Interpretation of the Thirteenth Rule of Love

Rule Number 13 — There are more fake gurus and false teachers in this world than the number of stars in the visible universe. Don’t confuse power-driven, self-centered people with true mentors. A genuine spiritual master will not direct your attention to himself or herself and will not expect absolute obedience or utter admiration from you, but instead will help you to appreciate and admire your inner self. True mentors are as transparent as glass. They let the light of God pass through them.

- Shams, to Novice

Context - This rule appears when Shams is travelling toward Konya and the Novice from the Dervish Lodge decides to follow him. The Novice wishes to accompany Shams because he wants to become his disciple. However, Shams refuses to accept him as his student, and it is at this point in the story that this rule emerges.

Interpretation within the Story - The Novice stubbornly insists on following Shams and remains determined to accept Shams as his master. To test him, Shams assigns him a task. Instead of attempting to complete the task, the Novice begins offering excuses, explaining why the task is impossible for him to perform.

At this point, Shams tells the Novice that he is not yet ready to become a disciple. The Novice is more concerned about public image and public opinion than about sincerely attempting to fulfil the task given to him.

Shams therefore shares this important rule with him, knowing that in his current immature state the Novice could easily be misled by fake gurus.

Although Shams refuses to accept him as a disciple, he still gives him a crucial lesson. First, one must prepare oneself to become a true disciple, and only then can one recognize a genuine master.

Deeper Interpretation Beyond the Story - Over the past few years, I have written extensively about the concept of a Guru or Master. I always arrive at the same conclusion: we attract a Master or Guru in our lives according to our own level of consciousness and inner readiness. An Arjuna will naturally attract Krishna, and a Janaka will naturally attract an Ashtavakra.

Therefore, instead of complaining about gurus, we should focus on evolving our own consciousness so that we attract a better master in life. I can say this from my own spiritual journey as a student. Over the past twenty years, I encountered many teachers and guides before eventually discovering Osho. Looking back honestly, I can see that every teacher I met was necessary for me at that particular stage of my journey. I attracted them according to my level of consciousness at that time.

Imagine if I had encountered Osho’s literature in 2010. Would I have been receptive to him then? Probably not. In fact, when I first visited Osho’s Wikipedia page in 2011, I saw his mugshot and immediately closed the page. I had already formed a judgement that Osho was wrong and that his teachings must also be wrong.

What does this show? In 2011, my consciousness had not yet evolved enough to be receptive to Osho. Yet in 2015, I began reading the same master’s teachings. What changed during those years? Osho remained exactly the same, but my receptivity and level of awareness had evolved.

That is why I am never overly concerned when people complain that they were deceived by a fake guru. If they look within honestly, they may realize that at that time they themselves were not yet genuine seekers. Consequently, they encountered a fake guru. In fact, that experience may have been necessary to awaken them. In such cases, even the deception served a purpose and helped them grow.

I recently came across a dialogue in a Korean web series that said, “If I wished to be deceived and she deceived me, can I really blame her for deceiving me?”

Often it is the case that a fake disciple finds a fake guru, while a genuine seeker eventually finds a genuine master. Instead of criticizing gurus, we should examine our own sincerity as seekers.

If we are genuine, even a fake guru can become useful for our growth. But if we are insincere, even the greatest master may appear false to us. History contains many stories where a disciple awakened first and later his teacher also awakened. In the story of Gautama Buddha, it is said that after his enlightenment some of his former teachers eventually became his disciples. This shows that even imperfect teachers can play a helpful role if the seeker is sincere.

This is precisely why Shams presents this rule to the Novice. The Novice truly was a novice. When Shams gave him a task, the Novice immediately produced excuses explaining why he could not perform it. The first rule of discipleship is that one cannot say “no” to the master. The very first lesson a disciple must learn is complete surrender to the master.

Since the Novice failed at the very first test, Shams realized that he could easily become a victim of fake gurus. Therefore, Shams explained the qualities of a true master. One important quality is that a real master always directs you back toward yourself. He reminds you that the only person you can truly transform is yourself. If anyone’s transformation will benefit you, it is your own. The outer world and other people are merely distractions. A true disciple must remain focused on inner growth.

Shams also tells the Novice that a real master is like a mirror. Whatever you perceive in the master often reflects your own inner state. If you think the master is fake, it may indicate that falseness exists within you. If you perceive compassion in the master, it means compassion is beginning to awaken within you.

Thus, even though Shams does not formally accept the Novice as his disciple, he still gives him two powerful teachings that will help him on his path. In this way, Shams becomes his master despite refusing the formal relationship. This illustrates how subtle and paradoxical a genuine master can be. Outwardly it appears that Shams rejected the Novice without sympathy, yet in truth he guided him with deep compassion.

As I see it, the entire debate about who is a genuine disciple and who is a genuine Guru can come to an end if we simply shift our focus and perspective.

At present, the disciple is busy judging whether the Guru is genuine, while the Guru is busy judging whether the disciple is genuine.

Perhaps it would be wiser if the disciple turns inward and asks, “Am I a genuine disciple?” and the Guru also reflects within and asks, “Am I a genuine Guru?”

Ultimately, the true guidance in this rule, both for the Novice and for us, is that we should prepare ourselves for the arrival of a Guru by cultivating surrender, devotion, and inner growth. When the time is right, the genuine master will appear naturally.

As the saying goes, the Guru enters your life when the disciple is ready, and the Guru departs when the disciple is ready to become the next Guru.

Gratitude!!!