Deserve the Blessings

Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Realization cannot come to you as a miracle done by your guru. Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus and Rama Tirtha have all done sadhana. Lord Krishna asked Arjuna to develop vairagya and abhyasa. He did not say to him, “I will give you moksha now.” Therefore, abandon the wrong notion that your guru will give you samadhi and moksha. Strive, purify, meditate and realize.

Guru kripa, grace of the guru, is necessary but it does not mean that the disciple should sit idle. He must do rigid purushartha, spiritual practices. The whole work must be done by the student. Nowadays, people want a drop of water from the kamandalu of a sannyasin and desire to enter into samadhi immediately. They are not prepared to undergo any sadhana for purification and self realization. They want a magic pill to push them into samadhi. If you have got such delusion, give it up immediately.

Guru and shastras can show you the path and remove your doubts. Anubhava of aparoksha or direct intuitive knowledge is left for your own experience. A hungry man will have to eat for himself. He who has a severe itching will have to scratch for himself. No doubt, guru’s blessings can do everything. How can one have his blessings? By pleasing the Guru. A Guru can be pleased with his disciple only if the latter carries out his spiritual instructions implicitly. Carefully follow, therefore, the instructions of the guru. Act up to his instructions. Then only will you deserve his blessings, and then alone his blessings can do everything.