The Guru and the Disciple
117
Questioner: But Dada is it not disrespectful to say that to
a guru?
Dadashri: It is like this, if you do not disrespect him or
tease his ego in order to test him, how long will you remain sitting
there? Say you want the ‘Double Horse’ brand of silk; you go
from one shop to another, in search of it and someone recommends
that you go to the Khadi Bhandar, a storehouse of spun cloth.
Now if you go there but do not make inquiries and just sit there,
how long will you remain seated? Instead, you should say to him,
‘Sir, if you have the brand of Double Horse silk, then I will sit
even for six hours provided you have it.’ If he tells you he does
not, then you have to get up and leave.
Nevertheless, even here you are making a mistake. Do not
leave right away after testing the guru. When you tell him, ‘Your
gnan is not proper,’ that statement hurts him and you incur a liability
for being disrespectful. So you should tell him, ‘Sir, I sometimes
lose my mind and say inappropriate things.’ He may tell you not
to worry, but he still feels hurt by your statement. So you should
keep some money in your pocket; ask him, ‘Is there anything you
need, a pair of glasses perhaps? Tell me what you need.’ Or you
can offer him a shawl. Tell him, ‘Sir, please accept this shawl and
bless me by placing your hand on my head.’ He will be happy
then. You know that when you test the rupee by hitting it against a
rock, there are no karmic consequences, but here, with a living
person, you will have a claim against you, so settle the situation by
giving him a shawl. You will have to spend a hundred rupees in the
process, but at least you will have escaped becoming trapped in
that shop!
How long are you going to remain trapped like that?
The ultimate guru is the one who does not have any
attachment or abhorrence (raag-dwesh). When you do not see
any change or anger in his eyes if you were to take away the food
you just served him, realize that he is the ultimate guru. Otherwise,