We’re living in an age where spirituality is becoming mainstream and having a guru is almost becoming fashionable. This is no doubt thanks to the great preponderance of spiritual teachings and teachers that have made their way to the internet, often confusing genuine seekers. Where at one time, you would have to trudge for months and years through mountains and forests to find some solitary yogi or and thereafter spend 12 years in their service to receive the secret teaching, today, the highest teachings are freely available on the internet. The trouble is that someone need only have heard a couple of years’ worth more of spiritual videos or have read a few books more than you, for you to feel like they are indeed profound and all-knowing and should be your guru.
The system of parampara traditionally kept some checks and balances around this, but today, you cannot even be sure to find a truly Self realized guru even through this route. Ego-driven teachers can cause much confusion for seekers, derailing them from the path with their half-baked understandings. Sadly the world is full of it. The experience of falling victim to a false teacher is becoming more and more common, leading to many people becoming scarred and scared of the whole spiritual quest. So this Guru Purnima, I thought I’ḍ offer some guidance for seekers for avoiding misleading teachers and teachings.
Understand what a guru is
The guru is not a person. The scriptures tell us that the guru is the tattvam that is all-pervading (vyaptam yena chara-charam). The guru is the Self. When the Self takes a form that can help us return to It, we call that form a guru. It is not that the form of the guru is of no consequence, but what is important of the form is the Presence and the teachings shared. It is not important to know the guru personally; in fact that can be a huge distraction and obstacle. The guru’s voice should be heard like it is coming from Existence Itself, not a person. As Sri Ramakrishna said, “If an individual is initiated by a human guru but perceives their guru merely as an ordinary person, they will not attain any progress in spiritual life. The guru must be revered as a direct manifestation of the divine.”
Another common question seekers have is whether they really need to follow a guru or can they do the spiritual path on their own. A guru is essential as almost all sages have said. Even Rama and Krishna (God Himself!) had gurus in their human incarnations. We look for teachers to learn even relatively simple things like writing or driving, then why do we feel like we don’t need one for spirituality? People often naively think they will find their own way; but that is because they’re actually unaware of what the way is and what is involved! Only the guru knows the way and can guide us out of the mind’s grip and into the Heart. To find a guru who actually knows the way out of maya is indeed rare and a most fortunate and auspicious blessing.
A guru is needed because our minds are covered in ignorance. A guru is needed because we have forgotten our true Nature. A guru is needed because we need to see an example, in human form, of what has been proclaimed in the great texts like the Vedas. We need the living proof and living guidance.
Teaching, not teacher
Seekers sometimes wonder if they can trust a certain teacher or how can they know if a teacher is truly enlightened? The truth is, you can never know someone’s spiritual state unless you yourself are in that state or beyond it. It is generally not possible to tell from the outer behaviour of a person, whether they are enlightened. The thing for a seeker to do, is to focus on the teaching if it resonates with them. If a seeker sincerely applies the teaching, then even if the guru turns out to be false, the seeker’s earnestness and desire, will light his way. Remember the story of Eklavya, who did not have the benefit of Dronacharya’s personal guidance, yet even surpassed Arjuna in archery, despite Arjuna living closely with Dronacharya for several years.
Often seekers take the position that the guru should behave in certain ways, follow certain rituals or belong to a certain tradition. Yet, time and again, extraordinary Masters have come along that defied all expectations and could not be understood or slotted. The guru manifests as needed for the disciples’ enlightenment, not to comfort their mind. The truth is that it shouldn’t even matter to the seeker whether the guru is enlightened. I once heard Premanand Maharaj ji say in a talk, do you go into a sweet shop and ask the shopkeeper if he has personally tried all the sweets before you buy? No. You take what you need because he has what you want. Keeping focus on one’s inner goal, without getting distracted by the outer paraphernalia of groups and organization is also important.
The crucial thing is to follow the guru’s teaching and verify whether it works for yourself. That teaching does not come from a person; it comes from the tradition, from Presence, from Enlightenment Itself. The true guru is the Presence.
Guru is a Mirror
The real work of the guru is to give you a mirror to see your Self. This they do through their words and Presence. A disciple finally realizes that the guru is their own Self. That what was “inside”, is what is outside in the form of their guru. However, this is not easy to understand and too many seekers prematurely leave their gurus upon hearing that they themselves are the true guru!
The Guru is a form of Grace that has come to lead you back to Itself. With all other things in the world, we accept partially – there is always a part of us that holds back and doesn’t consent fully. A guru is just someone with whom your acceptance became Total. Not because you were brainwashed, but because something in you sensed that they truly know you. And because Love has a tendency to turn everything into Itself.
Blessed Guru Purnima to all.
