The Guru at the Dining Room Table
“Guru Maharaj Ji. There can be no biography of him. Facts are few, stories many. As he said, he was ‘nobody.’ He gave no discourses; the briefest, simplest stories were his teachings. Sometimes he sat in silence, but bliss and peace poured down on us. He said one can reach God while fulfilling his or her duties as a householder: as he, husband, father and village headman gave living demonstration. He encouraged service to others (seva) as the highest form of unconditional devotion to God.”
– Excerpted from “Be Love Now” and “The Miracle of Love”
Written and compiled by Baba Ram Dass
What is a “Gu-ru?”
Noun (goo-roo)
“One who pushes away the darkness”
1. Great teacher: giving personal religious instruction.
2. An intellectual or spiritual guide or leader.
3. Any person who counsels or advises; mentor.
4. A leader in a particular field: the city’s cultural gurus.
The Great Circle begins…
April 1962: Ray Sibley — the insurance guy — sat at the dining room table with my father, helping him work through the tax forms with a pad of paper and a pencil. You see, Ray came to our house, as he did every year, to guide my father through the overwhelming process of completing his tax return. Mom brought apple pie and coffee and sat in on the discussions. I thought that was the way things were — that your Insurance Agent did your taxes, too. What I didn’t understand at the time was the true nature of the man who sat at our table performing seva; his generosity of spirit, his willingness to go way above the call of duty.
It was a long night. When it was over, the calculations complete and the forms in the mailing envelopes, Ray rose, put his tie and jacket back on, shook hands with my evidently relieved father, and went on his way, pocketing our thanks and gratitude. Ray was our insurance agent, but what he provided to our family was his time, attention and, ultimately, assurance. After our annual evening with Ray, we knew that we were indeed “in good hands.” Ray was a guru — doing seva.
The Great Circle continues…
January 1977 — I left a small town home, looking for big city truths and major league rewards. What a shock to discover that in the big city, there were simply too few Ray Sibleys — insurance men who provided the insurance in the form of their reassuring presence at the table come tax time. Instead, what I discovered was that “insurance” is something one buys in the form of a “policy” and that when difficulties come, some insurance companies demonstrated another policy entirely, by attempting to avoid payment on the claim.
Sometimes the answer to the question, the guru you’ve been seeking, has been “sitting at your table” all along. He may be a ‘nobody’ – an unassuming guest in whose presence you feel an assuring peace. But you may have to travel far and wide — for decades — in order to recognize the teacher — and the truth — that was sitting next to you.
The Great Circle ends… and Begins again…
April 2012 — Ironically, thirty-five years later, I now find myself living once again in a small town, doing seva — listening at the table — helping and learning as my friends find their way thru life….
Applications
1. Personal
Look around. Is there a Guru at your table whom you’ve failed to recognize? Or, it could be your turn to be of service?
2. At Home
Be the Guru: Take the time to provide that extra moment, the caress, the affection, the interested, silent pause that opens the opportunity to talk.
3. At the Office
Ray sold insurance, but he also delivered it. Can you not only sell something, or discharge the putative requirements of your work, but also perform seva by bringing all your abilities to bear to manifest the service? (What about not only to your clients, but with and thru the people in the office, your providers and the community?)
Many times we go far and wide, seeking the wise counsel, that was — in reality — there at our table all along. I keep hoping for Ray’s biography. . . But in the meantime: “Be” and “Be Open To” the Guru at your table.
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Well said. I was and am blessed to have Gurus in my life. I aspire to “doing seva”. It is a gift to the recipient, yes, but also a gift to myself for in teaching we learn and in giving we grow.