Has the Guru Fallen in the Modern Age?
Sep 19, 2022
The below blog post was taken from two Facebook post written around Guru Purnima 2022.
Originally posted July 12, 2022 on FB
Has your spiritual teacher disappointed you and let you down?
Did the teacher/Guru scam money out of you? Or even psychologically abuse you and sexually coerce you all based upon unhealthy power dynamics?
Not to play these issues down but simply stated. These things happen too many of us.
More profoundly, if you have experienced these violations you are not alone!
In light of the crazy fact that the Pseudo-Guru is alive and well in this world, makes it all that much more important to understand the various forms of the Guru in an in-depth manner.
It is likely that if you have been misled by a spiritual teacher or a scammy Guru, your education on the topic might be limited teachings about the Guru.
I wanted to take some time to explore the Guru, as tomorrow’s full moon is the time when those of us who identify as being part of the Sanatana Dharma (more commonly known as Hinduism) celebrate the Guru and its intricacies.
If you look deeply at full system teachings about the Guru you will find, like life, the ideas presented are full of paradoxes.
Life is full of paradoxes.
We have to come to peace with this fact or we will not be able to integrate the reality of the earth realm. Not excepting the appearance of contractions, which meld into unity, can bring endless frustration and confusion.
For brevity, here are a few paradoxes about the Guru which often leave us confused and vulnerable.
The Guru is not a person. T
he Guru is a person.
The Guru should be followed with absolute unwavering faith.
Follow your own inner guidance which is the Guru within.
The Guru is in Nature, tune into the natural elements and you will be guided.
Join an organization and follow the Master Teacher (Guru).
And then we have the most complex topic which is ripe with a paradox: “God and Guru are one.”
Each one of these sentences could be explored and expounded upon in great depth. Simply, they are all partially true yet incomplete. Words can’t hold the fullness of these paradoxical pointers to the Unconditioned Truth.
To get a basic understanding of the Guru we need to understand various classifications.
Sat Guru
Upa Guru
Shiksha Guru
Diksha Guru
Guru as a Venerable Elder
Guru as a teacher of music, arts, math etc.
We won’t explore these topics in-depth now. Yet they are important to understand.
If you don’t know these terms and you have strong feelings about the Guru I suggest doing some learning before getting to fixed in your views.
It also helps to understand the various meanings of the word Guru. There are up to 24 meanings of the word in Sanskrit dictionaries.
There is more learning we could do there as well. But not now.
One other important topic is the qualities of the Guru. This is laid out in the various yogic text.
To make things even more nuanced, the Guru is also explained differently in the various sub-sects of Yoga, Vedanta, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism.
Who do you place authority in?
This touches on what the Guru is in your personal life, as well as which tradition you choose to follow and put your faith in.
As we can all see, the topic is vast.
Fittingly one characteristic of the Guru that most all sects will agree upon, is that the Guru is a living personification of vastness.
The one whom we call a Sat Guru is eternally connected to the vastness (Brahman ब्रह्मन्).
The True Guru is beyond conditioning. So any person who claims to be beyond conditioning is truly making a dramatic claim. If they are speaking at all isn’t that the conditioned mind?
If you’ve had a teacher or mentor who has abused you or members of your community, that person is not a Sat Guru. Sat Guru is one who is perfectly established in yogic qualities of nonviolence, compassion, equanimity, etc.
Such a person is very rare.
You might have a person in your life you think has such qualities. I don’t mean to be a drag, but their perfection is more likely than not a mental fiction you have created. The fiction might served you, so don’t let it go until you are ready. That fiction can actually take you very far so hold on to your faith unless you are justifying abuse.
In the case of those of us who are justifying abusers. We need to be deprogrammed. You can do it yourself, with the help of a friend, or under professional guidance. Please get deprogrammed if you are justifying abuse.
For those of us who have been abused by spiritual teachers, all I can say is, that I am truly sorry and my heart goes out to you.
Often a spiritual guide comes to help us along the path who has major shortcomings themselves. They might be very poorly adjusted in certain areas of their lives but can serve as a huge help at moments in our lives. Sometimes the guide completely derails us from the path due to their psychopathic narcissistic tendencies. They can also train you how to be the next psychopathic narcissist.
Yes, they do that. You might be in training now.
Abuse from spiritual teachers who are caught up in ego can be awful, “give me your money, leave your family and have sex with me.”
It happens, and it is horrible. Don’t follow their lead. Again take some time to get deprogrammed if you have been following this kind of spiritual leader.
In my humble opinion, the Guru (teachings) found in Mother Nature, the subtle elements, and those qualities which are close to the formless absolute are sound teachers. Mantras from the Vedas, Upanishads, Yogic and Puranic text are reliable energy transmitters of the Guru's energy. These things are Sat Gurus.
For learning, the Yogic, Puranic and Vedic Text are great Guru’s as well. I lean on them liberally.
A teacher, who functions as a spiritual guide who knows their imperfections is incredibly helpful on the path. They can show us humility in our own life.
I can’t say enough about a well-rounded spiritual teacher that knows their shortcomings but is somewhat experienced in Samadhi, unconditional services, and self-inquiry.
Emotional regulation tools and modern communication skills are also a major boon in this time period we are living in.
After all this, I must say…..
The True Guru has not fallen in the modern age!
The misconception of the Guru has proven to be infinitely problematic and downright dangerous.
The old saying is still true.
The Guru is One with God!
The Sat Guru can be found in a person but more safely in the Mantra, in Nature, in the Subtle Elements. The Guru is in our very own heart as Sat Chit Ananda, Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss Absolute beyond conditioning.
I am bowing to the living unstained Guru of Divine attributes and the Guru of formless bliss on this Guru Purnima and evermore!
The True Guru is in us, all around us, and in all things.
Jai Guru Jai!
Originally Posted on FB July 13th 2022
About the Guru….
In my last post in celebration of Guru Purnima (above), we explored the shadow, and confusion about the Guru.
Now I am simply and humbly bowing to the Gurus. Those that are alive, those that have left the body. Those whom I have never met in body and those that I am still to meet.
I am bowing to the formless all pervasive Guru.
I bow to my teachers who are fully realized and to those of you who are still working towards the goal.
I bow to the teaching that is in all things.
I bow 1000 times to Veda Vayasa and all the true Acharays, Paramahansas, Brahma Nishthas, and Avataras that have blessed this earth with their sacred and purifying presence.
I bow to the Guru in you and in all things.
I bow, I bow, I bow.
I am forever grateful.
Namah
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Are you enjoying the blog? Stay connected with news and updates and get a FREE PDF GUIDE: 10-Facts Every Yoga Practitioner and Teacher Needs to Know!
This short guide lays out simply facts about the Yoga tradition you should have learned in Yoga Teacher Training but probably didn't. By singing up to get the Free PDF you are joining our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
Don't worry, your information will not be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time
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