When Gurunamasivayar was deemed ripe to journey alone his guru Guhainamasivayar called him and told him to go to Chidambaram. But the student refused citing that he wanted to serve his guru forever at Tiruvannamalai. But as his guru insisted Gurunamasivayar finally consented but with a condition thrown in. Once he was at Chidambaram his guru ought to be with him. Arriving at the temple he saw his guru in the inner sanctum and settled there for good. This is how the guru trains and lets go of his student to continue the legacy. But very few students qualify to deserve such recognition. Tavayogi told me one had to wait patiently for 12 years to even be considered a disciple. Tavayogi never acknowledged me as a disciple until 2016. I knew him since 2005. He announced it in public after 12 years. I did not expect that.
Nadi Nool Aasan TR wrote in his Whatsapp group once,
குரு மலை கழுகை ஒத்த குணமாக இருக்கவேண்டும். எல்லா வித்தைகளையும் கற்கும்வரை பாதுகாத்து கற்றதுபின் உலகஞானத்திர்க்காக தன்சீடனை குருநிலையை எட்ட தனித்து நிற்க செய்யவேண்டும்.
Just like an eagle protects its chick only to let it fly when ready, soaring in the skies akin to him, the guru should be like an eagle protecting his student while under his tutelage only to let him go so that he too can take on the role of a guru for the good of other seekers.
கடைசிவரை ஒருவனை சீடனாகவே வைத்திருப்பது குருவிர்க்கு தோல்வி.
தெள்ளற வித்தைகற்றான் சீடனும் குருவை தேடான்......மூதுரை.
A guru should make another guru out of his disciple. It is seen as a failure on the part of the guru if he keeps his disciples remaining a disciple till the end.
This is the true guru. A true guru would never want his followers to remain a follower forever. His achievement is in seeing his students rise to the level of a guru at par or even better than them. They rejoice in seeing their students rise up the ladder of spiritual advancement.