The Guru is helping you even when you are hostile to him

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

All the people in the world can be put under four categories:

The Guru’s disciples, bhakts, those who are indifferent to Him, and those who are hostile to Him.

All these will be benefited by the existence of the Jnani

Each in his own way and to various degrees.

~ Sri Raman Maharshi

Question: Acharya Ji, how is one who is indifferent to the Guru benefiting from the Guru’s existence? How does a Guru’s presence help everyone?

Acharya Prashant (AP): If you are indifferent to the Guru — and the ‘Guru’ here obviously stands not for a person, but for the Truth itself, Truth having taken a form, formed Truth, Truth having taken a person, embodied Truth — so if you are indifferent to the Guru, surely it is for a reason. You are not the one who has transcended all reasons. You belong to the second-lowest category of people. You are not the transcendental one. Or are you?

There are the disciples, then there are the devotees, then there are the indifferent ones, and then there are the hostile ones. You are the indifferent one. If you are indifferent, surely there is a reason. What is the reason?

Questioner (Q): That I don’t like the Guru.

AP: No, if you had really felt anything like this for the Guru, then you would be in the fourth category. If you were the one who would have really felt the need to avoid the Guru, then you would have been in the fourth category.

Avoidance is passive hatred.

You can’t actively hate, so all you do is avoid.

Indifference is different. Indifference means — the Guru does not even exist on your radar. You just pass him by, you don’t even notice him.

Now, why don’t you notice him? What is the reason?

The Buddha is passing through a market, saying a few things, and then there are those who are…