Significance of a Guru for personal and spiritual growth

Recently, I found this nice listing on the net highlighting differences between a guru and a teacher. I found some of the comparisons highly thought-provoking and insightful. You may want to go through these in some depth and reflect on the deeper significance of each. 

Is a guru necessary for spiritual growth?

We are living in a world which is experiencing rapid changes. Most of the changes seem so rapid that it is impossible to keep pace with them. Even a common gadget like the phone has gone through unprecedented changes over the years. In fact, when I look at my phone, I realize that I hardly use even 10% of its overall capabilities. With all the capabilities of the phone, it feels like the whole world has shrunk into my palms. In an instant, I can connect with friends or work colleagues who are away half way across the globe. At the same time we also realize that life has become much more complex. Explosion of information through social media alone makes it impossible to make the right choices in life. We are living a very fast-paced life which is often superficial and fragmented. All this fast-paced life is causing mental health issues, chronic stress, and a perceived inability to handle all the pressures of life.

In the midst of all this chaos and turmoil, it would be nice to receive help and guidance from a guru or a preceptor who can help us navigate life in a more organized and peaceful manner.

Guru-shishya parampara (teacher-disciple lineage)

In the old days, in the absence of the printing press and other means of sharing information, knowledge was transmitted from a guru to the disciple orally. The student had to memorize the text and pass it on to subsequent generations. This was known as a “guru-shishya parampara” or the “teacher-disciple tradition or lineage”. The relationship between the teacher and the student was built upon the student having deep reverence, strong commitment, devotion and obedience for the guru. On the other hand, the guru also was deeply committed to the student’s well-being and spiritual and personal growth.  

Significance of a Guru in ancient texts 

In our ancient texts, the significance and the need for a guru is highly emphasized.

In the text called “Guru Gita” (which is a part of the Purana known as Skanda Purana), there is a verse¹ which says:

The letter “gu” represents darkness and the letter “ru” represents one who removes the darkness. Thus the remover of darkness is known as a “guru”. (verse 34).

In this verse, the darkness alludes to the darkness of ignorance. Guru thus represents the light which is the true light of wisdom that can remove the darkness of ignorance. 

In the Bhagavad Gita verse 4.34², Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to seek a Guru who can lead him to the ultimate Truth:

Know that (the ultimate truth) through prostration, proper inquiry and service, the wise ones who have realized the Truth will impart their Knowledge to you. (Gita 4.34)

There is a well-known saying in the Taittiriya Upanishad³, “The teacher (acharya) must be treated as God”. 

This famous verse from the Guru Stotram⁴ also equates the Guru with various forms of god in the Hindu culture , “Guru is Brahma (creator of the universe), Guru is Vishnu (sustainer of the universe), Guru is Shiva (dissolver of the universe), Guru is the supreme consciousness (para-Brahma), to that Guru I prostrate.” 

Many other texts including the Upanishads, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras etc. extol the value of and the need for a guru to help navigate the often intricate and challenging path to personal growth and eventually leading to self-realization. 

Guru in the context of modern lifestyle

In the context of modern lifestyle a natural question that may be asked is, “with the availability of all the ancient texts – both online and in printed form, and an abundance of information in the form of social media including tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI), do I still need a guru? Can I not make my own appropriate choices and manage my own personal and spiritual growth?” Yes, it is true that we have an abundance of information. However, this vast landscape of available material can lead to confusion, and a complete lack of direction in making the most appropriate choices. One may not be able to discern reliable and authentic sources of knowledge potentially misleading the individual rather than offering proper guidance. This is where one may need a guru or a spiritual guide who can help filter this information and offer personalized guidance that is specifically tailored to an individual’s unique needs, temperament, and stage of progress on their journey. However, this also presents challenges, particularly concerning the authenticity and integrity of those claiming to be genuine gurus. We hear so many stories of self-styled gurus who are known to mislead and exploit their disciples.  Genuine gurus are typically characterized by qualities such as deep knowledge and spiritual wisdom, selflessness, compassion, and a genuine desire to help others on their spiritual path. One needs to exercise caution in selecting a guru. 

My own personal approach to a guru

Is it necessary to find a living guru who can guide us in our personal and spiritual journey? This is an important question and the answer will depend upon how easy it is to find someone that you can trust as a guru. It also depends upon how keen one is to approach a guru. There are those who may not have adequate self-discipline, or the drive to wade through available resources and find their own course of growth in their journey. For them, a personal, living guru may be the only answer. As mentioned earlier, you will have to exercise caution in selecting a guru and letting them guide you in your journey. There is a common saying, “when a student is ready, a guru will appear!”

In my own personal case, after becoming a yoga instructor, I was exposed to the teachings by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Even though initially I found the text hard to understand, with repetitive study I began to grasp the deeper meaning of the message contained therein. As I continue to study the text, I feel that the essential message in the text gets embedded deep in the subconscious levels of the memory. That deep-rooted message has been a guide in my personal growth and my yoga journey. In that sense, I consider Patanjali to be my personal guru. Any time I run into a situation which represents doubt or uncertainty, I can go and dig a little deeper into the sutras for guidance to help me deal with the situation. My yoga journey is built around the practices of asana, pranayama and meditation as propounded by Patanjali. I also continue to deepen my understanding of the underlying concepts of yoga and life by studying texts like the yoga sutras, Samkhya system of philosophy, the Bhagavad Gita and a few others. It is a richly rewarding and satisfying journey.

Note 1: गुकारश्चान्धकारस्तु रुकारस्तन्निरोधकृत् | अन्धकारविनाशित्वात् गुरुरित्यभिधीयते ||

gukāraścāndhakārastu rukārastannirodhakṛt | andhakāravināśitvāt gururityabhidhīyate || (verse 34)

Note 2: तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया। उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः।।4.34।।

tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā। upadekṣyanti te jñānaṃ jñāninastattvadarśinaḥ।।4.34।।

Note 3: आचार्य देवो भव; ācārya devo bhava

Note 4: गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः । गुरुरेव परम्ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥ 3 ॥

gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdevo maheśvaraḥ । gurureva parambrahma tasmai śrīgurave namaḥ ॥ 3 ॥