10 – The Youthful Guru
Wherever he went Mukunda was always surrounded by friends. Sometimes his father would give him and a companion passes on the train to some distant city; Mukunda would hardly have descended from the train before he would be surrounded by a group of boys. As bees are attracted to a flower, so strangers were drawn to the young Bengali, they knew not why.
Mukunda was a savior of souls, even as a child.
One morning, in school, he heard God speaking to him. In obedience to the divine command, Mukunda wrote a note to the boy sitting next to him in the classroom; it read: “I am your guru.”[1]
The classmate read the note and then shook his head in disbelief.
That night the classmate had a vision. The Lord showed him the truth of that which he had doubted in the morning at school. His heart was thrilled to know that he had indeed found his guru. On the next day he sought Mukunda eagerly.
But little Mukunda hid from him playfully. In his omniscient soul he knew all that had happened. His friend hunted for his youthful guru, but to no avail. It was hours before he found Mukunda.
Similar is the soul’s romance with God. He often comes to us; alas for our own welfare! we ignore Him. When the dawn of understanding rises on our darkened souls, we run after Him with our heart’s devotion. But God becomes playful then; he hides from us who had earlier rejected Him
Ah, but if we are persistent, will the Lord conceal Himself for very long? The saints tell us that He cannot resist the cries of a singlehearted devotee.
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[1] A guru is one ordained by God to guide other devotees back to conscious oneness with Him.
