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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 13 2005 : 11:08:35 AM
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It has been said that it is not possible to achieve liberated enlightenment without the aid of a guru. This is true.
But who is the guru and where is the guru? Is he or she a savior who comes to the world to save all of us from our follies? Not really. The guru is a reflection of our own inner cry for liberation. This is clearly stated in the old adage:
"When the student is ready the teacher will appear."
This is not a figure of speech. It is the literal truth. The teacher comes when we are ready. The truth is that all teachers, gurus and spiritual guides are but mirrors of our own inner light.
And where does our inner light come from? From nowhere but our own desire. The phenomenon of the guru is an inner dynamic before it can be an outer one. With the inner fire of longing, we are sure to find an outer teacher or guru. The angels and all the ascended masters will come running to help us if we are longing intensely for God. It is bhakti that brings the guru to us, and us to the guru.
When we do find an outer guru or teacher, we should keep this in mind. The perfection is to be found in us, and not necessarily in anyone we meet. Of course, there are good teachers, bad teachers and in-between teachers. There are even enlightened teachers. As we progress along the path we will know the differences. But there are no perfect teachers. Better get used to that, or you are bound to be disappointed. Expecting perfection from a guru, even an enlightened one, is a sure way to lose out. Why? Because all gurus have faults, and we will either be doubting and running away from them or wasting our time defending them. If we take them at face value and gratefully accept what they have to offer, we will be much better off. Remember, it is the inner guru who is always leading us, and that one is alive in us by virtue of our bhakti. That is the most perfect guru we will ever find.
See lesson #260 for more on the difference between enlightenment and perfection in a guru, at http://www.aypsite.org/260.html
See Lesson #57 for more on the inner guru and outer guru, at http://www.aypsite.org/57.html
This forum is for discussing the in's and out's of gurus, sages and higher beings as they relate to our AYP practice. There have been and are many great ones, and they deserve to be discussed. They are there for us in the flesh or in spirit as soon as we are there for them. They are the mirrors of our rising inner light. When we recognize this fact, and are constantly calling out and communing with God in our heart, the guru will be everywhere.
Quite a few spiritual masters are mentioned in the lessons. You can find them listed with direct lesson links throughout the topic index at http://www.aypsite.org/TopicIndex.html
Also, in Lesson #253, there is an overview of the procession of gurus who came to the West from India (or influenced the world by other means) over the last hundred years or so. See http://www.aypsite.org/253.html
As always, the guru is in you.
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Gurus, Sages and Higher Beings
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