Start praying silently within yourself to a God of your choice"

Of the many occasions I had visited this great Mahan, I used to stand in awe by the side and watch for a few hours many mortals come and go. On one occasion, He noticed me standing in a corner and wondering why I am just standing allowing all others to come and go, He asked His sincere devotee, Balu mama:
"Why is he standing there? Does he want anything? Ask him."
Balu mama came and asked me,
"Periyavaa wants to know is there anything you want. Why are you just looking at Him and not coming to have the Prasadams?"
I told Balu mama (most of the time tears of joy used to roll down my eyes), "Every time I come here I have witnessed a rare incident between Periyavaa and His staunchest devotee. So today also I am just waiting in the side lines for one."
Periyavaa overheard this and He said smilingly, "Let him wait for a few more minutes and one such incident is about to happen!"
Many men and women passed by.
Sooner a lady, Saroja, came to see Periyavaa.
She hesitated a bit to go near Him.
Periyavaa asked Balu mama to ask her 'what she wants'.
She replied to Balu Mama :"I am coming here for the first time. I have heard from my neighbours in Hyderabad talking so much about this Mahan. So I came to have His darshan"
Periyavaa smiled and asked her,
"There is something more than the Darshan you are trying to seek from me!"
She started weeping like a small child. She must be around 55 Yrs Old!
"Yes Swamiji. I am really unable to bear the agony."
"You must be a Dwaithin.."Swamiji said, meaning she is an Iyengar lady.
She was startled to know that: "Yes Swamiji..Indeed Yes."and her weeping power overtook her much more to the dismay of all around!
Swamiji asked her:"What is that which is worrying you inside?"
She started narrating in-between her weeps:
"I have been sincerely following one Saint for more than 25 yrs now. I never found anything wrong with him and I have gone to Sanmarga only through this Guru. But of late I have found my Guru is not a real Guru. He has some behavioural problems and I stopped going to him altogether. But I am unable to stand this happening as I trusted this Guru so much and suddenly I find a vacuum in my life, in my spiritual life. That's why when my friends recommended me I came all the way to have Darshan from you and be a devotee of you for ever in my life!"
Periyava started smiling..
"So you think by just switching over to another Guru like me your problems get solved?"
"That is what I feel"
Periyavaa said:"You are wrong.Krishna says "Yathatho kapikauntheya, Purushasya Vipas chithaha..."
The moment you are born as a human, you are bound to make mistakes. There is no escape for anyone in this world. Just because you switch over to another Guru like me, what is the surety that I am more purer? The very thought itself is wrong, as every human being has his own limitations.
No doubt I can understand your agony. What you should do is to start praying silently within yourself to a God of your choice.Try to get that inner "Anandha" instead of searching for another Guru who according to Krishna "May be much worse than the one you have experienced."
There was spellbound silence everywhere...
I went to get His Blessings.
He said smilingly, "For you I will ever be the Guru, Don't worry."
Silence was broken with laughter everywhere...
I came out wiping my tears of joy...
*****
Source: periva.org
Thanks a ton to Shri Mahesh T Ramadass for posting this gem.