The Master’s Friendship
One of our greatest gifts is that of friendship. Human beings are company-loving by nature, and we often hear the Master talking about our need for companionship.
What is a friend? A friend is someone we like, who accepts us as we are, and with whom we develop a special bond of affection and understanding. Friends lift our spirits and enrich our lives. Maharaj Charan Singh always reminded us that we should surround ourselves with positive people who lift us up. These are the special people we call friends.
Through observation, we realize that our real friend is the one who supports us during the difficult times, and who is worth so much more than a thousand fair-weather friends – those who disappear when the bad times arrive.
As we know, in mystic philosophy the Master is regarded as the true friend, for as Julian Johnson writes in The Path of the Masters:
He not only shows us the way out, but he offers to help us where we could not possibly make our way alone.… The greatest friend we could possibly have is one who not only tells us how to escape from our difficulties, but who offers us the needed help. This is the real Master.
There is a well-known quote by French philosopher and author Albert Camus, who wrote: “Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me. Just be my friend.”
We may have heard the Masters use this quote when talking to their disciples, but what would be the implication of being the Master’s friend? Could we even imagine the consequences of such an association, and how would we approach this friendship?
Supposing the Masters were to invite us to be their friend, they would not be inviting us to the movies or asking us to chill with them. To think this would be unimaginable ignorance on our part, as is echoed by Shams-e Tabrizi when he asks:
How strange! What do you think God’s friendship is, this God who has created the earth, the skies, and this universe? Do you think His friendship can be had so easily, that you can enter… sit by Him and converse with Him? Do you think it is like the porridge maker’s shop, where you can simply come in and begin to eat?
It is beyond your wildest imagination.
Shams-e Tabrizi: Rumi’s Perfect Teacher
So what do the Masters imply when they suggest we be their friend? Perhaps it is their way of saying they want us to be natural and at ease in their company, just as we would be in the company of a good friend. We are so in awe of the Masters that we may find it impossible to be relaxed in their presence. However, in a more informal situation, such as in the question-and-answer sessions, we may find it easier to interact with the Master.
During these sessions, we witness the lovely interaction between the Master and his disciples, where he patiently and eloquently explains aspects of the spiritual path, as we reach a deeper insight into the teachings. It is during these informal sessions with the Master that we develop a feeling of friendship toward him, as he becomes a reality to us and not simply a framed picture on our wall.
In the introduction of Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. I, the writer expands on the thinking behind the question-and-answer sessions that Maharaj Ji started in the 1950s. She goes on to capture beautifully the effect of these meetings on the sangat. She writes:
Maharaj Ji used the evening meetings as a way of creating an intimate bond, a relationship of love and support, and a deep sense of friendship with his sangat from abroad. Everyone had the sense of being taken care of, on every level of their being. The words of the Master became a cocoon of safety and a prism of beauty and light through which we could look at our lives, and our world, with fresh eyes. In his gentle, humble, yet regal manner, Hazur Maharaj Ji imbued every moment in his presence with a magnetic energy that immersed us in his love.
Just as Maharaj Ji so patiently answered our many, and often repetitive questions, so too, does the present Master patiently engage with his sangat. Possibly, one of his most compelling and sincere responsibilities is his loving relationship with his disciples. For as the Sufi master Sheikh Sa’di said of his disciples:
Who else but I can try to talk of loving you?
Since others have no basis, their words
do not ring true.
The Spiritual Guide, Vol. II
In his role as our spiritual mentor, the Master guides us inward towards the realization that the disciple and God are one, and that separation is a misconception. He gently makes us aware of our spiritual ignorance, explaining who we really are, why we are here and the real meaning of the gift of human birth.
He illuminates the illusion of the creation for us, making us aware of the necessity to turn our attention away from the world by focusing on the inner path through the technique of meditation. He watches over us as we negotiate our karmic path, aware of our mental struggle as we attempt to free ourselves from the gripping burden of karma, in our fight for our soul’s freedom and its return to its true home.
Sheikh Farid described the role of the spiritual guide saying: “The pir works to bring out the true beauty of his disciple. He perfects every facet of the disciple’s potential.”
We have little knowledge or understanding of the pivotal role the Master plays in our lives and in our spiritual transformation. He is the spark that ignites the light within us. The Master grants us initiation because we have the inborn capacity to achieve the spiritual goal, and through his guidance, he perfects our spiritual potential. Through our meditation practice, we realize the eternal gift he has given us.
The Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan beautifully describes initiation as an oath of allegiance, sworn at the time of initiation, that belongs to eternity:
I heard from my murshid, from my initiator, something which I shall never forget: “This friendship, this relationship which is brought about by initiation between two persons, is something which cannot be broken; it is something which cannot be separated; it is something which cannot be compared with anything else in the world; it belongs to eternity.”
Sheikh Farid: The Great Sufi Mystic
In the same book, we are told that, informally, Sufis refer to initiation as ‘grasping the hand of the sheikh’. This image gives a hint of the loving relationship that is cemented at the time of initiation: “The Master offers his hand to help and support the disciple; the disciple grasps his hand to accept his loving protection.”
We too have a beautiful and eternal friendship: an oath of allegiance, sworn between the Master and ourselves at the time of our own initiation. An oath that even death, which severs all other relationships, has no power to break. Perhaps, from time to time, we may need to reassess our role as disciples, for grasping his hand means we must honour our agreement to do the spiritual work we have undertaken to do. When we grasp his hand, he lights the way forward, and we must follow diligently and conscientiously.
As a result of his friendship, guidance and love, we will one day merge our soul back into the infinite soul of the Lord and experience the bliss of perfect love. Ultimately, it is his love for us that will lead our soul out of the creation to return home, ending aeons of the false belief that we were ever separated from the Lord.
In The Path of the Masters, Julian Johnson writes: “In the march of the ages, cycle after cycle, in every planet where human beings reside, the great Masters are the light bearers of that world. Until the end of the ages, they will remain the friends and saviors of those who struggle toward the light.”
Who can comprehend such a friendship?