The Heart of the Matter
January 19, 2022
The Seventh Noun

S3_Barcelona_PRRTaping_mk_021.jpg

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." -- William Shakespeare

I first heard about Prem Rawat in 1971. He was 13 then and known as "Maharaji." I was 24 and known as "Ditty." A long-haired, earnest seeker of the Truth, I was astounded by what this young boy from India had to say and how he said it, stunned by his clarity, wisdom, and ability to engage my attention in such a heart-opening way. Now it is 50 years later. He is 64 and I am 74. I am still astounded by him.

In the early days, I used to refer to him as a "Guru" -- a Hindi word that translates as "the dispeller of darkness and the revealer of light." I liked that word a lot. It had a nice ring to it and satisfied my need to think of myself as a deep soul on the spiritual path. But soon I realized that word carried too much baggage, conjuring up stereotypical images of the East: incense burning, saffron robes, and little red dots on the forehead. My experience of Prem was none of these. But it didn't matter what I thought. What mattered was how my family, friends, and neighbors related to the word and, if they didn't, the word "Guru" had to go. And so it did.

Realizing I needed a better way to refer to him, I moved on to "Master." I liked that word a lot, especially since I experienced Prem as someone with a whole lot of mastery. And besides, I reasoned, the concept of "Master" was known to many people. Hey, there were Master carpenters, right? And Master musicians. And Master chefs. And Master mechanics, too. Using the word "Master" to describe someone with extraordinary abilities was not hype or a con job. It was both fitting and accurate.

Be that as it may, I noticed that the word sometimes made people uncomfortable. For example, they assumed I was referring to a person who thought he was superior to the average bloke -- someone who wielded Mastery over others. This was not my experience of Prem. No way. Not then. Not now. But hey, if my choice of the word "Master" created doubt and fear in the minds of others, it was time to let it go -- or at least only use it in the company of people who were not triggered by it.

Which brought me to the word "Teacher" -- a descriptor, which, for most people, was far less polarizing than Guru or Master. Everyone, somewhere along the line, has had a teacher, no? Then again, for some people, the word "teacher" carries some negative connotations -- old memories of boring Professors or cranky elders giving too much homework.

OK. No "Guru", no "Master", no "Teacher".

Well, then, how about "Guide" -- a word that's about as non-threatening as they come -- simply a title for someone who helps you get to your destination. Is that such a bad thing? I don't think so, unless, of course, it conjures up are images of slick tour guides quoting robotically from prepared scripts and extending their hand in your direction for a tip.

Bye-bye "Guide".

Which brings us, I guess, to the increasingly popular "Friend", or more specifically "The Friend", a phrase the Sufi poet, Rumi, often used to describe Shams a Tabriz, his ___________ (fill in the blank, folks).

Personally speaking, I've always resonated with the word "Friend", not just because I love Rumi's poetry, but because everyone knows how important it is to actually have a friend -- someone you can count on, someone who's there when you need them, someone you are so connected to that even if you don't see that person for ten years it feels like no time has passed.

Then again, when most people think of "Friend", they usually assume it's someone you have lunch with regularly or text five times a day. Since none of these behaviors come close to describing my relationship with Prem, I guess I'll need to retire that word, as well.

Most recently, I am hearing the words "educator" and "peace educator" used to describe Prem. Very intriguing. An educator, as I understand it, is a person who facilitates the process of learning, making it easier for people to acquire knowledge, skills, values, and develop their full potential. And its etymological roots are compelling, going all the way back to the 16th century Latin word "educare", meaning "to bring out or lead forth" -- which, for me, describes a huge aspect of Prem Rawat's value -- his ability to bring out, in people, their innate thirst to learn, grow, and experience the best of life.

Could it be, that after 50 years of looking for the perfect noun for Prem I have found it? For some people, the answer would be YES. But for others, the word "educator" is too mental -- conjuring up an overly intellectual person in a book-lined office thinking about "pedagogy" and government grants. And while, it's true that Prem does have an approach to his work -- his approach is not "pedagogical," not lockstep, not formalized, pre-cut and dried. No, his approach is way more organic than that -- more emergent, spontaneous, and in the moment.

So there you have it. Six imperfect nouns: Guru, Master, Teacher, Guide, Friend, and Educator But wait! There's more! Why limit it to six, especially since last night, while showering, a seventh noun came to mind. Ready?

Marigold.

What? Huh? Really? Marigold? Like the flower? Sure, why not? A marigold is not only beautiful to look at, but positioned next to a tomato plant, it radically increases the odds of that plant ripening all the way to fruition. Marigolds, by their very nature, keep aphids, mosquitoes, nematodes, beetles, and even rabbits away. In other words, just the proximity of a marigold protects a tomato plant from common obstacles to growth.

"Companion planting" it's called -- nature's way of pairing two forms of life in a way that ensures the best possible result. The marigold does its thing and the tomato plant gets the benefit -- having a much greater chance of growing to its full potential.

A few mozzarella slices. A little salt. A glass of wine. Yum!

PremRawat.com
Photo: Courtesy of TimelessToday
Letter photo: Sven Brandsma

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at January 19, 2022 11:24 AM

Post a comment

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)


Remember me?


Welcome to Mitch Ditkoff's blog about what's really important in this life: Peace, gratitude, love, joy, clarity, and the effort required to wake up and smell the roses. Enjoy!

   Contact me   
© MITCH DITKOFF