Jaya Guru Datta. Tests. What does that mean? Tests in the classroom? No. As soon as they hear about the Guru’s tests, some people get scared. “That is why we are not even going to the Guru, he keeps testing”. Out of fear, a lot of people do not even take refuge with the Guru. Lot of people do not worship Lord Anjaneya. “He is Brahmachari (celibate). If we make a mistake, he will beat us with the mace he always holds in his hand or with his tail”. They do not even worship Ganapathy. “He is also Brahmachari. Why bother”. They do not worship Lord Rama. “He was always in difficulties. We will also run into difficulties. Why bring that upon ourselves. He went in search of his wife. Why bring that upon ourselves. We may also run into the difficulties he did. We don’t want to worship him”. Lord Krishna. “Krishna is very bad. He had so many wives”. They don’t want to worship Krishna. Mother Goddess. “Mother Goddess has a very big tongue inside, she sucks everybody in. We don’t want to worship her”. There are people who give these reasons. Will you worships stones and rocks then? Who will you worship? “Why worship stones and rocks? There is no God in them. Why worship them?” Will you bathe in the river? “We’ll catch a cold in the river. Also, we may catch an infection from the water”. They give a reason for everything. It may be okay to give a reason for all these, but there are people who say, “We don’t want to go to a Guru, he tests us”. Okay, will you take Mangala Harati (the auspicious light from wicks soaked in ghee or camphor that is offered to the deity)? “We don’t want Mangala Harati, it causes heat in the body”. Alright, take some teertham (sanctified water offered to the deity). “Teertham makes our body cold”. So, what will you take? “If there is crystal sugar or sweet pongal (sweet dish made during festivals with rice and lentil), we can take that”. There are people who talk like this. Good. Some people question, “There is nothing that the Guru does not know. So, why is it necessary for him to again specifically test the disciples? He knows everything. He is immanent and omnipresent. Why then does he test the disciples that come to him?” Those who question like this are forgetting one important thing. The Guru’s tests are not meant to destroy the disciple. You must not think that he is destroying the disciple. It is not such an attempt at all. Guru is not one who competes with the disciple at all. Jealous he is never. Even more, he is not an enemy. The Guru does not enjoy seeing the disciple struggle either. “Then why the tests?” you may wonder. Guru has a problem. “Oh, why does the Guru have a problem?”. That is, the disciple has faults/deficiencies. The disciple is unable to identify these and recognize them on his own. Enabling him to recognize them, he has to create opportunities/situations for the disciple to recognize them. Those situations may not seem very favorable to the disciple, they may seem like tests to him. However, for his benefit, that unfavorable instance cannot be avoided. Causing a little grief is inevitable. If anybody receives a bruise/injury, we immediately apply tincture as part of first aid so that it does not cause infection. It singes immediately. We are very angry with the doctor. The doctor administers an injection to reduce the pain. That injection is painful. But all this is done to reduce the pain. Therefore, sometimes the disciple finds these tests unpleasant, not favorable. ”Why is he testing me so much?” This unpleasant experience is inevitable. Sometimes, one has to have bitter experiences with a Guru. We should never think of them as bitter. I am saying it like this only for you to understand. Such instances are Guru’s tests. Sometimes we feel, “Why is the Guru who always speaks so lovingly, speaking so harshly today?” But, to extract the deficiencies in us, he has to roar, and threaten and do as if it hurts us. But, that is not pain or grief. Let us see what he does. Jaya Guru Datta.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 14:43:53 +0000
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