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50. Devotion for a True Guru
V great stream of spirituality was flowing in Kavitha, Ralaj, Vadva and Khambhat, all the places Shrimad had visited during his retreats. He gave clear guidance and expounded on the three basic elements of spirituality - bhakti (devotion), kriya (rituals) and gyan (wisdom). When Shrimad visited Vadva, he invited Munishri and five other monks to meet him at a quiet spot. The six monks paid their homage and then sat at Shrimad's feet.
Munishri had been experiencing intense mental conflict. His devotion towards Shrimad was growing and his desire to stay with Shrimad at all times was intense, while his vows of monkhood restrained him from seeing Shrimad regularly. He languished in the pain of separation from his beloved Guru. When this pain became unbearable, Munishri felt that his monkhood was to be blamed for his suffering. Shrimad constantly reminded Munishri of his vows and ensured that he observed them strictly.
The anguish of separation from a loved one is heartbreaking! There is an intense anxiety in the longing to meet one's beloved. With such anxiety, Munishri lost his composure, and he took off his muhapatti (cloth covering his mouth) and said: "O Lord! Grant me your refuge forever. I do not want this muhapatti anymore. I can no longer bear the pain of separation from you."
Tears welled up in Munishri's eyes as he was speaking. His words and feelings of pain touched Shrimad's gentle heart and tears started to stream down Shrimad's cheeks. His tears would not stop.
Munishri was stunned to see tears flowing from Shrimad's eyes and he felt guilty of having caused such pain to his Lord. "What have I done? It is because of me that my Lord is pained like this. What am I to do now?" he wondered. He was filled with deep remorse for his behaviour and fell silent, lost in thought. Others too, were speechless. A sense of gloom fell upon the group and everyone remained silent.
After an hour, Shrimad said to Muni Devkaranji, "Give this muhapatti back to Munishri and let him know that it is still necessary for him to wear it."
The pain of separation from his guru, which Munishri felt, can only be experienced by a fortunate few. The monks accompanying Munishri were fortunate enough to witness it for themselves, and they benefitted from Shrimad's wisdom and insight for a week.
Munishri's devotion to Shrimad, his guru, was exemplary. Only such faith and devotion will lead to a proper understanding of the path to Moksha.
