Andrew Cohen in India, a young disciple of the late Swami Chidananda interviews Andrew

[Music] lot of lot of us like people who have been closely with him. Yeah. So we uh although he's our guru and theoretically we understand you know what is we are beyond body and beyond mind but still there is we still feel because it is like you know morning till 5:00 from 5:00 morning till 2:00 you are only serving him you know when you serve you said you sort of emotionally attached to him to him also. So how do you how do you uh you know how do you advise person like me you know like now he's not there I understand theoretically but when I'm practicing is sometimes you know understand theoretically what that you know we shouldn't be missing him and how you should be really utilizing your guru's teachings in your in your personal growth spiritually I mean I think the guru is is many things but on one hand the guru is god Yes. The guru is consciousness. The guru is also it has to be said is also the human form. Yes. So for example in Swami Chidanand's case you know the God was manifesting through his unique personality and therefore the the expression of what God's nature is was manifesting through his unique personality in in a very particular way. And so um he had a he part of the reason that he had an ability to touch and inspire people had to do with his extraordinary humility. And so I think to be attached to that even to be emotionally attached to it or to be personally attached to it I don't think is an obstacle. I don't see it as an obstacle. It's the most beautiful thing that happened to me. I mean it's like I mean the best way I can express is like love you know your first love or love at first sight. So I I mean I but you know it's it's a but this is a better love than romantic love cuz this this is the kind of love that doesn't I didn't know how to put it. So yeah this is better. Yeah this is much way way better than that. So sometimes you know we we are uh although you like I said theoretically we understand but practically it doesn't happen maybe awareness is not practically what though the the feeling of feeling of the guru because I I I know that I shouldn't be missing him because I know he's there with me all the time. He's the consciousness so he's there with me all the time but emotionally maybe I'm missing him. So how does how does how does a sadak you know as a as a spiritual personal I think it's okay. I think it's okay to miss his physical presence but I think the question is you I think you have to determine what's your obligation to him. Okay. So in the way I understand the role of the guru that the guru asks everything from the disciple and until the guru disciple gives everything the guru is not satisfied and so once the guru once the disciple gives everything then the disciple has become has given everything to god and so and but that becomes the source of empowerment for the disciple so the so the degree to which you as a result of loving him have given everything to god then that becomes the source of your own empowerment and your own ability to be able to in your own way bring to the world and give to the world some measure of what he was doing. And I think your capacity to to give that to other people will be the degree to which you feel uh liberated. Mhm. And emancipated yourself because that because you you being able to transmit to other people what he gave to you will be your own liberation. That's your own emancipation and that's also your own connection with him. [Music] [Music]