Role of Guru

Just as a lamp can be lit only with a lightened lamp, so also self-knowledge can take place only with the help of a Sat-guru.

It is indeed the extremely blessed ones who find company and association of men with true wisdom and love to help us awake from this realm of ignorance.

Knowledge takes place in an atmosphere of love and egolessness, which is a natural by-product in our relationship with our Sat-guru.

Guru should be living and with whom communication can take place easily.

Those who say that there is no necessity of a Guru in life, do not know what is the real 'means of knowledge' (pramana) for Self-knowledge. They can neither imagine the joy of relationship with a truly enlightened soul.

If you really seek self-knowledge then you will have to show some extra initiative & enthusiasm to look out for a true teacher, who is not only contented with & in himself, but is also a knowledgeable person; well aware of the secrets & traditions Upanishads.

Guru-upasadana or approaching the teacher, is a very important indicator of the state of the mind of a student. It reveals various things about the student. The initiative on the part of the student reveals his intense desire to know the truth of oneself, it also reveals his or her egolessness. It is only those people who cannot keep aside their ego, who cannot go to someone and reveal their ignorance. Guru-upasadana is seen as a great leap forward.

If you don’t find someone who is truly an embodiment of knowledge, love & contentment, then pray to God for association of such a truly blessed soul, seek him, go to him, establish relationship with him, and initiate discussions with him on the secrets of life. Don’t waste your time, words or energy elsewhere. Life is too precious to be wasted in the midst of egoistic people whose knowledge is yet to help them also. You have desperately prayed & craved for lesser things in life, why not show the same will & intensity for better things.

The factors responsible for our inability to take initiative to go & look out for a guru are the factors which are responsible for our inability to break open our shell.

It is obvious that as the subject matter of self-knowledge is our very Self, the whole inquiry has to be conducted in & by our own mind. The truth too will be revealed as our very Self. These things are never a point of doubt or contention. This is also a fact that Guru in his true essence resides in all of us, but by itself this has never been of any help to us, we continue to suffer inspite of that 'guru' within us. What is required is not the essence of Guru, but Guru in flesh & blood with whom we can discuss, talk and find a way out of the mess in which we ourselves have brought ourselves to. Truth is right there in front of you - revealed in all its glory, it is just that there is ignorance about it. Having identified the problem, why should there be any hesitation in taking help of someone who has already undertaken this journey. It is indeed funny to see what all excuses the ego thinks about, what all logic it discovers, just to avoid the possibility of its surrendering at the feet of someone who is nothing but an embodiment of true knowledge & love.