Discipleship: The means to attain Wisdom
Chapter 4 : Conversation with Rain
Rain : May you continue perfectly establishment in discipline & devotion. May the Kingdom of peace & bliss be open for you. May you witness cosmic vision. Let us pray.
Salutation to the Sun, to the Cosmos, To the Soul. May with our eyes we see what is amusing. May with the ears we hear what is precise. May we speak only when it necessary & our tounge declare truth graciously. May we witness Cosmos & get perfectly establish in Cosmos where we float day and night in peace, Samadhi, bliss,contentment.
Back to our story, When queen Chundalai attained liberation and she was trying to help her husband , king Sikhitavya. The king could not realize the blessed wisdom and could not trust that his wife is liberated. Then Ram asked to Guru Vashitha , “O Master, tell me What is the right means to attain the goal, How others can attain wisdom when the great king failed who was even getting help from his wife who was self realized?”
Gur Vashistha Replied : Reliance on the word of spiritual teacher is the way. When you are eager to learn you have to follow the instructions of the learnt one, But before practicing faith should be in your mind on the teacher instructions. This faith & the craving to learn slowly build up discipleship; Which is the only means to attain the goal.
Rama Asked: If discipleship alone is the means to attain liberation, then why it is necessary to rely on spiritual Guru Teachings.
Guru replied: I will tell you a story. Listen carefully. Your doubt will be eliminating by understanding the story.
Once a man was doing small business of ordinary stones to make jewelery. He use to go to sell the stones to jeweler. Once after sales he was returning from his work, on the way he lost a stone while walking back way to his house. He was greatly worried about the lost stone and he return back on the same path to search it. After a long search he found a shining gem. He picked it up and upon analyzing it he found it was precious stone. Searching for his ordinary stone led him to attain a precious stone. Such may be the experience of a disciple. May be in search of a spiritual teacher, disciple may attain wisdom. Guru teachings help the seeker but the discipleship is the means to attain & develop cosmic vision.
Rain, I will tell you one more story , how following discipleship only one young boy attain his goal. Once there was young boy named Eklavya. Being born in tribal family & being the son of the chief of hunters in the forest, he knows hunting from his childhood. He was living in forest of Hastinapur. In hastinapur palace Pandav & Kaurava was ruling kingdom. Guru Drona use to teach Archery and use to visit forest with his students. When Eklavya witness Guru Drona, he was eager to learn archery from Guru Drona and he requested Guru to teach him.
Guru Dronacharya was teacher of Royal family and due to his commitment to teach to the kings family member,he denied to teach to Eklavya.
But Eklavya deeply desired to study archery under Guru Dronacharya. Guru could not accept him as his student but discipleship already took place in heart of Eklavya. He made a statue of guru dronacharya and started self practice but in his mind he performs discipleship and was assuming that everyday Guru teach him and give him instruction. He contemplate that he is instructed by Guru Dronacharya every day. With discipline and devotion he continued his practice. Over the following years, he learnt archery and turned best archer. He turned more skillful than the students of Guru Dronacharya.
One dya Arjuna , the pandava prince found this talented archer. He notices his skills are better than him. He aksed him , Who taught you archery.?
Eklavya said : My Guru Dronacharya taught me.
Hearing this Arjuna was astonished . He went to Guru Dronacharya and Asked, Guru You were supposed to teach & train to prince of our family. I was learning this art with more discipline and I thought you have made me best & more skillful but I came to know to a boy from tribal family named Eklavya you have trained him and made him more skillful than me.
Dronacharya was also astonished by hearing this. He wondered that none of student name Eklavya has learnt this art from him, He do not know anything about this student. But he could not believe that this student was more skillful than Arjuna. Guru Drona said to Arjuna, Take me to that boy, I want to ask him,how I can be his Guru,even I have never heard his name, I have never seen him.
Arjuna & Guru Drona both went to see him. Eklavya welcomed them with great love and honor. Guru Drona enquired how I can be your Guru, I know you not even. I remember once in this forest one boy requested me to teach and I denied. I never accepted any student from this forest or tribal family.
Eklavya replied : Guru , homage to you, I know you never accepted me as student but when the desire took place in my mind to learn from my, my heart accepted you as my Guru, and discipleship born within me. Following that discipleship I made this statue of you and contemplate that everyday you instruct me the teaching. With discipline and devotion I was learning under you only. Whether you accept me or not but for me you are my Guru.
At that time when student learn art/wisdom from a Guru, he use to give a token of gift or fee for the knowledge he gained that was known as Guru Dakshina.
Guru Dronacharya said, Eklavya , if I am your Guru then you are liable to pay Guru Dakshina, hence I demand your right hand thumb in Guru Dakshina. Eklavya mind know that without thumb archery could not be perfect but without hesitation and with no entry of other thought in mind without delay he cut his thumb and placed it near to the feet of Guru.
Following discipleship Eklavya attained the goal. So this is the learning path. When seeker heart attain true discipleship then the goal can be attained. So it is said by the wise & learnt one that only discipleship is the means to attain the goal.
We will continue story in next class, for now you may spend your time at your own desire.
May we all attain cosmic bliss, contentment, peace & get perfectly establish in samadhi. May we everyday pay our devotion and continue disciplined practice.
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