A time comes in our lives, when we think of having a Guru so that our journey on spiritual path become a little easy with the guidance and blessings of the guru. I am anxious to find a Guru, a real guru who can hold my hand, guide me and take me on the path of the highest truth. However, I also know that it is not that simple. In this age of media and technology we keep on listening to many stories, where so called gurus are robbing people of their money and trust. It has become a very lucrative business because in this field, we don’t ask too many questions about the credibility of the gurus. We are fearful, ignorant and have the belief that on the name of dharma no one will cheat us. We are getting into the trap of fancy inspiring speeches, knowledge or their claim of being an “avatar”. Religious terrorism is very much in practice and thus, these so-called spiritual gurus are so financially strong that no one can do any harm to them.
Therefore, the question is how to find a guru? These days even diksha or initiation is being given more so for bringing lots of people under one particular (on the name of gurus or ashrams) umbrella. What it actually means, and whether one is ready for it or not, does not seem to hold importance. While surfing the net, I came across this ad, “In the Internet you can find millions of mantras. But which one is right for you? Now you can ask Swami XYZ for a personal mantra for your issues of love and relationships, finance, health, or your spiritual way. By working with your personal mantra you can bring your consciousness to another level. Swami Ji will connect with your energy and find the mantra which is beneficial, particularly for you!”
Knowing the seriousness of this business, even the seeker needs to do little homework before finding the real guru. One should not succumb to the pressure or to the false aura created by a few devotees, unless the person himself feels the need and connectivity with the guru. Our scriptures are full of stories and characteristics to identify a real guru. I am trying to explore a few here. In Gita, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna,
“Acquire the transcendental knowledge from a Self-realized master by humble reverence, by sincere inquiry, and by service. The empowered ones, who have realized the Truth, will teach you.” (4.34)
But the question is how to know who possesses the real quality of a guru? Lord Krishna has described these qualities in chapter 4, verse 18-23 very nicely. Also in” Vivekchudamani” Adi Shankaracharya has described the qualities of a sadguru as follows:
33. Who is versed in the Vedas, sinless, unsmitten by desire and a knower of Brahman par excellence, who has withdrawn himself into Brahman; who is calm, like fire that has consumed its fuel, who is a boundless reservoir of mercy that knows no reason, and a friend of all good people who prostrate themselves before him.
37. These are good souls, calm and magnanimous, who do well to others as does the spring, and who, having themselves crossed this dreadful ocean of birth and death, help others also to cross the same, without any motive whatsoever.
The duty of a guru is to bring a disciple close to god and to help one establish a relationship with God. A genuine spiritual teacher always considers themselves a servant of the Supreme lord. Let’s see what Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa had to say about a real guru. He says, “Satchidananda alone is the Guru. If a man in the form of a guru awakens spiritual consciousness in you, then know for certain that it is God the Absolute who has assumed that human form for your sake. The guru is like a companion who leads you by the hand. After the realization of God, one loses the distinction between the guru and the disciple. The relationship between them remains as long as the disciple does not see God."
So a genuine spiritual master is a true necessity and an extremely rare blessing. Upon finding such a teacher, one must approach him or her and inquire about the truth of life. At the same time, to a genuinely sincere student seeking a Guru, the Supreme Being inspires him from within the heart.. Spiritual life is not a retreat; it is an inner journey, a journey of self discovery.
If we are seekers, we have to be wise and intelligent in our search of a guru. We have to combine our sensibility with worldly wisdom if we ever want to truly succeed. We should know how to discriminate because we want spiritual salvation and no one else can do it for us as we have to save ourselves. So we should start relying on our own wisdom.
A true master will have elevated conduct. The mind will be pure, desires will be less. Always remember, we have to achieve our goal by our own effort. We have to cultivate ourselves. No one can do it for us. There is no instant mantra for spiritual salvation. It is not a cocktail whipped together by a whimsical combination of asanas and breathing exercises. It is easy to say that ‘I am not the Body’, but to understand and apply it in daily life is a different experience all together. It implies a change in consciousness, a transformation in the way one views the world around them. This requires a spiritual teacher or a Bonafide Guru but we should have the wisdom of knowing who the real guru is.
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