" There are some especially pure souls who have attained Self-realization, establishing their awareness permanently in their Inner Self ", wrote the Hindu adept Shankaracharya. " They bring blessings to all humanity, like the coming of spring. They have crossed the ocean of birth and death, yet selflessly remain here among us and help others to cross, too. It is the very nature of great men and women to help others".
In Hinduism , the guru-your spiritual mentor- ranks in stature second only to God. In fact, in some tradition the guru is valued even more than God. After all, it's the guru who introduces you to God in the first place. Without the assistance of this guide, may never find your way into the divine presence.
The Upanishads put in this way. If someone hits you over the head and carries you blindfolded away from your native town, then dumps you off in the middle of nowhere, you have a problem. Many of us have the sense of being spiritually lost, dropped here in the material world, blundering around without a clue. Now, if someone comes up to you and says, " Oh, you're from Duluth? Duluth is that way! suddenly you're from lost . You're headed in the right direction, and with a little effort and resourcefulness on your part, you'll find your way home.
The guru shows you the way home. He or she teaches you the wisdom of the ancients and guides your moral and spiritual development. And most importantly, the guru prescribes the specific spiritual exercises you need to do to grow in self-awareness.
A guru is a very useful resource if you have begun a meditation practice. It's amazing, the crazy content thrown up by your subconscious and the confusion it can lead to. The guru helps you distinguish between the seductive but ultimately not very productive experience coming out of your subconscious and the genuine insights pouring out of your superconcious. The guru has been through the process and knows how to distinguish what's spirituality legitimate.
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