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112
I am the Soul
The other thing is that, in spite of the infinite benevolence of the departed Tirthankars, Ganadhars, Kevalis, Shrutadhars and Labdhidhars upon us, they cannot now offer us guidance in person. The guidance required at present can be offered only by a Sadguru who is physically present, who can show us the path and in the event we stray from it, can lead us back by the hand. Hence it has been said -
गरु तो जीवता ज जोइए, मरेला गुरु न कराय । A living Guru is a must, never take a dead Guru.
Only somebody who is alive, can see our shortcomings and censure us about them; can inspire us to draw back from our faults. Perhaps at times with love and at times in anger, yet he alone can spell it out. Ah! The great and benevolent Sadguru will even resort to applying persuade-motivate-castigatediscriminate (H14, CIH, C5, 96) tactics with only the sadhaka's benefit in mind, and bring him on the right path.
Merely by praying before the idol of Tirthankar, believing Him to be the totality if we continue deprecating the Guru, we will not find the right path. You go the temple daily, behold the idol, prostrate, pray, yet the Lord is not going to point out a single shortcoming of yours. Of course, beholding His passionfree, detached expression, we will be filled with a feeling of admiration, respect and devotion. At times, we may even begin to yearn for the same detachment as his. In spite of all this He cannot point out any of our faults. Hence, the need of a Sadguru, always remains.
Srimadji too has expressed these same thoughts in his letter no.466 -
“The great sages of the past were even omniscient, yet that cannot eliminate a jiva's faults. For if there is a pride in a jiva now, the sage gone past will not come to say so. But the sage who is physically present now, can certainly point out the fault and help eliminate it. Just as the distant ocean of milk cannot
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