The Relationship Between The Master And The Disciple

Sathya Sai Baba

oi-Staff

By Super

Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 17:13

Dr. Sara Pavan is an Anaesthesiologist from Australia, who came to Baba in 1980 and has been residing in Prashanti Nilayam since 1993, serving at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences. He was the editor and publisher of the Australian quarterly Sai Journal from its inception till 1992. Read the article written by Dr.Sara Pavan illustrating the relationship between a Master and his various disciples.

Can a disciple die in the Master's presence, that is, when the Master is alive, irrespective of the physical distance? The question is not whether one is in the immediate presence of the Master or far off, but whether one is filled with love and trust for the Master. The real closeness is only through love and trust. Then one can be even on the moon, but the Master will be by your side, the Master will be within oneself. As the disciple's love for the Master deepens, something of the Master - His energies - start melting and merging with the energy of the disciple. The fear of physical distance only reflects the lack of understanding.

The Buddha and His Disciples

Mahakashyap was a true disciple of Lord Buddha and he experienced such real closeness. Each person has his or her individual degree of nearness and dearness, love and trust, towards the Master. Mahakashyap remained in such closeness with the Master all through his life until the Buddha's life ended, when he too left his body, because he could not survive in separation. That is Mahakashyap' s uniqueness, his oneness with his Master. There were other enlightened disciples who did not die with Gautama, the Buddha. When Mahakashyap died, it became a very significant question, whether truly enlightened disciples should also die as had happened to Mahakashyap. One of the disciples, Moggalayan, said:

"I am now living for my Master's Message. Yes, I too died with Him; now He is living in me. This is my way, different to the way of Mahakashyap, who dissolved in Gautama, the Buddha. I have also dissolved, but dying is not going to help anybody. There are so many blind people in the world who need eyes; there are so many people in darkness who need light. I will live... I will live as long as possible, I will live for the Buddha."

Ananda's Elusive Enlightenment

Ananda was of a different kind altogether. He remained unenlightened even though he lived in close proximity to the Buddha for forty-two years. No one could have stayed that close for so long, but Ananda enjoyed such special privileges being the Buddha's first cousin. When Ananda asked the Buddha to initiate him to become His disciple, he took advantage of his closeness to the Master prior to initiation and laid three conditions, aware of the fact that he would have to do whatever the Master commanded him to do after he became a disciple. Ananda said:

"Right now I am your brother and you are closely related to me. Therefore whatever I say you have to do. Remember the three things I ask of you and don't forget them when I become your disciple."

The three conditions Ananda asked were:

That he would always stay with the Master and that He shouldn't be sent anywhere to spread the Message.

That the Master would meet anybody he brought along, even in the middle of the night. That this personal privilege would not ever be denied.

That he would always sleep in the same room as the Master sleeps, that he would not be moved away from the Master even in sleep.

The Buddha gave His promise, and these three conditions were adhered to fully all through the years. But Ananda did not become enlightened. One could understand Ananda's pain and anguish because those disciples who had come long after him became enlightened, while he remained in his ignorance just as he was before.

Read more about Ananda on the Next Page