Thursday, October 27, 2011
About Gurus
In ancient times in India and other regions of the far East, the truths of the traditions were "ear whispered" from guru (teacher) to follower. This knowledge was considered sacred, and the disciple was expected to follow a severe regime to make himself worthy of receiving such precious teachings.
Today, similar teachings are much easier to obtain--as print, as internet information, even on youtube. On the one hand, this is a momentous leap forward in the availability and dissemination of spiritual wisdom. On the other, there are also dangers that accompany such an advance.
One possible result is the desacralization of sacred knowledge. What is so easily obtained (at least as text) may be dismissed as irrelevant or unimportant by those who approach it on a superficial rather than a profound level. Without proper guidance, some may misinterpret meanings or deliberately skew them to suit their own purposes. And some may take passages literally that are intended to be interpreted symbolically or to be seen simply as examples.
There is also the danger that inauthentic teachers or gurus may present themselves and claim to be steeped in holiness when the opposite is the case. We have all heard of the gurus who abuse their power for sexual or financial gain.
Here are some suggestions for testing whether the"guru" is authentic and trustworthy.
l. Never trust a "guru" who offers to cure all ills, reward with all possible benefits, or offers a "swift path" to enlightenment. Enlightenment comes after serious and dedicated searching. It is a blessing to be received, not a frivolous favor to be bestowed on anyone who asks. As I mentioned earlier, the result of "enlightenment" may not be what the disciple was expecting.
2. Be wary of those who claim to be themselves "enlightened," or even avatars. An avatar in its original meaning is a reincarnation of a god. It seems unlikely that an avatar would try to sell his wares on the internet like any huckster.
3. Consider teachers as opposed to gurus. Gurus claim to possess all knowledge and demand total dedication from their followers. Teachers offer what wisdom they possess, and do not make such demands on their students. Instead the latter are invited to test each assertion for themselves and draw their own conclusions.
(The pictures above are those I took from my front window this morning. Two days ago the temperature was in the eighties. Yesterday, it dropped 40 degrees with the results you see in these photographs. The landscape is beautiful, and today we have sun and blue skies to make the world especially filled with magic.)
