The Guru and the Disciple
11
Everyone makes animals their gurus, but these people do not call
the animals their gurus, whereas Dattatreya did! If someone were
to beat an animal, it would flee. That is what people have learned;
they have learned that if someone beats them, they should run
away. People have learned this from the animals.
Moreover, you will not attain liberation by calling just the
animals your guru; you will have to make the entire world your
guru in order to attain liberation. If you make every living being
your guru, and learn whatever you can from them, you will attain
liberation. God is present in every living being so if you embrace
and learn from them, you will attain liberation.
Did you understand the concept of a guru?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Your experiences too are your guru. Your
experiences will guide you from within. The experience, which
does not become a cause to guide you, is not an experience. That
is why these are all gurus.
One man was limping and another man began to make fun
of him and laugh at him. A little later, he happened to meet me and
told me that he had made fun of someone, but then suddenly he
realized what he was doing and asked himself whether he saw the
Soul within the limping man. He said he immediately became aware
of Gnan.
So everything teaches us. Every experience teaches us
something. If just once, someone were to pick your pocket, that
experience will teach you a lesson and that lesson will remain with
you.
If you can learn from a dog, you should learn from it. Even
dogs can be considered gurus. A dog can be sitting here for an
hour and half, then if we give him some food, he will eat only as
much as he can and will leave the rest. He will not be greedy or