Periodically we refer to the Guru as Master....and frankly some people are turned off by that because they think in terms of Master and servant or Master and slave.....but that is a gross misconception of the word.

Here's an incident from Guruji's life, which clearly shows the true meaning of the word "Master." One time a devotee at our international headquarters on Mount Washington referred to Guruji as Master....He immediately became very quiet and interiorized. Then after a few moments he sweetly replied: "You call me Master. But I am only Master of myself. I am the royal servant of you all."

And that is the Guru. He is our royal servant who only wants to show each and every one of us, his disciples, that we are sons and daughters of God, with the birthmark of Infinity on our brow....and that anything he could do....we could do.

Guruji said: "I come as the wind of heaven, bearing the fragrance of truth from the Father. I seek nothing from you for myself. My only wish is to give you that fragrance divine, and then disappear again in His bosom. What I give to you I want you to realize for yourself through your own personal communion with God. Nothing can match that understanding."

When we hear stories like this, and there are so many like it about Master, we can't help but feel a deeper and deeper love for him. And that's one of the keys to developing a strong faith in God and Guru--deepening our love for them. Because as Mrinalini Mata once said: "Faith is born of love; if you have deep love for a person you will have faith in what they tell you. It is the same with God and Guru.

A man by the name of Ted Beck sent a letter to Sri Daya Mata in 1969. And in that letter he described a very special class he had with Yogananda in Boston in Jordan Hall in 1921. Here is an excerpt from that letter:

I reached the classroom quite early, about 2 hours ahead of the lecture. It was hot and muggy, and on the horizon I noticed a streak of dark clouds. About one hour later I thought I heard distant thunder; an electrical storm was drawing near. Mr. Auclair arrived, and because of the oncoming storm we wondered if the lecture might be canceled. Finally the downpour began, and no others showed up for the class. Swamiji arrived at 7:00 sharp, and when he noticed that we two were the only ones present, he said: "The faithful have come. Even if there is only one student left, I will preach!"

He picked up the Bhagavad Gita and, looking at me, said: "I can teach you this book in 3 years. In that time, through intellect and perception, you can understand the fundamentals of its teachings. Or I can teach you this book in 12 years. In that time, if you follow religious training, you will have many proofs of the truth. Or I can teach you this book in 100 years; and what I would teach you, That I have experienced and realized."

The storm grew intense. I glanced through the windows; there were no lights to be seen. The whole of Boston was without electricity. Swamiji began the prayer that always preceded the meetings. Usually it lasted an average of two minutes; but this night Swamiji continued to pray silently for a long time. I had my eyes closed, but after a while I opened them. There was a glow in the room and it was growing stronger. I looked at the Master. His facial features had disappeared in a shining light of extremely intense colors, which lit up the whole room.......Then the electric lights came on. The sacred experience was over."

And now for two stories which show our guru's tremendous love.

Once in New York City three holdup men surrounded me. I said: "Do you want money? Take it," and held out my wallet. I was in the superconscious state. The men did not reach for the wallet. Finally one of them said: "Beg your pardon. We can't do it." They ran away.

On another night in New York, near Carnegie Hall where I had just delivered a lecture, a man with a gun approached me. He said: "Do you know I can shoot you?" "Why?" I asked calmly. My mind was on God. "You talk about democracy." He was obviously a mentally disturbed person. We stood in silence for a while, then he said: "Forgive me. You have taken away my evil." He ran down the street as swiftly as a stag. Those who are in tune with God can change men's hearts.

Closing quote: Guruji said: "I want to remain steadily in the spirit of God, that I can give you something, that I can saturate you, bathe you, and change you forever, forever, and forever in this infinite ocean of Light that I behold. Jesus, Krishna, Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswarji, I bow to you all again and again. It is your message from Him that has permeated me, and he who shall receive with open heart shall never go away unfulfilled. His or her heart shall be a wonderful cup, that will gradually expand into an eternal vessel to receive the ocean of Infinity and the power of Spirit."