Maharishi Mahesh Yogi On Teacher-Student Bond

In this timeless discourse, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi explains the profound relationship between a teacher and a student—a relationship founded on freedom, goodwill, and the sharing of knowledge.

Maharishi highlights that a true teacher always wishes for the student to grow, flourish, and ultimately surpass the teacher in knowledge and achievement. The bond between them is sustained not by obligation, but by a shared commitment to wisdom and personal evolution.

He further explains that while the teacher is always ready to impart knowledge, it is the student's receptivity that allows knowledge to flow naturally and completely. When the student is open and eager to learn, the transmission of knowledge becomes effortless and fulfilling.

This inspiring talk offers valuable insights for students, teachers, educators, parents, and anyone seeking to understand the true spirit of learning and the timeless Guru–Shishya tradition.

Transcript

Could you speak about the relationship of teacher to student and about the relationship of master to disciple in the holy tradition? The relationship is a very intimate relationship. Student and teacher relationship, Very intimate relationship. The same relationship is between the master and the disciple because the disciple is just a seeker of knowledge, Seeker of enlightenment and so is the student to his master. He wants to. . . He wants to know more about. . . More about. Physics, Chemistry, Geography. And always who has a loving regard to the master or to the teacher. Draws more knowledge from the teacher spontaneously. The teacher is more drawn to him. He is more drawn to knowledge. He draws more. It's like. . . When the cup is overflowing. The direction that has a greater slope. Draws more from the overflow. The knowledge comes out of a teacher. And so many receives. Does. Who have greater slope. Greater slope means greater receptivity. More receptivity. They receive more. And if the teacher is saying something and the student is formulating, No, No, How can this be? He's formulating questions and he's formulating doubts and he's opposing in his mind, No, No, It can't be like that. And next point he says, And in his mind he says, No, No, It can't be like that. And no, No, It can't be like that. He is putting resistance for the flow of knowledge. The right method is to hear what is being said. And then when the thing has been said then thing if it has any, Any chances of more clarification from different angles then we raise this angle and this angle and this angle and then on the point of questions. Analyze the completeness of the, Of the point. The relationship between teacher and the student is the relationship of freedom. Absolute freedom. When the teacher enrolls a student. He gives him a free hold. You will ask anything and I am prepared to answer if I know about that area. This freedom. The teacher takes upon himself to teach. The student takes upon himself to learn and this is the registration between them. Both of them? Get into a contract. I will teach. He says I will learn. And this gives freedom to the student to ask questions. Absolute freedom to ask questions till all the questions are exhausted and the student stands on the level of the teacher as far as the knowledge is concerned. And this is what every teacher wants. The desire of every teacher is to see his student more with knowledge than what he has. And this is the desire of. . . Of parents, Mother, Father, Mother-in-law. Every father has a desire to see his son more than what he is. More knowledge, More power, More prosperity, More wealth, More name, More fame, More useful to others, More useful to himself. A father always wishes his son to be happy. More useful to his sons than what he has been to him. This is always the inner desire. That is the relationship of goodwill. And freedom. Absolute freedom. Only the freedom is used in the most useful way. Take care. I guess. Goes in contract with this student with all goodwill and full of love. Yes, I want to teach you. I want this, This, This, This. Always there is a very intimate relationship. Between the teacher and the student. And the teacher is like Like a pond, Like an ocean. Full of water. And the water. Is always ready to flow. But it will flow to a field if the if the channel has been made. You draw a pipe lines from the level of the water to the to the the field and the water flows. You don't bring the pipeline. The water with all its desire to flow is unable to flow. The student draws the pipeline for the knowledge to flow on to his heart from the heart of the teacher. That the student has to do. The teacher is ready to flow. The knowledge is ready to overflow. So, Something has to be done by the student and then. . . Spontaneously the knowledge flows from the teacher. When you start to teach TM, You will see that those who are more receptive to what you say You feel more drawn to them. And once you feel drawn to them, The knowledge flows unrestricted. And this flow of knowledge. From the heart of the teacher to the heart of the student. This flow of knowledge is the current of joy from the heart of the teacher to the heart of the student. It's a current of joy. It's a great joy in teaching the teacher. Phase Fulfilled Because this process of teaching is a process of creating ways of joyfulness in the heart. And the jaw in the overflow of knowledge a very great joy. And because. . . This has been created by the student. The student is always very loving to the teacher. Always. Always. So the relationship of a student and a teacher is of love and gratitude and receptivity. And increasing happiness and growth towards fulfillment. This is the intimate relationship. It's a very intimate relationship. It's well into metal, Isn't it? And of a very permanent type. Very permanent.