Ketu exalts in the sign of Sagittarius — the sign of Guru Jupiter.
Rahu exalts in the sign of Gemini — the sign of Mercury.
On one side is righteousness — Jupiter.
Jupiter is the master of Ketu. Jupiter is the Guru of Ketu.
On the other side is intellectualism — Mercury.
Mercury is the Guru of Rahu. Mercury is the master of Rahu.
Jupiter and Mercury are enemies of each other simply because their energies are in total contrast.
Rahu and Ketu are also in contrast to each other — Rahu is intellect, Ketu is intelligence.
- Intellect is of the mind — Moon and Mercury impact the mind.
- Intelligence is of the soul — Sun and Jupiter impact the soul.
The more consciousness you have, the more energy flows upwards. Intelligence moves upwards. Intellect moves downwards.
Once it happened, there were two disciples — Sohan and Mohan.
Mohan was a very simple man. The master would fondly address him as Bhola. He was an illiterate man, never had been to school, never had been to any town — he was a farmer.
One day, he found the master walking through his farmland, and something moved within him. The glow of the master, his bliss, his joy, his peace — there was something about this man. He could feel the presence, and then he simply dropped everything. He left everything behind and started following the master.
The master said, “What are you doing? Go back home.”
But Mohan said, “You are my home. After so many years, I have found my home, and you are saying to go back home? You are my home, and I cannot go back.”
The master smiled — he was accepted. Mohan became an ardent lover of the master. Along with Sohan, Mohan continued to follow him.
After many years, one day Sohan and Mohan said to the master,
“We need to be initiated. When will you initiate us?”
The master said, “I will initiate you both. But before that happens, I want you to do something.”
Sohan said, “I am ready.”
Mohan said, “Master, you just tell me what I have to do, and I’m certain I will be through it with your grace.”
The master gave one bird to each disciple and said,
“Go to an absolutely lonely place where there are no people, and then kill the bird. Once you have killed the bird, come back.”
Sohan took the bird, went out in search of a lonely place, found one, looked around to ensure nobody was there, and then, with a sharp knife, killed the bird.
He came back to the master and said, “I am done. I have followed your instructions accurately.”
The master said, “Wait. Let Mohan come back too. He is still to return.”
But Mohan did not return.
Days passed. Weeks passed. Months passed. Yet Mohan did not return.
The master waited. The master can always wait.
One day, on a very hot afternoon, Mohan returned.
He bowed before the master, who was deeply engrossed in meditation. Looking at Mohan, the master smiled and said,
“Where have you been, and why did it take so long for you to come back?”
Mohan rushed towards the feet of the master, held them in his hands, and started crying.
The master said, “What happened?”
Mohan said,
“I am sorry. I cannot follow your instruction. I could not kill the bird.”
“Why?” asked the master, his eyes twinkling with light.
Mohan replied,
“I took the bird everywhere — to the mountains, to the deep valleys, to the most lonely places — and yet I could not find any of these places to be lonely. Whenever I would try to kill the bird, I could feel that there is God who is watching. I tried to close my eyes, and yet I could not kill, because I could feel the presence of God.
I drugged the bird, made it unconscious, and yet I could not kill, because I could feel God present in that bird too. I’m sorry — I cannot do this. If this is the condition for initiation, then I am willing to let go. But I cannot do this, because I could feel God present all around me — within me, outside me — and so there was absolutely no lonely place that I could find.
I also experienced the presence of God in that bird — its innocence, its chirping, its dancing. I’m sorry, but I cannot do this. I tried for months and weeks, but I could not.”
The master got up, rushed towards Mohan, and gave him a tight hug.
The master said to Mohan,
“You are the chosen one, my son. You are the one. It was a test, and you have passed.”
Then he called Sohan and said,
“You — get out. Get lost and never come back. You are stupid. You will never understand what I teach. You will never understand the essence that I share. Please get lost.”
Sohan is Rahu — he goes by the intellect. He could not go to the depth of the matter. He could not relate to the essence of the master’s teaching. He simply followed the head, went out, and killed the bird.
Mohan is Ketu — he has tremendous sensitivity because there is absolutely no head, no intellect. And because there is no head, no intellect, there is abundance of heart energy.
It is his heart that wouldn’t let him kill the bird. He went all around the world but could not kill it. The heart wouldn’t let him.
The consciousness wouldn’t let him.
His consciousness made him realize that God is present everywhere — within and without.
That was what the Guru, the master, wanted to test. Mohan had passed the test, and the master had finally taken him under his wings.
Jai Shri Ganesha. Jai Guru.
