Gurus Inculcate ‘Discipline’ in Disciples | Sudhanshu Ji Maharaj
Gurus Inculcate ‘Discipline’ in Disciples
उद्यानं ते पुरुष नावयानं जीवातुं ते दक्षतातिं कृणोमि ।
–अथर्ववेद
O man, you are an empowered soul! You must climb to the top, make efforts for that and never stop on the way because I have given you skills, strength, intellect, and wisdom.
The life that you are enjoying is a wonderful gift from God and the Vedas describe how you should live it.
According to the scriptures, a person should always work towards uplifting himself and this should be the way of life. You should make progress every day using the skills and capabilities bestowed upon you by God. And for that you need to live a disciplined life.
But what does it mean to be disciplined?
The Meaning of Discipline
Each one of us has a bundle of untapped energy within and ‘being disciplined’ means you are able to guide this massive energy in the right direction. Your energy should not be wasted in fulfilling worldly desires only. Neither should it be transformed into anger, jealousy, hatred, envy, and other negative attributes.
Not in any case, should you deviate from your goal-these are merely a small part of ‘being disciplined’. There are various dimensions to it.
And that’s why when you seek a Guru and find Him, He first and foremost introduces to you a life of discipline.
Why a Guru wants you to be disciplined?
A Guru endeavours to make the life of his disciples full of positive principles. And therefore guides a disciple to practice a certain degree of self-control. This is important because nature follows fixed principles and rules. The sun, the moon, rain, air, and water, all work according to definite laws and movements of the earth.
Being a part of nature, your life should also have some rules and principles too. When you start living according to these principles, naturally your life will be transformed. It will become a worthwhile journey.
Further, apart from inculcating control & restraint, your Guru also gives you a secret key to eternal happiness. It shows the path of endless joy and peace. Not only does he show you, but also makes you tread that path under His guidance.
He shows how you may end all your sufferings through noble work and meditation. But for that, you will have to completely surrender before Him and trust Him leaving behind all your ego and prejudices just like Naren. He followed each word of his Guru, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, inculcated discipline in his life and became Swami Vivekanand.
Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s Focus on Discipline
After making Naren His disciple, Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa provided him with various teachings, including the importance of leading a life of self-control.
The spiritual bond between Vivekananda and Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was established at the very first meeting at Dakshineswar temple. He touched Naren deeply to his inner core and from that moment, developed a strong connection to him. He encouraged Naren to be free in his own thinking yet infused a strict discipline in him.
The teachings and faith in the Guru acted as a ‘tool of self-control’ for young Naren. These teachings became his solid shield against the deviations of the world.
With slow and steady steps Naren, the disciple was led from disbelief to belief, and from the turbulence of mind to the inner bliss. This, however, was not an easy realisation. Guru Ramakrishna was a perfect teacher. He kept a strict eye on His disciples’ practice of insight, self-control, detachment, and meditation.
Transformation of Naren into Swami Vivekananda
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa not only helped Naren on his spiritual journey but also guided him in his day-to-day life. He did not insist that he should follow strict rules about food habits, but gave him freedom to choose his lifestyle as well as beliefs.
The Guru gave him the freedom to decide his spiritual path. He also inculcating in him the power to decide what path to tread that will benefit his soul and which path to avoid by bringing discipline in life.
Needless to say, Naren’s life transformed, and became magical because of the presence of a Guru in his life. His way of seeing ordinary things changed completely. He gained a lot of mastery over knowledge and beliefs he never even knew and became the revered Swami Vivekananda.
Today, we are celebrating the 186th birth anniversary of Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Reflect upon his grace, kindness, and also his compassion to inculcate discipline in his most favourite disciple. And also think how self-control can bring magical changes to ordinary lives.
So, whatever you are doing in life, whatever you want to achieve, give importance to your Guru’s teachings and His commitment to turn you into a disciplined human being. Eventually, these teachings will make you reach great heights in this life, and beyond.