Spiritual Stars of the Golden Age
Abhishiktananda - Guru and Disciple
Letting the Light in
Even when the westerner comes to sit at the feet of the East with every appearance of humility and sincerity, this is still too often done with a mistakenly passive attitude. This causes him to expect, if not demand, an immediate answer to his problems, and not only that, but an answer which must fit into the framework of his own categories.
It is indeed this quest, wrongly understood and wrongly undertaken, that in these days launches so many people, young and not so young, 'on the road to Kathmandu', in search of the sages and gurus of Rishikesh, Benares.and elsewhere. Alas, their quest seldom meets with success, and only too often ends in disappointment and frustration, with these unfortunate people then blaming India bitterly for not conforming with their preconceived ideas of it.
Most of the seekers, in fact, forget in the first place to empty the mind of all that is useless and irrelevant, and to open it up to its true depths - only there is it possible to hear the message of India. This message is diffused on every side in India, from its temples and holy places, and above all from truly spiritual people, of whom there is no lack, whatever people may say; but you have to know how to hear the message and how to recognize the true masters.
The truth is that there are right and wrong forms of passivity. One kind is entirely open and receptive, all set to hear, like a perfectly tuned radio, free from 'interference', which at once picks up the waves from the transmitter. But there is another kind of passivity which is unfortunately more common; this refuses to make any attempt at assimilation and is not in the least concerned to rid the mind of its prejudices and preoccupations - but, if you do not take the trouble at least to open the shutters, how can you expect even the midday sun to penetrate into your room?
Manas-tapas
But once again, as soon as India says thiss, the westerner at once begins to speculate
what this Self is, about the meaning of the Void the nothingness,
the fullness, to which the Scriptures constantly refer. But then the fullness
which is conceived is no longer fullness; nor does nothingness or the
void have anything to do with what abstract thought seeks to lay hold of.
From Guru and Disciple.
This page last updated 23 November 2007
© C. Parnell, 2007