Man: What is an ideal relationship between a guru and a disciple?

S: There is a shloka in Sanskrit about a disciple and a guru. A disciple is like a son and a guru should treat him as a son. A guru is also like a son, because he also is a human being and he also needs help from time to time. A disciple should treat a guru like a son, a father, a friend and a guru. And a disciple for a guru is like a son and a friend.

Man: So when a disciple has some difficulties in his practice, he asks his guru for help?

S: Yes.

Man: And if difficulties are out of practice, should he go to his guru as well?

S: He can discuss it with his guru as a friend and together they will find a solution.

Man: What is better for a disciple: to make his own decision after listening to a guru, or to ask his guru to make a decision?

S: No, a disciple should discuss his problem with a guru and then decide on his own.

Man: So does it mean that sometimes a disciple can make a decision that differs from his guru’s advice?

S: It is possible. But then why does he ask his guru for an advice?

Man: So you think that if a guru gives an advice to his disciple, it is always a wise advice?

S: It is always for the better of a disciple, even if at that time a disciple even doesn’t understand that.

Man: Are you sure that a guru can’t make a mistake?

S: It’s not a question of making a mistake. It’s like if a child comes to a father and tells him that he was wrong. A father is always more experienced then a child. So what a child will consider as his father’s mistake will be a right thing in the future.

Man: A guru lives on the income of a disciple.

S: Yes, if a guru gives all his knowledge for free to a disciple, a disciple should decide himself how to take care of his guru.

Man: How often should a disciple give diksha to his guru and how much?

S: It’s a disciple’s decision. My guru told me: “Never ask anything from anyone”.

Man: How often do your disciples offer you all your properties?

S: Some of them have offered me their properties, but I denied it. Not many, a few, maybe 6-7 persons. It usually happens at the beginning, when a disciple becomes very emotional in his spiritual fever and he is ready to offer everything. It’s better to deny it. Maybe he will start to regret it afterwards. And if somebody says you that if you don’t accept it, he will commit a suicide, you should say: “Ok, give me a half and give to your family half of this half”. So I will accept no more than 25% of the property.

Man: Is it a real case?

S: Sometimes, yes.

Man: How often a guru can be unhappy because of his disciples?

S: If a disciple doesn’t keep his promises or if he doesn’t practice sincerely, a guru will be unhappy, of course.

Man: If your disciples don’t keep promises, how do you react?

S: My reactions are very different. I can refuse to see this person permanently.

Man: You sit here, you never leave smashan. Are you aware of the life that is outside the smashan?

S: Yes, because people keep coming to the smashan and I used to live outside the smashan for almost 35 years.

Man: If you compare your disciples with the average people, what is the difference?

S: There is no comparison. The imagination, vision and point of view of most of my disciples are very developed. They understand life much deeper and they are better looking.

Man: Can it happen sometimes that some of your disciples are not happy about you?

S: It depends on their expectations. If they expect a miracle every second, they will be disappointed. If they think that my grace is enough for them and they should not practice, they will be disappointed. And I may not be happy with them also. Again, why he/she is unhappy? What did they want from me? I’ve seen different categories, coming and disappearing from time to time. Some people come out of curiosity. Besides, some ladies wanted to marry me and I refused, so they were unhappy. But this is a special case and I take it as a great compliment.

Man: But could you explain me once again, what is an ideal disciple?

S: Very open-minded, ambitious, and motivated in practicing yoga.

Man: And what about his or her normal life?

S: Just a normal life. But if she or he continues in progressing in consciousness level, maybe people surrounding her/him will not understand what is happening. Maybe it will be a little difficult in the beginning to communicate with normal people. Some old friends will disappear, but new friends will come.

Man: Many of your disciples, as far as I know, think that to succeed in yoga they need to decrease as much as possible their activity in normal life.

S: I keep telling them that Babaji gave this knowledge to normal family men. He has never said that they should begin to live in jungles. And I also never suggest it. But they are so influenced by different yoga instructors and so called “sanyasys”. But they are making a mistake. Yoga is for ambitious people who want to develop themselves, to realize the potential inside them and to discover their mortal substance. It is not for religious fanatics.

Man: Guruji, most of your disciples realize that to practice out of this place is much more difficult than to practice here.

S: Yes, but I used to practice outside the smashan for about 20 years. They should think about my experience and about all of the problems I went through.

Man: So their task and destiny is to practice and…

S: …they should practice in their family surroundings and visit me from time to time to discuss their practice. This practice needs refinement from time to time. It is a highly refined thing. The more you will practice, the more refined your practice will be. Ordinary people usually don’t understand it. Yoga is much deeper than just physical exercises. You need a lot of time to understand your breath.