A rich lady carried a plateful of rupees and stood before Baba for 4 days. But Baba did not ask her for any Dakshina.
Lady (on the fourth day): Baba, I have come here for a Guru. Take my dakshina now. Make yourself my guru and give me upadesa.
Baba: It is not the guru that makes himself your guru. It is you who must regard him as Guru, i.e., place faith in him. Take a post here and regard it as your Guru and see if your goal or aim is reached or not.
(cf Ekalavya - In the Mahabharata, Ekalavya was the son of Hiranyadhanus, who was King Jarasandha's army commander and leader of the Nishadhas. He approached Drona to tutor him in the arts of war, especially archery. Drona was a Brahmin teacher working under the employ of Hastinapur to teach the young Kaurava and Pandava princes martial arts.
Drona was quite impressed by Ekalavya's sincere desire; however, he soon discovered Ekalayva's background. Foreseeing political circumstances that would engender from training a member of an army that was in opposition to Hastinapur, Drona turned him away. In certain versions of the story, Drona turns Ekalavya away because of Ekalavya's caste, either compelled by his own belief or the rules set forth by Hastinapur. In other versions, it is a combination of Ekalavya's caste and allegiance that influences Drona's decision.
Deeply hurt by Drona's rejection, Eklavya returned home, but being resolute and with the will to master archery, he went into the forest and made a statue of Drona. He began a disciplined program of self-study over many years. Eventually, Eklavya became an archer of exceptional prowess, greater than Drona's best pupil, Arjuna. He accepted the statue as his guru and practiced in front of it every single day.)
(Baba's Charters and Sayings, No. 182)
