Jabala – Me, My Guru

Jabala – Me, My Guru

“Guruji, how come we don’t find great Gurus in today’s world. It is often quoted “When the disciple is ready, Guru comes in his life”. Then, inspite of searching for one since years we don’t and can’t find our Guru. Why? Where is our Guru?

I always found others’ questions welcoming mostly because I got to hear something interesting by way of her answers. But not this time! It was most asked question and I had listened to her answers nearing 50 of them. I knew her answers would be one of them. I never liked to hear the same thing twice. It sounded boring. I put aside my pen and paper deciding not to take down anything today. I mean, what was the fun of writing the same thing again and again. It was later that I regretted my decision – like many times before where I had shut my ears assuming answers or her explanation to be boring. Just few days down the line I would face the situation for which she would have given solution or explanation and I would’ve missed hearing it. It had happened so many times – yet we both didn’t seem to have learnt anything from it.

“A boy of 7-8 years named Satyakama wanted to learn and wished to approach a Guru seeking knowledge. Rishi Gautama was considered the best Guru during that time. Sage Gautama had princes and boys from illustrious Brahmin and Kshatriya family as his students. It was him that our Satyakama approached. As was the custom, Sage asked his lineage and other family details. Unable to answer his queries, Satyakama went to his mother and sought her reply. She said “I don’t know who your father is. In my youth I served many masters and hence can’t tell your Guru that since my name is Jabala, you will hence be called Jabala Satyakama.” The boy in all his innocence went to his Guru and without manipulating or hiding any fact told his Guru his lineage in his mother’s exact words while other students mocked him, Sage Gautama was touched and said “Being able to speak the Truth fearlessly is the pre-requisite of a student who aspires to know the knowledge of Brahman (This Brahman is not the Brahmin caste. It is the knowledge about the all-pervading, eternal unmanifest Energy which we refer to as God!)”

Thus saying he accepted Satyakama as his disciple”.

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