Necessity for a Guru - Abstract from Chapter 2 of Shri Sai Saccharitra

ll Hari Om ll

Necessity for a Guru - Abstract from Chapter 2 of Shri Sai Saccharitra (English Version)

On the first day of my arrival in Shirdi, there was a discussion between me and Balasaheb Bhate regarding the necessity of a Guru. I contended, "Why should we lose our freedom and submit to others? When we have to do our duty, why a Guru is necessary? One must try his best and save himself. What can the Guru do to a man who does nothing but sleeps indolently?" Thus I pleaded freewill, while Mr. Bhate took up the other side, viz., Destiny, and said, "Whatever is bound to happen must happen; even great men have failed, man proposes one way, but God disposes the other (contrary) way. Brush aside your cleverness; pride or egoism won’t help you." This discussion, with all its pros and cons went on for an hour or so, and as usual no decision was arrived at. We had to stop the discussion ultimately as we were exhausted. The net result of this was that I lost my peace of mind and found that unless there is strong body-consciousness and egoism, there would be no discussion; in other words, it is egoism which breeds discussion.

Then when we went to the Masjid with others, Baba asked Kakasaheb Dixit the following: -

"What was going on in the (Sathe’s) Wada? What was the discussion about?" and staring at me, Baba further added, "What did this Hemadpant say?"

Hearing these words, I was much surprised. The Masjid was at a considerable distance from Sathe’s Wada where I was staying and where the discussion was going on. How could Baba know our discussion unless He be omniscient and Inner Ruler of us all? 

Hemadpant has left no note, no memo about what Baba said regarding this subject, but Kakasaheb Dixit has published his notes regarding this matter. Next day after Hemadpant’s meeting with Sai Baba, Kakasaheb went to Baba and asked whether he should leave Shirdi. Baba Said, "Yes". Then someone asked - "Baba, where to go?" Baba said, "High up." Then the man said, "How is the way?" Baba said, "There are many ways leading there; there is one way also from here (Shirdi). The way is difficult. There are tigers and wolves in the jungles on the way." I (Kakasaheb) asked - "But Baba, what if we take a guide with us?" Baba answered, - "Then there is no difficulty. The guide will take you straight to your destination, avoiding wolves, tigers and ditches etc. on the way. If there be no guide, there is the danger of your being lost in the jungles or falling into ditches." Hemadpantji was present on this occasion and he thought that this was the answer Baba gave to the question whether Guru was a necessity (Vide Sai Leela Vol. I, No.5, Page 47); and he thereupon took the hint that no discussion of the problem, whether man is free or bound, is of any use in spiritual matters, but that on the contrary real Paramartha is possible only as the result of the teachings of the Guru, as is illustrated in this chapter of the original work in the instances of great Avatars like Rama and Krishna, who had to submit themselves to their Gurus, Vasishtha and Sandipani respectively, for getting self- realization and that the only virtues necessary for such progress are faith and patience. (Vide Sai Sacchcharita, Ch. II, 191-92).

Hemadpantji has given us beautiful lines in chapter 1 of Shri Sai Saccharitra:

ॐ नमो सद्गुरुराया l चराचराच्या विसविया l 

अधिष्ठान विश्वा अवधिया l अससी सदया तूं एक llll  ४५ ll 

करुं जातां तुझें स्तवन l वेद्श्रुतीही धरिती मौन l 

तेथें माझें कोण ज्ञान l तुज आकलन कराया ll ५२ ll 

गुरुनाम आणि गुरुसहवास l गुरुकृपा आणि गुरुचरण पायस l 

गुरुमंत्र आणि गुरुगृहवास l महत्प्रयास प्राप्ती ही ll ५८ ll  

 

ll Hari Om ll

ll I am Ambadnya ll