Gurus are always inundated with questions from inquisitive and ignorant devotees. While many of these questions relate to life, one’s future, past lives, relationships between different Gods, and more, some devotees inquire about how to find a Guru and how to behave in the presence of a Guru.

It is important to understand that God will facilitate the union of man and Guru, just as God facilitates the union of man and God. However, prior to this union, humans or mere mortals need to possess certain qualities. Faith in God is the first and foremost quality, as it is this faith that leads God to place us under a Guru. The Guru is none other than God in the form of a human. Faith in God slowly transforms into faith in the Guru and total reliance on the Guru.

Secondly, the words “I” and “me” should fall away from our vocabulary. Whatever we do, we should do for God—this should be our thought process when we don’t have a Guru. When we come under the gaze of a Guru and accept him as our Guru, we should then think: “Whatever we do, we are doing for our Guru.” We should forget our own identity and see ourselves as an extension of our Guru. A good devotee gets lost in the identity of the Guru.

To attain divine knowledge from a Guru requires a lot of discipline from the devotee. One has to be ready to endure various stages of learning and testing before a Guru finds the devotee ready to ascend to higher knowledge. To reach the stage where the Guru finds us a worthy recipient of his secrets, one has to completely dedicate oneself to the Guru. A meritorious devotee obeys every spoken and suggested instruction of the Guru. A devotee must be honest at all times and should be able to keep his word. Nothing less than full faith in one’s Guru will suffice. It has already been decided who our Guru will be, but we often see the meeting as a coincidental occurrence. We fail to realize, owing to our human deficiencies, that the cosmic plans for us have already been decided, and it is only a matter of time before our Guru reaches out to us.

Once the connection is established, the Guru puts us through new experiences and surprises, teaching us valuable lessons in life through these methods.

The desire to learn, however, is not present in everyone. Many waste their lives pursuing material pleasures and, while being led astray by their conceits, show no remorse. Such souls deviate from the right path. However, when the soul gets hurt or when a spiritual desire to seek peace emanates from deep within, the need to find a Guru is felt. The God within makes the devotee see his Guru. It is at this time that the Guru shows the disciple the path of light, bringing him out of the darkness. The Guru not only shows the devotee his end destination but also assists him in getting there. The entire Guru-disciple relationship is an interplay of faith: the more the faith, the more the blessings. The greater the thirst, the quicker he quenches it; the greater the desire, the more he purifies himself.

Once the Guru-disciple relationship reaches a certain threshold, the Guru communicates with his devotees through telepathy. Vast distances are bridged by the airwaves, and communication takes place spontaneously.

However, in ascending closer in our spiritual endeavors, one is confronted by two significant risks. The first risk is the danger of the human mind. Sometimes the mind feels like criticizing the Guru. The devotee tries to see the Guru according to his own outlook. Such a devotee starts thinking about the physical, mental, and moral attributes of his Guru’s personality using his own substandard attributes as the yardstick. Preventing such a mental disaster is the foremost responsibility of the disciple. A devoted disciple has no right to criticize his Guru. Some devotees come to the Guru with holy feelings in their minds, while others come critical, uncertain, and hesitant. Some devotees come with their problems, while others come with hidden intentions. The Guru knows everything and, knowing your intentions, still welcomes the devotees. While the Guru actively welcomes all devotees, certain devotees try to interpret the mind of the Guru. Thus, they engage in an activity that is disgraceful and unbecoming of an ideal devotee. However, the Guru will still see the positive qualities of the devotee and is ever willing to prepare the devotee to be a recipient of his unlimited powers and grace.

The second type of risk that a devotee must be careful of is the trap of falling into boastfulness. Being too close to the Guru can also be dangerous, as the proximity can lead to increased pride. Certain devotees thrive with their closeness to the Guru, and the closer they get, the more boastful they tend to become. Sometimes, a devotee can feel that he has done a favor to the Guru by accepting him. A devotee must always ponder if he has made a mistake and, if a wrong has been committed, ask the Guru for forgiveness and atone for it. It is the devotee’s duty to pay extra attention to prevent the reoccurrence of such lapses. If in doubt, think about the Guru and his calm to show you the right path, and indeed the Guru shall.

To those who have not met the Guru, pray to God and say, “O God, kindly help us meet our Guru, our great Guru, our Jagat Guru!” The Guru has known you for centuries, but you have forgotten him over the multiple cycles of life and death. At some point, you deviated from the right path and got entangled in worldly materialistic pleasures. If you have been unable to meet your Guru due to circumstances, keep the faith, and a meeting will definitely take place. Keep the flame to meet the Guru burning, and keep your devotion to him sincere, and he will definitely come to you. And when you do get close to him, remember to keep your mind under control and boastfulness out of the equation..

Summary:

The article discusses the essential qualities and attitudes required for devotees to connect with a Guru and emphasizes the importance of avoiding boastfulness. It stresses that faith in God is crucial as it leads one to a Guru, who is considered a human form of God. Devotees must relinquish self-centered thoughts and see themselves as extensions of their Guru, dedicating their actions to him. True discipleship involves complete honesty, obedience, and faith, and recognizing that the meeting with a Guru is a predestined event orchestrated by cosmic plans.

Furthermore, the article warns of two significant risks in the spiritual journey: criticizing the Guru and becoming boastful due to close proximity to him. Devotees must avoid judging the Guru through their own limited perspectives and must maintain humility to prevent pride from corrupting their spiritual progress. The Guru-disciple relationship thrives on faith and devotion, leading to spiritual enlightenment and communication beyond physical realms. Devotees are encouraged to keep their desire to meet the Guru strong, maintaining sincerity and devotion to eventually be blessed with the Guru’s guidance.

Important Points:

1. Faith in God:
   1. Essential for leading one to a Guru.
   1. Transforms into faith and total reliance on the Guru.
2. Selflessness:
   1. Eliminate self-centered thoughts (“I” and “me”).
   1. Act as an extension of the Guru, dedicating actions to him.
3. Complete Dedication:
   1. Honesty, obedience, and full faith are crucial.
   1. Recognize the meeting with a Guru as predestined.
4. Avoiding Criticism:
   1. Do not judge the Guru based on personal standards.
   1. Maintain a respectful and humble attitude.
5. Risks of Boastfulness:
   1. Close proximity to the Guru can lead to pride.
   1. Always seek forgiveness and avoid repeated lapses.
6. Spiritual Discipline:
   1. Endure various stages of learning and testing.
   1. Sincere devotion leads to receiving the Guru’s wisdom.
7. Divine Communication:
   1. Strong faith facilitates telepathic communication with the Guru.
   1. Vast distances are bridged through spiritual connection.
8. Persistent Devotion:
   1. Keep the desire to meet the Guru strong.
   1. Maintain sincere devotion for eventual divine guidance.