10/12/11—Finding Your Ultimate Guru

Today's Draw: The Hall of God, 05 Your Spiritual Master from AboraMana. Do you have guru or are you in search of one? Do you think the kinds of people who become spiritual teachers are special in some way? Where can you find your greatest source of spiritual wisdom?

ArboraMana is more of an oracle deck than a tarot deck. I could read the book to find out what it's all about, but in lieu of that I decided to just choose a card and wing it...haha. The Spiritual Master card talks about finding a spiritual teacher and listening to their wisdom. It also talks about how you can have as many spiritual teachers as you like over time. You don't have to tie yourself to just one. 

One of the many books I mean to write one day is called "Ten Things The Spiritual Gurus Never Tell You". One of the things you'll learn in my non-existent book is that gurus are people just like you. Which means they're human just like you. One of the biggest disappointments on your spiritual path may be when you come face-to-face with your guru's humanity. Maybe they're a skirt chaser. Or they partake in drugs. Or they act nasty to a sales clerk. 

It's a let-down, but it's a let-down you have to take personal responsibility for. After all, you're the one that placed them on the pedestal. The side of the guru that you see is reflects the lessons of their spiritual side and, while they, like most people, hide their less than savory bits, you were the one that decided you knew who and what they were based entirely on your limited exposure to them. You're the one that saw them as something better than you, simply because they knew one part of life better than you. 

So one thing the spiritual gurus never tell you is that they're just as screwed up as you in some regards. Another thing they don't tell you is that you don't really need them. You think you do, but you don't. The best guru you'll ever meet is yourself. And the reason? Because God, and the notion of God, resides within you. And the best person to know what's within you is you. 

Gurus can guide us. Gurus can teach us. But the minute you think they're more qualified than you are to see what's within you...and the minute you think of them as somehow more special than you are...you do yourself and your discovery a disservice. Certainly gurus are people who have been where you are right now and they are probably further along on their path and are a treasure trove of answers to your questions. But you'll save yourself a lot of disappointment and confusion if you put all that in perspective. What feels right inside of you should always take precedence. And if any guru tries to convince you otherwise or tells you their knowledge is the one truth, I would consider looking elsewhere.

And, in fairness to the gurus, the gurus are in the guru business. They need to be certain. They need to have answers. They need to stand strong. That's all part of being a guru. Just don't mistake it for infallibility or a reason to question your own wisdom.