The term Guru means that which removes darkness. When you enter a dark space and flip on the switch, what happens to the dark? It is banished by the light.
This is what a Guru, a dharmic teacher, does for a shishya, a devoted student. The Guru helps the shishya remember how to turn on the light, and in some cases, shines a light into the dark corners of their avidya, ignorance. A Guru always points you back to your Self, guiding you home.
When I finished my studies in anesthesia in 2010, time and space opened up and I began diving in to Vedic studies - yoga, ayurveda, jyotish. Since then, I’ve studied with many beautiful teachers, some for short season, some for years.
It was in India that I began to learn about the Guru principle, where this concept originates.
A true guru is one who leads the shishya on their path of evolution through dharmic action. They do this through their actions, their words, and what is silently transmitted.
Over the past decade, the guru culture has slowly been dying as more stories of scandal and abuse by self-proclaimed wise masters come to light. We see time and time again a ‘guru’s’ fall from grace: powerful men who, drunk on their power, cause much harm and damage to their students. You’ve likely seen the media stories, documentaries, etc. pop up over the years about Yogi Bhajan, Swami Vivekananda Saraswatii, Mooji, Vishnudevananda, and most recently Anand Mehrotra. Unfortunately, this isn’t an extensive list. It’s a common problem.
Why is it so common? Because abuse of power and sexual abuse is an age-old problem in our patriarchal society - yogaland is certainly not immune. I dare to say yoga communities may even be more vulnerable as people enter these communities trusting they are safe to heal.
It’s a reminder the quicksand that are the kleshas of power, greed, lust and addiction to sex. While these teachers may have offered powerful teachings to support one’s awakening, they also offer powerful teachings in adharma - actions not rooted in dharma - reminding us of our responsibility as spiritual seekers and humans on the path.
We are reminded in times such as these of the value of our sovereignty. Gone are the days of offering your power to another person - guru, priest or rabbi - giving them authority to make decisions for you, to tell you what to do, to indirectly connect you with the divine. We are in a time of self-empowerment, of awakening the heart through transcendent experiences by our own volition.
Mary Magdalene’s teachings are awakening now to help us remember we’ve had direct access to the divine all along. Her gospel speaks of the importance of gnosis - knowledge obtained through our own experience. We must reclaim this power and cease putting others on pedestals. No human is above falling into their own karmic traps. This is the importance of discernment and conscious practice. As those committed to awakenging and progressive evolution, it is our responsibility to clear the cobwebs of our consciousness so that we may discern clearly what is dharma and what is not. As Mary says, “learning to see through the eye of the heart.”
Some might say we are entering a time of the inner guru. I agree that establishing a strong relationship with our inner guide is of great importance, however, I also feel there is still a need for an external teacher at pivotal moments along our journey. These teachers will come to serve us in a specific stage of our evolution.
May we all establish deep Trust in our inner knowing, developing the eyes to see and discern worthy teachers from those who are not.