Relationship between the Teacher and the Taught 

Different people have different ideas about the relationship between the teacher and the taught. Yet, if one truly seeks spiritual progress, this relationship becomes a very important part of the journey.

I know this from my own experience. I spent many years with my Master, living with him, serving him, walking with him, joking with him, arguing with him, getting scolded by him, sometimes even getting slapped by him, and occasionally being thrown out, bag and baggage! What I mean is that if you are a really serious sadhak, before accepting someone as your teacher, there must be careful deliberation. This is not a decision to be made suddenly. If, after much thought, you conclude, "This person seems to know something more than I do about the path I wish to walk. For some time, let me listen to what he or she says and try to live accordingly," then you have already taken the first important step.

The main requirement is persistence.

You have to persist because a spiritual teacher works in and through many different layers. On the physical level, the teacher teaches by example. Living with the teacher, you observe how they behave, how they speak, how they eat, how they respond to situations. Every aspect of their life becomes a lesson. I am not suggesting that you imitate these outward actions, but there is much to be learnt simply by observing.

The next layer is the teaching itself.

Listen very carefully to what is being taught. Sometimes, in our enthusiasm or rather, our over-enthusiasm to worship the teacher, we fail to pay sufficient attention to the teaching. If the teacher says, "Move this way," then move that way.

I have often used this example. Suppose I am standing at the Punganur road junction. Two travellers arrive there, not knowing which direction to take. Now, I can guide them only if I have travelled that road myself; otherwise, I have no qualification to teach. If I have travelled it, then it is my duty to say, "Turn right. Go this way. Do not go too fast because the road is rough. Go slowly  and you will reach safely."

What, then, is the duty of the traveller? To take the road and reach the destination.

Instead, imagine the travellers remaining standing at the junction. They garland me, light lamps, perform aarti, ring bells, praise me endlessly but never take the road. What is the use of such devotion?

I am not saying that a teacher should not be respected. Certainly, respect is essential. But the worship of the teacher should never take precedence over the teaching itself.

My own Master was like this. If you sincerely followed the teachings, he would not mind even if you failed to praise them. What mattered was that you listened carefully and followed what was taught.

If you are on the spiritual path, moving towards Truth, then the very first step is to be truthful in your everyday life. You cannot lie throughout the day and expect to realise Absolute Truth. How is that possible?

If falsehood governs your daily life, how can you find the Truth? Unless truthfulness becomes your practice, the Absolute Truth will remain beyond reach. Therefore, be one-pointed in your spiritual search. Whatever difficulties arise, do not abandon the path. You may face setbacks. You may suffer disappointments. Life may become difficult. Yet if your aspiration is genuine, remain steadfast and stick to your spiritual path, if you are serious. 

There is another danger. A spiritually advanced person often develops certain capacities that appear unusual or extraordinary. You may call them supernatural or supernormal powers. Such things may naturally arise through deep spiritual practice. The danger is that instead of seeking the real jewel the teacher has to offer, you become fascinated by the capacities.

Do not ask for trifles.If you ask, you may receive them. But they will only bind you further, and you may never rise beyond them.

When you find a spiritual teacher whom you have observed carefully over time and whom you truly trust, ask only for the highest. Do not waste the opportunity. During times of difficulty, you may naturally pray for help, and that is understandable. But never lose sight of the real purpose for which you approached the teacher.

The spiritual path is full of distractions. Very often we engage in various activities believing that they are spiritual, while in reality we are actually not even touching the path. Many people imagine that spirituality means healing others. But first, heal yourself. Physician, heal thyself.

Heal your own spirit first. There are enough hospitals and doctors to heal the sick. and the way to heal yourself, is to look for your true self, your communication with the supreme being, If you are truly serious about spiritual life, these distractions should gradually fall away.

Did Swami Vivekananda practise tarot reading? Did Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa do any such thing? Or did any of the great saints like Adi Shankaracharya sit predicting people's futures? None of the great masters made these things the centre of spiritual life. These are side attractions.

I mention this because, on the spiritual journey, they can become very effective distractions. They stand on either side of the path, enticing the seeker away from the real goal. The path to Truth itself is astonishingly simple. There is no mystery about it.

If someone takes you into a dark room and whispers secret teachings into your ear, you may be quite sure that Truth is not there. Truth is like the sun. It shines openly and equally upon everyone. Therefore, be watchful of these illusions.

If your intention is to earn money, do so through honest work. Practice a profession. Run a business. Labour sincerely. Do not deceive people in the name of spirituality. Occasionally, someone may genuinely help another person. But when success does not continue, there is a temptation to bluff and pretend. That has nothing to do with spirituality.

What is Spirituality?  To find the truth, to find yourself, to find who you are, what is your link with the Supreme being, this is the main spiritual practice, and if you are with a spiritual teacher, this is exactly what he or she would like to inculcate in you, not any of these fancy trimmings,

I may sound blunt, but sometimes bluntness is necessary. When a spiritual teacher speaks bluntly, he is actually only doing his duty of trying to guide. It is an attempt to shake people awake from their illusions. We already live surrounded by illusion. Why create more within it?

The real task is to recognise that life itself is a drama, to discover the role we are playing in it, to discover who the Director and Producer are, who knows exactly why this drama is going on, and what relationship that Supreme Being has with each one of us.

This is the main spiritual teaching. Ultimately, every great spiritual tradition points towards this one Truth.

- Sri M