, he soon comes and I have to run away. I cannot even rest. I don’t want to complain, but enough is enough! How long is this going to go on?”
God immediately summoned the Sun and asked, “Why are you harassing poor Darkness?”
The Sun said, “What are you talking about? I’ve never met anyone called Darkness.” Sure enough, God looked around and Darkness was no longer there. He had disappeared. The Sun continued, “Whenever you can manage to bring Darkness in front of me, I’m ready to apologise or do whatever you say. Perhaps, unknowingly, I have hurt him.” To this day, Darkness’s case against the Sun is still lying there. God has yet to bring both sides together, and until both are present, the case cannot be tried. This is because it is impossible for Darkness to face the Sun. Darkness has no existence; it is just the absence of light. Ego, like Darkness, has no existence of its own. It simply cannot remain once the light of the guru dawns.
The role of the external guru is to help awaken the true guru within us, where the light of the divine eternally shines. The guru within and the guru without are one and the same. The entire universe is pervaded by that guru-tattvam, the guru principle. Once the guru within is awakened, everything becomes a guru.
For such disciples, the whole world becomes a book from which they learn. They realise that life is an examination hall where every moment is precious and time must not be wasted. They speak only as much as necessary, eat only what is needed, and sleep only as much as required. Their choices are guided by necessity, not by desire.
A sense of gratitude, reverence and humility towards all things naturally awakens. A stalk of paddy bends down towards the ground after it ripens. It symbolises the truth that humility comes with wisdom. Such a person develops a motherly tenderness and affection towards all.
True spiritual growth begins only when we learn to see God, or the guru, in everything. The guru-tattvam abides within every being as the antary?, the indweller, ever waiting to illumine our hearts with the light of wisdom. The sadguru is the visible, living embodiment of that inner divine principle.
Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known simply as Amma, is a spiritual master and humanitarian who has given her darshan in the form of a motherly embrace to more than 4 crore people. Listening to the cries of the suffering, Amma leads the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, an NGO that reaches across more than 50 countries, working in healthcare, disaster relief, education, gender equality, and environmental restoration; Views presented are personal.
