A Wisdom Archive on Spiritual Teacher

Indian culture has always held the guru in high esteem. Having a master was not just considered a matter of pride, but it was mandatory to have a guru. Not having a master was looked down upon as being an orphan, being poor and a sign of misfortune.
 
The word anatha in Sanskrit means one without a master. An acharya (teacher) gives shiksha, which means knowledge; Guru gives diksha, which means heightened awareness.
 
 

 
(See also: Sri Sri Ravishankar, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul )

Read more here: » Sri Sri Ravishankar: Guru, God and Self are Synonymous  

Shraddha and saburi form the crux of Shirdi Sai Baba's message. By shraddha , he meant absolute faith in the guru, to look upon the teacher as God, an avatar of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Baba said: ''Do not try to get mantras or discourses from anybody. My guru never taught me any mantra. But having faith and confidence in your guru is everything. Look at me wholeheartedly and I in turn look at you similarly.''

 
(See also: Sai Baba, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul )

Read more here: » Sai Baba: Sai Baba's Words of Mercy, Action, Love  

A guru shows the path of enlightenment to seekers. The guru is both a formal teacher and a spiritual preceptor. He is a storehouse of spiritual energy, which he can transmit to others. He helps the aspirant to polish his inner self till it reflects the light of truth. In the Shirdi Sai Satcharita a seeker asks Shirdi Baba: "Where to go?" Baba replies: "High up". The seeker then asks: "How to go there?" Baba answers: "Take a guide, he will take you straight and make you avoid the ditches and wild beasts in the jungle". Even avatars like Rama and Krishna subjected themselves to the tutelage of worthy gurus like Vashishta and Sandipani.

 
(See also: Advantage of Guru, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul )

Read more here: » Advantage of Guru: The Guru Shows The Path  

Very few recognise the importance of seeking out a guru whom they can look to for guidance.
 
Guru is not God but God is guru because the guru leads the disciple from darkness to light. God encompasses both light and darkness; He is formless, omnipotent, immovable, and immortal. The guru is a glass of water from the ocean called God. An ideal guru-shishya relationship would be one of friendship and the student should feel free to question his teacher. Both are united by unconditional love, in a relationship that transcends the physical, mental, emotional and the intellectual involvement. Such a relationship has the capacity to weather any storm.

 
(See also: Advantage of Guru, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul )

Read more here: » Advantage of Guru: Reach for the Rays Of Truth Within - About Guru  

In Buddhism, the striving is to awaken insight within oneself, through one's own efforts. A guru is then someone who embodies a possibility, our own potential. He offers the inspiration one can realistically aspire to and in time lifts the veils of ignorance over one's true enlightened nature. The guru teaches and demonstrates the path. The onus remains on us to make the effort, with the guru's help, to acquire the skilful means to make the journey.

 
(See also: Advantage of Guru, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul )

Read more here: » Advantage of Guru: Getting Inspired By Spiritual Masters  

Guru Gobind Singh was no ordinary mortal. The signs were there right from his birth. In 1666, on the Guru's birth, a pious Muslim fakir, Sayyad Bhikhan Shah, declared: "God has sent a new light on this earth".
 
He then decided to test the newborn 'prince'. Producing two jars of sweets obtained from a Hindu and a Muslim vendor, Bhikhan Shah tried to learn the child's preference from the jar he touched. The baby, however, clutched both jars and smiled, whereupon the fakir acknowledged him to be a master of both communities.

 
(See also: Gobind Singh, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul )

Read more here: » Gobind Singh: Guru Gobind Singh's Service to Humanity