Why does one need a Guru? At the outset let me tell you that you don’t need one. You wonder if that sentence is complete or not. Whether there are more words to follow like the following ones. If you are not interested in spiritual or God or some weird religious stuff or whatever. Surely, these words should have been added to the second line above. My line is complete by itself. You don’t need a Guru. You need a Guru only for the knowledge. But if the same knowledge is within you so why would you need one? You just have to mine that knowledge and get going. But the difficulty arises because the hard rock cannot mine the diamond. Similarly, you cannot understand your own beauty without the mirror or some reflecting surface. So the Guru is that diamond cutter and the person who finds the rough. Every cut makes the diamond shine more and more. Likewise, the Guru makes you more knowledgeable by the process of teaching. He unveils your inner beauty or knowledge. No doubt you are self effulgent or shining with your own light, yet being covered with layers and layers of ignorance you are hidden. Your light of knowledge doesn’t shine bright. First the Guru searches you out and not the other way round. Any person who believes he is the diamond has a false sense of ego and pride. Only a jeweler recognizes the worth of a diamond and not the diamond by itself. The diamond by itself is egocentric so it cannot compare itself to others. So also any egoistic person who believes he can unravel himself or herself can never do it. Remember the diamond cannot cut itself into a beautiful shape. So the Guru finds the disciple and puts him through various sadhanas or practices. He teaches him practically and theoretically with the aid of spiritual texts and some form of exercises. It could be even meditation or some other. The traditional yoga or hatha yoga is a practice followed by few sages or Gurus. Not everyone advises that since it is connected to body and mind. In spiritual we have to overcome body, mind and senses to reach beyond. That’s called the Spirit, hence spiritual. Overcoming body and mind consciousness is taught by such yogis. After much practices can a person feel the growth in spiritual. You do not get any certification after doing that. So don’t think that there is anything tangible to achieve. The Master or Guru teaches you to overcome the tendencies and move ahead using the tools given to you, which is mind and body. Using these tools and strictly following the teachings of the Master, you will be ready to get to the brightness or effulgence connected with your inner being. Knowledge dawns from within and you know the truth. This dawning of the “true you” is called realization. Knowing thyself. Knowing the God within you. Hence they call it “Self Realization!” The Master or Guru is the vessel or boat which helps you cross the ocean of samsara or worldly life. He finds you to show you the path towards liberation. Towards eternity and deathlessness. So now ask yourself if you truly need a Master or Guru? You do need Him!
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