Accepting A Guru – The Choice Is Yours

The scriptures tell us that accepting a spiritual master (Guru) is must for perfection in spiritual realization. But still, accepting a guru is a matter of choice in multiple ways.

One, everyone has a choice to decide whether they want spiritual realization or not. Basic information about the goals of various spiritual paths is needed for one to get curious, and then attracted, to these paths. A charismatic spiritual personality might also bias one to the path that that person has accepted.

Two, even on the same path, different groups of spiritualists, generally called sampradayas, exist. One chooses the sampradaya that one feels more connected to or one finds most relevant due to the way they present the practicalities of the path. And of course one sampradaya might be more vibrant than another in a particular geographical location. The choice can depend on many such factors.

Three, even within the same sampradaya, different people get attracted to different Gurus. This is natural and in fact beautiful. The same essential message is presented with a unique flavor by two perfect followers of the same sampradaya. This variety in the presentation and practice of the same authentic spiritual teachings is the very life of dynamic, joyful, ever fresh, and increasingly profound spirituality.

In this arena of choice, sometimes a person may find himself shackled by decisions others have made for him. For example, a family Guru. Social pressure can force one to accept the same Guru that his parents have accepted. Or the person underwent a 'Guru accepting ceremony' when he was not old enough to take such decisions. This is not necessarily wrong; a person might develop a natural attraction for this Guru due to his association over the years. If that Guru is following a high spiritual path, birth in such a family is glorious. But sometimes, a person might encounter spiritual principles significantly higher than that followed by the family Guru. Or the current Guru might be more official than transformational. Now what?

It's about choice - being allowed to choose and having the courage to do so. One's spiritual journey is one's own. Others  will guide, instruct, suggest, and help, or even threaten; but they have no right to force. Force kills spiritual life. Spirituality practiced against ones will is a farce; it's material, motivated by fear.

Sometimes such decisions can be tough to make. This hesitation is a good sign; that one is not taking the decision lightly. Quite often, the choice between the two paths or two sampradayas is easy; the level of realizations offered are evidently different. And often, there is not much opposition from family or society for such decisions. But in some cases, the choice is not so easy; either the two sampradayas don’t differ much, or there is opposition. At these times, best is to give the decision some more time and deliberation, and discuss the matter more with spiritually advanced souls who are not motivated by material considerations.

Accepting a particular path and dedicating one's life to a particular Guru is a serious decision. The better your choice, the more serious it becomes; in other words, the more spiritually advanced the Guru is, the more important it is to take that relationship seriously. Carelessness in this regard can hamper spiritual progress, because taking a Guru lightly is taking spiritual life cheaply. Thus, after accepting a Guru after intense and prolonged deliberation, one must cultivate this relationship very carefully. Neglecting this relationship now is not an expression of choice, but of spiritual lethargy and disrespect towards an advanced soul. Such an attitude is one's greatest misfortune and the biggest obstacle on the path towards spiritual success.

The choice is yours.