Attitude and Approach to Higher Learning

Knowledge is acquired through book learning, question and answer sessions, practical learning and experience. Knowledge gives humility; humility gives character and worthiness to the student. A worthy student creates wealth through his work. Wealth should create dharma or righteousness in life. And when a person lives in dharma or righteousness, he lives in happiness. And we all wish to live in happiness. Knowledge confers on us a bundle of blessings which helps us to live our material lives well. Knowledge of the Vedas and other sacred texts confer on the students all the above blessings and also show the way to self realization. 

Mere theoretical knowledge or book knowledge is of no use. Knowledge should be internalized through experience. Else the complete blessings of knowledge are not made available to us. We see arrogance in people around us when they acquire higher education. Pundits/priests and religious speakers sprout sacred texts without an ounce of internal experience. Such people cite verses, recite words without truly understanding them and this serves to inflate the ego. The ego loves to prove it is superior by making points and regurgitating passages in order to show off superior knowledge. Such people try to manipulate and dominate others and instil fear in them. The right attitude to acquisition of knowledge and right methods of usage must be instilled in students from the very beginning.

A systematic syllabus from a young age of three prepares a student who works hard on regular basis to acquire higher knowledge at the age of twenty plus. The level of preparation and mental attitudes needed to master the four Vedas are much higher and difficult. The four Vedas contain several thousand stanzas each and in the days  of yore were learnt by hearing and rote. To master the four Vedas from a Divine Being in a period of four mornings is a highly impossible task. Such a task is possible only where the student has prepared his receptivity though right living, guru seva and taking the holy name of God and is blessed by Guru and Divinity. This is the story of such a student – Sathyakama and his Guru Gautama.

The great sage Gautama had a number of disciples in his ashram. He also kept many cows to provide milk and butter for needs of the ashram. Once due to drought the cows suffered terribly from lack of water to drink and grass to eat. The Guru requested that one of his disciples should volunteer to take the cows to a far off green valley and stay there till the calamity of drought was over and then return back with the cows. None of the students were ready give up the comforts of the ashram and live alone amongst cows in a strange far off land. None of them volunteered for the task except Sathyakama. The Guru blessed the boy and sent him with 400 cows and instructions that when the herd multiplied to a total strength of one thousand he should return.

Sathyakama took the cattle safely to the green valley. He would wake up at dawn, have his bath and offer worship to the Sun God and recite his prayers. Throughout the day he took care of the cows and chanted the name of God. He performed the service to cows as service to Guru and God. He never felt lonely as he mentally lived in the company of God and Guru. The holy vibrations which emanated from him attracted Indra, the Chief of Gods. He was pleased with the boy's attitude and seva to Guru and decided to bless him. He appeared in front of the boy and informed him that the herd had become healthy and also multiplied to a total of one thousand and that He had come there to take him back to his Guru’s ashram.

Sathyakama prostrated to Lord Indra and gathered the cows and started back to the Guru’s ashram. Sathyakama and Lord Indra had to spend four nights in four different places. Every morning Lord Indra taught Sathyakama  the essence of one Veda. Thus by the time he reached his Guru's hermitage he had the mastered the four Vedas. His face glowed with a strange splendour as a result of the Vedic illumination that he had received from a Divine Being. Lord Indra disappeared after showering His grace on the young boy.

Sathyakama walked into his Guru's hermitage with 1000 cows. He was given a warm welcome by the Guru and other disciples. He fell at the feet of his Guru and sought his blessings. The Guru had divine insight of what had happened. He blessed the boy for his Guru Seva and announced to all the fact that Sathyakama had pleased Indra, the Lord of Heaven, with his love and loyalty to the Guru and was made capable of receiving the vast knowledge of the four Vedas.

The right attitude and approach to seva will bless us also in acquiring and using higher learning in the correct way.

Aruni and the Flooded Fields

In the olden days, the disciples of the Guru lived with the Guru in his ashram. They studied there and also performed other chores given to them by the Guru. Most ashrams were self sufficient units. They had cows for milk, gardens for vegetables, fruits and flowers, forests for collection of wood for fire and fields for growing cereals and pulses. The disciples did a variety of jobs and  kept the ashram running smoothly. The physical work and responsibility given to them made the disciples physically strong and hardy and also mentally mature and able to cope up with work given to them in a dependable manner. There was no distinction made between the students for the work allotted. They could come from any rank in life. All were treated equally.

Besides the visible growth and progress in the disciples there is another development which takes place but which is not normally apparent. This gets highlighted when certain unusual happenings take place. A disciple who is loyal, loving and follows the Guru’s dictates to the letter, develops at subtle levels. The physical body blossoms with fresh air, good food and hard physical labour; the mental body develops with the acquisition of knowledge at the ashram and the subtle body develops when the disciple works with great love for the Guru and is implicitly obedient and loyal.  This development over a period of time prepares the subtle body of the disciple so that when the Guru commands or blesses, there is a sudden metamorphosis and the student stands completely transformed. Consider this case:

Rishi Aayod Dhaumya lived in his ashram with cows, gardens and fields. He was famous as he was pious and powerful and took care of his disciples like a mother cares for her children. He had a number of disciples in the ashram under his care. One of these was a disciple named Aruni. Aruni was very humble and loved his Guru greatly. He was hardworking and performed the chores given to him as Guru Seva. He unquestioningly followed the orders of his Guru with a smiling face.

Once the Guru sent Aruni to take care of the fields. As Aruni reached the fields the skies opened up and the rains poured. The fields filled up quickly with water. Now there were mud walls on sides of the fields to hold the water in and prevent the outflow of water and soil loss. As Aruni was checking he saw that the force of the water had increased and there was a breakage in one of the mud walls. Water and soil were flowing out  of the fields with great force. Aruni feared that the loss due to soil erosion would be terrible. He tried his best to stop the flow of water. He put mud and stones in the hole to stop the water flow. But it was of no use.  Aruni recalled the Guru’s instructions – to take care of the fields. So he placed himself as a stopper in the hole and prevented the water from flowing out. He remained cold and stiff all night in that place but he protected the fields of the Guru.

In the morning when all the disciples gathered for the morning prayers, Aruni was not present. The Guru and some of the disciples rushed in the direction of the fields calling out to Aruni. Aruni heard his Guru calling him and stood up shivering with cold. Touching his Guru’s feet he asked – Gurudev, what are your instructions for me?

The Guru looked around and understood what Aruni had done to save the fields. His heart was filled with love and compassion. Love and Grace started flowing from the Guru to the disciple and Aruni was transformed. He got the knowledge of all scriptures automatically.  The Guru gave him a new name Uddhalak Aruni.

Aruni became a great learned sage. He worked for welfare of society. He organised innumerable community feeding programs. He systematized Vedic and Upanishadic thoughts. All this was due to the blessings of his Guru.

Guru Seva

Guru Seva is service to the Guru. When a disciple loves his Guru he does service or seva to the Guru. The Guru Seva which is common to all disciples is following the teachings of the Guru and practising the spiritual techniques regularly and in a disciplined manner. All disciples do not have physical or geographical proximity to the Guru. Hence they cannot perform personal seva to the Guru. So wherever the disciple may live, in whichever station of life he maybe, whatever be his job or livelihood, a disciple can serve his Guru by following the instructions and teachings of the Guru.

True Guru Bhakti or love for Guru is implicitly following the teachings of the Guru.  A disciple who practises the teachings of the Guru will rise above the inner shortcomings of lust, anger, pride, attachment and vengefulness. He is an example to others about the blessings which flow from the Guru. He blossoms spiritually and his  fragrance of love and service identifies and glorifies His Guru. 

There are some disciples who have proximity or contact with Guru. The Guru may ask them to do some work for him. This is also Guru Seva. It can be any work. It could be sweeping the Ashram, washing clothes, watering the plants, buying groceries, cooking food, massaging the Guru’s feet or receiving the visitors. The disciple should do the task he is asked to with sincerity and dedication. He should not look at the task given to another and seek to do it. There should be no feelings of inferiority of self or favoritism on part of Guru or any other negative feelings in the mind of the disciple. Any task given by the Guru is sacred and must be performed to the best of one’s ability. Every disciple is given a task or seva which is decided by the Guru as per the karmic needs and also personal abilities of the disciple. No disciple should feel jealous or want to do the work  given to another. Doing what  work is allotted by the Guru to us with love and loyalty are the best seva we can do.

The blessings from Guru Seva complete and fill up the areas which are lacking in the life of the disciple. Guru Seva brings upon the disciples blessings in form of health, good life partner, progeny, work, wealth, knowledge, intelligence, superhuman abilities, blessings of Gods and merger with Absolute. 

Rama did Guru Seva to Vasistha Rishi and pleased him.  His Guru taught him about mantras to be used for specific purposes  in battles. He also rewarded Rama with knowledge of chakras, nadis and Kundalini Shakti.  He gave Shaktipata to Rama and later on Rama passed on this knowledge of Shaktipata  to Laxman and Hanuman. Hanuman is Chiranjeevi. It means he has eternal life.  Hanuman waits even now to give this knowledge to the worthy for the benefit of mankind. It is believed that Dhyanyogi Parmeshwardasji who is Guru of my Guru is the form of Hanuman who has passed on the knowledge of Kundalini Maha Yoga for the evolution of mankind.

Krishna also performed Guru Seva at the Ashram of his Guru Sandipani. He cleaned and swept the floors, gathered water and firewood and articles for pooja. Though he was an Avatar of Lord Vishnu , he was meek, humble and obedient. He performed all the work given by His Guru like any other ordinary student.  As a result he was able to master sixty four arts in sixty four days. This is blessings for the Guru Seva performed with the right attitude.

Those who do Guru Seva must do the service with the right spirit, willingness and obedience and without feelings of jealousy towards others who are in constant contact with Guru. Those who are far away and do not have direct contact with the Guru must do their mantra japa and dhyana regularly and follow other rules of spiritual practices taught to them. Guru Seva bestows the highest possible rewards. 

Guru Seva is a reward in itself. Always do seva to the Guru with body, mind and soul.

Guru's Blessings Brings Fulfillment in Life

We all have love for God. There is no doubt about that. But we love our bodies, our looks and the material world far more than we love God.  When we call upon God, it is a half hearted call or less. In life, nothing is gained if it is done with half hearted focus or heart. If we want God to be our best friend and guide us in life, we must call upon God with all our might and love. Then only He will also answer us with His Presence and Love.

We must yearn for God intensely. The yearning for love of God must be focussed. It must be as powerful as the burning need for water of a thirsty traveller who is lost in the desert for several days. When the mind and heart are restless and keep on longing for God, the Guru appears. And the Guru shows the way to reach God. The Guru knows the potentials of the disciple and helps him to achieve them. The Guru is aware of the shortcomings and needs of the disciple and he fulfils them by his blessings.  His blessings fill up all the gaps in the disciple's luck and karma. Where there is a lack in disciple's life, the Guru completes and fulfils it. This makes the life of the disciple accomplished and full of contentment. The disciple is able to fulfil his life potentials and ambitions and also focus on service to God, Guru and Mankind. The Life of a disciple who is blessed in this way is rewarding and fulfilled in all ways. Take the case of the great Shivaji Maharaj and his powerful Guru Samarth Ramdas:

Samarth Ramdas was a powerful and well known Guru of Maharashtra. Shivaji Maharaj was eager to meet him after hearing about his fame. He went to Kondhaval Chasm where the Guru was camped and waited for him all day. But the Guru was not there and Shivaji had to return without the eagerly awaited meeting. That night and the following days and nights, Shivaji’s mind was thinking of Samarth Ramdas at all times.  As the time passed, his yearning to meet the Guru increased. He went to the temple of Bhavani Devi and sat in prayer. He was not aware when he fell asleep there. In his dream, Samarth Ramdas appeared wearing a saffron robe, padukas (wooden slippers), a rosary and a crutch under his arm. Seeing his radiant form, Shivaji fell at his feet and sought blessings. Samarth Ramdas touched his head and blessed him. When he woke up in the morning, he was holding a coconut. In India, a coconut is touched and given by Guru to disciple as a blessing.

From that moment onwards, Shivaji regarded Samarth Ramdas as his Guru. The Guru came later on to visit him at Shinganwadi. Shivaji performed ritualistic pooja of washing the feet  of the Guru and offering  him flowers and fruits The Guru blessed him and gave him a coconut. He also gave him a fistful of mud, pebbles and some horse dung as blessings. He said to him: you are born to rule and serve the people. My blessings and guidance are always with you. Whenever you think of me I am with you. Rule wisely.

The Guru was aware of the requirements and needs of Shivaji for ruling his kingdom well. The handful of things that he gave to Shivaji represented the needs of Shivaji and the Guru’s blessings for their fulfilment.  The fistful of mud represented the earth or kingdom, the pebbles were hill forts which were needed for security and fighting with the enemies, the horse dung represented horses which were used for fighting, transport and escape from enemies and the coconut was for the welfare of Shivaji  so that he did well in his personal life and as Maharaja of the Maratha Kingdom. The blessings of the Guru ensured that Shivaji never had a shortage of anything in his life.

Intense yearning for Guru and his blessings  pulled Samarth Ramdas to Shivaji. His blessings made Shivaji a wise and competent ruler who re-established Hindu Swarajya in Maharashtra.  In the rule of Shivaji, the foreign invaders were overcome, respect and position of women in society was restablished, slavery was abolished and society flourished. This was due to the blessings and guidance of the powerful Samarth Ramdas. That is why a Guru is needed!

Need for a Guru - Surdas

When the student is ready the Guru comes! The student  does not go in search of the Guru. The Cosmic Principle sends the Guru to the student. When Guru and student meet, the Guru is aware of the strong points and drawbacks of the student. Where there is a need for overcoming some shortcomings, the Guru helps the student, and makes him ready for receiving the knowledge and spiritual practices. The student will not be aware of the actions of the Guru and why he is being asked to do some things. When the student obeys the Guru implicitly, he is guided and trained to receive the highest of knowledge as now he is fully ready in all ways.  This is the story of Surdas and his Guru.

Surdas, a young seeker yearned intensely for God. A Guru appeared in his life and promised to guide him and show the way to God. The Guru was aware that Surdas had a major imperfection in him. Surdas used to get angry very quickly and for small things too. The Guru was aware that the anger of Surdas would cause inner disturbances because of which Surdas would not feel close to God. He wished to help Surdas overcome the defect of anger and make him ready to receive the spiritual practices. He told Surdas:  for a month chant the name of God day and night during all your work and activities.  On the day the new month starts, take bath early morning and come to me. I will initiate you into path of God.

Surdas followed the instructions of the Guru. He chanted the name of God day and night and during all  his activities. On the first day of the new month, he rushed to the river at dawn, took a bath, wore fresh clothes and set off for the Guru’s Ashram. As he neared the Ashram, a sweeper who was sweeping the pathway brushed dirt over his clothes by mistake and they were muddied. Surdas was outraged and screamed at the sweeper: You stupid careless fool! Because of you I will have to go back and take bath again!

The Guru was watching the incident from the Ashram. When Surdas came to him, he said: Dear Surdas, you are still not ready. Please follow the same instructions for a month and come back to me.  Surdas accepted the Guru’s dictum and left. He spent another month chanting the name of God at all times of day and night. On the first day of the new month, he went to the river, took bath and wore fresh clothes and set off for the Ashram. The sweeper was working outside the Ashram. He was sweeping the pathways and by mistake he brushed his broom on the clothes of Surdas. The fury of Surdas knew no bounds! He shouted at the sweeper. And the Guru sent him back again to do japa for another month.

At the end of the period of time, Surdas again took bath and went to the Ashram of Guru. This time something unusual happened. The sweeper saw Surdas come towards him. He recalled being shouted at for no reason. Rage filled him. He picked up the dustbin full of dirt and emptied it deliberately over Surdas! And this time, the reaction of Surdas was very different. He folded his hands and said to the sweeper: You are my teacher. You taught me to overcome anger. I am thankful to you!

The Guru rushed out of the Ashram and gave Surdas a warm welcome. He said: you are now finally ready to receive the spiritual lessons and practices!

The sweeper who brushed dirt over Surdas did so by mistake. His error was not intentional. Yet Surdas was angry with him. By continuously chanting the name of God day and night for three months through all his work and activities, Surdas could overcome his anger. This was due to the blessings of the Guru and his orders that Surdas should chant the name of God. Surdas obeyed his Guru and reaped the rewards. His Guru was instrumental in helping Surdas overcome his negativity. Negativities like anger, lust, greed, attachment, pride, vengefulness create distance between our soul and God and we will not be able to feel the presence of God or enjoy the sweetness of Love of God within us. A Guru's guidance and blessings are essential.That is why a Guru is needed!

Need for a Guru - Namadeva

“Dhyana Moolam Guru Murti, Puja Moolam Gurur Padam,

Mantra Moolam Gurur Vakyam, Moksha Moolam Guru Kripa” – Guru Gita

Do meditation by observing the Master’s form. Learn worship by surrendering at the lotus feet of the Guru. Every word spoken by the Guru is a mantra and enlightenment is but the ultimate grace of the Guru‘

These lines from the Guru Gita are an all out proclamation of love and praise for the Guru. The Guru  teaches the disciple about the Supreme and helps him to realise the Supreme within himself and in all creation.  The story of Namadeva, a saint from Maharashtra illustrates the importance of Guru.

Namadeva had unusual grace in his life. Lord Vitthala (Krishna) of Pandharpur used to appear in physical form before Namadeva  to eat the food served by him. Namadeva spoke to the Lord like we speak to each other. The Lord would dance to the songs sung by him. He was considered as a great saint of his time. Once there was a meeting at the home of Gora – the potter saint. All the famous saints of that time were present – Jnaneshwar, Nivritti, Sopan, Muktabai and many others. Jnaneshwar asked Gora the potter to check if all the pots were baked well. Gora understood and took his stick and hit on the head of all the saints sitting there in the same manner that he did when he checked to see if the clay of the pot was baked. No one said a word. But Namadeva protested with angry words. He did not like being hit on the head with a stick. Muktabai remarked: this pot is not baked!  Namadeva was angry and left the group in a huff and went straight to the temple of Vitthala. When he called out, the Lord appeared and he complained to the Lord. Instead of comforting him the Lord said: He who has not bowed to a Guru and not learnt from the Guru is incomplete. As Rama, I bowed to Sage Vashista and received from him spiritual knowledge. As Krishna, I went to ashram of Sage Sandipani and learnt from him. Go to Guru Visoba. You will find him in the Shiva temple of Mallikarjuna. Please him and learn from him. This will make you complete. There is no other way to be complete other than seeking refuge at the feet of the Guru!

Since he had no choice, Namadeva went to Mallikarjuna temple and located the Guru. Visoba was sleeping with his feet on the Shivalinga. Namadeva was shocked and said: I heard you are a great saint and you behave in this way? Visoba replied: I am an old man. I don’t have the energy to move my feet from the Shivalinga. Please place it elsewhere and get the reward for performing a good deed!  Namadeva dragged the feet of Visoba and placed them in another spot. And suddenly a Shivalinga sprung from underground and supported the old man’s feet. Angry and frightened, Namadeva lifted the feet of the old saint and kept them in other places. And in each place a Shivalinga sprung up to support the feet of Visoba. Namadeva realised that Visoba was a great Guru and fell at his feet and sought to be his disciple. He understood that the miracle of the Shivalinga took place as Visoba had become one with Shiva and where Visoba was present – Shiva was present.

Namadeva stayed with Visoba and learnt spiritual practices from the Guru. He realised the Truth within him and around him. He saw himself as Vitthala and the world around him as the same Lord. When he went back to Pandharpur, there was a feast going on. Namadeva also sat down to eat. Bhakri – a bread made out of jowar cereal was served along with some ghee which was kept in a cup made of leaves. A dog came and grabbed the bhakri from Namadeva's leaf plate and ran. Namadeva grabbed the cup of ghee and ran after the dog. He cried out: O Vitthala, don’t eat the bhakri just like that. It is far too tough and dry. Let me soak it in ghee and give you. Then it will taste better!

Namadeva had realised the truth that all creation was the form of his Lord Vitthala. So he ran after the dog as he saw his Lord in him to feed him  bhakri soaked in ghee. Later on when he met Lord Vitthala and embraced him, the Lord complained: after getting your Guru, you don’t have time for me! Namadeva replied: I have overcome the sense of duality and I don’t see you different from the Guru! You are both One. And Lord Vitthala remarked: the pot is now baked!

Though Namadeva spoke to the Lord and even fed him with his own hands, his realisation was incomplete as he did not have a Guru to teach him how to overcome the duality and see all Creation as One. That is why a Guru is needed!

Need for a Guru

‘The Guru is within. Why search for a Guru outside?' This is a common statement found nowadays all over the internet, printed media and other forms of media. Those who make these statements want their statements to be accepted implicitly by all people.  They also want to be accepted as the Guru by their students. But they teach that the Guru is within!

The statement ‘Guru is within' is indeed true. Certainly the Guru is within! After a certain stage, the internal Guru guides the student. But to reach this internal Guru, we need the external Guru’s guidance and help. Else it proves to be very difficult to reach the internal Guru. God is the Primordial Guru. Only God knows God. Hence God assumes the form of Guru and is born amongst men to teach and guide them about The Supreme Power.

God is within. We  have read this and  have been told about it.  Why is it that we are not able to realise the God who is within us? This is because hearing or reading about a truth is rather different from realizing the truth within us. When we realise the truth that God is within and experience it in ways which are totally convincing to us, then we will be able to feel the presence of God within us and around us. Consider this example:

A man needed butter desperately. He asked his neighbours to give him some. No one gave him any butter. Then someone told him: you have a cow in your home. Why don’t you make your own butter? I will show you how to do it. The man did not know that butter came from the milk of the cow. He learnt from the other person, the process of  how to make butter from milk and got the required amount of butter!

We are like the man in the above example. He had a cow, he had milk. But he did not know how to separate the cream from the milk and churn it. He had to learn the technique from a person who knew it. We need to get the knowledge of how to separate the reality from lies. We need to learn the Truth from the Guru. We need the Guru’s touch and knowledge to go within us and still the mind. We need to learn and practise the spiritual techniques from the Guru to churn ourselves from within and get the butter in form of self realisation. We all carry the butter   - the presence of God /Guru within us but don’t know how to churn and get the butter i.e. manifest the presence of God/Guru from within us. Hence we need the external Guru to show us the Internal Guru.

With time and effort any type of knowledge can be acquired. It can be worldly knowledge or spiritual. But it takes a lot of time and effort to do so by ourselves. We have to try many techniques and methods before we learn to do things in the right way. It is far easier to learn from a teacher who has the knowledge and experience. The teacher has learnt from his teacher and this knowledge,  handed  through the ages, has been time tested to give similar and correct results. By learning from a competent teacher, we get sufficient knowledge and learn the right techniques in a short time.  Learning by self takes far too long and by the time we have tried and tested different techniques, especially in path of spirituality and found a method which gives us satisfactory results, we  would have lost a huge amount of time and energy and will find it difficult to reach our goals before the end of our time.

Even Avatars like Rama and Krishna and great saints had gurus. Rama gave credit for all his knowledge and spiritual goodness to his Gurus. Being an Avatar he could have come in this world with all knowledge or learnt by himself. But he went to Guru Vashista to show the world the need and importance of Guru. Later on he acquired knowledge from Guru Vishwamitra and Sage Agastya.  Krishna went to Guru Sandipani and acquired knowledge. The role of a Guru and his greatness are explained in the Guru Gita. The Guru Gita is a dialogue between Lord Shiva and his Shakti - Parvati Devi. In this the Lord explains the need of Guru, his powers and how to follow the Guru. 

Very few people have the ability to tap into the Guru within by themselves. The Guru within remains a mystery until the intuitive eye is opened. We need a Guru to help us open our intuitive eye. Choose a Guru with great care. Then follow his teachings unconditionally.  Your life will be transformed and you will live in this world with peace and joy and finally merge with the Supreme Bliss.  

Blessings of Sweetness of Speech

Satyam Vada- Madhuram Vada – these are the dictums of Vedas. Speak the truth but speak sweet. When you speak, let there be politeness and respect in your speech. We can speak the truth without hurting another. Nowadays we use speech as a weapon to hurt others. We speak words which will tear up the other person. Then we blame the dictum which says speaks the truth and  that God is Truth. We are in the wrong as it our intention to hurt the other.  The intention behind the speech is not to disclose the truth but to hurt the other. The bitterest of truths can be spoken with respect and sweetness and it will not hurt the other. Such speech will help the other to understand his mistakes and make change in his behavior. Such words have value since they help a person to see the light and transform himself.

When one speaks the truth with sweetness and respect for the other- the body becomes a temple and God resides in that temple. Those who follow this dictum have a peculiar strength and attraction - a charisma which pulls others to them. That is the power of the truth and sweetness. God who is the form of Love and Truth resides within them. And the Light of God shines on their faces and through them.

I recount an incident which happened in my life which reflects this truth. After Dhyanyogi Madhusudandasji came back to India from USA, he did not live in his Ashram. He chose to live in a small room of ten feet by ten feet at the residence of a disciple and his family. After he selected and made me his Gadipati at a grand public function at the Ashram, I took my residence at the Ashram. I invited Dhyanyogi Madhusudandasji to come and stay at the Ashram. He refused my offer. He replied that he enjoyed staying with that family in a small room and in a small flat because of the behaviour of the family. They were wholly united with each other and spoke with love and respect with each other. There was no rough speech or shouting or arguments in the family. Love, respect and sweetness permeated the family atmosphere. They served their Guru with the same love and respect. The entire family took care of him with veneration and reverence. He said that it was heaven on earth and he did not wish to leave that temple of love. So he stayed in that flat and in that room till the end of his life.

Guru and God will reside in a home where the members have love and respect for each other and show it in their speech and behaviour. That home becomes a physical temple of residence of God. When we transform our body into a temple of sweetness and truth, Guru and God will also reside in our hearts. The manifestation of the Supreme Power in our heart will reflect in our lives and will be apparent to all around us.  It is in our hands to change and transform our very being into a holy sanctum sanctorum fit for God and Guru to reside!