Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you try to go near a Guru, many things come around on the way – that is called Guru Mandala.
At first you get many distractions. And when you pass those, then many charming things will come. Siddhis will come, cravings and aversions will come. And you pass all that and then reach the center of the Mandala.
Mandala means circle.
So, you come here to meet the Guru and do sadhana, and suddenly you find a beautiful girl or a boy and then you start running after them. Or you come for the purpose of knowledge and So these distractions indicate your one-pointedness; your power to really go to the center. How you can pass the circle of negativity, doubts, charms, attractions, and all these distractions and go to the center.
And then the ego, ’I am better than the Guru. Oh, what Gurudev is saying, I also know that. I can do even better.’
This sort of Yoga Maya will come. They are all there and all that is called Guru Mandala.