The Need And Significance Of A Master

By Staff

Monday, November 10, 2008, 9:43

Sai Ram. "Why should we read Sri Guru Charitra, Sri Sai Satcharitra and Sri Guru Gita etc.?" One well wisher once asked me this question. I thought that I will try to answer this question through this page. Of course, what is written here need not be accepted by anyone in toto. Please feel free to differ and offer your perception. I am probably one of the several blind men trying to describe an elephant.

I believe that, as long as one lives, one learns. In fact, I feel that the very purpose of being born on this earth plane is to learn and to learn pretty fast. The lessons to be learnt are very hard, but one has to have a lot of preparation.

No student is admitted in a degree program, unless he meets the minimum qualification prescribed. Likewise one is allowed to take birth in a particular family or environment because he or she has, in the previous birth, learnt the lessons, to a minimum standard. This accumulated experience in fact is what constitutes one's Sanchita karma, which by the way includes Poorva Janma Punyam and Papam.

So the very fact that one has taken birth, especially in the human form on the earth means one has come a long way in his spiritual evolution and that he has now qualified to progress further. Out of that accumulated karma, a small amount, called Prarabdha is brought in this birth in this janma to be resolved, just as a student takes up some subjects of specialization in a class.

Taking the analogy of this earth being a spiritual class room a step further, we all know that, when one joins an University or college, one has to register for a particular programme, containing some specific subjects and has to study under qualified lecturers, readers or professors. Suppose the candidate has finished his M.Sc or M.Phil and now wants to do Ph.D. He will now be required to register himself with a guide, who himself is a holder of Ph.D. He now concentrates all his intellectual and practical experimental (call it experiential) faculties in studying the intricacies of a specific problem and if his work is of sufficiently good standard, he will be given his Ph.D, after he satisfies his own guide and a body of other highly qualified professionals.

Guru is like a professor who takes a handful of qualified disciples and guides them. 'Sri Guru Charita' is one of the very few treatises which emphasises the need for a Guru. Sri Sai Satcharitra and Sri Guru Gita are the other important books for a Sishya, Sadhaka or a disciple. Every one needs a Guru, especially when one has reached a fairly advanced state of spiritual growth. In fact, when the disciple is ready, the Guru comes forward to meet him, just as a professor invites a brilliant student to work with him!

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