13 December 2014 - QA 5

Gurudev, what can one do about the attachment to the Guru? That too brings a lot of hurt and pain.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

See, if you try to possess the Guru then that is not possible and will only bring you pain. A Guru belongs to everyone and not just to a handful few people. And where there is intense love, there is bound to be intense longing also, and it does bring a little pain with it. But this is a different kind of pain, there is a certain sweetness in this pain. This kind of attachment to the Divine, or to the Guru, or to the entire world, is one and the same.
We all want to see the world as a better place. One becomes a Guru only when one is able to provide knowledge and help bring a positive change in the lives of others. I say that, when one experiences a profound transformation in life, that is when they become aware of the Guru and turn to him with reverence. People often say the exact opposite of this: they say that first you must make someone as your Guru, and only then will you experience change in your life.

How can you express your gratitude to the Guru? By helping with bringing the same transformation that you have experienced in your own life in the lives of many others. If you sincerely desire that ten people should be benefitted and live better lives, then that sincere intention surely works and manifests.

So love and longing are two sides of the same coin. This does happen, and our inner creativity blossoms because of this as well. This longing for the divine can bring our attention to the right path and away from negative things such as drinking alcohol, criticizing others, etc. When the mind turns away from such negativity and soaks in the nectar of love and devotion, then longing also comes and this does bring a little pain with it too.