Love is a universal thread woven into the fabric of human existence, so deeply that it is hard to imagine anyone who has never experienced its touch. This sentiment extends far beyond the conventional definitions of romance; it encompasses pure, unadulterated affection for anyone or anything. We see it in the bonds shared with parents, the divine, a spouse, children, or a beloved friend. It manifests in a passion for one's profession, a deep connection to nature, or even a fondness for material objects. Yet, within almost all these conventional forms of love, an element of transaction, a subtle undercurrent of give and take, invariably remains.
In stark contrast, there exists a sublime dimension of love that defies any earthly name or definition. This is the profound love a disciple harbors for their Guru. This affection transcends all worldly attachments and seems to carry the echoes of an eternal connection spanning multiple lifetimes. However, a natural question often arises: while the disciple loves the Guru unconditionally, does the Guru love each disciple with the exact same intensity?
A Guru is sought after by thousands of followers, whereas a disciple recognizes only one Guru as their absolute refuge. Can a Guru truly distribute equal love among so many?
The truest answer to this query cannot be found in theory; it can only be given by the disciples themselves, as anyone who speaks to the followers of our revered Gurudev would soon realize.
To an outside observer, it might appear that Gurudev treats everyone differently. He seems exceedingly warm and friendly with certain disciples, dedicating hours to listening to their struggles and providing deep personal guidance. Concurrently, he may appear to afford others very little time, occasionally seeming to ignore their words or overlook their presence entirely. However, behind these seemingly varied outward responses lies a singular, unyielding concern for the disciple's spiritual welfare. Guru's approach mirrors that of a skilled physician who administers bitter medicine to one patient and sweet syrup to another based entirely on the specific nature of their illness, yet the ultimate objective remains identical: the complete healing and well-being of the patient.
To illustrate this, I feel compelled to share a deeply personal experience of my own. Back in 2017, a few fellow devotees from the ashram and I had received Gurudev’s blessings and permission to transition our publication, Anweshan Patrika, into an online format. We frequently connected via WhatsApp group calls to discuss administrative responsibilities, select articles, establish quality standards, and refine our editorial criteria. During one such evening call, our conversation inadvertently drifted away from the project and devolved into criticism and gossip about others. We became so thoroughly engrossed in this negative discussion that we lost all track of what we were doing. Right at that moment, an incoming call from Gurudev flashed on my phone. I abruptly disconnected the group call, informing the team that Gurudev was calling and that I would get back to them later.
The moment I answered, Gurudev spoke directly, telling me that what we were doing was entirely wrong. Caught off guard and failing to comprehend his meaning, I asked him what it was that we were doing wrong. He responded by stating that the conversation we were having was generating a negative vibration that was reaching him in real time. He asked with gravity whether this was the purpose for which we had taken initiation, merely to indulge in finding faults in others. I was utterly stunned, frozen to the core as if the blood had drained from my body. It was completely beyond my comprehension how a private WhatsApp call, conducted from a vast distance, could be perceived by him instantly. Overwhelmed with shame, I apologized profusely and assured him that such a mistake would never happen again. Gurudev spoke with stern firmness, warning me that if we could not conduct the work properly, we should abandon the idea of the online magazine altogether, as there was no need to proceed under such conditions. I begged for his forgiveness once more, promising that we would never give him cause for complaint again.
After he hung up the phone, I immediately re-established the WhatsApp call with the other devotees and informed them of everything Gurudev had said. Everyone was left completely dumbfounded and silent. In that moment of realization, we resolved that our future interactions would strictly center on the work at hand, completely eliminating any discussions regarding the shortcomings of others. Acknowledging our collective mistake, we redirected our entire focus back toward our core objective, and by Gurudev’s grace, the work of Anweshan has continued uninterrupted for the past nine years, and it will surely continue into the future if it remains his divine will.
My sole intention behind sharing this incident is to highlight how Gurudev is constantly working for our ultimate betterment at every single moment, provided we absorb his teachings into our lives with absolute faith. He is completely aware of what we do, what we think, and what we desire, and he has guided everyone toward the righteous path at some point in their journey. However, this does not mean we can continuously commit errors with the expectation that he will always step in to correct us. He will certainly warn us once or twice to make us alert, but if we fail to reform ourselves after those warnings, we alone must bear the responsibility for our eventual state. Gurudev loves every disciple with an equal and unbiased heart, recognizing no distinctions between the high and the low, or the rich and the poor. For him, everyone is equal, and it is entirely up to us to decide whether we will walk diligently along the path he has illuminated or continue to wander under the heavy influence of our old, conditioned habits.
(Sudeep Chakravarty)
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