The Need of a Guru - A Spiritual Master
Just like we need a Teacher,
To guide us in Achievement,
We need a Guru, a Spiritual Master,
To reach Enlightenment.
Who doubts that we need a coach, a mentor, a guide to evolve in life? It starts from the time we go to kindergarten. If it were not for a teacher who taught us ABC, we would never be able to build a foundation to graduate in a university. While we are all grateful to our teachers, and our mentors for guiding us, not many of us are fortunate to have a life coach, a Spiritual Master or a Guru. A Guru is one who takes us from 'Gu' to 'Ru', from darkness to light. Although we may get our hands on a Life Manual, we will still need the help of a Guru to interpret that knowledge and to realize the truth.
Some gadgets are easy to operate. We don't even need to read the Operating Manual. But some gadgets are so complicated that despite having a Manual in our hands, we are unable to operate them. It may be a high-tech drone that we lay our hands on for the first time. Though we may read the Manual, we still wouldn't know how to fix the propellers, the flight controller, and other parts of the drone. But if somebody who is an expert is called in, the drone will be up and flying in minutes!
A human life is the most complicated of all machines. It immediately gets functioning as a body-mind complex the moment it is born. While a kid is taught by teachers in school and parents at home, after we grow up, we need the guidance of a Spiritual Master to realize the truth, to be enlightened. Without the help of a Guru, we will never be able to realize that we are the Soul. It is impossible for a normal man to transcend the rascal mind that keeps jumping from thought to thought. It is beyond human capability to suddenly transform from being an ego-driven individual with a name, nationality, and religion, to renouncing everything that he is and everything that he has, in order to realize the truth. For this, one needs the help of a Divine Spiritual Sage, an Enlightened Master. Only a true Guru can make this transformation possible.
A Guru who is not qualified to guide one on the spiritual path will fail in helping us reach that state of enlightenment. Enlightenment is a complicated subject and unless the Guru has been coached by another enlightened Master, the chances are, he will not be able to effectively help us realize the truth. Any teacher can impart spiritual knowledge, but knowledge is not realization. Realization is a gift from the Divine and needs both the guidance of the Guru and the grace of God. Therefore, if one wants to achieve the ultimate goal of life, one needs a Spiritual Master to hold their hand and show them the way.
Is there any guarantee that having a Guru will lead us to liberation? No. A Guru can show us the way, a Guru can switch on the light on the truth, but it is for us to open our 'real eyes' to realize who we are and why we are here. People often ask the question, 'How can we find a genuine Guru?' Spiritual Masters of the past have advocated that when a genuine seeker is ready, the Guru will appear. The Guru is a manifestation of the Divine, only far more evolved than the other seekers who have to shed their material layers to discover the Divine Spirit within. It is the task of the Guru to peel us off our desires and cravings, our attachments and passions, our weaknesses and limitations and help us grow and evolve into a Divine Soul. A true Guru is capable of creating a metamorphosis in our life, after which we will be completely transformed.
If one wants to learn how to live life, then one needs both – a Life Manual, which is the document that guides us at every step of life, and a Guru or a Spiritual Master. The Guru will interpret the Life Manual for us, just as he will enlighten us on how to live life as the Divine Soul. Without a Guru, a Life Manual may have all the information, but it will be insufficient to take us to the realization of the truth. Realization is an inner experience, and often a Guru can create magic in opening the door to that state of enlightenment. Without a Guru, we would live and die in darkness.
Whatever truth I have realized in life, I owe to my Guru, my Spiritual Master, Dada J. P. Vaswani. He held my hand for 25 long years and made me realize the truth about life. This Life Manual is a tribute to my Guru, without whom it would be impossible for me to share the principles of how to live life.