How To Find A Teacher (Guru)

[Shivani Devi]

Namaste.

It isn't that often I make a thread outside of the Hindu Forum...I am the type who prefers to join in other discussions rather than instigate them due to my insecurities...

I just finished posting on a different thread discussing the requirement or non requirement of a "spiritual teacher" if we are all already "Oneness" and don't need any teacher outside of our own awareness AS Self..

That being said, I personally feel that there will be "teaching times" on our journey, on whatever path we choose and there will be times when we must "grow alone" (learning times) and each has it's specific requirements on the Astral level.

Why I started this thread, is because there are some who feel they need "instruction" on how to live up to the full potential of whatever it is they perceive themselves to be (and the Non-Dualists will have much enjoyment contemplating that last statement).

Finding a Spiritual Teacher or "Personal Master" is no difference to finding someone that teaches any practical thing from Auto Mechanics to Zoology.

First, find your own core beliefs and values surrounding anything you hold to be true within your own heart (notice I did not say "belief"). =)

Next, do your homework and look into all of those who hold similar beliefs to you or whose teachings "strike a deep chord" within, or an institution you would like to learn more about...even consider membership.

There are quite a few teachers of Yoga, Vedanta, Buddhism, Martial Arts, Tantra, Meditation etc etc who actually come from a long line of teachers from that established tradition...for example (but not exclusively) The Self-Realization Fellowship or the Theosophical Society or the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy.

One of my favorite videos on YouTube, is called "From Hollywood to the Holy Woods" all about the life story of Sadhvi....who gave up the life of being a multi millionaire to join an ashram in Rishikesh because she found her teacher..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V8eYkvW4SK4

*She did an awesome interview with Mooji last year on this very topic*

Once you have found some people who you can talk to and open up to, speak to them and find out what inspired them...it may be TM or Quantum Physics or Christianity and then, do your research.

Often, you will notice certain names keep on getting referred to over and over again...some you may already be aware of and others may be new to you and are able to expand upon your belief system and your whole way of thinking....not try to eradicate it because according to some like Gregg Braden et al, beliefs are very important in our psychogenic and psychogenetic evolution as a species who all have fractal DNA resonating in harmony with Source DNA (and all that stuff).

So, approach those teachers..send them a email saying how much you appreciated their previous satsanga or just Sanga as part of the whole Triple Gem of Buddhist practice.

It seems as though I am covering a few topics in one here, but they are all intertwined and related and I hope this begins a nice, polite and respectful discussion.

[NoOne]

Personally, I have not met any genuine teachers or gurus on this path. Maybe I was just unlucky, or was meant to walk alone, who knows.

I think there is limitation in sticking to a particular tradition and following it rigidly, whilst on the other hand, there are obvious advantages.

All I know, is that listening to others has never worked for me, only trusting myself and my own instincts ever has. For me to actually listen to and respect a spiritual master or guru, they would have to be on the level of Padmasambhava or the Buddha and even then I would challenge and question them all the time.

I doubt that there's a single person alive today that would be anywhere near that level. Sorry, if that disappoints some people, but that's the way I see it. We are in the depths of the Kali Yuga, very obviously nowadays and one can only trust higher beings and their inner Guru.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by NoOne

Personally, I have not met any genuine teachers or gurus on this path. Maybe I was just unlucky, or was meant to walk alone, who knows.

I think there is limitation in sticking to a particular tradition and following it rigidly, whilst on the other hand, there are obvious advantages.

All I know, is that listening to others has never worked for me, only trusting myself and my own instincts ever has. For me to actually listen to and respect a spiritual master or guru, they would have to be on the level of Padmasambhava or the Buddha and even then I would challenge and question them all the time.

I doubt that there's a single person alive today that would be anywhere near that level. Sorry, if that disappoints some people, but that's the way I see it. We are in the depths of the Kali Yuga, very obviously nowadays and one can only trust higher beings and their inner Guru.

I can see your point because I often think to myself that Ramana Maharishi, Swami Vivkenada and my own Guru's, Guru...Swami Sivananda Saraswati of the DLS (Divine Life Society in the Himalayas)..were the last of a generation.

Back in 2001, I was initiated (given Diksha) by Swami Chidananda Saraswati after pretty much following Swami Satyananda and Swami Muktananda around until Ma Sheela made that once credible establishment lose all credibility and now she is a personal "spiritual trainer" to the rich and famous..gotta love Kali Yuga sometimes...it is an endless source of amusement.

However, even those above, don't even hold a torch to those who lived during the first half of the last millennium...before the world was a much larger place with not so many people in it.

[Unseeking Seeker]

***

Our learning as academic is one aspect where we need to know the basics about the steps taken by masters and their counsel as a directional indicator. Teachers having theoretical knowledge are aplenty and all very useful too ... attending a satsang is uplifting by the very environment itself.

Wisdom on the other hand is of directly imbibed experience which when assimilated transforms our consciousness (I speak of consciousness as what we are cognisant of here & now in occupation of the mind body interface). The teachers who may help accelerate or steer this process are automatically provided by the Universe. They need not be in the flesh however.

All being divine grace, each and every enablement we have been bestowed ... what is our role as an identity to garner it? Zilch.

Our only role, if any, is to empty ourselves to make room within for the divine energy to manifest. Here again the traps are innumerable. We want empowerment now. So who wants?

Then there is fear, doubt, hesitation, pride, insecurity etc. ... all identity related self blocks. A teacher can show the way but we have to detoxify our consciousness ourselves. Self help.

Hmmm where were we? Yes, the teacher. The teacher waits for us always. But are we ready to trustingly embrace?

***

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker

***

Our learning as academic is one aspect where we need to know the basics about the steps taken by masters and their counsel as a directional indicator. Teachers having theoretical knowledge are aplenty and all very useful too ... attending a satsang is uplifting by the very environment itself.

Wisdom on the other hand is of directly imbibed experience which when assimilated transforms our consciousness (I speak of consciousness as what we are cognisant of here & now in occupation of the mind body interface). The teachers who may help accelerate or steer this process are automatically provided by the Universe. They need not be in the flesh however.

All being divine grace, each and every enablement we have been bestowed ... what is our role as an identity to garner it? Zilch.

Our only role, if any, is to empty ourselves to make room within for the divine energy to manifest. Here again the traps are innumerable. We want empowerment now. So who wants?

Then there is fear, doubt, hesitation, pride, insecurity etc. ... all identity related self blocks. A teacher can show the way but we have to detoxify our consciousness ourselves. Self help.

Hmmm where were we? Yes, the teacher. The teacher waits for us always. But are we ready to trustingly embrace?

***

Thank you and I appreciate this.

That being said, I was the one who usually gets up, mid-Sanga, goes over to the musical instruments and starts passing them all around...miss those heady days way back when.

I honed my musical skills and my Sanskrit being a Hare Krishna for 2 years and I didn't mind dressing up and going dancing in the park either....until the day my life changed forever...

I read The Serpent Power by Sir John Woodroffe...then I met a contemporary of Woodroffe's, Geoffrey Hodson ..I became a Theosophist..well that's what I do anyway...study God and mankind...not always with my head though.

[Little Creek77]

The best teacher is yourself.

[Starman]

I come from a different generation and met my guru back before there was any such thing as YouTube, FaceBook, or the internet, back before there were cell phones or computers. People would talk with people, many were strangers who they just met on the street, and they would tell you about a guru or a program where a guru would be giving satsang. Back then very few people in America and Europe knew anything about meditation; it was not in the public conscience and not a word you heard spoken much.

Back then not many people were talking about your inner teacher and there were lots of gurus traveling the world gathering devotees. I am talking about the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s. Swami Sat Chit Ananda spoke at the original Woodstock festival in 1968, and a bunch of gurus came from India and Asia to Europe, North and South America, and elsewhere to show people how to meditate back in the early 1970's, and for the most part it was all free of charge. Without that period of time back then I doubt if we would even be talking about meditation the way we are here today. That lead to this.

I used to go to satsang just about every evening, for at least a couple of decades, and I received a lot of darshan from various gurus. A part of me does miss those days but for the most part I have moved on. It was those days with my guru that gave me the strong connection I now have with my inner teacher and I am grateful for that. I have been around a lot of genuine gurus, also called Sat-Gurus, greatly expanded consciousness individuals who radiated love and light, and who could transform you with their presence alone.

The world has changed many times in my lifetime and we have a different thing going on today; better in some ways and worst in other ways. Gurus are not readily available like they use to be, western societies, especially in Europe and the U.S., they have all but left the traditional yogic path, as was practiced in India for thousands of years, for a more faddish approach to yoga and meditation, which in my opinion is also heavily commercialized. It used to be that you had to find a guru who would accept you and you had to learn humble selfless service, for months or even years, before that guru would teach you how to meditate.

I still believe in a preparation period before learning how to meditate. I went through a preparatory period myself, where I lived in and ashram, was on a strict daily regiment and diet, and did menial chores, until my guru decided I was ready to learn how to meditate. This helped to humble my ego enough to where when I was shown how to meditate I immediately had fantastic experiences. I also loved satsang, going to holi festival and guru-puga, etc. It was a different time. Those were the days of Ram Dass, Swami Sat Chit Ananda, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Guru Maharaji, and many others, including Mahatmas, Saddhus, etc.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by Starman

I come from a different generation and met my guru back before there was any such thing as YouTube, FaceBook, or the internet, back before there were cell phones or computers. People would talk with people, many were strangers who they just met on the street, and they would tell you about a guru or a program where a guru would be giving satsang.

Back then not many people were talking about your inner teacher and there were lots of gurus traveling the world gathering devotees. I am talking about the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s. Swami Sat Chit Ananda spoke at the original Woodstock festival in 1968, and a bunch of gurus came from India and Asia to Europe, North and South America, and elsewhere to show people how to meditate back in the early 1970's, and for the most part it was all free of charge. Without that period of time back then I doubt if we would even be talking about meditation the way we are here today. That lead to this.

I used to go to satsang just about every evening, for at least a couple of decades, and I received a lot of darshan from various gurus. A part of me does miss those days but for the most part I have moved on. It was those days with my guru that gave me the strong connection I now have with my inner teacher and I am grateful for that. I have been around a lot of genuine gurus, expanded consciousness individuals who radiated love and light, and who could transform you with their presence alone.

The world has changed many times in my lifetime and we have a different thing going on today; better in some ways and worst in other ways. Gurus are not readily available like they use to be, western societies, especially in Europe and the U.S., they have all but left the traditional yogic path, as was practiced in India for thousands of years, for a more faddish approach to yoga and meditation, which in my opinion is also heavily commercialized. It used to be that you had to find a guru who would accept you and you had to learn humble selfless service, for months or even years, before that guru would teach you how to meditate.

I still believe in a preparation period before learning how to meditate. I went through a preparatory period myself, where I lived in and ashram, was on a strict daily regiment and diet, and did menial chores, until my guru decided I was ready to learn how to meditate. This helped to humble my ego enough to where when I was shown how to meditate I immediately had fantastic experiences. I also loved satsang, going to holi festival and guru-puga, etc. It was a different time. Those were the days of Ram Dass, Swami Sat Chit Ananda, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Guru Maharaji, and many others, including Mahatmas, Saddhus, etc.

Ah yes!

I also need to give credit to George Harrison here and his Concert for Bangladesh....you know, when "Live Aid" was still alive?

I remember those days you speak of...I remember Ram Dass when he was just Richard Alpert.

However, I just caught the tail end of that previous era...I remember joining the Rajneeshi Movement (Osho's group back then) in Fremantle, WA, back in 1981..not long before the whole thing fell apart...yeah, I been around.

I agree though...one era ended with the introduction of the Internet and my era for "personal Gurus" was the late 70's to late '80's...many things have changed since then.

[Starman]

George Harrison expressed a very beautiful soul; he also highlighted the Hari-Krishna movement,
which used to be very big in Europe and the U.S. The Hari-Krishna’s had great food, Indian cuisine,
and would regularly invite the public to feast with them. Ahhh, walks down memory lane.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by Starman

George Harrison expressed a very beautiful soul; he also highlighted the Hari-Krishna movement,
which used to be very big in Europe and the U.S. The Hari-Krishna’s had great food, Indian cuisine,
and would regularly invite the public to feast with them. Ahhh, walks down memory lane.

Yeah...I enjoy the strolls down memory lane..

Saturday night out...Go to Hare Krishna Temple for noon Prasadam and a Sankirtan or study of the Gita...in the evening, go to a lecture of whatever great Guru was doing the rounds down at the Town Hall at the time...Sri Chinmoy was always a good show...then heading back to the Dulwich Hill ashram past kerfew, but all in the noble cause. LOL

My parents let me do my own thing on the weekends...as long as I wasn't doing the whole "sex, drugs and rock & roll" thing, it was all good.