The forms of Guru are different although Guru, in his essence, is the same

 

Shirdi Sai Baba

(from "Quintessence of Sai Satcharitra"):

In Nashik, there lived Agnihotri Brahmin, a scholar named Moole Shastri. He had mastered the six branches of Philosophy and was also an expert in Astrology and Ocean Science. Once he went to meet the famous millionaire of Nagpur, Babusheb Buti, and from there, accompanied by him and a few other devotees, he went to Shirdi to visit Sai Baba. Often, Baba bought a large number of fruits with his own money and distributed them amongst his devotees who came to the mosque. Baba would press the whole mango over their skin in such a manner before giving them away that when they put mangoes in their mouth and suck them, the juicy pulp would be sucked in while the skin and the seed would remain to be thrown away. Baba would peel the bananas before giving them and kept the skin with himself.

When Moole Shastri came to the mosque he requested that Baba show him his palm, for he was keen to study Baba's palm lines being an astrologer and a palmist. However, Baba paid no heed to his request, and instead, offered him four more bananas to eat. Thereafter, everyone returned to his or her house. Moole Shastri, after taking his bath and freshening up, began his everyday ritual of fire worship. Baba too, like usual, left the mosque to go to Lendi garden. Before leaving, he announced that some saffron-colored mud should be kept ready for him so that he could dye his clothes with it to resemble the saffron-colored robes of a Hindu monk. When Baba said this, no one could understand its implication. After some time. Baba returned to the mosque. Preparations were about to begin for the afternoon aarti worship. Bapusaheb Buti asked him to accompany him to the mosque, to attend the afternoon worship of Baba.

However, Moole replied that he could go see Baba only in the evening and Buti had to go alone. In the mosque, the devotees began the worship as soon as Baba took his seat. Baba said, "Bring some donations from the new Brahmin who has come." Buti himself went to Moole and informed him about Baba's instruction to bring donations from him.

In those days, Brahmins were considered the most superior caste in the society, as they were the priest class, and there were societal norms that ensured that they did not have to abide by any of the obliging gestures, especially concerning a person belonging to an inferior caste or lower section of society. As a result of this, most Brahmins were afflicted with a sense of superiority and egotism which in time had become a social evil. Therefore Moole, being a high-caster Brahmin, was surprised that Baba, who belonged to an inferior race, would ask for a religious donation from him. He thought to himself, "I am high caster Brahmin. Must I pay a donation? I do not question the fact that he is a saint of the highest order, however, I am not a disciple of him either and am in no way obliged to obey him." 

Yet, despite being in a dilemma, he decided that he should listen to Baba's instruction, as Baba was a great saint, and because a millionaire such as Buti had come all the way to him asking for the donation, it was not desirable to refuse him. He, therefore, left his fire ritual midway and left for the mosque.

When he reached the mosque, he did not enter it, for he considered a mosque as an impure place for a 'pure' person such as himself. Thus, he flung flowers at Baba's feet while he stood outside the mosque (Brahmins were the priest class who considered themselves to be pure as against other inferior castes, who were considered impure, and in worst cases, untouchables. As the mosque was a place of worship for the Muslims, and Sai Baba was also known to be a Muslim, the ones belonging to superior castes would often be biased.) Moole soon saw that in the place of Sai Baba, his own guru, Gopal-swami, who had left this world, was seated! Seeing his own spiritual master, he was baffled and wondered how this could happen! How could his beloved Guru, who had left his mortal form, be present in the mosque and that too, be presiding on Sai Baba's seat? Throwing away all his doubts, he finally entered the mosque, lay down before his Guru in full prostration, and overwhelmed with emotion, began to sing verses in the praise of his Guru with folded hands. All the other devotees were singing the song of their regular ritualistic worship of Baba, but Moole continued to ecstatically chant verses in a loud voice choked with devotion for his Guru. 

After his chanting, he flung himself at the lotus feet of his Guru, shunning his ego of caste superiority and knowledge. His eyes were closed as he was in an intense state of love for his Guru. But when his eyes opened, he saw Sai Baba seated before him on the same seat where his Guru had been. Baba was lovingly asking for a donation from him with outstretched arms. Seeing Baba's joyful form and incredible divine presence, Moole Shastri's heart was filled to the brim. He could feel a surge of divine joy filling every pore of his body. His eyes swelled with tears of devotion. In his innermost self, he was swayed with intense divine ecstasy that was difficult for him to contain. It kept pouring out through his repeated prostrations at Baba's feet. With a voice filled with devotion, he uttered, "All my doubts are taken away. Today I have seen my own master." 

The devotees who witnessed this incredible divine play of Baba were mesmerized beyond words. This was the moment when everyone realized the implication of Baba's words spoken earlier that day: "Bring some saffron-colored mud, I shall paint my robes in saffron today." Through this beautiful divine play, Baba taught that the forms of Guru are different although Guru, in his essence, is the same. There is only one Guru, who is compassion-infinite and is the universal Consciousness. He comes to this mortal world, assuming different physical garbs, only to give to his children the light of knowledge with which to realize the Truth and to liberate them from the anxieties of the worldly plane.