Devotee Or Disciple

Aum Sairam

Sri Sai called Abdul Baba, Nana Chandorkar, Mahalaspati, Das Ganu with others and started asking each of them, "Do you know who you are?" Each of them replied, "I am your Disciple." Sri Sai said, "Nonsense! Don't use that term any longer. I have no disciples in this world. I have countless devotees. You do not recognize the distinction between a disciple and a devotee. Anyone can be a devotee. But that is not the case with the disciple.

A disciple is one who carries out implicitly the commands of the Guru. The mark of the Disciple is total devotion to Guru. Only the man who say, 'I have none in the world other than the Guru,' is a disciple. How far have you respected my injunctions? How are you entitled to claim that you are my disciples? Only the one who follows me like my shadow can claim to be my disciple. The devotee is one who pray to the Lord wherever he may be. Hence there is a big difference between a disciple and a devotee. The disciple and Guru are like two bodies with one spirit.

The disciple should have no sense of separateness from Guru. He should feel, 'I and you are one.' There are no such disciples to be found in the world. There are millions of devotees, but no disciples.

On hearing this, Shama was in deep pain. He felt within himself, "Apart from serving at your feet, I have no other concern." Sri Sai then went into another room and called Shama inside. "In this entire world, for Me you are the only disciple. All other are my devotees." At that moment, Shama fell at the feet of a Sri Sai, and cried out, "you alone, you alone" [are my refuge] and breathed his last. In all his life, Sri Sai had never shed a tear in the presence of devotees. When Shama passed away He shed three drops of tears. The devotees present there said, Sai! Why do you feel so grieved? All are in your hands. Sri Sai replied, I am not grieving at all. Almost all his sins had been wiped out already. By the three tear drops I shed, the remaining sins have been washed away.

Allah Malik