The Fallacy of the Guru
Take that first step today and greet your own inner guru – there’s none wiser to be found.
Do You Really Need a Guru?
By Jenny Griffin
The past couple of weeks have been full of references to gurus and the guru-disciple relationship. What is a guru, if such a thing exists? The definition in the Oxford Dictionary states a guru is ‘a Hindu spiritual teacher’ or ‘an influential teacher or popular expert’ (from the Oxford Dictionary). These are the people that so many seekers flock to go and see, spending their time and money to attain enlightenment through the guru’s guidance. They’ve been around for centuries, and modern versions are springing up everywhere, insisting that their ‘seven steps to enlightenment’ program avoids the pain of ____whatever it is you’re wishing to avoid_______.
The concept of a guru is troubling, not only because there are gurus the world over who use their perceived power and influence to engage in abusive behaviors that soothe their own damaged selves in a multitude of ways. It is troubling because in looking for someone else to ‘give’ you enlightenment, the whole concept of enlightenment has been lost. The word contains the answers: the act of lightening the load and seeking the light (ness) that dwells on the other side of the challenges.
Enlightenment is attained through the process of diving into the troubled waters of Self, to discover the blocks and beliefs that keep you from attaining your highest, brightest version of you, and following the cues to the light at the other side.
There’s a disturbing pattern of instant gratification underlying the whole guru phenomenon. Many people have become accustomed to a life in which it’s possible to purchase anything, so why not enlightenment? You can buy a ticket to the three-day workshop, the guru’s homeland or the retreat; you can listen as they explain that the way to happiness is through the simple process described in their book or course, and then you are lulled into a feeling of ease by their amazing charisma and magnetism, their apparent peace and positivity. It’s too easy to feel that you can have that by reading their words and rationalizing the journey to enlightenment.
So many of us have been trained from a very early age to put our own knowing aside in favor of others (i.e. authority). We seek approval from parents and teachers by adhering closely to what we are taught, and those who excel are rewarded with prizes and accolades. It is this mindset that has indoctrinated us into thinking that we are incapable of finding the way ourselves. There must be an answer somewhere out there, and *that guy* has done it, so maybe his way is the right way. There is no one right way, nor is there any secret key to a happy life. It is a choice, in every moment, to act according to your own soul’s deepest needs and desires. And it’s not easy – don’t buy into the idea that a week-long retreat can ‘give’ you happiness if you are not able (or willing) to seek the truth of that experience within you, on your own terms.
There is no doubt that some gurus mean well and have pure intentions. It is in the elevation of any (human) being to guru status (in ANY religion or institution) that things become distorted. It plays into the distorted masculine paradigm of power over, of putting authority in a figure/system/institution/etc outside of yourself. We are all from the same Source and have the capacity to tap into that Source to guide us at every moment. In giving someone else power, you are disempowering yourself, and the guru, in the process.
How so? You disempower yourself in believing that the guru holds the key to something you have access to without them, and you disempower the guru by allowing him/her to believe that they need a disciple in order to be all of who they are. It’s a lose-lose situation!
The journey to enlightenment is a very personal, inner-guided one that involves letting go of your own belief systems that are impeding your forward movement. No one can remove the blocks for you; no one being, entity or institution has the answers you seek; nothing outside of yourself has a greater capacity for helping you to find enlightenment than you.
Here’s where the missing piece comes in: how do you make someone else’s words and wisdom work for you? How do you live into the mindset of someone else, while your own experiences and belief patterns have a lifelong hold over you? (Remember too, that the guru in human form is also vulnerable to the way in which ego and experience color his/her perceptions).
It feels easy for the weekend or the month-long retreat to seem like it’s working, but when you return to your daily life and meet head-on the same things you’ve struggled with on a daily basis for the past ___ years, it’s a different story. You can read and study the tenets and teachings of another until you’re blue in the face, but that is no guarantee you will become enlightened. You can quote as many teachers as you like and try to make their teachings fit your life’s experiences, but you will be no closer to attaining a sense of freedom and connection to Source without the missing link.
That missing link is the heart. Until and unless you can feel the truth of the understanding in your heart, you will not be free of the burdens you carry. No one can make that connection happen for you. The way to your heart is to open it up to the feelings you have avoided through the process of ‘rational enlightenment’ and allow them to flow. Don’t attach anything to the expression of them: emotions are not ‘positive,’ ‘negative,’ or any other modifier used to describe them. They are energy in motion and open up a channel for us to connect to the truth within us. They are right there, inside us all, just waiting to be acknowledged. Take that first step today and greet your own inner guru – there’s none wiser to be found.
You will also enjoy Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee: The Ancient Path of The Mystic
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About the Author
Also known as ‘The Catharsis Coach,’ Jenny loves exploring life’s twists and turns through the lens of transformation. Her own journey through catharsis, a deep, deep letting go of ingrained patterns and beliefs, resulted in a feeling of connectedness, with the world around her and with that wise and wonderful voice within. Jenny has learned to engage with her life and experiences in a way that allows her to use the knowledge gained through them to serve others.
You can find her at The Power of Change on Facebook and on Twitter
This article republished from 27 September 2013
A good and well written article.
There are many paths to “enlightenment” as many, in fact, as there are those Seekers who stumble, crawl and claw their way along … it is always a unique journey.
The author, Jenny, takes issue with the concept of a “Guru” when she has begun to shoulder that harness herself.
There are many holes in her article, to be sure, but it certainly opens the door to conversation about a wonderful topic.
To face the “truth” of the matter, no one can walk your path for you … not your parents, friends nor your teachers.
A teacher, or “Guru”, can only give the student suggestions based upon previous experience and conversation … the teacher knows many tricks and has many tools to share to make the journey a bit easier.
In the end, however, the teacher’s words are only words … they have no magic nor influence upon the student’s path.
A teacher may walk beside the student for a while and help them along but that is the end of their role … it is the student who must do the work.
Also, Jenny brings up another wonderful point regarding the instant gratification expectation … there is no time limit to spiritual evolution. The travelers of such paths will have many enlightening moments but will equally face many dark experiences ………. this is not an easy journey.
I also agree with Jenny’s point about the heart being a primary ingredient in the search for enlightenment … there is little traction to be found in the muddy creations of the mind.
It truly takes the heart of a warrior … a Spiritual Warrior … to face this path.
Another ingredient to remember is to be found within an old Zen saying which goes something like this … the moment you begin to describe something, you have missed the mark.
Remember, “Enlightenment” will not stand still long enough to be a “goal” …. enlightenment is a journey.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on this, Kevin!
I haven’t consciously begun to shoulder the harness of guru nor would I choose to, but I certainly appreciate you pointing out that it may come across that way. My intention is simply to write what comes through me and offer perspectives that may differ from those that have been accepted as the only ‘truth.’ Questioning existing paradigms and systems is a big part of the journey.
Big Love,
Jenny
I rely on experts for legal and tax matters to save time and pitfalls and grief. I rely on my guru to be even more expert and discerning in telling me when I’m about to fall (in my own path) into a pit that could be avoided… while being completely unsurprised or affected and nonjudgmental if I should choose to do so anyway, so intent am I on making my own journey. 🙂 I realize it’s a lot of perfection to expect from a liberated soul, but when the hiker meets someone who’s been to the summit, it is wise to ask the returning trekker how the trail is ahead. This wouldn’t apply to a rambler, but maybe more to a climber listening to his sherpa guide.
ive mentored a number of people on spirituality, kundalini is a bear because even non sexually the uninitiated woman tends to get grabby over a purely chakra based work. But i never ever, and no true guru would, tell them i am their teacher, because i am not, their remembering the truths i have found is what teaches, thus the guru is inside of everyone, the infinitely knowing spirit. Im less interested in my perspective than seeing others develop their own from increasingly aware intuitive experiences. I am always looking for a perspective other than mind for the same validation any mentor would. anyone that exhibits some kind of whole mastery in spirituality is a fraud in their lives at some point. take Osho, guy never desexualized kundalini and became a perve imprisoned by it, just saying , we cant know it all the the eternal questioning by the experiences of others is just as fun as it it an oops when you find out ” Damn i thought i had that one” thats beauty and truth, for us to reflect in each other to go farther. The guru is the synergy of spirits and bodies humbled to whatever the real teachings are and transform into.