THE GURU TRADITION AND THE GURU-DEVOTEE RELATIONSHIP
Bill, just for the record, here is a brief segment from
Adi Da about:
-- the Guru tradition
-- the relationship between Guru and devotee
ADI DA: "Every body-mind (whether human or non-human) tends to feel and be and function egoically-or as if it were a separate self, separated from its True Source, and un-Aware of its True, and Truly Free, Self-Condition. Therefore, every body-mind (whether human or non-human) must transcend its own (inherent) egoity (or egoic reflex-or self-contracting tendency), through Love-Surrender to its True Source. And This Love-Surrender must, Ultimately, become Realization of (and, Thus, True, and really ego-Transcending, Identification with) its True Source-Condition (Which Is, also, its True Self-Condition).
To This End, True Masters (or True Siddha-Gurus) Appear in the various cosmic worlds. Such True Masters are the Divine Means for living beings (whether human or non-human) to transcend themselves. That is to Say, True Masters (or True Siddha-Gurus-or True Sat-Gurus) are living beings who have (in the manner of their characteristic stage of life) transcended their own (psycho-physical) separateness, through responsive Surrender (and, therefore, necessarily, Love-Surrender) to (and Identification with) the True Source-Condition (Which Is the True Self-Condition) of all and All.
Therefore, by Means of True Devotion (or Love-Surrender) to a True Master (or True Siddha-Guru), egoity is (always more and more) transcended, and the True Source-Condition of all and All (Which Is, necessarily, also the True Self-Condition of all and All) is, by Means of the Blessing-Grace of That True Master (or True Siddha-Guru), Found and Realized. And That "Finding-and-Realizing" Shows Itself according to the kind and degree of one or the other of the seven possible stages of life-and, thus, in accordance with the stage of life Realized by That True Master, or True Siddha-Guru, and, altogether, in accordance with the stage of life determined by the path, or Way, that is practiced, or, otherwise, determined by the "inclination", or "liking", or degree of ego-transcendence, of That True Master's practicing devotee.
This is the most ancient and perennial Great Teaching about True Guru-Devotion (or True Devotion to a True Spiritual Master, or True Siddha-Guru). This is the Great Teaching I Received from all My Lineage-Gurus. And, now, through My own Words, This Fundamental Message (or Great Teaching) Is Summarized in its Completeness, for the Sake of everyone.
If the living being is to Realize the Inherent Freedom of Oneness with its True Source-Condition (Which Is its True, or egoless, Self-Condition), it must become truly devoted to a True Master (or Truly Realized Siddha-Guru). And such True Devotion constantly (and forever) requires the heart's Love-responsive Gesture (or ego-transcending Sadhana) of True Guru-Devotion (to one's heart-Chosen True Siddha-Guru), such that the otherwise egoic (or separate, and separative) body-mind is Surrendered to be actually, truly, and completely Mastered by That True Master.
If Such True Mastering of the body-mind is not accepted (or fully volunteered for-through responsive, and truly ego-surrendering, Devotional Love of one's heart-Chosen True Siddha-Guru), the body-mind (inevitably) remains "wild" (or un-"domesticated"-or merely un-disciplined, and even ego-bound). And even if such Guru-Devotion is practiced, it must be Fully practiced (in a Fully ego-surrendering manner)-or else the Freedom (or the Divine Fullness) That is to be Realized by Means of the Blessing-Grace of one's heart-Chosen True Siddha-Guru will not (because it cannot) Fully Fill the feeling-heart (and, Thereby, Fully Fill the living body-mind) of the would-be devotee."
Namaste!
Jim |
