Three stages of Communion with Shri Guru
When a devotee gets associated with his Guru and experiences him, his spiritual intimacy with the Master develops in three stages.
In the first stage, the devotee perceives his Guru as “Kalpataru”, the wish fulfilling divine tree, who provides shades of grace along with flowers and fruits of knowledge. In this stage, the devotee considers the Guru as a saint, unaware of his divine qualities. The shackles of illusion (“Maya”) confine the devotee to such an extent that he requires Guru’s grace (“Kripa”) to fully comprehend his personality. if the devotee persists with patience while having unwavering faith towards his Guru, he guides him in the path of god and self-realization, and frees the devotee from the clutches of worldly illusion.
In the second stage, as his devotion strengthens, the devotee develops a close association with his Guru. He begins to discern the divine attributes of his Guru. The devotee thinks that though his Guru has god-like qualities, he is not God. However, the devotee regards his Guru as the best teacher of Spirituality. In this stage, the devotee is not completely free from the grip of Maya.
In the third and final stage, the devotee considers his Guru no different than God. Only after the devotee assimilates this truth, he completely surrenders himself at the lotus feet of his Guru, and reaches the pinnacle of spirituality. In this stage, the devotee develops supreme love and complete oneness with his Guru. As quoted in Shri Guru Bhagavat:
ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକତାର ପଥରେ | ବଢଇ ଶିଷ୍ୟ ସ୍ତରେ ସ୍ତରେ ||
ଶେଷ ସ୍ତରକୁ ଗଲେ ଭକ୍ତ | ବନେ ଗୁରୁ ସାଥେ ତାଦାତ୍ମ୍ୟ ||
Adhyatmikatara pathare | Badhae Sishya stare stare ||
Sesha stara ku gale bhakta | Bane Guru sathe Tadatmya ||
( Vol. 1 / Verse 13, Page 59)
Source: Shri Guru Bhagavat Prashnottari