(from "The Goddess and the Guru"):
Guruji also put increasing amounts of time and effort into creating online teaching tools for those who could not reach Devipuram personally, and providing information and resources for faraway disciples who wished to develop their spiritual practices in his absence. Some older disciples were disappointed by this development, seeing it as the end of an era—a break with those early days of one-on-one instruction and intimate, personal conversations with their guru.
“By this time, Guruji no longer had the luxury of giving his disciples individualized attention,” Jana said. “There were just so many people coming from so many places around the world to meet with him—and accordingly, his focus changed.”
In truth, though, no one could accuse Guruji of not trying to stay in touch. He remained surprisingly accessible to visitors at Devipuram, and when attending events in India and abroad. To the end of his life, visitors and disciples would marvel at their ability to meet and speak with Guruji directly, one-on-one. He took phone calls at all hours from disciples and strangers alike from around the world. To the end, he administered his own email and sent countless brief (and sometimes lengthy) personal replies. His sheer level of personal availability—to so many, so constantly, with no expectations in return—was in many ways his greatest gift to those who admired him.
Unfortunately, however, human nature tends to devalue that which costs nothing. “We do not realize the value of some things, especially if they are given for free,” Sundari Amma noted. “But attach a price tag of a lakh of rupees for shaktipat, and people throng to such gurus.”
Guruji didn’t seem to particularly care whether people revered him and took his advice to heart or not. He simply enjoyed meeting them and exchanging ideas. What it all led to, if anything, was entirely up to the Goddess.
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