Q. Is a Master necessary for this quantum leap into consciousness to happen?
A. Yes and no!
First of all, you need to understand that the Master or Guru is not a vyakti (person) as you think. He is a tattva (principle). He is simply a physical representation of the Divine.
In the vedic tradition, the spiritual teacher, the Guru or the Master, is said to be more important than God! God is always and everywhere, but it is the Guru who opens the disciple's eyes to the existence of God.
The poet-mystic, Kabir sings beautifully, 'If God and my Guru both appear before me, to whom shall I prostrate? I shall bow before my Guru, for it is he who revealed God to me!'
The Master is the doorway to one's own experience of the Divine.
He is the mirror that helps you recognize the truth that is already within you. The Master is the only scripture that is alive.
Surrendering to God is difficult because you don't know who or where God is! God is a mere concept to you.
But the Master is real. Through his form, you can take the quantum jump to the Divine.
Understand, life itself can be your Master - if you have the intelligence to pick up the right things from it!
The enlightened Master Dattatreya says, 'I never needed a Master, because life itself has always been my Master. I learnt how to concentrate from a hunter who was aiming at a bird. I learnt how to save money for the future by watching ants!' Life itself can be a wonderful teacher, if you know how to learn from it. Even the Master is not really an individual. The Master is intense Life!
Ultimately, your real Guru is your own inner Self.
The outer Guru exists only to guide you to the experience of the inner Guru.
The Guru exists both outside you and within you!
From the outside, he gives you a push inside, so that your extroverted mind begins to look within.
And from inside, he starts pulling you, so that no matter what the distractions, you stay in your own inner space.
Recognizing the Guru as one's own highest Self is the most beautiful experience that happens with enlightenment.
In the Tamil spiritual text Kaivalya Navaneetam, there is a beautiful description of this.
When the disciple gets the first experience of enlightenment, he suddenly understands not only who he is, but also who his Guru is!
In ecstasy, he addresses his Master, saying: O Master! You are none but my own highest self, who has guided me towards enlightenment for so many lifetimes!
But because I was too weak to hear your voice within, you took on an external form to guide me to the ultimate experience. How can I thank you, who are my very own self?
So understand, if you can hear with utter clarity the voice of your own being, you don't need an external Master. You don't have to surrender to anyone outside.
Just surrender to your own highest consciousness, that is enough!
LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK! Techniques for sudden enlightenment QUESTION & ANSWER
Q. I am already initiated by another Master. Can I still take initiation from you?
A. Perfectly alright, nothing wrong!
I always tell people, go to all the gardens and pluck flowers and make a beautiful garland for yourself. Spirituality is not business! You can shop around wherever you want till you are satisfied.
In any case, the human ego is such that it will die only if it is beaten by a dozen Masters!
So don't worry, there is nothing wrong in approaching different Masters. Learn all the best things from all the sources and enrich your life.
Only one thing, don't become a window shopper. That is dangerous, because then you will not learn anything from anyone.
LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK! Techniques for sudden enlightenment QUESTION & ANSWER
Q. You spoke about the importance of Upanishad, being in the physical presence of the Master. If it is not possible to be around you physically, can't reading your books or following your teachings give us the same glimpse?
A. If you want an honest answer, No.
Reading the books and so on are useful to create the initial feeling of connection with the Master, but the transmission of light needs the physical presence!
Understand, this experience can be transmitted only from one living being to another. Because you are in the physical plane, the transmission also has to happen in the physical plane. The very bio-memory has to be transmitted.
Are you able to understand?
It is a subtle point.
See, whatever I am teaching is nothing new.
I am simply repeating the Truths that have been expressed by enlightened Masters for thousands of years.
Understand, there is nothing new to teach in spirituality!
Whatever the Vedic seers e
Why is it that hundreds of thousands of people got enlightened when these Masters were alive, and so few got enlightened by reading their teachings? This is the secret!
The experience of enlightenment is like lighting one lamp from another; it has to be directly transmitted from Master to disciple.
So if you have been sincerely devoted to a Master who has already left the body, you can be sure that he will guide you to a living Master.
There is no other way.
That is why, the one thing that can never get outdated is a living Master!