A Guru is a Catalyst

Photo Credit: Isha Foundation

A Guru is a Catalyst

In science light acts like a catalytic agent where hydrogen and oxygen combine in its presence to form water. A Guru is like the light, a Guru is light himself – a catalytic agent whose presence itself is enough for his consciousness to be transferred into yours.

A Guru is not a teacher nor a preacher. In India Gurus have been known to be illiterate, but illuminated. A Guru does not look for students to ‘sell’ knowledge, he seeks disciples with whom he can share his being and his consciousness. He functions like a catalytic agent – his very presence transforms the disciple. The disciple does not even know that transformation is taking place within him at a very subtle level. It is over time that he/she realises that he/she has changed, that too because people come and tell him/her that there is something different about you now, you have changed. They too sense the change, because the aura has changed and they sense the aura, the change – this is a positive manifestation of the Guru’s presence in the disciple’s life!

A true Guru is very difficult to find, if you are lucky and your time has come, he will find you. We come across thousands of preachers who claim that they are Gurus. Some of them publicise their personality on such a large scale that they get followers; such followers are desperate for solutions to problems in their material life, liberation or moksha is far from their mind. With millions of followers, politicians come into the picture for their own selfish purpose who come and sit at their feet. Some of them use the huge funds which come their way for social service, open orphanages, schools, hospitals and so on. But all this has nothing to with being a true guru.

A true guru does not console people to please them; he may even shock them with the objective of awakening them. He himself is an awakened one – which is the exact definition of a Guru. He simply shows us the way to self-realisation even if it means failing in worldly matters. For a guru these are meaningless things, he has transcended all this and wants us to transcend these mundane matters too. He guides us lovingly towards the unknown and the unknowable.

A Master, a Guru, is nothing but a window. He will not do anything; the unknown flows towards you from him in just his presence. Your doors are closed, his doors are not closed. Your windows are closed and you have forgotten how to open them; his windows are not closed. Through his window, you can have a look at the sky, though him you can have a glimpse.

A master is nothing but a phenomenon filled with untold bliss and love. In his presence you feel these vibrations, your mind becomes quiet. If you trust him, have faith, the vibrations can reach you. Through him you get awakened and then you move ahead on your own journey!