The Speaking Tree Editorial | "Guru Selection: Research and choose well" - by Sri M

Do not accept anyone as guru, just like that. Let some time pass,let two or three years go. Why? What criteria is there to accept someone as guru? Some people accept gurus on the basis of very arbitrary ideas — because his nose is long, for example. Sometimes the guru may not be that graceful. Mandukya Maharishi wrote the Mandukya Upanishad. How would the face of mandukya (frog) look? Am sure you can picture that. Do not go for outer attraction. If you do that, then you will not be able to walk on the spiritual path, on the inner path.That is why you need to spend two or three years before you accept someone as your guru. Swami Vivekananda was Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s prime disciple. Ramakrishna loved Swami Vivekananda so much; yet, Swami Vivekananda tested his guru so much. Ramakrishna used to say,‘I do not touch money; I am unable to touch money’. So,once Narendra — Swami Vivekananda was known by that name then — tested him. To see whether he told the truth or not, he placed a coin under Ramakrishna’s mattress. Ramakrishna came and laid himself down on the mattress. He got up because he could not sleep; he wandered around for a while and laid himself down again.He was not comfortable, so he got up again and after doing this a few times, he summoned Narendra and said to him, ‘Maybe someone kept money under the mattress, go check’. Swami Vivekananda fell at his feet in tears and said he was sorry and would never make such a mistake again. Ramakrishna said, ‘It’s fine’, while adding that he had not committed any mistake. That is why, do some seva or service first for two or three years ….Seva is to do your sadhana. Seva is to listen to what he says intently. Seva is to bring change in your life.This is guru seva ....Do not think that by holding on to his feet, all your sins will be washed away.That is not going to happen.What the guru says you will have to do,only then will it work out.… If you listen to the teachings and live your life in a particular way,a time will come…the way our mind is — you will also reach that state. It takes many lives to reach such a state.Please follow the teachings.Who knows if someone is here whose last life this is? Do not be discouraged even if there are still one hundred more births to go. Keep this in your mind that I may reach That which is the Ultimate in this life.This is what guru seva means. If you do this one hundred per cent, then you will go forward with much power. The more purposefully you do it,the more you will advance. Grace is there;if there was no grace,you would not be here…. Serve as much as you can. If you meet someone who you think is spiritual, serve him well for some time. And,see if he is asking you for a cheque or not. If he is, then search for someone else.A spiritual guru is not there to take; he is there to give.There is no demand from you but this — faith and patience.