What metaphors are used in Chapter 18 to explain the Guru's role and the experience of merging with the divine?

Chapter 18 employs several powerful metaphors to illustrate the Guru's significance. To describe merging with the divine upon approaching the Guru, it uses the analogy of a salt doll entering the ocean, which dissolves and can never return, signifying the dissolution of the individual self. The chapter also compares the Guru to 'the rain clouds of the monsoon, showering the water of self-bliss with love.' This metaphor beautifully captures the Guru's role as a benevolent force who generously and impartially bestows grace and spiritual joy upon everyone, much like rain nourishes the earth.