Be Your Own Guru

One of the amazing things about the human experience is that we so often look for answers outside of ourselves. Happiness, love and all the things we feel that give our lives meaning we somehow believe exist outside of ourselves. My mom was born Catholic, became an atheist and then discovered spirituality when I was a teenager. My mother really struggled with the concept of there being a God or some benevolent force that looked over all of us. She was not an optimist and struggled with depression for most of her life.

Each spiritual book gave her hope that things did happen for a reason and that the Universe was all loving. I always found this strange because to me it was so obvious. Because my mother wanted confirmation of the compassion of the Universe, she was always in search of some type of guru.

Each writer became an expert. Each person was viewed with the hope that they would settle the issue once and for all. She went to all kinds of groups in hopes of getting the answers. All she found were people also looking for the same external validation. I sometimes would accompany her and my optimistic nature would be of annoyance so I had to just be quiet all the time at such events.

Looking For Answers

When I met my Buddhist Master, everyone that my mom knew from her spiritual groups was shocked I had such an opportunity since I was considered an air head. I was shocked too because it was a dream come true in the midst of immense personal pain.

My mom looked to the monk I had met for answers but he just would never give her the answers she wanted. With each lesson I had with my teacher, I came to see that all the answers I wanted were really inside me. Spiritual awareness, on some level, is the realization that you already have everything you want but you have covered it up with your issues, ego and so on.

I tried to impart this to my mom and it never clicked. As much as being an optimist is a blessing, many people do not value what you say because many think that optimism is foolish and naïve.

For some reason, there is this belief that an intelligent person knows that life is tough and there is suffering. Cynicism is held by many to be a virtue of the wise. As much as my mother loved me, the doubt she had regarding the existence of God could not be alleviated by me or my experiences. Many times we look to other people to answer or solve our issues but no one can really do that for us. People can offer their point of view or suggest a book but ultimately, the answers to all your questions lie within you.

What spiritual books and teachers ultimately do is provide information but it is up to the reader or listener to digest that information and see how to apply it to their own life. When I was studying with my teacher, I had to read many books and answer many questions on the nature of God, the soul and so many other things. The training was rigorous but it was so much fun.

 

 

Don’t Give Your Life and Power to Another

Part of my education was to study other traditions and to recognize the unity that exists in each belief system. With each lesson and with each book, I was made more aware of the power that is within each one of us. With that knowledge, I was able to effectively deal with whatever I needed to deal with in my life. My spiritual education basically gave me the tools to understand myself and to understand life.

Sometimes, my Buddhist Master would have visitors and it was amazing to see how some people would react in the presence of someone so wise. They would ask him all kinds of questions and wanted predictions about their future. My teacher never went down that route despite the pleas or the numerous gifts that were placed at his feet.

I once asked him about that because I found it odd. He told me all kinds of things about myself and the future but to those who really wanted to know, he said nothing. He, of course, laughed for about five minutes when I asked him that question. Most of my questions incited such a response so by this time, I was used to it and just stood there letting him laugh to his heart’s content.

He then told me that the difference was in the intention with which each person was asking the question. He said that a true teacher is not meant to be worshipped or viewed as a path to salvation. That would be dangerous because you would be giving your life and power to another. A true teacher gives you the tools and then you do the inner work…you need to be your own guru.

Be Your Own Guru

He went on to tell me that enlightenment or the attainment of nirvana cannot be had by worshipping someone. He said that enlightenment is something that has to be achieved by the individual and the individual alone. You are responsible for the status of your life and to look to a teacher to save you, is stating to the Universe that you are not capable of taking care of yourself. A true teacher just helps you to see the world and is not meant to be viewed with attachment. As you can see, my Buddhist Master was a very wise man.

None of us are born knowing all the answers and part of the journey of life is to discover what this whole adventure means to us. We can search for those answers in books, churches, temples, mosques, self-help groups and so on. However, it is up to the individual to apply what they have learned. As my mother used to say: “you can take the horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink”.

You can read every self-help book there is and go to all the blogs there are that speak to your soul but ultimately, it is up to you to heal yourself. There is no need to worship or seek a guru, be your own guru and you will be amazed at what you will discover.

 Note: To read more about the reasons behind my new schedule change, click here.

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