Is there any living Guru?

MJ: Is there a living guru in the tradition of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta. Not the neo advaitists of today but a living saint. There are too many people looking to make money on discs and books. The real ones would not be in the fish market looking for buyers.

NR: Thanks Mark for your mail. I will share a story with you which I heard many years ago. A diamond merchant dies leaving behind his wife and a 15 year old young son but without any estate or money for their living. The widow accompanies her young son to her husband’s close friend along with a bagful of diamonds kept in custody by her husband. The friend was a diamond merchant and a valuer. Widow shows the bagful of diamonds saved by her deceased husband to his friend and requests him to help to sell these diamonds which could be useful for their living. The friend looks at the bagful of diamonds and suggests that the diamonds should not be sold at this moment as the diamond market is not good. He suggests the widow to send her young son to him for some days as an apprentice so that he can learn the art & practice of diamond business.

 

The young boy starts training cum working at his father’s friend from the next day. Years passed and one day the Diamond merchant asked the young boy to call his mother along with those bagfuls of diamonds saved by his father. The widow happily appears with the bagful of diamonds. The merchant asks the young man to open the bag of diamonds and suggests him to have a look at them. To the surprise of his mother, the boy starts throwing one by one diamonds in the dustbin and thus all the diamonds are thrown in a short while. The window gets angry at her son and asks the explanation. The son replies that all those bagful diamonds are nothing but just colorful stones. She asks her husband’s friend (Diamond Merchant) about why he didn’t tell this truth when she showed him those diamonds few years ago. The diamond merchant replies that had he told her this truth in the first instance she would not have believed him. But now as her son after undergoing the training for few years, now has the eye of recognizing the real and the unreal. He says that he knew that her deceased husband never had so much wealth and he must have kept these unreal diamonds in a safe just for the sake of satisfaction for his family. :-)

 

Now you asked, is there a real Satguru in the tradition of Nisargadatta or Ramana! :-) There is no dearth of them at all except the fact that the one who is looking for Him, if he is ready to SEE or MEET Him. In east there is a belief that the moment the disciple/student/shishya is ready…the Satguru appears. There is no way that the student (Disciple) can pick or find the Satguru but the reality is that the Satguru picks the disciple. How can someone who is sleeping recognize that who is awakened! Another aspect of eastern way of looking is the Satguru can never be found (and that too with the tool of intellect). Most important aspect is that Satguru is not always necessary to be someone in human form. Can’t you see in case of Bhagwan Ramana Maharshi …who his Satguru was! The Arunachala.. .the mountain! :-) In case of Sage Dattareya , he had over hundred Gurus which also include the dog! :-)

 

As I see it, the focus of the seeker is always for searching the Satguru and the seekers search can only be based upon his/her limited understanding of him/herself. Even if you search for the Satguru, it will be through your accepted notions, own definitions about the Satguru. Isn’t it..!! And after all where have Nisargadatta & Ramana gone…!! The appearance has just disappeared… but aren’t they here right now rather in much abundance…and available for anyone with the eye of the heart..!! :-)

 

The seeker who is identified with & as body-bowl will inevitably end up in searching for the Guru in body-bowl form! It is so natural but no one looks at the real question! Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Why can’t I see or meet the real Satguru?” :-) I don’t see anyone asking this most primal question…!! Blindness isn’t only the absence of the eye sight, it is the belief that everyone around is blind! Ignorance isn’t essentially the absence of the knowledge, it is the accepted notion that everyone around is ignorant! The eye of the intelligence sees…… the blindness, ignorance, darkness & incompleteness*; as the ‘limited’ naturally fails to recognize the ‘Unlimited’! The eye of the heart sees none of them*; as the ‘wholeness’ isn’t aware of any of the holes! :-) It is just the matter of seeing with this eye of the heart and you will be amazed with a question arising within you …”What is not SatGuru….?”

 

The farther you search the more chances are that of missing! You miss IT again & again because you are looking for the Flowers and not the Essence…! Have faith and patience… with your eye of the heart open… the Satguru will find you……just BE!!!! :-)

 

Best wishes and thank you so much. Jai-Guru _()_

 

With Love,

-Nitin Ram

http://www.abideinself.blogspot.com/

Whatever the question, Love is the Answer!