The Guru-disciple relationship is an everlasting connection

From Amma’s Gurupurnima message

If we try to count from the beginning of the Guru-disciple tradition, tens of thousands of Gurupurnimas’ must have been celebrated by disciples. Celebrations are mere road signs, pointing us in the right direction. To understand the meaning of these celebrations, we need to go beyond the external pujas and traditional practices performed on this day.

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There are many relationships in human life. But, the relationship between a Guru and disciple cannot be counted as one of these worldly relationships. In reality, the only bond of love that is eternal and indestructible is the Guru-disciple relationship. In other relationships, the predominant factor is bondage. But, there is no bondage in the Guru-disciple relationship, because the Guru is the doorway that leads us from all bondage to ultimate freedom.

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All human relationships are like two small streams flowing along side of each other. The Guru-disciple relationship is entirely different. The disciple’s experience is that of a person standing under the powerful flow of the Ganges as it falls from the heavens onto the hair of Lord Shiva and from there onto Earth. The Spiritual master’s divine presence and endless flow of grace helps to purify the disciple.

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In reality, the Guru is a mere presence. If someone were to ask, “Is the Master the body or the Self?” there would be no correct answer. The Guru is always in a state of oneness with the Supreme Self and hence has no feeling of ‘I’ or ‘mine’. Once the ego is destroyed then the physical body becomes like an empty shell. It has no connection with the Self. So because of this, the Guru cannot be the body. But, this is also incorrect, because we can only see the Guru’s body. The truth is that the Spiritual Master is merely a presence, like the infinite sky.

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For the Guru who has gone beyond likes and dislikes, there is no thought of, “I am the Guru and you are the disciple. I am superior and you are inferior.” The Master has no demands or requirements. Looking at it in this way, we will see that there is actually only the disciple in this relationship. The Guru should become the light of the full moon that never sets within the heart of the disciple. The Guru-disciple relationship is the everlasting connection we make with this divine presence.

– excerpts from Amma’s Guru Purnima message – 19 July Tokyo 2016