The Mahābhārata (Śānti—parva 3.26.22) contains the famous verse, "The transcendental wisdom flows through the guru". This idea is not limited to the Vedic sacred scriptures or Hinduism. Practically every classical religion or orthodox spiritual path suggests, indicates, and even orders us to accept the guidance of an authorized and bone fide spiritual master belonging to a paramparā or a line of disciplic succession.
In Judaism, in the book Pirkey Avot (1.1) it reads, Moshe kibel Torah mi—Sinai u—mesarah li—Yehoshua, meaning that "Moses received the Torah from Sinai and gave it to Joshua", which indicates a transmission of wisdom from a spiritual master to a disciple. We can also look at another later instruction (1.6): Ase Lecha Rav, or "Make for yourself a rabbi." It invites the Jewish believer to find a rabbi, a master that can help clarify doubts regarding Halacha, the personal problems that appear in the religious path; someone with more experience who can help with spiritual growth and development in religion. In the Greek culture, Plato studied with Socrates and was later the master of Aristotle.
A similar example is the office of priesthood in the Catholic religion.
The concept of a master is deeply rooted throughout Christianity, which not only sees Jesus as the Messiah, but also as a master.
A further example is St. Thomas Aquinas, a deeply analytical person who studied under the supervision of Albertus Magnus.
Yet it is prudent to note that the spiritual guide of the organized Western religion differs greatly from that of the East, especially according to Hinduism. Western society struggles to understand and assimilate the differences because they are not only religious, but social and cultural.
The term guru is an ancient classical term, mentioned as early as in the Manu Smṛti or the Laws of Manu. Generally the Sanskrit is translated as "he who helps to disperse the darkness". Advayatāraka Upaniṣad (14.18.5) explains, "The syllable gu means darkness. The syllable ru means ‘he who disperses'". The power to disperse darkness gives the guru his name. However, there is another interpretation in which guru is translated as "heavy" as opposed to laghu or "lightweight". The latter suggests that the guru is firmly established in the Truth and is unmoved by earthly desires or illusion.
The Necessity of a Spiritual Master
We can attempt to teach ourselves an instrument; without taking aid from anyone; however, if we wish to save time, it is better to find a tutor. It is possible to learn mathematics and algebra by yourself, but a year at school can save you a lot of energy and effort. Who would commit his children to the care of a dentist who studied a "do it yourself" book? Would you receive legal advice from a lawyer that acquired his title in the same way, studying alone, by himself ? Would you consent to be treated by a physician who learned from Medicine for Dummies? Obviously not....
Yet, even though we all expect our physical caregivers to have learned from their teachers and to have been tested, many take an irresponsible attitude toward religion and spirituality.
A true master is not, and can never be, comfortable or pleasant for the ego, which results in many "young seekers" and "yoga instructors" or "meditation guides" justifying their incapacity to accept a spiritual authority by giving the excuse that it is not needed in the path of yoga. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore yoga's opinion of itself; what the Vedic scriptures, or śāstras, advise on this ancient path of the soul. In the Bhagavad—gītā (4.34), Lord Kṛṣṇa recommends accepting a self—realized person as guru:
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva—darśinaḥ
"Strive to perceive the Truth by approaching an authentic spiritual master. Inquire him submissively and serve him. The self—realized being can impart wisdom unto you because he has seen the Truth."
The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.2.12) says the following:
tad—vijnānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
samit—pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma—niṣṭham
"In order to study transcendental wisdom, one should find a spiritual master who is firmly established in the Truth."
The Svetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23) states it this way:
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
"The Vedic wisdom is revealed only to those great souls who simultaneously develop faith in God and in the spiritual master."
According to the Sanātana—dharma religion, one can only reach Divinity through an authentic spiritual master. The Lord does not accept anyone who wishes to see Him, but cannot resist satisfying the wishes of His devotee, the spiritual master. Therefore, if the devotee asks, the Lord will agree to receive us in His blessed presence. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa (10.10.25) exemplifies it, when Kṛṣṇa says:
devarṣir me priyatamo
yad imau dhanadātmajau
tat tathā sādhayiṣyāmi
yad gītaṁ tan mahātmanā
"These two young men are the sons of Kubera, who is very rich. I have nothing to do with them, but Devarṣi Nārada is My most dear and beloved devotee and he wishes that I personally present myself before them. I will do so for their liberation."
In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (4.9.3) we find the following:
śrutaṁ hy eva me bhagavad—dṛśebhya
ācāryāddhaiva vidyā viditā sādhiṣṭhaṁ prāpatīti
tasmai haitad evovācātra ha na kiñcana vīyāyeti
This verse means that only the wisdom acquired from an authentic spiritual master is truly valuable.
A Bona Fide Spiritual Master
As the number of so—called "masters" and "gurus" increases daily, it benefits the public to understand what yoga and the Vedic scriptures consider a true spiritual master.
The study of Hinduism reveals that all of the great masters, sages and saints shared one notable characteristic; they were also great disciples of their own masters.
Rāma had Vaṣiṣtha as his spiritual master; Kṛṣṇa had Garga Muni. Bṛhaspati was the guru of the devas. Śrīla Vyāsadeva was the disciple of Nārada Muni, who learned from Sanatkumāra. The examples are endless and continue to this day. We see that Swami Vivekānanda was the great disciple of Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṁ sa who accepted Totāpurī as his master. Mother Kṛṣṇābāī was a disciple of Swami Rāmdas. Swami Kṛṣṇānanda, Swami Venkateśānanda, Swami Viṣṇu Devānanda, Swami Jyotirmayānanda, Swami Cidānanda and other great spiritual masters who spread yoga all over the world were disciples of Swami Śivānanda, who was initiated by his own guru Swami Viśvānanda.
Spiritual wisdom, according to the Vedic scriptures, descends from master to disciple through a method called paramparā, or line of disciplic succession. This sacred method is mentioned in the Bhagavad—gītā (4.2) when Kṛṣṇa says:
evaṁ paramparā—prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa
"This supreme wisdom was received by a chain of disciplic succession and in this way was understood by the saintly kings."
Of course there are exceptions to the rule of disciplic succession. A handful of childhood prodigies have composed symphonies when still very young and without much instruction, but these people should not be compared to the general population. Similarly, there are those few great souls who, throughout history, descended to this world after many past reincarnations in which they toiled and sacrificed under the orders of a spiritual master but who did not accept a guru in their last incarnation. It does not mean that these spiritual virtuosos are lacking a master but simply that they do not need it in their present mission. Such great souls are not born but descend from higher levels with the purpose of helping humanity in its evolution. Their lives should be taken as an example, not as an excuse or justification for one's inability to surrender to God through a spiritual master. They should serve as an inspiration but should not be imitated.
Bābājī Mahārāja used to explain that every soul has his own eternal spiritual master, but the question of finding him in person depends on his own true and authentic desire and ambition. In other words, the encounter with our guru depends on our spiritual maturity.
We all understand that a guru, a spiritual master or ṛṣi, should be someone who sees the Truth. He should be a sage, but how can we be sure who is a real master?
Is he a sage who has a great amount of knowledge, who posseses a tremendous memory and manages to amass vast quantities of information?
According to the Vedic scriptures a real sage is a saint, a being who lives in sanctity and purity, completely surrendered to God.
As it is explained in the Bhagavad—gītā (7.19):
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su—durlabhaḥ
"After infinite repeated births and deaths, he who is really a sage surrenders to Me, knowing Me as the cause of all causes and of all that is. Such a soul is very rare."
A sage is he who lives according to his realizations, therefore, it is only natural that a sage who is surrendered to God is no longer a slave to earthly passions or sensual gratification. Books such as the Upadeśāmṛta of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, one of the legendary gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, provide more information about the authentic guru:
vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha—vegaṁ
jihvā—vegam udaropastha—vegam
etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt
"Only the wise person who is able to tolerate the impulse of speech, the impositions of the mind, the urges of anger and the demands of the tongue, stomach and sexual organs can accept disciples all over the world."
That said, as essential as it is to understand the importance of having an authentic guru, it is also important that the disciples be equally authentic. The recommended approach of the disciple toward the guru is explained in the Guru—gītā (86):
dhyāna—mūlaṁ guror mūrtiḥ
pūjā—mūlaṁ guror pādam
mantra—mūlaṁ guror vākyaṁ
mokṣa—mūlaṁ guror kripā
"The form of the guru should be meditated upon. The feet of the guru should be adored. His words should be considered sacred mantras. His grace assures absolute liberation."
His Holiness Swami Śivānanda of Rishikesh discusses this in his famous book Bliss Divine.
"The guru is God, Himself, manifesting in a personal form in order to guide the aspirant. The grace of God takes the form of the guru."
His Holiness Swami Śivānanda was correct in his affirmation. According the Vedic scriptures, the guru should be considered as Divinity Itself, as the same divine grace manifests externally as the spiritual master. Using the appropriate perspective, we see that the guru is the awakened Divinity awakening the dormant Divinity in the disciple....
We can see this in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (11.17.27) when Kṛṣṇa replies to Uddhava's questions.
ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān
nāvamanyeta karhicit
na martya—buddhyāsūyeta
sarva—deva—mayo guruḥ
"You should accept the spiritual master as Me, Myself. Never be disrespectful to him. He is the representative of all the devas, and therefore, should never be envied or considered an ordinary person."
The Classes of Spiritual Masters
According to the different functions in the life of the disciple, there are different kinds of spiritual masters.
Śikṣā—guru is an instructing spiritual master who teaches the technical aspects of religion. According to the sacred scriptures the number of śikṣā—gurus can be unlimited, as this is determined by the needs of the disciple.
The sannyās—guru initiates into the sannyāsa—āśrama, the vows of the renounced monk.
The dīkṣā—guru guides our soul eternally. When talking about the spiritual master, we usually refer to the dīkṣā—guru. It is clearly established that the dīkṣā—guru can be only one, perhaps to help us understand that eventually the only true guru is God.
The real master is not someone who knows about God but who knows God.
Knowing God, realizing God, is being God.... For knowing God is realizing and recognizing God as the essence of our own existence.
The Guru—gītā (57) says it this way:
gurur brahmā gurur viṣṇur
gurur devo maheśvaraḥ
gurur sākṣāt paraṁ brahma
tasmai śrī—gurave namaḥ
"The spiritual master is the creator Lord Brahma, the protector Lord Viṣṇu and the destroyer Lord Śiva. Thus the spiritual master is the Absolute Lord; to such a guru we offer our humble reverences."
The Importance of the Scriptures
It is essential that the master—disciple relationship be restricted to a clearly—defined religious system, to which both the disciple, and, more importantly, the master adheres — hence the essentiality of the triangle of guru (master), śāstra (scriptures) and sādhu (saints). Spiritual wisdom should be a harmony between these three principles. This triangle is one of the internal security methods of Hinduism, ensuring that no one abuses the power granted by authority.
The foresaid is supported by the Vedic scriptures, as we see in the Bhagavad—gītā (10.12—13):
arjuna uvāca
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi—devam ajaṁ vibhum
āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve
devarṣir nāradas tathā
asito devalo vyāsaḥ
svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me
"Arjuna said, You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme light, the supreme purifier, the Eternal, the Supreme Being, the primordial God, the unborn and omnipresent. All of the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa confirmed it and now You, Yourself, declare it to me."
This important conclusion of Arjuna is supported by the opinions of different sagely sādhus and saints, and finally corroborated by his own guru, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master of the warrior.
Another example is found in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (4.16.1):
maitreya uvāca
iti bruvānaṁ nṛpatiṁ
gāyakā muni—coditāḥ
tuṣṭuvus tuṣṭa—manasas
tad—vāg—amṛta—sevayā
"The great sage Maitreya continued, ‘The humble and nectarous words of King Pṛthu greatly pleased the mantra reciters, which continued to glorify the monarch with prayers, according to the instructions of the great sages.'"
The use of the word muni—coditāḥ shows that it is imperative to have the advice and direction of the community of sages.
The Work of the Master
The work of the spiritual master is unusual and it is far from being fully understood in the West. Most people identify the master with an aspect of providing knowledge, wisdom, and information but his true work is not constructive. The real work and service of the guru is destructive; it is the extermination of all that is devoid of reality, the annihilation of our ideas, beliefs, and concepts about ourselves. It tries to strip away the ego and the mind, but as far as the spiritual master is concerned, this work does not consist of action. His presence is sufficient; his silence is enough. It is not doing, because the spiritual master is only what he really is, and the disciple is free to make use of this presence, as much as he is open to being infused by this silence.
Another common error is that in the moment that we speak about the guru, we create the idea of a chela — the disciple. Logic tells us that a master is incomplete without a disciple... but nothing is further from reality. The master does not depend on the disciple in order to be a master. A fireplace does not depend on someone warming himself in order to be a fireplace. A candle does not depend on someone to use its light to be a candle. A thousand persons can stand before that candle, or just two, one, or no one, and it will still continue to throw light. Thus, the guru shall still be a guru regardless of followers — of the public and multitudes.... A spiritual master does not depend upon the crowd.
When speaking about a spiritual master we are not referring to a professional such as lawyer or doctor. We are talking about religion and spirituality, where everything is intimately related with the soul and the spirit. In religion, a master must first be master of himself. That is to say that his mastery is over himself, never over someone else.
A true sadguru can be completely alone and in his solitude still be a master. A real guru is never the guru of others, although others can, if they strive, be his disciples. Here is the truth: the disciple is a disciple only if he is accepted as such by the master. Yet the master is a master without the acceptance of anyone or anything.... He is simply that....
It is not a Sanskrit name or an initiation ceremony that transforms an individual into a disciple, but his willingness to renounce the darkness. A true spiritual master has the ability to eradicate and destroy the disciple's darkness, just as light is able to dispel darkness. For this reason the disciple is he who is willing to renounce his shadows, all that is apparent, for ever...
oṁ ajñāna—timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana—śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī—gurave namaḥ
"I was born in the darkness of ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of wisdom. I offer my most humble and respectful reverences to my spiritual master." (Gautamīya Tantra)
The spiritual master is what he is, as he is.... He expresses what he is in his silence, in his gaze, in his gestures, in his very presence. The disciples who rally around him absorb his silence, they are lost in his presence and discover the presence of what they really are, their authenticity. Before this being, they feel less a mind, less a body, and more being.... That is the idea behind the word satsańga, which means sitting with the Truth or being in the presence of the Truth.
Before the presence of the master, the disciple recognizes his own.... Before the silence of the master, the disciple discovers his own.... He is discovered....
Satsańga is two presences, two silences in a profound and intimate communion, emerging as one....