True Mentors
Rule no. 12: There are more fake gurus and false teachers in this world than the number of stars in the visible universe. Don’t confuse power-driven, self-centred people with true mentors. A genuine spiritual master will not direct your attention to himself or herself and will not expect absolute obedience or utter admiration from you, but instead, will help you to appreciate and admire your inner self. True mentors are as transparent as glass. They let the light of God pass through them.
In today's world, there are so many scandals popping up where so-called Gurus, babas and self-styled teachers are being exposed for various crimes. Recent case of Ram Rahim and the chaos it created with many lives lost and public property worth crores destroyed by faithful followers is one of the examples. The crimes these self-styled gurus commit, include from amassing enormous wealth to rapes and murders. Sometimes, I get amazed at how people are so devoted to such illiterate and fake gurus. However, I guess that a person goes to these babas, gurus or spiritual leaders because he/she is in some sort of trouble. These babas provide or give them hope that things will be better. They also tell them to hold on for a little while more for things to become better. In a way, they give them that last straw with which to keep on going and survive the ordeals of life. In a way, they do service to these people by providing a ray of hope in their darkest hour of need.
Over the period when indeed their ordeals are over, people start believing in these gurus without questioning. The complete devotion with which they follow these gurus is still a cause of surprise for many of us. Even more surprising is the way these spiritual gurus become power driven and self-centred. Their egos inflate and they start believing their own lies. In fact, all of these so-called gurus who are involved in these heinous crimes do not even realise their own degradation and feel everything that they do is justified. They become Godmen with no God left within them.
In such a time, Shamz's rule about a true spiritual master is so apt. A true master guides you to look within. A genuine spiritual leader is not engaged in loud rhetorics and asking you to do good deeds (especially by donating to him :)) but is showing the true worth of looking within yourself and finding wisdom and peace.
I am still looking for a mentor and a spiritual guide. I have visited many of these gurus in the hope that I may find a true guru. I usually do not discard anyone just because my logical brain can't accept their outer persona. However, so far my logical brain has won 100% of the time as I always find these babas full of themselves, self-centred and pompous. My friend says that maybe we can take a few good things from these gurus and move on. To me, the thought is really good but when I really want to take those few good things and life skill techniques which they genuinely have, my logical brain refuses to bow down to such pompous and conceited babas and despite my best efforts, I feel aversion in taking anything from them.
Instead, I take and learn things from ordinary people. Like genuinely appreciating someone for their efforts, like being positive in most of the things, like encouraging people around you, teaching poor kids and donating anonymously. I see so many gurus in ordinary people. There are people who can control their anger so much, there are people who selflessly devote their lives to different causes, there are people who are doing their small bit for humanity. My father was one such person. He was one person who was always ready to help someone in whatever limited means he could. Slowly but surely, I am learning to be a better human being. I am still looking for a genuine guru. A guru who would make me appreciate my own self. A guru who will show me the inner beauty and peace. A guru who would be inspiration and light to follow through. They say when the student is ready the guru appears. Maybe I still need to work on myself to be a wothy pupil but I do know that one day I will find my true mentor. Till then people around me are teaching mevaluable life lessons.
In today's world, there are so many scandals popping up where so-called Gurus, babas and self-styled teachers are being exposed for various crimes. Recent case of Ram Rahim and the chaos it created with many lives lost and public property worth crores destroyed by faithful followers is one of the examples. The crimes these self-styled gurus commit, include from amassing enormous wealth to rapes and murders. Sometimes, I get amazed at how people are so devoted to such illiterate and fake gurus. However, I guess that a person goes to these babas, gurus or spiritual leaders because he/she is in some sort of trouble. These babas provide or give them hope that things will be better. They also tell them to hold on for a little while more for things to become better. In a way, they give them that last straw with which to keep on going and survive the ordeals of life. In a way, they do service to these people by providing a ray of hope in their darkest hour of need.
Over the period when indeed their ordeals are over, people start believing in these gurus without questioning. The complete devotion with which they follow these gurus is still a cause of surprise for many of us. Even more surprising is the way these spiritual gurus become power driven and self-centred. Their egos inflate and they start believing their own lies. In fact, all of these so-called gurus who are involved in these heinous crimes do not even realise their own degradation and feel everything that they do is justified. They become Godmen with no God left within them.
In such a time, Shamz's rule about a true spiritual master is so apt. A true master guides you to look within. A genuine spiritual leader is not engaged in loud rhetorics and asking you to do good deeds (especially by donating to him :)) but is showing the true worth of looking within yourself and finding wisdom and peace.
I am still looking for a mentor and a spiritual guide. I have visited many of these gurus in the hope that I may find a true guru. I usually do not discard anyone just because my logical brain can't accept their outer persona. However, so far my logical brain has won 100% of the time as I always find these babas full of themselves, self-centred and pompous. My friend says that maybe we can take a few good things from these gurus and move on. To me, the thought is really good but when I really want to take those few good things and life skill techniques which they genuinely have, my logical brain refuses to bow down to such pompous and conceited babas and despite my best efforts, I feel aversion in taking anything from them.
Instead, I take and learn things from ordinary people. Like genuinely appreciating someone for their efforts, like being positive in most of the things, like encouraging people around you, teaching poor kids and donating anonymously. I see so many gurus in ordinary people. There are people who can control their anger so much, there are people who selflessly devote their lives to different causes, there are people who are doing their small bit for humanity. My father was one such person. He was one person who was always ready to help someone in whatever limited means he could. Slowly but surely, I am learning to be a better human being. I am still looking for a genuine guru. A guru who would make me appreciate my own self. A guru who will show me the inner beauty and peace. A guru who would be inspiration and light to follow through. They say when the student is ready the guru appears. Maybe I still need to work on myself to be a wothy pupil but I do know that one day I will find my true mentor. Till then people around me are teaching mevaluable life lessons.
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