The translation of “तीन गुरु” into English is “Three Gurus.”
Many years ago, in a certain town, there lived a highly influential sage. Many disciples came to him to seek knowledge. One day, a disciple asked the sage, “Swamiji, who are your gurus? From whom did you receive your teachings?” Upon hearing the disciple’s question, the sage smiled and replied, “I have thousands of gurus! If I were to start counting their names, it might take months. However, I will definitely tell you about my three gurus.”
One of them was a thief.
Once, I lost my way and arrived late in a village where all the shops and houses were closed. However, eventually, I encountered a man who was attempting to repair a wall. I asked him where I could stay for the night, to which he replied that it would be very difficult for me to find shelter at this hour, but if I wished, I could stay with him. He confessed that he was a thief and if staying with a thief didn’t bother me, I could stay with him.
He was such a kind man that I stayed with him for a month! Every night, he would tell me to rest and pray while he went about his work. When he returned from work, I would ask him if he had found anything. He would reply, “Today, I found nothing, but if it’s God’s will, I will find something soon.” He was never disheartened or sad; he always remained cheerful.
As I reflected over the years, there were moments when nothing seemed to be working, and I would feel completely hopeless and ready to give up on my pursuits. Then suddenly, I would remember that thief who always said that if it’s God’s will, something will come my way soon.
And my second guru was a dog.
On a very hot day, I was extremely thirsty and searching for water when a dog came running. It was also thirsty. Nearby, there was a river. As the dog approached the river to drink, it saw another dog’s reflection in the water, which it mistook for another dog. Frightened, it barked and moved away, but due to its extreme thirst, it returned to the water. Eventually, despite its fear, it jumped into the river, and as it leaped, its reflection vanished. Witnessing this bravery taught me a great lesson: one must take a leap despite fear. Success comes to those who confront their fears courageously.
And my third guru was a little child.
I was passing through a village when I saw a small child carrying a lit candle. He was going to place the candle in a nearby temple. In jest, I asked him if he had lit the candle himself. He replied, “Yes, I did.” So, I asked him if he could show me the source from where the light came once it was extinguished. He chuckled and, blowing out the candle, said, “Now you have seen where the light goes. Can you tell me where it went?”
My arrogance shattered, and I realized my own folly. Since then, I have cleansed my knowledge of arrogance.
Friends,
What does it mean to be a disciple?
Being a disciple means being open to the entire existence. Being ready to learn from all directions at all times. Every moment of life provides us with an opportunity to learn something. We should always be like a disciple in life, continuously learning from good things. Life introduces us to some guru in one form or another every day; it depends on us whether we are like a disciple to that sage, able to accept the teachings coming from that guru or not!