Arunaachala. अरुणाचल-5-The SAD-GURU.

~~~~Arunaachala.अरुणाचल - 5~~~~
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~~~~~The SAD-GURU (सद्गुरु)~~~~~

Devotee.- You have else-where stated that without the grace
of the Sad-Guru one cannot get at the Self. What precisely do
you mean by this ? What is this Guru ?
Maharshi.-Fro the standpoint of the path of knowledge it is
the supreme state of the Self, which is the Sad-Guru.It is
different from the ego-self, which you call your self.
Devotee.- Then if it is the supreme state of my own self, in
what sense do you mean that I cannot reach it without the
grace of the Sad-Guru ?
Maharshi.- The ego-self is the Jeeva (जीव). It is different 
from the Lord of all -'Sarveshwara', (सर्वेश्वर). When through
dis-interested devotion, i.e. Nishkaama-Bhakti (निष्काम-भक्ति),
the Jeeva approaches the Lord, He graciously assumes name
and form and takes the Jeeva into Himself. ..........Therefore,
they say the Guru is none other than the Lord. He is a human
embodiment of the Divine Grace. :
''ज्ञानी तु आत्मैव मे मतं .... ''
says the Gita (chapter-7,sloka-18.). 
The real Guru is God Himself. Who can doubt this ?
Devotee.- But there are some who seem to have had no human
Guru at all.
Maharshi.- True. In the case of certain great souls God reveals
Himself as the Light of their light from within.
Devotee.- Then what is true devotion -Bhakti (भक्ति) ?
Maharshi.- Whatever I do or consider myself doing is really the
Lord's doing. Nothing really belongs to me. This spirit of service
Arul Uruvam ( அருள் உருவம்) , is really devotion supreme,
and the true devotee sees the Supreme Being as the Lord immanent
in everything. Worship of Him by name and form leads one beyond
all name and form. Devotion complete culminates in knowledge-
supreme.
Even when Bhakti (भक्ति, -devotion) is actuated by worldly desires
in the beginning, it does not cease when the desires are fulfilled. It
increases by an unshakable faith growing perfectly into a supreme
state of realization.
Devotee.- Then what is the path of Jnaana (ज्ञान) ?
Maharshi.- Stripped of the ego he establishes himself naturally in
supreme Self-awareness.
Devotee.- How can we say that both Bhakti (भक्ति) and Jnaana 
(ज्ञान) lead to the same goal ?
Maharshi.- Why not ? Both paths lead you to a state of supreme
Peace (Maunam, -मौनं ) that passeth all understanding.
(Note : - All must accept that there is a Lord of all the Jeeves.
One can quite well take this as the truth, if one earnestly wishes
to reach the Sayujya state (सायुज्य-दशा) that is, the State of 
conscious union. Cf. Instructions to Natanananda Swami.)

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