[Jyotir]

Originally Posted by sky123

No I did not say a guru cannot help, I said that not everyone needs a teacher, big difference.
Be a light unto yourself...... The Buddha's Farewell

Well, sky123, aside from the evident issue in the discussion of intellectual honesty, or lack thereof (and feel free to see my previous post), I'll point out from your own quoted here, that the Buddha was leaving the physical world after being a guru to thousands (including his successors) for what? 40 years? So at least we know he was a master of irony even if all of his teaching was a futile and complete waste of time!!

Again, what do you think constitutes that 'light within' that he was referencing? As in, who is this "yourself" he was referring to?
Do you think the Buddha's light and your light are separate, and should be maintained as such, as matter of principle, perhaps as the very means of discovery?
That is the philosophical basis of your assertion (again, regardless of red-herring issue* of 'my choice'/'your choice').

* for me anyway. I'm not taking jonesboy's apparent position of 'mandate'/mandatory regarding gurus - only that in principle and in actual fact, they are viable as an expedient, and viable as an option.

~ J