In response to a question about why he is uncomfortable being called a 'Guru', Acharya Prashant explains that it is the questioner's choice to call him whatever he wants. He elaborates that people create convenience for themselves by attaching a name like 'Guru' to someone. With this name, they associate many images, expectations, and stories, which are the very source of delusion and suffering. He uses an analogy, describing the individual's world with the person at the center as a 'burnt-out wick'. The things collected around, like flowers and petals, are one's home, and the rest is the universe. In this universe, a few burning candles are named 'Guru'. The questioner, being a burnt-out wick himself, wants to add another candle to this arrangement, which allows him to remain unchanged. Acharya Prashant states that his intentions are a bit dangerous; he is not willing to sit in a corner but wants to enter the house and set it on fire. He explains that he doesn't want to be called a 'Guru' because that would place him on the periphery of the seeker's world. Instead, he wants to come to the very center. The proof that other gurus have been ineffective is the seeker's own suffering state. By trying to make him a Guru, the seeker is attempting to render him useless as well, ensuring their own state remains the same. He advises that it is better to see him as an ordinary person to be able to listen better. He describes the traditional Guru-disciple relationship as a conspiracy. Life is divided into two compartments: a public drawing-room for discussing pure, spiritual topics, and a private, dirty basement representing one's real, messy life. The Guru is kept in the drawing-room, and the basement is never addressed. Acharya Prashant sees his role as a 'burglar' who wants to enter the basement to see what is being hidden, not what is being shown. He is interested in the real problems of life, not lofty, irrelevant questions. This traditional dynamic is a mutual agreement where both parties maintain a facade, allowing the disciple's core issues to remain untouched and their dirty life to continue.
