Enlightenment seems to be the goal of many spiritual seekers, but how can one get enlightened? It is largely an unknown territory, which is why many seekers rely on their guru, who can guide them through the unfamiliar terrain. But how might one best relate with a guru? How often does one consult or receive instructions? Does being in the physical presence of a guru guarantee enlightenment?
Gautama Buddha is one of the most well-known enlightened beings that has walked this planet. Many disciples were able to transform their lives and attain enlightenment under his guidance. However, there was one disciple who was determined to be in his physical presence at all times and yet did not attain enlightenment during that time. Sadhguru narrates the story of Ananda Tirtha, Gautama’s elder brother, and speaks about what it means to be in a Guru’s presence.
Ananda Tirtha, out of his own device and deception, he devised it in such a way, that he will always be in Gautama’s physical presence. Because Ananda Tirtha, being Gautama’s elder brother – before he took his monkhood – he put a condition on Gautama. He said, “Right now, I am your elder brother. I can command you to do whatever I want. But once I become your disciple, I will have no such power. So let me exercise this right. And now I am telling you, after I become your monk and your disciple, never should you send me away from your physical presence. Always you must keep me next to you.” Gautama said, “You are trying to fix me up like a wife. This is not good for you. This is not at all in the interest of your well-being. But as an elder brother, you are asking me and if you insist, I will abide by this, but I am telling you, this is not good for you.” Ananda said, “It doesn’t matter, but I must be in your physical presence.”
“This “wanting to be in the physical presence of Gautama,” he stretched it to ridiculous lengths. It came to a point where after eight years’ break, Gautama went back to see his wife – Yasodhara. Gautama being her husband at that time, and Yasodhara with an infant child, Gautama left the house without telling her, in the middle of the night like a thief, because he admitted that he did not have the courage to face her. Now he is going back after eight years, a fully enlightened being, but he is sensitive enough to appreciate the emotions of Yasodhara. What happened to Gautama’s life is fantastic. What happened to Yasodhara is not a good thing. So, he is going there to see what he can offer to her now, to compensate for what she has lost in these eight years. So he told Ananda, “This once, relieve me from the promise that I made you. This is not for myself. For me, she is no more my wife, I have grown beyond those things. But for her, I am still her husband who deserted her without telling her, without giving a warning about it. So this is a sensitive emotion for her. She is a proud woman, it is not good for you to be there.” Ananda said, “You must keep your promise.” Gautama bowed down and said, “Okay.”
“Then towards the end of Gautama’s life, Gautama’s work created many enlightened beings. But Ananda was still the same man. One service he has done for us is, he recorded everything, very diligently, events that happened according to his understanding. So, people asked, ” So many people just came and met you for a moment, and they got enlightened. They have transformed themselves in so many ways. But he is always sitting next to you, and why is he like this?” Gautama just said, “A spoon cannot taste the soup.” What you refer to, as the “Guru,” is just a certain energy, certain possibility. It’s not the person.”
“So, the physical presence, is it important? It is very important. But the physical need not mean the physical body. The grace is not a “airy” thing. We can make it very physical. It’s as physical as the breeze that you feel. It’s as physical as the sunlight. Initially, when a person is just beginning to become receptive, being in the physical presence of the guru becomes very essential, because your way of perception is only seeing and hearing – five senses. This is the way you know he is there.”
“Yes, it is a necessity in the beginning, but you need not remain there all the time. You don’t go and hug the sun, do you? You don’t even look up at him, still you enjoy the sunlight, it’s nourishing your life – just that way. Right now, a certain person has become a representative of that energy and that space. The nature of the guru is not limited to time and space. You could be a thousand miles away, and you may receive more grace than the person who is right now sitting next to that person. The guru is on, all the time – speech or no speech. But you pay attention to him, only when this willy man is speaking. If you learn to pay attention to him all the time, you will see, he is very physically with you. Very physically, as physical as sunlight, as physical as the breeze that you feel. I think that much physicality is enough. More than that, it could be a trap.”
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