Guru and Disciple

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Mahavideh Foundation

Page 18

The Guru and the Disciple
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The Guru and t
the Gnani Purush will claim to be merely animit, but those desirous of liberation should not accept him as merely a nimit. Those in search of liberation should never contend with the idea of the Gnani being simply animit. What will you get out of believing simply that? Within you, you should have the feeling, "The Gnani is everything to me," otherwise you have not fulfilled this particular worldly obligation correctly. You have to say, "He will take us to moksha," while the Gnani Purush says, "I am animit." This is the vyavahar (worldly interaction) on both sides.
In reality, this is such an easy path. It is the path of equanimity where there are no problems. What does the one who shows you this path and gives you blessings, claim? He simply says, "I am a nimit." Look, I do not even wear an elaborate headgear (sign of reverence and respect) on my head, do 1? Otherwise, people go around wearing such gigantic "hats'. Therefore, I am also not even the giver: I am animit. If you go to a doctor, then your illness can be cured but is it likely to be cured if you go to a carpenter?
he is the satdev; when he speaks he is the satguru and listening to him is satdharma, all three are the Gnani. Only this - the Gnani - should be your deepest devotion (aradhana). Do not concern yourself with anything else. Otherwise, you will have to worship the three separately.
Questioner: In Jainism, there is no such thing as a guru.
Dadashri: No, it is not the way you are saying. The very foundation of Jainism is based on dev, guru, and dharma; it is entirely based on satdev, satguru, and satdharma. What did Lord Mahavir and the twenty-four Tirthankaras say? They said that the world could not do without a guru. Therefore, when satdev, Satguru, and satdharma are all together, there will be moksha. Have you heard something like this?
Satdharma is the Lord's spoken scriptures and agamas (collection of 45 main Jain Scriptures). Sardharma is there for sure; we have scriptures that are the Lord's spoken words, but without a guru, who can explain them to us? In the current time cycle, the satguru is not to be found. This is because a satguru must have Atma Gnan (Self-knowledge): he must be enlightened! Asatguru is definitely needed. If he comes to your house begging for alms, you should give him something to eat and you in turn have to go to him to learn. This is how the Lord has arranged it. Everyone, even an eighty-year-old man, needs a satguru. And what is satdev? It is the vitarag (the fully enlightened one) Lord. Now if a Vitarag Lord is not present, you should keep His murti (idol). But the satguru must be present; his idol will not do.
It is not enough to make a guru in only the mind
Questioner: It is true that one must have a guru. But what if I make someone my guru in only my mind, will that do?
Dadashri: No, it will not do. If you make a mistake, you need someone to tell you so. As far as believing through your mind is concemed, say, for example, you see a girl and you believe
Questioner: No.
Dadashri: So whichever nimit you go to your work will be done accordingly. By this I mean, if you want to get rid of your anger, pride, illusion, and greed, if you want to get rid of your ignorance, then you must go to a Gnani. The Gnani encompasses all that is necessary for moksha
That is why it is said that you need satsadhan (the one who is eternal and grants the eternal). What is the satsadhan? It is that where the satdev (the one with the highest attributes), satdharma (real religion), and satguru (the one who liberates; the Gnani guru) are present in one! Truthfully speaking, neither the scriptures nor the idols are the real tools (satsadhan). The Gnani Purush is the only real tool. The satdev, sarguru, and satdharma; the combination of all three is a Gnani Purush! During the vidhi (special inner spiritual energy invocation for the disciple)