The Followers

Kamalji · Dec 2, 2013

The Followers

Sitting at cards, yesterday being Sunday, a friend of mine said something that made me think. Seems his brother’s guru, has developed cancer, which the guru announced in satsang , and that it is in the first stage, and he will have to undergo chemotheraphy.

The guru has asked all his followers to keep praying, for him, or for themselves I don’t know. The guru does not eat meat, drink or smoke, as far as thepublic knowledge goes of him.

The friends brother , it seems is all set to leaving his ailing father, quite sick actually, to go and see his guru at his ashram, far away, where he wont give satsang, but he will be sitting quietly .

In fact lakhs are going. Leaving their businesses, family life, sick relatives, and going to see a sick Guru, who has the best doctors and disciples all around him

Is this Guru God , as his disciples have it to believe ? if he is, then why does he get cancer ? And when he has no cancer forming habits as far as we know ? If he was God, he would cure a cancer patient by just running his hand over him. And why did he get cancer ? His followers wil give the explanation that he has taken his followers karma, so he got cancer. But then all gurus don’t get cancer , even they must be taking their followers karmas on their own selves. Then why the cancer?

Ah ! These are old karmas, from the previous birth !!! So if we have to have cancer from the last birth, then why take care this birth, then do all things that cause cancer, like smoke drink, and eat nonveg ! For anyway u will get cancer, then why deprive yr senses of some great things that u relish !!!

But I think otherwise. Nothing is good or bad in life, it is where u are born, some are born in vegetarian families, and some like me are born in nonveg families. We pick up habits from our elders, my dad and uncles used to drink and smoke at home, so did i.

From the day we aer born, our destiny is written. We are born without our choice of parents, brothers, siblings etc. And we die without our choice, the way we die, not in our hands. Same with this guru, he did not know what happened and why ! Even his destiny is not in his hands, he does not know how long he will live.

The guru has been born, so he will die, just like u and me, then why would I want to follow this guru, why not follow the one who is the guru of this guru, and of me too, that is the Lord. Why do I need a mediator.

And I can never understand the blind faith people/followers have of theuir Gurus/ Even now so many followers of Asharam say he has done nothing , this is a frame up !!! Why cant we learn something from the guru and leave him to attend to new followers, why follow him all thru our life ?

We discard the driving school after we have learnt to drive our car, we discard the university after we have passed out, and we have got good jobs. We discard the crutches when we are nto well, our leg is broken, but when it heals, we discard the crutch.

So when we go in search of a guru, we need him as a crutch fro something, to cure us of something. As soon as we have got the answers to our questions and doubts, we should discard./leave the guru, for we no longer need him, and since he has limited capacity, let him take care of new followers, and we mov eon.

And what is there to cry about when he has cancer? Why do we got personal ? What do we know about his family life ? He will take care of himself, our duty first is to our own immediate family , than to leave everything and blindly follow the guru.

He is as mortal as u and me. He too does his daily functions like u and me, He too will die one day, he is no different from us. Just that he is a nice person, who teaches u nice things, but it is u, who latches on to the guru like a leach, u become addicted to the guru, and I have seen many leaving their families and going away to the guru’s ashram.

And look at this irony. God does not give cancer to Khushwant Singh at 98, he eats and drinks and makes merry, and gives cancer to this guru at 60 !

Chew that over

KAMAL MAHTANI

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Arunarc · Dec 2, 2013

Good blog to discuss Kamalji.....

Yes Guru is a person like you and me, if he has cancer doesn't mean like we sit and cry for that. But pray for his recovery.
I liked the examples that you have given about the driving school, university.....yes we study and get the knowledge from these sources and we leave them behind and proceed in future, the same thing applies with a guru, only thing that is different is we go to a guru for peace of mind and spiritual knowledge which is in abundant with them.
Crying for a guru who is sick is not wrong, but leaving your family and friends behind and not doing your duties that are in your hands is wrong.
Yes you can cry and pray for your guru but be back to yourself is equally important.

Viswamitra · Dec 2, 2013

Dear Kamalji,

very well written post. You are right. Guru is a word that is often misused. According to the Advaya-Taraka Upanishad, guru is composed of the syllables 'gu' and 'ru', the former signifying 'darkness', and the latter signifying 'the destroyer of that [darkness]', hence a guru is one characterized as someone who dispels spiritual ignorance (darkness), with spiritual illumination (light). Guru is one who is willing to give knowledge to those who seek such a knowledge with no expectations. He should first assess whether a person is ready and willing to accept such knowledge. He should be one who possess complete knowledge and is ready and willing to provide selfless service to the humanity.

As Aruna mentioned above, we can gain knowledge from anyone and develop love for anyone. There is nothing wrong in it but leaving our duties behind for the sake of being with him is wrong. Everyone who is in human form will have to leave the body behind and something or other has to happen for them to leave his body. Cancer is one of them.

Ramana Maharishi also imparted Advaitha philosophy to many people with no expectations. He never looked for anything from anyone and lead a very contented life throughout. He died because of cancer but did not ask anyone to pray for him when he was suffering from acute pain. As a matter of fact, he just ignored it and continued his mission. There are many like him who come into this world to impart knowledge. They need to not only possess knowledge but also conduct life practicing the philosophy that they teach as otherwise, the followers will be disoriented.

Viswa

Srama · Dec 2, 2013

Dear Kamalji,

you raise some interesting points and I promise I am writing this FB before reading V sir's response As for guru being a crutch, well that is what my grand ma tells me all the time. She even says that she is a guru because I call her so! Thank fully, she is 94 and managing well being active and blessing family and others who go to her - touch wood Kamalji. I could never have enough of her!

You know you speaking of this guru reminds me of Dr.Dyer, some what of a spritual person followed by many. He took some flak and was questioned similarly when he began his battle with cancer. I am not sure of his response then, but I believe he is cancer free now.

All I am trying to say is there are many unsolved mysteries and while it is really good to keep perspective and lead our lives, we should also remember every one is only human and you are right about it. As for people following blindly, well....is all I can say!

fencesitter · Dec 2, 2013

is it not all subjective and based on our life experiences? Many say, believing in god is a blind belief. How ever it does not stop people from believing in god! does it?? i guess same applies here-Believing /following guru?

Kamalji · Dec 3, 2013

Dear Aruna,

Faith is good, b lind faith is bad. We tend to stick moer with the body of the saint than his teachings and preachings. We must pray for him, but not necessarily to to his ashram , and disturb his family life.This guru is married, has kids, his family will take caer of him, he has the resources too.

Regards

kamal

Kamalji · Dec 3, 2013

Dear Vishwa,

Sadly these days, Gurus accept anyone and each one.Their only criteria, is that u become veg, and become a teetottlar. They will never debar u from their teachings, even if u rape, cheat, etc, for they just want u to be veg and non drinker.

so even if i am a good person, just bcs i am a nonveg, and a drinker, they wont accept me as their disciple.

About RM i was not aware he had cancer.We tend to treat gurus as gods, and not as humanbeings, we fall in love with their physical boduies, not with their teachings.

We remain dumb, we never realize he is as human as u are, he will fall sick, get old, and die, just like u and me. The sonner we accept it the better. And the first duty we have is towards our own kit and kin, we cannot leave them and attend to the guru, if so then dont marry at all, go sit in the guru ashram and do his sheva.

yes, leaving our duties for the sake of the guru is not right.But whio is to explain that.

Regards

kamal

Kamalji · Dec 3, 2013

Dear Sabita,

i have read dyer, his books are inspiritional. Yes each one is human, and even a guru has to die one day, fall sick , like us. So why leave family and run after guru. he too has his family, or disciples to take care of them.

Say a past neighbour has moved to another state, and is now ill, do we leave our duties and rush off there, and that too so many people ? We will call, we will e xpress concern, we will pray, but that is about it.

Regards

kamal

Kamalji · Dec 3, 2013

Dear FS

i also say beleive in God, if u want to, beleiving and following guru in extremems is what i dont advocate. it disturbs the family life, and creates problems in the family.

Bot to those who want to follow the guru to the end of the earth, leaving his family behind, well they are welcome to do, and i am entitled to not like that.

Regards

kamal

Cheeniya · Dec 3, 2013

My dear Kamal
You are an amazing man! Whether you write about Rakhi Sawant or the Guru-Sishya relationship, you can raise some profound questions! In the instant case, you have established that we learn our good lessons only from bad examples. I have often pondered over this aspect and wondered why it is so. It is probably due to the fact that our minds are conditioned to marvel at the bad things first and foremost. Then we start speculating on why such things happen. It is this mindset of ours that is fodder for the media.

If there is a gang rape in Delhi, all the TV channels break news. The internet news channels provide real time coverage. Newspapers devote their entire front page for this item. Following the 'breaking news' TV channels form instant panels of legal, medical and behavioral specialists to discuss the issue for a minimum of 72 hours. Bad things are always sensational and have a great market value.

Any good things of the day appear as a ticker tape at the bottom and for newspapers, it will be news in brief. Even if the good thing relates to some philanthropist donating a block of buildings for cancer research, it will appear as News in brief only. India's top newspapers reserve a tiny space in some corner for reporting events of a spiritual nature.

Coming back to your friend's guru, it is my view that if a guru starts leaning on the support of his disciples for his well being, he loses his status as guru. Your question about holy persons getting terminally ill is interesting and Viswa has answered it well with the example of Bhagwan Ramana. I have had the privilege of sitting on the lap of Ramana as a young boy. Ramana underwent cancer surgery without any anesthesia. When he passed away, lakhs of people in the South saw a luminous light passing across the sky.

Finally having a Guru in one's life is purely personal. As far as I know, people who have a Guru to follow will be very few. I do not have one. Scriptures are my Guru. I read them a lot.
sri