Food for thought - 11.12.2021
Today’s food for thought is
A True disciple is one who listens, reflects and assimilates the teachings of the guru.
It is often very easy to embark on a journey to know one’s self. What does knowing one self really mean?
Knowing one’s self is understanding one’s self which is referred to as
“True Knowledge” or “Mei Jnanam”.
It is not easy to understand one’s self. The self is designed to protect and preserve the athma in the body not to understand itself. Look at the body, it always thinks of survival be it food, clothing, accumulating wealth is all done for survival; so you cannot expect the body which has the intellect and the manam to think about knowing one’s self, though it raises the question out of curiosity and external influence.
So to understand the journey of the athma and its influence on the body has to be seen using a mirror just as we use a mirror to see ourselves. That mirror should be unbiased; reveal and educate the person about what it sees. Look at the mirror, it shows our face as it is , it doesn’t say how pretty we are or how bad we are, it allows us to decide; it reveals all that it sees, if there is a scar on our face it shows, if there is a dimple it shows isn’t it? It educates us by revealing our strength and our fault lines- whether we are overly decked up or less;
This mirror is the guru; he takes you through the journey of understanding yourself by showing you who you are;they help you remove your ego through disciplinary processes; they expose the Maya around and within you.
So to be under the guidance or a “Real Guru” is to learn the “True Knowledge”, for that, one should be
Willing listener
Willing to Reflect
Ready to assimilate
The above mentioned points do not come naturally, it comes through practice, experience and service.
We all want to express our views and talk but to willingly sit and listen with rapt attention is very difficult. It needs practice.
We all listen to various discourses, upanyasam, vedanta lessons etc, but 90% of the time we disconnect ourselves from it and move on with a day’s work. Do you know why? Not because it is difficult, because the self goes into survival mode and makes you believe it is difficult because it is resisting a change that is about to come because of the reflection.
When there is no reflection there is no assimilation. So there is no spiritual progress. We read, we compare texts, we make up theories, convince ourselves and move on with our lives.
So what should one do:
Read little, reflect more and assimilate most of what you read.
Seek clarification when needed from your guru on matters related to your progress.
Remember never to compare your progress with others for this is not a race.
Chandogya Upanishad says:
'The one who has a teacher(guru) will know the truth.'
So to find a guru, prepare yourself to be a seeker of that truth.
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