How do you recognize a spiritual teacher?

[Innocence3.0]

Hello everyone!
I'm new here but happy to share with you and today i have this question on my mind.
Through all the videos of the net, how would you single out a true spiritual master? Is it his teaching? His aura? His "results" in teaching awareness to others ? His behaviour in life?
Personally i've met two spiritual masters that i am certain of. It's Amma from India, whom a lot of people know, and a woman called Maria in France.
She's just been interviewed recently and the videos are on youtube (in french but there are english subtitles for the first one).
Her teaching is about awareness of the egos in our daily life, letting go of the suffering caused by our dysfonctioning and living in the present moment. Nothing new under the sun, but of course it depends on WHO is teaching you.
Tell me what you think!

[iamthat]

Hi Innocence3.0

Welcome to the forum.

It is always possible that the true spiritual master does not bother posting videos on the net.

And let us be careful of our certainties about spiritual masters. You mention Amma from India, presumably the hugging Amma. Try reading Holy Hell by Gail Tredwell, who spent 20 years living in very close proximity to Amma as her personal attendant. Gail Tredwell began as a starry-eyed devotee and ended up fleeing after years of emotional and physical abuse from Amma.

My personal opinion? A true spiritual master is one who can lead the student to realisation. If they cannot do this then they are just another teacher. There are many people out there considered to be spiritual masters by their students, but how many of these students have actually attained genuine states of realisation?

Peace

[FairyCrystal]

There are loads of spiritual teachers who do their work in various ways, using various approaches. I too am a spiritual teacher. Not for all, but for a certain group, definitely.
Everyone finds their own teachers. To me a spiritual teacher is someone who's quite wise, at least a few steps ahead of you, and makes you grow and develop as you set steps on your spiritual path.
I said a few steps ahead, as when they are way ahead of you the gap could be too big for you to grasp what they're on about.
I've had all kinds of teachers myself, from a hedgewitch to intuitive development teachers to Lightwork teachers and so on. A wide variety, shamanic and Lightwork and everything in between. It's the same really, but the approach is different, and shamanic is more earth focused.

All my teachers have been Caucasian, come to think of it, all European, Dutch & English. That resonates with me most as I'm Dutch, and have a lot of affinity with western European history and paganism.

But the main thing to me whether someone is a spiritual teacher is A) they resonate and it doesn't feel like they're talking out of their you-know-what and B) they bring you growth.

[Truth307]

Originally Posted by Innocence3.0

Hello everyone!
I'm new here but happy to share with you and today i have this question on my mind.
Through all the videos of the net, how would you single out a true spiritual master? Is it his teaching? His aura? His "results" in teaching awareness to others ? His behaviour in life?
Personally i've met two spiritual masters that i am certain of. It's Amma from India, whom a lot of people know, and a woman called Maria in France.
She's just been interviewed recently and the videos are on youtube (in french but there are english subtitles for the first one).
Her teaching is about awareness of the egos in our daily life, letting go of the suffering caused by our dysfonctioning and living in the present moment. Nothing new under the sun, but of course it depends on WHO is teaching you.
Tell me what you think!

They are normally humble, you can usually tell a humble soul from an egoistic soul. A lot of teachers become arrogant and try and sell their teachings with their ego.

A real teacher is someone who teaches the Truth and lives those teachings. Many teach but then are revealed to be involved in many scandals and commit crimes etc.

One genuine teacher was Guru Nanak

[Busby]

Well, I'm an old man, have been to many places, seen and heard many things, listened to a load of Mumpf, observed cheats and swindlers, liars and charmers, but I have never seen, heard or encountered anyone who could vaguely be called a spiritual teacher.
Look at yourself in the mirror - there you'll see a spiritual teacher. There's not one person who knows more than you - in fact we all know little or nothing except experiencing that universe which impinges upon our senses.

Nothing else is valid.

[peteyzen]

Every one is in a different place in their development. What is inspiring and innovative to one is old news to another. We ALL have teachers, so learn from them.
Some guides; If they want a bit of money off you, chances are they know only a bit,
If they want lots of money off you, avoid them.
If they give to you freely, then follow them, real teachers give, they understand that is the way.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Innocence3.0

Hello everyone!
I'm new here but happy to share with you and today i have this question on my mind.
Through all the videos of the net, how would you single out a true spiritual master? Is it his teaching? His aura? His "results" in teaching awareness to others ? His behaviour in life?
Personally i've met two spiritual masters that i am certain of. It's Amma from India, whom a lot of people know, and a woman called Maria in France.
She's just been interviewed recently and the videos are on youtube (in french but there are english subtitles for the first one).
Her teaching is about awareness of the egos in our daily life, letting go of the suffering caused by our dysfonctioning and living in the present moment. Nothing new under the sun, but of course it depends on WHO is teaching you.
Tell me what you think!

I would say the criteria you laid out to 'single out a true spiritual master' is excellent.

As for Amma: I know of people who started with her and still 'stick' with her as a teacher. The other lady seems very comparable.

[BigJohn]

֍                WELCOME TO THE SPIRITUAL FORUMS! Innocence3.0                      ֎

[John32241]

Originally Posted by Innocence3.0

Through all the videos of the net, how would you single out a true spiritual master? Is it his teaching? His aura? His "results" in teaching awareness to others ? His behaviour in life?

Tell me what you think!

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

A high level spiritual teacher would guide others on embracing their own divinity. They would live a non-judgemental life with great love for all that is.

For those who can see aura's or the merkabah's energy field, yes that person would be different.

John

[Innocence3.0]

Thanks to all of you. You seem experienced in the matter.
I agree a true spiritual master, and what i mean by true is that it is a person capable of transmitting the depth of light through the layers of ego, should give teachings that emanate from compassion towards humanity. And a master is the first to live by his teachings.
A lot of people talk about not-in-the-flesh spiritual guidance, i reckon it is real, but to me, it doesn't seem to be as efficient and mind-blowing as being in the vicinity of a flesh and bone spiritual soul incarnated to help humanity. I think mainly because it is too easy to being led astray by our own illusions... Are we strong enough to see through our mental discourse? Are we clairvoyant enough to be truthful in facing our beliefs?