When a person finds his Spiritual Master (Sadguru), he believes that all his problems are now coming to an end. He expresses all his personal problems to his Guru and waits for them to blow over. But strangely, it does not happen. Instead he notices that the doubts in him are on the rise. New problems begin to raise their head. Life will be in a total turmoil. The person who had the capacity to frighten a lion now finds himself reduced to a state wherein he is scared of even a cat. The conditions seem to deteriorate day after day. ‘Why is this happening? By getting a Sadguru my problems should have reduced. Instead, they are only increasing. Why?’ -he begins to panic.

This really happens when one follows Datta. These are all the various steps that one goes through before truly surrendering to Datta.

We begin to doubt whether we are being mesmerized by all these homas, japas and pujas. As such doubts strengthen in us, the various impressions, karmas, pains, diseases etc. of the numerous past births begin to gush out with great force. We get further submerged in confusions, doubts and pains. Around this time, Sadguru hints to us of the bad deeds of the earlier births due to which we are experiencing sufferings and also those good deeds of the past, due to which we are being rewarded with the association of a Sadguru, who can lead us towards the Truth.

This state itself is yoga. Just as a medicine administered brings out the disease, similarly due to intense churning doubts/confusions in the mind, the inner hidden diseases are thrown up. At this point, the Sadguru studies the perceptions and feelings of the devotee and then sends out vibrations that are needed to reform and correct it.

The churning of the ocean by the Gods and the demons is actually the churning that takes place in the mind.

In the process of churning of the mind, the good and the bad impressions of the past births are thrown out. Sadguru, as Shiva, drinks up the poison of bad impressions (vasanas) that come gushing out. All the good that comes after this, belongs to us only. The bliss that comes is also totally ours.

In this process of churning that takes place, we reach a state wherein we begin to doubt, ‘Is this Sadguru tattva (principle) real as He states? Is it true? Is it with form or without form? Is it with traits or without traits? How do I determine this?’

The negatives that come out during the process of churning is undoubtedly for the good. To such a devotee Datta gives darshan through his bhavana (feelings) holding a kamandala (pot). Kamandala means store of nectar. Without the devotee’s knowledge, He sprinkles some nectar and takes him one step forward.

A person, who in the initial days approaches God or Guru with an intention of becoming a devotee, would not have yet undergone any inner transformation. At this stage when he commits a mistake, he will deny. He will defend himself and justify his actions. This is a type of ego. Due to this ego, he actually justifies his wrong doings and in fact behaves as if it is his right to do so. Just as the roots of a large tree, go deeper and deeper into the ground and get so deeply rooted that they cannot be plucked out, the ego that is so deeply rooted in the person’s heart makes it impossible for him to accept his mistakes.

However, the Guru will question him the second time. By the second time, a little transformation would have taken place in his heart. He is now slightly willing to accept his mistake but not totally. He will say, “Yes, it was wrong on my part to do so. But what can I do now? Can I stop it in any way? I was a little over-ambitious, so I behaved thus. I do not see anything wrong with this.”

The slight transformation that he has undergone under Sadguru’s guidance makes him to partially accept his mistake. At this stage, he does not accept the blame instead he pushes it on his bad desires. A combination of bad desires and ego renders the mind poisonous. Just as Krishna danced on the head of the poisonous snake Kaliya, the Guru does so on the mind of the devotee. With this, the intellect is rendered more humble.

The third time the Guru questions him and asks him to explain clearly his role and his mistake. This time the devotee says, “Yes, what I did was wrong. My intellect was fully poisoned. My body, mind and intellect all are full of poison although externally I pretend otherwise. A grave mistake has been committed by me.” He accepts this humbly. By now the devotee is giving up his ego and accepting his mistake. But yet, he does not want to divulge all details. He accepts that his mind is impure, that’s all.

The Guru decides to bring his ego further down. So He continues to question him. With each question, the devotee comes one step further down and lets his ego take a beating. He will, through this process, reach a stage wherein he is truly remorseful of his actions and deeply regrets his wrong doings.

At this stage, the Guru asks him to explain in detail, with feelings of total surrender, all the events that took place without retaining any secrets. The devotee does so and asks the Guru, “Please punish me for my mistake and kindly uplift me.” When the devotee reaches this stage, the Guru puts him through the process of prasyachitta karmas (rites/actions prescribed as amendments for earlier wrong doings) and thus gradually reforms him. Reforming him thus gradually, the Guru step-by-step leads the devotee to liberation.

Let me give you yet another example of how reformation takes place.

All of us are familiar with the sandal paste. To prepare sandal paste, the sandalwood tree needs to be axed. It is important to note that, although the sandal tree has an inherent sweet smell, a long procedural refinement is necessary before its inherent fragrance is brought out.

The axe is one type of devotee. The sandal wood tree is another type of devotee. The Guru uses this axe to cut and chop the sandalwood tree. The axe knows only one art. It is to chop, cut or shred. It uses its sharp blade to cut down the tree.

Here the devotee, the sandalwood tree, needs such treatment before he/she can be refined.

What about the axe? The axe that goes on chopping and cutting one tree after another, will one day it turns blunt. At this time, it is sent to the blacksmith. He puts it in fire, heats it, beats and hammers it to restore its sharpness. This is the treatment it needed for its refinement.

Simultaneously two different types of devotees are being refined under Guru’s guidance. There are some devotees who are like the sandal tree and another set who are like the axe. The Sadguru gets the axe to cut down trees, but here it (the particular devotee) is only doing its duty. This is its seva. Its task is ultimately for the benefit of others. Due to being hit by the axe, the devotee called sandal tree gets reformed

Under all situations, Swamiji keeps the devotees in their path only and then very gradually shifts them and brings them onto His path.

Bhaktimala Dec 1986, Jan & Feb 1987, Oct 1988