Through the light of a lamp, even darkness that exists a long distance away departs, but the darkness that is present at the foot of the lamp-post is not removed by the lamp. In the same way, those disciples who stay a long way away from the Guru get redeemed by worshipping in their hearts the jnana-Guru who cannot be limited by time or space. Even so, some of those who get the good fortune of staying physically close to the Guru, like his shadow, do not become ripe in jnana, losing their ego-darkness, but die ripe only in physical age. This is due to their immaturity.
Guru Vachaka Kovai v 152
MURUGANAR: The Guru is the shining sun of the Self who removes inner darkness through his true nature. In truth, he is the space of consciousness that has neither rising nor setting. It has therefore been said, ‘the jnana-Guru who cannot be limited by time or space’. The point of the verse if this: those who, through rare good fortune, have reached a jnana-Guru should not forget the purpose for which they came to him. By focusing their entire attention on it day and night, and by taking his grace as the primary support, they should definitely obtain the good fortune of the Self.
Naladiyar says: ‘If he who has obtained the good fortune of associating closely with sages, which cannot be bought by any amount of wealth, spends his time wastefully, he is a person of immature mind.’
Naladiyar is a 400-verse Tamil work, thought to have been composed more than a thousand years ago, that mostly contains teachings on morality and the spiritual life. It was composed by Jain monks.
Once for example, some awkward problems concerning the ashram management cropped up. Without being directly concerned, I [Kunju Swami] was worried about them, as I felt that failure to solve them satisfactorily would impair the good name of the ashram. One day two or three devotees went to Sri Bhagavan and put some of these problems before him. I happened to enter the hall while they were talking about them, and he immediately turned to me and asked me why I had come in at this time and why I was interesting myself in such matters. I did not grasp the meaning of the question, so Sri Bhagavan explained that a person should occupy himself only with that purpose with which he had originally come to the ashram. He asked me what my original purpose had been.
‘To receive Sri Bhagavan’s grace,’ I replied.
‘Then occupy yourself with that alone,’ he said.
After a pause he continued by asking me whether I had any interest in matters concerning the ashram management when I first arrived. I told him that I had not.
‘Then,’ he said, ‘concentrate on the original purpose of your coming here.’
In Tamil this is: 'Vantha Velai Par:'
[The Power of the Presence, part two, p. 58]
BHAGAVAN: Forgetting the lofty purpose of coming [to the Sadguru] and developing an obsession for the non-Self is a deception brought about by immaturity in those who are dull-minded.
[Padamalai, p. 255, v 19]
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