The field of Spiritualism is a trend market from one perspective. Although Spiritual life is meant to elevate the consciousness of individuals, it has been doing more harm to the consciousness of people than good. However in this case a law of spiritualism itself will reveal the cause of distortion. It is this “Whatever one deserves one shall get”. The inner orientation of one’s consciousness is that which throws the living entity into pseudo-spiritual activity because that is what the living entity deserves.
When a person is contorted in one’s intentions and displays another mask externally, such a person shall surely get cheated by nature. This is Sanatana Dharma in action. The trend of Self-Styled Spiritual Gurus is a great market in business. Different types of consciousness in people , attract different types of Gurus towards themselves. This is a natural law. Most people are attracted to pomp and splendour and want to show off their Guru to society. Thus they attract towards themselves five star Gurus who have different types of Siddhis to attract wealth and pomp. This is one kind of show business. However what we are trying to discuss here is a totally different aspect which does not focus on pseudo-spiritualism as discussed above.
In genuine cases where the Guru is of high attainment and absolutely focussed on the highest edicts of spiritual life , there may be some fortunate jeevas who have been accepted by such Gurus , yet who may have not realized their good fortune. Such living entities may get engaged with the Guru in such a way that they spend most of their time glorifying the Guru and becoming emotional about the Guru. Such behaviour may be appreciated but this will not take the living entity to the depths of Spiritual life. One needs to glorify Guru and offer him adequate respect. This is fine because it is said in the Shastras that Guru is non-different from the Lord. Yet there is another clause in the Shastra which says that Guru is an expansion of the Lord , who has capacity to deliver , yet he is not the same as the Lord. The function of the Guru is to empower the jeeva and elevate him to the position of a Sadhaka, a practitioner of Spiritual life.
People have the tendency to glorify Guru to such an extent that Guru has become some sort of a servant; a horse that will carry the tiny betel to the top of the mountain where the kingdom of God exists. Thus many of the genuine Gurus are left to be servants of complacent disciples. Yet such Gurus never complain to the Lord. They happily try to do whatever is possible taking it to be the mercy of the Lord. One can appreciate the mood of a jeeva towards Guru but this mood alone is insufficient in many ways to take the jeeva to the final goal of Krishna Seva Prapti.
One should keep one’s feeling towards the Guru in the heart and not discuss it with the world. One should use this mood in one’s internal sadhana and become a genuine sadhaka. The Guru is a representative of the Supreme Lord who is present on the earthly platform for guiding sincere jeevas. He transmutes power and confidence into the jeeva so that the jeeva becomes one-pointed in sadhana. The jeeva should not waste time overtly glorifying Guru and try to piggy back on Guru avoiding seva and bhajana. Seva and Bhajana are the legs on which the living entity has to climb the mountain of Sadhana , the summit of which is the kingdome of Sri Sri Radha Krishna. As one becomes absolutely obedient to Guru , one is following Guru’s instructions. This is the best way to glorify Guru. One need not unnecessarily misuse means of money and power to glorify Guru. One need not buy anything for the Guru , nor try to show one’s love in ways that one feels because these are all deviant means. One should be absolutely surrendered to Guru and only and only follow his direct instructions and should not try any other means to express one to Guru. Guru is “trikaal darshi”. He knows the heart of his disciples even when one is far away from Guru physically. Sincere adherence to Guru’s instruction is the highest virtue. A Sadhguru is one who will not ask for his own comfort but will constantly guide his sadhakas on the path of sadhana that will propel one to the abode of the divine couple.
Charan Pahari 