With every disciple I learn so many things.
***
Man: How do you choose your disciples?
Shailendra: If somebody comes to me with sincere questions and honestly wants to learn — I accept him.
***
Shailendra: In India it is believed that if a disciple progresses more than his guru – it is the best reward for a guru. Because disciple’s progress depends on his training. Or if a son becomes better than his father, then father will be the happiest one.
Man: Yes, but if it’s a real father and a real guru.
Shailendra: Of course. I don’t claim that I’m the only real guru, I’m here just to help, that’s it. And representing my lineage I just discuss certain techniques with my disciples and say: “Ok, practice now”.
***
I like to say I don’t want followers — I want people who will journey with me.
***
I am not prophesying anything, I am not a prophet. I am only responsible for people I initiated. And we don’t create any new religion; we simply follow a certain discipline.
When you become a part of any organization, subconsciously you accept that you will never go beyond the level of the founder. You will always be his follower. Or whenever you enter a certain religion, you accept it. But our point of view is that your disciple should surpass you in anything. If your sons surpass you, this is the best achievement God can provide you with. I hope, every disciple will do it. That will be the fulfilment of being a guru.
I have said it many times before and I will say it again: “I don’t want followers, I want people who can challenge me in everything”. Followers create mental barriers. And that is be against what I try to teach.
It is from my heart — the desire that every disciple surpasses my standard, whatever I have achieved — they should go beyond that and achieve more and more and more. The path is endless, and I will say: carry on. I like to believe — but I do not like a blind faith.
***
You may have noticed that I never ask any of my disciples to do anything for me. But there is a culture to serve the guru in every ashram. Because if I ask them to serve me, I will begin to differentiate: who serves me more, butters me up more — I will like that person. But that is not proper and honest. When there is nobody to make tea, my disciples do it. It’s okay. But no hard work.
I would rather have friends. Disciple and guru is one thing, but only friends share secrets. So you are all my friends.
***
Maybe you have noticed that I never say anything first. I keep waiting for the questions. And the more you become aware of certain thing, the more different your questions are. But without a question there is no answer. That’s why I never preach, but I teach.
***
You ask one kind of questions, and an ordinary Indian – something absolutely different. It is up to me how to answer. You can’t give proper answer to everybody. No, technically the answer will be the same, but you have to reach out and see the mental level of a person. And the answer will be given according to the mental level of a person. You should tell him something he can easily understand and then you continue to push his mental level so that he begins to understand the deeper meanings of the answer. Nobody becomes wise all of a sudden.
***
This is the basic practice in India to seek for a guru or a baba so he will remove all your worldly problems. Very few people are really interested in the spiritual advance and mental progress.
Many good seekers are my students, yes. That’s why I am in a good mood most of the time. Maybe many gurus are afraid to smile because a person facing them will say: “He is in a good mood now — it is the right time to tell him all my problems!” (Laughing)
***
To carry the parampara and to be a guru — it’s a very big responsibility. But anyway it is a good feeling. And I am happy that many good seekers come to me.