September 15, 2026
There is no such word as disciple. The word is discipline! I want to go to a guru, guru meaning the one, the light, who removes the darkness of ignorance. If I go with the attitude of a pupil, I am closed, contracted against anything he can do for me. If I go to him as a disciple, one who wants to learn, an embodiment of discipline, then first I must realize that I am ignorant; second that this ignorance is dreadful, that it is the cause of all my sorrow and unhappiness; and third, that this light will help to dispel the darkness of ignorance.
Only when these truths are accepted can I learn. Otherwise I cannot learn. I must go to the master only when I have these disciplines. He need do nothing more than light the candles and they will radiate their light, by which I can see the truth. It is only in this light that I shall be able to see. But unless I am awake, alert, unless my eyes are open, the light will do nothing for me.
This is what is meant by discipleship. Living near a great master does not automatically confer merit on me. It is my openness, my discipleship, my eagerness to learn, that matters. Once this realization is there the whole path is clear.