Feels nice to know thoughts about Shri Sainath
8th August, 1946
(55) GURI (CONCENTRATION) ALONE IS
THE GURU (THE PRECEPTOR)
Yesterday morning Yogi Ramiah questioned Bhagavan
thus: “Swami, some disciples of Sai Baba worship a picture
of him and say that it is their Guru: How could that be?
They can worship it as God, but what benefit could they get
by worshiping it as their Guru?” Bhagavan replied, “They
secure concentration by that.” The Yogi said, “That is all
very well, I agree. It may be to some extent a sadhana in
concentration. But isn’t a Guru required for that concentration?”
“Certainly, but after all, Guru only means guri, concentration”
said Bhagavan. The Yogi said, “How can a lifeless picture
help in developing deep concentration? It requires a living
Guru who could show it in practice. It is possible perhaps
for Bhagavan to attain perfection without a living Guru but
is it possible for people like myself?”
“That is true. Even so, by worshiping a lifeless
portrait the mind gets concentrated to a certain extent.
That concentration will not remain constant unless one
knows one’s own Self by enquiring. For that enquiry, a
Guru’s help is necessary. That is why the ancients say that
the enquiry should not stop with mere initiation. However,
even if it does, the initiation will not be without benefit. It
will bear fruit some time or other. But there should be no
ostentation in this initiation. If the mind is pure, all this
will bear fruit; otherwise, it goes to waste like a seed sown
in barren soil,” said Bhagavan.
“I don’t know, Swami. You may say that a hundred times
or a thousand times. To be sure of one’s own progress, a
living Guru like you is required. How can we give the status
of a Guru to a lifeless portrait?” he said. With a smile on his
face, Bhagavan said, “Yes, yes,” nodding his head and then
kept silent. Brother, all I can say is that that smile and that
silence were radiant with knowledge and wisdom. How can
I describe it?
8th August, 1946
(55) GURI (CONCENTRATION) ALONE IS
THE GURU (THE PRECEPTOR)
Yesterday morning Yogi Ramiah questioned Bhagavan
thus: “Swami, some disciples of Sai Baba worship a picture
of him and say that it is their Guru: How could that be?
They can worship it as God, but what benefit could they get
by worshiping it as their Guru?” Bhagavan replied, “They
secure concentration by that.” The Yogi said, “That is all
very well, I agree. It may be to some extent a sadhana in
concentration. But isn’t a Guru required for that concentration?”
“Certainly, but after all, Guru only means guri, concentration”
said Bhagavan. The Yogi said, “How can a lifeless picture
help in developing deep concentration? It requires a living
Guru who could show it in practice. It is possible perhaps
for Bhagavan to attain perfection without a living Guru but
is it possible for people like myself?”
“That is true. Even so, by worshiping a lifeless
portrait the mind gets concentrated to a certain extent.
That concentration will not remain constant unless one
knows one’s own Self by enquiring. For that enquiry, a
Guru’s help is necessary. That is why the ancients say that
the enquiry should not stop with mere initiation. However,
even if it does, the initiation will not be without benefit. It
will bear fruit some time or other. But there should be no
ostentation in this initiation. If the mind is pure, all this
will bear fruit; otherwise, it goes to waste like a seed sown
in barren soil,” said Bhagavan.
“I don’t know, Swami. You may say that a hundred times
or a thousand times. To be sure of one’s own progress, a
living Guru like you is required. How can we give the status
of a Guru to a lifeless portrait?” he said. With a smile on his
face, Bhagavan said, “Yes, yes,” nodding his head and then
kept silent. Brother, all I can say is that that smile and that
silence were radiant with knowledge and wisdom. How can
I describe it?
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