Behavior of a Self-realized soul

Question:

I have been initiated into Bhakti Marga by a Swamiji who belongs to a well-known Sanyasa order. I have deep respect for him and genuinely try to follow his teachings and advice. At times, however, I doubt whether he himself is a Self-realized person or not. He is always held in high esteem by his close disciples. Especially when I stay in his ashram at times I see him talking and behaving just like an ordinary person. I know it is not proper to thing about your own Guru this way but more than doubt it is curiosity. So my question is - is it possible that a Self-realized person engages in mundane activities? How does he maintains his spiritual level? 

Answer:

Before I answer your question let me clarify that my answer applies only to genuine Gurus and not to pakhandis.

Spiritual aspirants often have some vague and undue expectations about their Gurus. They expect him to be always in Samadhi or peak spiritual states. If they look at their expectations as a third person they will find them funny!

First of all, understand that Self-realization is a state that is experienced by an individual. No one can show you a printed certificate of having attained this state. But that in no way means that the person never experienced it. It is commonly believed that a Self-realized soul will always, 24X7, be in the state of spiritual ecstasy. This is not at all true. Every human being, however spiritually advanced he may be, has his own karmic balance. He must finish his prarabdha kamra before giving up his body. When a Yogi goes in Samadhi, for him the world disappears. But when he comes back (this coming back is called Vyuthhan in Yoga) he continues to burnout his karmas. Why does a Yogi comes back from Samadhi at first place? This is because of subtle past impressions and tendencies of past lives. There is no escape from this. Every advanced Yogi has to tackle this Vyuthhan. The fact that a Yogi has taken birth in human form itself indicates that his karmic balance is yet to finish.

A Yogi, who is Self-realized though apparently behaves like an ordinary person has a changed outlook towards the world. He might be angry, joyous or anxious but these emotions are the result of his past impressions. Underneath this bed of worldly emotions there flows a current of Self. While performing day to day affairs such a person has to make use of five sense organs and the five organs of action. When a person uses these bodily organs depending on the situation and the state of Gunas (Tamas, Rajas and Sattva) the person enjoys sorrow of happiness. Let's say there is a Self-realized Yogi who accidently gets his figures cut with a knife. Do you expect that he shouldn't feel any pain at all? Won't it be too much to expect something like this? Forget about ordinary Yogis let me give example of Lord Krishna. You must be aware that Lord Krishna told Bhagvat Gita to his devotee Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukhetra. After the Mahabharata war got over Udhishthira was made king. Lord Krishna was about to return to Dwaraka. One day he asked Arjuna if there is anything else he wanted to ask. Arjuna said, "O Krishna! Because of you we could win this mighty war. On the battlefield you had told me the greatest knowledge. However, since I was more engaged in the war I have forgotten it. Can you please retold it to me?" In reply Lord Krishna said, "Arjuna! It was your big mistake that you forgot whatever I told you. I will not be able to tell you the same again. At that time I made myself yogayukta (the highest state of Yoga) and hence could tell you the Supreme Knowledge. Today even I don't remember it completely. Still I will tell you something that will benefit you." What Lord Krishna then told Arjuna is known as Anu Gita. The exact dialog between them in Sanskrit from Ashwamedha Parva of Mahabharata is as follows:

अर्जुन उवाच -
यत्तु तद् भवता प्रोक्तं पुरा केशव सौहृदात।
तत्सर्वं पुरुष व्याघ्रं नष्टं मे व्यग्र चेतसः॥
श्री भगवानुवाच -
श्रीवितस्त्त्वं मया गुह्यं ज्ञापितश्च सनातनम।
न च माद्यंपुनर्भूयः स्मुतिर्मे संभविष्यति॥
न शक्यं तन्मया वक्तुमशेषेण धनंजय।
परं हि ब्रह्मं कथितं योग युक्तेन तन्मया॥

So the point is - Even a Self-realized soul cannot remain in the highest state of Yoga at all times.

Your second question is how such Yogis must be maintaining their spiritual level. A Yogi who has tasted the Supreme Principle or God knows that this universe is His play and he is merely playing his role. Today he has been given one role. Tomorrow God will allot him some other role. God may even say, if he is a liberated being, that 'Let's not give him any more duties at all.' A Yogi treats all the happenings around him like tiny waves arising on the surface of a lake. Waves come and go but the 'lake' remains constant. Such a Yogi though participates in all the day to day activities knows for sure that all activities are the result of Gunas and his true Self is untouched by them. It is important to understand that this conviction is the result of direct experience of the Reality and cannot come merely by booking understanding of the subject.

Classic texts of Yoga classify Gurus as Guru and Satguru. A Satguru is a person who has direct experience of the God and working as His instrument. Guru on the other hand is a person who is an advanced practitioner but he has not got a concrete experience of the Self. He might have got glimpses of it but not complete experience. A novice seeker should respect Guru and Satguru equally. He should never consider his Guru inferior because he is not Satguru. Suppose that you are a fifth standard student taking tuition for mathematics from a teacher. Though your teacher is an expert in the subject she is probably not a mathematician.  So will you say that you won't take lessons from her? and that she is not qualified to teach you? No. Same thing is applicable to Guru also. Your Guru is always your Guru. A trusted Guide, mentor and a role model.

I would suggest that you don't evaluate your Guru based on his day to day activities that you are talking about. In older times disciples of a Guru used to stay along with him in his Asrama (often called Gurukula). It was possible for them to observe the life of their Guru closely and learn from it. In modern world this is rarely possible. People merely attend Satsanga or Pravachans of their Guru for couple of hours and then go home. They never get chance to observe personal life of their Guru closely. When one day they do get a glimpse of it (as you possibly got during your stay in the ashram) they find it contradicting to their (undue) expectations. So, get rid of this doubt. May be arrange to stay for some longer period with your Guru. See how he keeps his spiritual mood throughout his day. See how he enjoys God's divine play. I am sure it will be a learning experience for you. You can even politely ask him if any question or doubt arise. But do not keep brooding over this doubt or curiosity. It won't be conductive to faith and devotion in longer run.