What Is A Spiritual Guru

In Hinduism's traditions, the Guru is an ancient and fundamental person. In Hindu religion, ultimate liberation, contentment, and freedom in the form of moksha, as well as inner perfection, are attained by two methods: guru assistance and progression through the karma process, which includes rebirth in some schools of Hindu philosophy. In Hinduism, the Guru is many things on an individual level, including a skill teacher, a counselor, someone who assists in the birth of mind and realization of one's Self (Atma), someone who instills values and experiential knowledge, someone who serves as an exemplar, someone who inspires, and someone who helps guide a student's (iya) spiritual development. On a social and religious level, the Guru assists in the continuation of Hinduism and its way of life. In Hindu culture, Guru plays a historic, revered, and significant role.

What is the purpose of a guru?

Someone who is a guru is the precise translation of the word guru “Darkness is banished.” Ignorance is the source of this darkness.

Though any master teacher is sometimes referred to as a guru (the term “guru” is now used very loosely in English), the term “guru” traditionally refers to a religious or spiritual teacher who not only has deep knowledge that can lead to moksha (liberation or enlightenment), but also has direct experience of Divine vision or grace that has been assimilated into their way of being.

Traditional pupils lived with their guru, at least for a while, with the guru basically taking on the role of a parent, though this is significantly less frequent today than it previously was.

Though most people in the West associate gurus with Hinduism, the title is also applied to spiritual instructors in the Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh traditions.

No. Although having a guru is not required, most Hindu traditions believe that having one is extremely advantageous to one's spiritual knowledge and progress.

To put it another way, while you don't need a guru to achieve enlightenment, having one makes it easier.

This is analogous to embarking on a new voyage. It is much easier to travel with someone who has already completed the journey or at the very least is familiar with the route. Following their written directions makes the trip easy even when they are not present. You can also explore on your own and get to your destination, but it will be more difficult. Progress will most likely be slower, and the risk of going in the wrong way will be greater.

The spiritual advancement of their followers is guided by a guru (known as shishya). Instructions are personalized according to the guru's spiritual, psychological, and practical understanding into what is required for the pupil to learn and grow spiritually.

Until the latter half of the twentieth century, all, or at least the majority, of teaching was done through an oral tradition, in which information was passed directly from teacher to pupil. Students frequently lived with or near their guru, or paid frequent visits. While the oral tradition is still revered, the majority of gurus have authored substantial speeches on their teachings. Many also provide live or recorded internet lectures to students all over the world, have formal pupils on every continent, and their teachings may have a significant impact on the lives of countless spiritual searchers who will never study in depth or meet the guru in person.

No. Though this may be what comes to mind when someone thinks of the word guru, there is no religious or cultural mandate for a guru to be male. In reality, there have been numerous notable female gurus throughout history and today. In the last half-century, Sri Sarada Devi, Sister Nivedita, the Mother, Anandamayi Ma, Mata Amritanandamayi, Gurumayi, and Amma Sri Karunamayi have been among the most renowned.

Although Hinduism as a religion does not have a single leader, each teaching tradition that makes up Hinduism places a high value on teacher lineage. Guru-shishya parampara is the term for this relationship.

The majority of today's gurus were formerly shishyas of another guru in the same lineage. However, a guru may emerge who is generally recognized as an enlightened spiritual master due to their own past sadhana (discipline and study), but this is uncommon.

Only when a recognized guru gives permission for one of their shishya to carry on the tradition as a guru may that student use that title correctly. Advanced pupils of a guru may occasionally start teaching on their own without claiming to be a full-fledged guru. This is something you'll see a lot in yoga classes.

For those seeking deeper spiritual study under a guru, lineage is especially important to highlight today. Has the teacher you want to learn with been given permission to teach in some manner by their teacher? Who did they study with and learn from?

Treat your search for a guru or spiritual instructor as if you were applying to a university. Before you even approach the institution to enroll you for study, you should familiarize yourself with the university's educational philosophy, history, how its students enjoy studying there, and what its graduates have accomplished. While you may not be able to determine a possible guru's spiritual achievement as a prospective pupil (just as you may not be able to appreciate the complexity of any professor's work as a freshman), you should try to assess the guru's history and qualifications.

Yes. Someone switching guru is totally acceptable, if not commonplace, given the depth of the relationship. This could be because your spiritual needs have changed, your prior guru has passed away, or your guru has altered their teachings and practices, or recommended that you follow someone else's path.

This is not a recent phenomenon, contrary to popular belief. Some people have several gurus as their spiritual quest advances, according to spiritual literature like the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Prostration in front of someone is a gesture of deep reverence in Hindu culture. This is something you'll see followers perform in front of a guru or in temples before a murti (images of the divine, used to focus devotional attention). In both circumstances, the devotee is kneeling down to the Divine principle embodied or revealed in front of them, not because they feel they are really bowing down to God. People frequently touch the feet of their parents and other people they respect and regard as authoritative and devout.

In both cases, the attention is on the feet, as explained in the book What is Hinduism? “According to legend, his entire being was contained inside his feet. All nerve currents come to a halt here. Every organ of the body's important points are present. “When we touch the spiritual master's feet, we are touching the spiritual master.” In simpler terms, the guru's feet constitute the cornerstone of his or her physical self. Touching them demonstrates regard for the whole person.

When it comes to how pupils should treat their teacher, Hindu spiritual writings are frequently rather demanding (strict obedience, not questioning their instructions, giving over personal belongings, etc). However, just as society as a whole has shifted toward more egalitarian and less hierarchical attitudes over the last 50 years, so have student expectations of guru behavior.

Respect, deference, and dedication are still expected, but complete subjugation, as described in older literature, is no longer the norm. With this in mind, students are still expected to be loyal to their guru and have faith in his or her knowledge and practices — but not to the point of blind faith. Students are supposed to remain modest in front of their guru and to credit the guru while sharing their lessons with others.

While a guru has deep spiritual knowledge to transmit — and they continue to play an important and positive role in Hindu traditions — there is a growing realization that they are not immune to typical human reactions to everyday conditions. Gurus are unique, but they are still people. There's also more public recognition that a guru might deviate from the spiritual precepts he or she preaches and act unethically, if not abusively, toward their pupils. When such behavior occurs, it is increasingly and properly condemned.

What happens when you meet your guru?

A true Guru can only teach from a place of pure love. A true Guru can only give you Pure Love and Light, and it will come in whatever form you require at the time.

The joy of any true Guru is not in creating devotees, but in merging his or her awareness with that of the disciples and rising them to complete Mastery.

You never have to give up your free will or independence when working with a great Guru. A great Guru will never force his or her beliefs or way of life on a disciple. In a strictly consultative function, the Guru responds to questions posed to him or her.

It is said in Indian sacred literature that obtaining a human body is a rare occurrence in and of itself, but obtaining a human body while also being spiritually conscious is more rarer. Being spiritually conscious and finding a Perfect Teacher, on the other hand, is the greatest blessing a human being can receive.

Your soul will eventually bring your Guru to you, even if you are already an enlightened creature whose essence is obscured. When you finally meet your Guru, it will strike a chord with you on multiple levels. There will be inner calm and certainty, as well as a sense of trust.

Who is real guru?

Many people are referred to as (or refer to themselves as) “guru,” but only a few are the real, or authentic Guru, as stated in the Scriptures. A Sat-Guru is a spiritual guru who recognizes his Self as one with God. He has no ego left, no sense of “I,” no sense of “I am this person.” His consciousness is unlimited, and nirbikalpa samadhi is his inner condition.

Consider a clean window with plenty of natural light shining through it. That window is the Guru. God is the sun. God radiates with all of His power via a real Guru (Sat-Guru). Only a Sat-Guru like this can set the soul free.

We can truly bow to such a Guru and offer our complete obedience, our lives, and everything we have. Nobody else.

“Gudarkness is a syllable, and ruthe destroyer is a syllable. He is known as Guru because he is capable of destroying darkness. Only the Guru is the ultimate Absolute. The Guru is the only true path. The Guru is the sole possessor of supreme wisdom. The Guru is the only true refuge. The Guru is the ultimate limit. The Guru is the ultimate wealth. Because he is thatguru's instructor.”

Another scripture (the Kula Arnava Tantra) teaches us something important to consider: “There are many gurus on earth who deliver something other than the Self, but the Guru who exposes the Self is hard to come by in all the realms.”

There are numerous teachers (young, unripe gurus), but only one authentic Sat-Guru, who is your eternal bond to God. In India, it is commonly preached that you need a living guru who is present in your body. But where is the genuine Guru, the Sat-Guru, who is devoid of all ego? I've met a number of outstanding saints, yet even they weren't completely devoid of the ego. If we put our faith in them completely, we can have a rude awakening: we'll eventually see their ego, whether it's a craving for power, a weakness for sex, for money, or an inclination toward self-importance.

How can you find your own Sat-Guru (in or out of the body)? Pray to God and prepare yourself by your earnest sadhana and zealous pursuit of Truth. According to legend, the Guru appears when the pupil is ready. Feel in your heart who is your spiritual family, who is your relationship to God, and where you feel at home spiritually.

Try following different gurus and putting their teachings and practices into practice. Inquire of God: “Is this yours?” Your hunt is done once you've discovered your Guru. You only listen to one Guru. He's all yours. In the Guru-disciple connection, loyalty is essential.

Make the Guru your first priority at that point, over your husband (or wife), your children, your parents, your work, your aspirations, your entire life. The real Guru is God's vehicle on Earth: he is His mouth, arms, heart, and benediction. It's because he's nothing more than a pure window for God's transformative light.

What makes a good guru?

To help us overcome our spiritual illiteracy, we need a competent instructor. We must learn how to be simply attached to the Supreme One. His feet are our safe haven, and we must learn how to get to them. Reading the scriptures will not provide atma gnana. There will be a lot of things that will not reveal their true meaning to us. With the help of a dictionary, we may learn the definitions of words. But it's the interpretation of the texts that matters, and it's here that a guru comes in handy, as Kidambi Narayanan pointed out in a lecture.

A good guru is one who tells it as it is. He doesn't stop there, though. He also encourages others to be honest. He is in command of his indriyas. His thoughts are always on the Supreme One. He is calm and patient. All of these are attributes of a good teacher, according to the Taittriya Upanishad. However, finding someone who is knowledgeable and possesses all of these qualities is difficult. If one set out to find such a flawless guru, one may wind up dissatisfied after a lifetime of searching.

In the Uddhava Gita, Lord Krishna says that finding a good guru is not difficult. There are a plethora of them all around us! The Lord's list contains such diverse creatures as the earth, serpents, doves, and so on, and he presents a list of gurus whose examples are there for us to follow. The Lord informs out that animals, birds, and the elements are all gurus if we notice them and choose to follow their example.

Two Gitas were created by Lord Krishna. One of these was the well-known Bhagavad Gita, which He preached to Arjuna. The Uddhava Gita, which He preached to Uddhava, was the other. Uddhava was filled with anguish as the Lord's avatara was about to end. When the Lord's avatara ended, he didn't want to live. As a result, he prayed to the Lord to teach him how to be detached. The Lord then highlighted to many aspects of nature as teachers who were teaching us important truths. The challenge of finding a guru was made easier by Lord Krishna. The elements are all around us, so we don't have to go looking for them. Animals, birds, and reptiles were also included as good gurus on the Lord's list.

How do you grow guru status?

True gurus, on the other hand, understand that a rational approach to guruhood is futile. They recognize that the only way to get masses of followers addicted to them is to tap into the most fundamental, emotional, and irrational aspects of human nature.

Fortunately, you can become a guru by following in the footsteps of those who have gone before you.

The most successful gurus have all followed the same four steps to master the attention-getting game.

What happens when you have a spiritual awakening?

As Kaiser argues, this is the start of your spiritual journey, as you begin to doubt everything you previously believed. You begin to purge certain aspects of your life (habits, relationships, and outdated belief systems) in order to make room for new, more meaningful experiences. You may sense that something is lacking, but you aren't sure what it is. It's common to feel disoriented, confused, and down during this time.