Why does one need a Master?

"Many people have the question "What is the need of a guru?" You can learn it with books. You can study, you can listen to the tapes, do something. What is the need for a master? But in the Upanishad it says "No, you have to study under a master."

You may have been a student of anatomy, you may be a doctor yourself, but you cannot conduct surgery on your own body. You may be a masseur, but you cannot have your own back massaged by yourself. Even though you are a doctor, you may know, you still need a doctor, need a surgeon. And it’s not possible to treat yourself, if you are a patient. Isn't it?

For such a gross thing like driving, learning to drive a car, or taking care of your body, you need the help of someone. So to walk in some area which is totally unknown, completely new, we don’t know anything about, the consciousness, you think you can do it all by yourself, all by oneself? Not possible. If you want to drive a car, if you want to drive in a new city, you need some map, you need some guidance. You’ll stop several times in petrol banks and ask someone how to move there, how to go into the place. You need guidance. You need guidance, loving guidance step-by-step.

A lit candle can light a million more candles. It’s no problem. But just a matchstick and a box which is not lit cannot light even a single candle. It has the potential, a matchbox has the potential to light. You can say, “See, everything needed is here!” Yeah. But if it is not struck and lit… A matchstick has to be struck and lit! Only then it can light other candles. You see what I’m saying?

The guru is one who has become big. ‘Guru’ itself means big, it is not small. The word ‘Guru’ in Sanskrit means 'that which is enormously big', of which you cannot have any judgment, any concept, any ideas, cannot formulate and say 'This is what this is'. Which is immeasurable, which is beyond comprehension, that is guru. But still tangible, available. Infinity is available, but not tangible. Guru is both infinity and tangible.

The Divine is impersonal. Guru is both personal and Divine. The impersonal personified for your benefit, because you know to relate only to that which is personified. Love is there in the whole creation. Everything is love. But you have never related in your life other than name and forms. You could not love something which has no name and no form. You see what I’m saying?

And the guru embodies, a Buddha embodies, Jesus embodies that infinite love, yet with name and form."