Question: In what way does love for one's Guru differ from devotion to him? Is it possible to have one without the other?
Sri Chinmoy: To have love for one’s Guru is to take the first step into the spiritual domain. The second step is devotion. One cannot take the second step unless one has taken the first step. Moreover, true love and pure devotion cannot be separated. They breathe together. Love sees the Truth. Devotion feels the Truth. Surrender becomes the Truth.
Sri Chinmoy, Earth’s Cry Meets Heaven’s Smile, part 1, Aum Press, Puerto Rico, 1974