I am increasingly feeling myself anti-guru - at least in the traditional sense. Some great posts from Mushin who deconstructed his own guru role helped strengthen this feeling in me - although it has been there for quite some time (this is one example). More recently, I was chatting to someone about Baba Asharam Dev here in India who has been implicated in the killing of a child in his ashram as a way of building up religious fervour... Now, this guy has a massive following and loads of money. But why do people place their faith in some distant bearded figure whose words and actions could well have nothing to do with each other!?
The idea that emancipation is possible through one of these bearded fellows who sits on a pedastal is bullshit. Until we learn to realise that God (for want of a better word) exists within ourselves and all those around us, we will spend our lives sitting in the shadow of obscure religious figures whose real nature is as elusive as the very truth we are searching for. What we need is an alternative model for guru. One that ties in more deeply to the social reality that we are confronted with in the present age: loss of community, fragmentation, competitive individualism and the spate of horrors that this brings with it. We need a new conception of guru that embodies collective, distributed wisdom that can transport us to higher levels of collective being.
One simple way of approaching this is to look for the truth in the people who share our immediate circle: one's partner, one's children, one's neighbours, one's community. Can we see the truth in each person? Can one see the wisdom and teaching that each carries? Can we embrace our total lived experience as the guru, seeking the truth, the love, the wisdom or the lesson that can transport us higher in everything around us?
As Lao Tse puts it: "...the good teach the bad/ and the bad are lessons for the good". There is nothing that carries no teaching.
To do this requires the greatest of all powers: having an open heart. Can I have space in my heart for the other? Can I embrace the unknown? Can I let go? Can I dissolve all my boundaries? Can you do it with me?
Let us speak openly and from the heart about things that matter to us. Let us reach out to those who are least heard and let each other into our hearts and let this be the foundation of our families, our communities, our work places and our societies. Then let the guru emerge from our collective interactions and let that be our guide for the future.
What need is there to give more advice than this? Surely the rest will follow from the process!
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2 comments:
Dear Andre, I stumbled upon your blog through following your back-link in this post.
I was taken very much by what you say - especially since you apparently live in India, home of the guru-concept as we have it now in the whole world.
For me the concept of "mutual apprenticeship" has become very, very helpful; I'm your apprentice in many things and you might be mine in some.
And another thing is happening in the world, that gives us reason to think the guru-concept anew; even us who are deconstructing it in our lifes and finding the beauty, joy and freedom that living without externalizing spiritual authority and projecting it on some bearded man or woman brings...
What to think of charismatic leadership, as it most prominently, right now, is manifesting in Barak Obama on the political front?
My take is that as humanity we still need some inspiring stars in the sky, and they are acceptable as long as they - as Obama does - keep on insisting that each and everyone of us needs to run our own life, follow our own understanding and act in the best possible way we can conceive of.
These matters are difficult, and reclaiming our own authority in the most essential matters - and our spirituality is such - is truly courageous!
So let me end this comment with saying that you taking this path is an encouragement for me and all the other flowers blooming in the field of world society.
Love,
Mushin
Hi Andre,
I like your idea. However, before forming any judgement about a person, who has multi-millin followers, I suggest you should listen to his preech. Instead of talking to someone who might have vague idea about third person, either you listen to word of Guru, or if you can possibly, as you are in India, see him just once with your own eyes with closer. I gurrentee you will change your opinion.
Making comment about some body based on third person opinon, is not the right way to judge any person.
Do you know, most of the followers of "Asharam Bapu" is educated people?
How educated people become fool?
When he organize programs, there are about 100-200 thousand people minimum present, and they come accross the contry, even some come from forign.
Do you think, in this world without any reason people will go to anybody?
Come on, be honest, without any reason, I won't kiss ass of my boss, then why the hell people from far travel and listen to him.
Well, there is obvious something people are getting from him, some eternal feeling, eternal peace. I challenge you, if you want the same, just sit infront of him in any of his program, and if you are honest, you will feel the eternal peace is comming to your heart. (Even if you don't understan any of the word what he says). Just test it, if you don't feel shoot me a mail, I personally try to componsate all the expenses incurred during your visit, though I am not realted with any of activity of "Asharam Bapu", but have tested once, which can't be explain in words.
Social gethering and familiar grouping will not provide you permanent peace into your heart, in times also having problem surrounding you. Hence, people goes to GURU, because they don't get what they need from people surrounding by them.
Ramanuj.
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