In search of a perfect disciple

Not long ago there lived a great spiritual Master. He wanted to know the actual number of his disciples, so he announced that all those who considered themselves his disciples should send him their names within a month's time. Everybody fulfilled the Master's demand. His secretaries carefully counted the number: it was ten thousand and one.

The secretaries were extremely pleased that their Master had ten thousand and one disciples. But the Master said, "It will take me another month to know if among these ten thousand and one disciples I have a single one whom I can call my perfect, my unconditionally perfect disciple."

The Master concentrated deeply on each disciple in turn, and found, to his disappointment, that each one was marred by imperfections. All ten thousand and one of his disciples failed to reach his expectations.

The poor Master said, "All right, these are all my disciples. It is true that they have disappointed me, but there are many, many seekers all over the world. I shall go to different parts of the world and look for just one perfect disciple, such as I have not seen so far."

He went to many countries. His search took him to India, Japan, China, England, Germany, Russia, Africa — to all parts of the world. In India he spent at least seven months, thinking that there, in the land of spirituality, he would surely find at least one perfect disciple. But it was not so. Although the Master visited spiritual centres and ashrams, and attended many religious functions, not even one seeker totally satisfied him. He was badly disappointed.

The Master's journey took over a year. All that time he searched in vain for one perfect disciple. He spent much time and much money for his travels, but to his sorrow and surprise, he did not find even one unconditionally surrendered and constantly perfect disciple.

Saddened and disappointed, the Master returned home, blaming himself for his folly in setting out on such a fruitless search. It had all been a waste, and he had not found anyone to satisfy him.

He decided to enter into deep meditation, and he did. While he was in a profound state of meditation, he saw in front of himself his own figure, his own face, his own physical shape in its subtle form. He looked steadily at his subtle form, and slowly he came to realise that he alone could be his perfect disciple. The qualities he demanded from others in order for them to be his perfect disciples could be embodied only in himself.

When the Master realised that he himself was his only perfect disciple, he recognised that he would have to be two persons at one and the same time. He would have to be both the Master and the disciple. In familiar Indian terms, the Master is called “Guru,” and the disciple is called “chela”. So whenever he needed something done, he would address himself as Chela Ram. If he wanted to drink a glass of water, he would say to himself, "Chela Ram, give me a glass of water." Then he would fetch it and drink it. He obeyed himself unconditionally. When he wanted to take the role of the Master, he would sit on his chair and address himself as Guru Ram. While playing the role of the Master, he would say, "Guru Ram", and he would gain the confidence and assurance of the Master. At that time he felt that he was truly the lord of his other life — that is to say, his life as the disciple.

At every moment the Master separated himself into two. One life was the life of the disciple, and the other life was the life of the Master. When he wanted to stay in his highest consciousness, he would think of himself as Guru Ram; and when he wanted to be pleased by his devoted qualities, he would think of himself as Chela Ram. At each moment he saw himself as two beings: one being that was connected with the aspiring consciousness of the earth, and one being that was supremely illumined in Heaven. When he identified himself with his earth-consciousness, he became the perfect disciple; and when he identified himself with his Heaven-Consciousness, he became the perfect Master. In this way he got the utmost satisfaction from his life. He felt that at long last he had discovered the perfect disciple in himself. He had not to go anywhere in search of a perfect disciple; he was his own disciple and his own Guru.

One day in meditation he went very, very deep within, and as he entered into his highest trance, he saw God standing before him. Smiling, God asked, "Are you sure that now you have at long last discovered your perfect disciple?"

The Master replied, "Yes, my Lord. At long last I have discovered my perfect disciple, and it is I myself."

God said, "My child, you are mistaken."

The Master said, "Why, my Lord? How?"

God answered, "In order to be a real disciple one has to have unconditional and constant surrender. Now, we see a slave listening to his master unconditionally and constantly. If he listens unconditionally out of fear, or even out of respect, it does not mean that he has become a perfect disciple. The unillumined part of yourself is listening to the illumined part unconditionally and constantly. But if either cheerfulness or the feeling of inseparable oneness is missing, then perfection never dawns. Perfection comes only in absolute, unreserved, inseparable oneness. The slave has not established inseparable oneness with his master. He listens blindly. A real seeker and perfect disciple is he who can offer himself to somebody with absolute oneness, inseparable oneness — without feeling superior or inferior, without feeling any kind of separateness. In true self-offering there must be oneness, absolute oneness based on joy and delight.

"Only I, God, can cherish absolute, constant, unconditional surrender to your human, earthly desires, and to your heavenly Will. It is I who can be and I who am your only perfect disciple. Only I can be a perfect disciple to you, because it is I who, with infinite joy, have established My total, inseparable oneness with you. And this oneness is founded on My unconditional Love, unconditional Devotion, and unconditional Surrender to you, who are My very own."

So each human aspirant must know that the perfect, real disciple can only be God, and no human being — not even the Master. Only God, the Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent, can be a truly perfect disciple to a spiritual Master. The Master has to find his real, perfect disciple in God, and not in any human being. And we must see that within each seeker is the real Guru, the Supreme. The Supreme alone is at once the perfect disciple and the perfect Guru. Similarly, the disciple also must find that the real Guru is the Supreme in the Master.