From the first waking up of human consciousness there has existed the idea of mutual relationship between one who knows more (guru) and one who knows less (disciple). Without it there is no spiritual development. Another Being is our mirror, our beggining and our end.
Starting point of this small discussion are two well known sayings:
“There are thousands of gurus, but it’s difficult to find one true disciple” and “When disciple is ready, guru appears”.
There are many mistifications around those two maxims but there are a deep truth in them. It’s not necessary for guru to be a white bearded yogi from Himalayas. A long succesion of people could take on such role, although very often they do it unconsciously. A book could play such role as well.
Although wise people warn an Aspirant that an encounter with a Teacher will not solve his/her problems, he/she has a hidden or openly expressed hope that Guru will elevated his crisis, disperse his problems and take over his/her responsibilities on Himself. Alas! The Teacher brings him new problems heavied then previous ones.
Wise men also warn an aspirant that real Teacher doen’t display occult powers, but Aspirant hopes that his/her Teacher will do just that for his/her sake as a garantie of His guruship,as a proof that He is a Real One. Once more, Alas! The True Teacher has one and only terrific occult power – the ability to cause the Spiritual crises in the disciple. That crises is the main means for Disciple’s spiritual development.
True, in eyes of naive Disciple first moment of encounter with a Guru seems like the love on the first sight. He is convinced that he finally find out what he has been looking for for so long time. The Path looks clear, the Teacher is here to lead him, final goal seems to be very close. But the honey moon shortly lasts. Soon the crises is on the stage, because it is the main element of Spiritual development.
The relationship between guru and disciple is mutual Spiritual connection, polarities which can’t exist one without other.
The Guru CAN NOT, even if He wants, to prevent Himself from sending silent and invisible messages all over the cosmos, inviting disciples ripe enough for awakening.
The Disciple CAN NOT avoid the call from the Guru, even that call is not clear in the very beggining. And that beggining is the first moment in his long string of lives when he asked himself/herself for the first time WHO AM I? All books that he/she read, all people who gave him/her some answers, all instructors and guides were just the masks of his/her Real and Only One True Teacher, his/her Selfhood. That means merging with the impersonal ocean of consciousness.
They are just messangers sent by his/her Atman/Thetan/Soul to prepare him/her for the final and ultimate encounter – with his own Selfhood.
People, thuings and happenings which we notice in external world are reflexions of our own internal world. Guru is the spark which comes to the surfice from the darkeness of consciousness. When disciple emotionally opens himself to other beings, he transforms that sparke into strong light and the projection of that light will fall to the person in external world, one able to accept it. The disciple will have undeniable impression that in his universe appeared the Guru like a blazing sun on the eastern horizon.
Guru and his Disciple are like to parallel mirrors, reflecting what happens in the other. The Guru is in rhe Disciple, as Disciple is in hid Guru, which is graphically shown in Yin-Yang symbol. Long time ago Lao Tzu said: “The Biggest is in the smallest.”
Many wrongly believe that active element in that relationship is the Teacher. No, active one is the Disciple. Thus there is no place for despair why one has not got the Teacher. Make yourself the True Disciple and the Teacher MUST appear! It is similar process of birth of a child. In the moment of child birth a mother is born as well.
Zivorad