Letter # 98: "Follower"

There is a saying that the teacher will appear when the student is ready.
As I have already said something about the Teacher in Letter # 97: "Guru" , I will now make a few comments on the student.
When someone sees or hears something that puts the seed of an idea into the mind, that seed may or may not grow into a plant. Jesus’ parable of the farmer explains the process: “Then he (Jesus) told them many things in parables, saying: 'A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.' He who has ears, let him hear.” [Matthew 13:3-9]
The seed falling on the path where birds eat it up means that the message has reached the ears (the path) but materialism (birds) snatches it away.
The seed falling on rocky places with little soil means that the listener paid a little bit of attention and the message didn't take deep roots, and in the hot sun (opposition) the message died rapidly. The seed falling into thorns means that the message is choked out by the listener's worries about life and wealth.
The seed falling on good soil and producing a crop means that the listener hears the message, understands it, and spreads it abundantly.
The earnest and capable “spiritual student” matures into a disciple (from Latin discipulus "pupil," from discipere "to grasp intellectually, analyze thoroughly"), and perhaps even an apostle (from Greek. apostolos "messenger, person sent forth").
Earnestness is all that’s necessary. Maharaj Nisargadatta emphasises this over and over again in his book “I Am That”. He gives his own example that all he did was to earnestly folow his Guru’s instructions.
The Holy Koran also tells us to simply follow: “Follow that which is sent down unto you from your Lord” [7.3].
Meanwhile, the seeds of the spiritual message will fall on both types of ears - those that want to and those that don't want to hear it. Guru Nanak sings of the Teacher's frustration: “Kaha bujharat(I bujhia dora; is(i) kahiai tau samjha bhora”, which means “How can a deaf man understand riddles; Tell him of the night and he’ll think you’re speaking of the dawn” [SS Asht 4 P49].

God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.

I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: "The Holy Bible" Online version; "The Koran" as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); "The Bhagavad Gita As it Is" as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; "I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.