By Sejal Shah | Posted: May 26, 2018

गुरू बिन ज्ञान न उपजई, गुरू बिन मलई न मोश |

गुरू बिन लाखाई ना सत्य को, गुरू बिन मिटे ना दोष ||

There can’t be any knowledge without a Guru,

there won’t be any salvation without a Guru,

there won’t be any realization of truth without Guru and

there won’t be any removal of flaws without Guru.

Says Sant Kabir, a well revered saint from India

These beautiful couplets speak volumes on the importance of having a guru or a spiritual master in one’s life.

“We see the role of the guru described in texts old enough to be called purana (ancient). Among them, the Skanda Purana talks about the guru both as an embodied person and as a presence of the inner life. Embodied, the guru teaches, inspires, disciplines, forgives, parents, models, and transmits truths of life. Such teachers are beacons of spiritual accomplishment, although when asked, they often insist that the guru is not so much a person as an inner source of illumination that awakens awareness and transforms the dark places of inner life.” - Rolf Sovik, President and Spiritual Director of the Himalayan Institute.

All of us have felt the necessity of a guiding force or mentor in our lives. In the digital age, with so much information at our fingertips, we’ve bought into the illusion that we have the ability to learn anything we want by ourselves, without guidance or support. Still, we innately understand  the necessity of having an advisor or a guide with whom we can have human interactions about our real life issues and challenges. We naturally crave the counsel of someone who is more experienced, intelligent, and successful in life.

At some point, we realize that life is not to be lived only in the external, material world—that there is something higher, deeper, and more meaningful than what we have been doing. We start feeling thirsty for a higher truth, and in order to find this higher truth, we need a guide. Your guide shares his experiences, which have been imparted by his guide. For thousands of years, there has been a long chain of sages and traditions, and they impart knowledge to their students lovingly and selflessly. These guides help you experience your inner freedom, help make your journey easy and fruitful, and help you realize your full potential.

Yoga - the path of sacred lineage for self realization

Every human being has a unique, individual potential for Self-realization. The saints and sages of ancient times evolved and perfected over the centuries a system and discipline of self-transformation known as yoga. In the words of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, “Like a flower bud, human life has the potential to blossom fully. Blossoming of human potential to fullness is Yoga.” Since time immemorial, the science and philosophy of yoga has always been taught from preceptor to student—transferred by the grace of the Guru to the spiritual aspirant or disciple for this unique purpose.

Parampara (lineage) is knowledge that is passed in succession from the Guru (Spiritual teacher) to the disciple (student). It is a Sanskrit word that denotes the principle of transmitting knowledge in its most genuine, authentic, and valuable form; knowledge that is vast and endless and that is based on direct and practical experience. The Guru and the disciple form the basis or links of the parampara or any lineage: the links in transmission of knowledge that has been passed down for thousands of years. The knowledge of yoga has been transmitted over thousands of years through the Guru-Disciple parampara. In order for yoga teachings to be authentic, effective, true, and complete, it should come through this parampara. Traditionally, knowledge is transferred only after the student has spent many years with an enlightened guru to whom he has completely surrendered the body, mind, and spirit. Only then is one fit to receive knowledge.  

What is a Guru?

Throughout the history of yoga, the authentic guru has often been regarded as an essential spiritual guide, a living example of the teachings he or she advocates. On the path of yoga, the genuine spiritual master is one whose mind is the embodiment of the spiritual philosophy of yoga; one who walks his or her talk; one who lives according to what he or she preaches; one who guides their students from what he or she has learned in life.

We use the word Guru to describe anyone who is the best in their field, whatever that may be, whether it is in business, media, sports, finance or internet. But in the Eastern tradition, a Guru is a spiritual guide or teacher who helps us remove darkness and confusion: In Sanskrit, “gu” means darkness, and “ru” means to remove. Anyone who is longing for deeper meaning and happiness in life seeks out a guru for guidance.

As the word connotes in Sanskrit, a Guru is that person who, by his or her hard-earned spiritual genius, is able to help us “dispel darkness,” to “remove ignorance” from our hearts and minds.

In other words, a Guru is the one who removes the veil of ignorance and opens in front of us the infinite nature of the life. A Guru does not simply stuff you with knowledge, but kindles life force within you. A Guru invokes and awakens intelligence, not just the intellect. The pinnacle of intellect is intelligence. When you come to the Guru, seeking stops and blossoming begins. The Guru is a presence that is unlimited, vast, infinite, and all-inclusive. The presence of the Guru in one’s life brings fulfillment to all other relationships.

Do you really need a Guru to learn yoga?

We are really fortunate that the world has retained the ancient wisdom of yoga, thanks to the efforts of many spiritual masters and their disciples. Even though the modern world relates yoga to a physical fitness program, yoga, in essence, is the science and path to self transformation through harmonizing your body, mind and spirit.

If your interest is simply to learn basic Hatha Yoga practices and meditation, a guru may not be be necessary. The immediate goals of better health and fitness, and a clearer, more focused mind don’t require a guru. You could learn these from a good teacher, CDs, DVDs, the internet, or from books.

Yoga is not just about gaining information or learning practices, but about transformation and transcendence to realize your true nature. If you are looking for the true experience of yoga, you will need a guru. A guru helps you feel the essence that is beyond the techniques. If you find yourself stuck in the mundane patterns of life, or if a thirst has arisen in you to challenge the roots of spiritual ignorance, you will deeply benefit from the guidance of a spiritual guru. You can gain knowledge, guidance, support, and corrections from scriptures, but with a Guru, you can learn how to integrate these into a lived experience rather than just a conceptual understanding.

Guru, God, and Self are the same in the spiritual journey

A Guru is there to show you what you are at your highest potential. A Guru will guide you into your true Self, assist you in reaching that goal – and not just by teaching spiritual techniques. The Guru is God incarnate, and the doorway to liberation. God, Guru and Self are synonymous, they are the same. To see the Guru is to see God.  All great masters from a variety of spiritual paths have clearly said this.

Jesus Christ embodied this when He said, “I and my Father are One.”

Lord Buddha advocated the same by saying, “My thoughts are always in the Truth. For lo! My Self has become the Truth.”

And Lord Krishna, as well, demonstrated this when he said, “I am the goal of the wise man, and I am the way.”

To live in the proximity of a great Guru, or a great teacher, is a priceless gift that is hard to understand and appreciate unless you have had the experience. Gurus hold the secrets to reveal the mysteries and science of consciousness and enlightenment.

“Infinity is available, but not tangible; the Guru is both infinite and tangible. The divine is impersonal; Guru is both personal and divine- the impersonal personified for your benefit. Guru is someone so vast, but who remains tangible and available. The Guru is the guiding light – removing the darkness of ignorance. The Guru is the force of infinite love in a bodily form.” explains Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Since there is much skepticism, controversy, and misunderstanding about gurus in the world, particularly in West today, it is important to understand this essence of who the guru actually is.

It is said that when the student is ready, the master appears

I began my yoga journey more than two decades ago, and slowly, it became the passion and purpose of my life. I have been fortunate to have been guided by great teachers. But something was missing. My practice was not giving me the experience that the texts promised. I started realizing that my goals could not be accomplished without a Guru’s guidance. I was strongly missing a mentoring force in my life. I had the intense desire to go to Gurukul (traditional yoga school) as described in the ancient yoga scriptures and learn yoga from an unpretentious Yogi and the Guru who could bless and guide my life and yoga path and take me to its real depth.

My desire was fulfilled when I met Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for the first time. My journey took on the direction and momentum that was so badly needed. Without his guidance and grace, I would have remained playing on the shore of the vastly deep ocean that yoga is. Any boredom or stagnancy in my practice has been replaced by unfathomable joy and loving discipline and commitment. The journey that was primarily limited to physical postures and breathing techniques has experienced its infinite potentials. My physical practice has touched an entirely new dimension as well. Yoga is the union of body-mind-breath-soul. I started catching glimpses of this union during my practice.

The Guru-disciple relationship is the highest expression of friendship, for it is based on unconditional divine love and wisdom. It is the most sacred of all relationships, based on the faith and willingness of the disciple to follow the guru’s guidance and teachings. Simply put, the one in whom you have faith, who awakens in you the quest for realizing your True Nature, who inspires you to believe in the reality of moving beyond the unreal, who teaches both the simplicity and complexities of the spiritual path with his or her life and who guides, cares, cajoles, challenges, corrects, and above all sets you free, is the Guru.  I feel immensely blessed to have the presence of such a relationship in my life.

May your life be filled with the blessings and grace of the Guru. May that grace speed you to the ultimate aim of your yoga journey and spiritual life: to experience the Self.

By Sejal Shah, E-YRT 500 Sri Sri Yoga Teacher, YACEP, Art of Living Teacher, NYU Post Graduate Medical School approved Yoga-CME retreat facilitator, Mind-Body Wellness Writer, Homeopath