Is spiritual devotion indeed a challenging journey

A guru is an enlightened master, a perfect being who appears among people to take them to the path of salvation and liberation from worldly engagements. A true guru, somebody who makes people turn towards spiritualism, somebody who hastens the process of liberation through his blessings and people’s efforts is hard to find. Nowadays, there is so much controversy surrounding the tradition of gurus that it’s difficult to predict whether he or she is a really enlightened person, a miracle worker, a charlatan, a magician or an impostor. Hence, making the path of spiritual devotion a highly challenging journey.

 

SPIRITUAL DEVOTION : A CHALLENGING JOURNEY

 

It becomes more problematic for people to decide what to follow when media highlights and exaggerates the activities of a few controversial people and the scandals about their misconduct and corrupt practices. In the recent past, there have been many instances of how gurus have duped gullible people in the name of God and religion. These bogus gurus misuse their status and identity in society to collect money, abuse children or exploit women. There are many who indulge in self-promotion, criminal activities like murder, land grabbing, accounting fraud and anti-social behaviour. Some become gurus on the basis of heredity or family connection with the original guru and misuse their power and position in the name of scriptures and spiritual teachings. Many gurus today seek wealth and political power to promote themselves and their interests, by frequently travelling to foreign countries to extend their power base and promote their own institutions.

SPIRITUAL DEVOTION : A CHALLENGING JOURNEY

Spiritual gurus in India are treated and respected as demigods by the people. They seem to show a right path to the innocent public but the actual scenario is something different. They have become professionals and play with innocent people’s faith in the name of religion. Gurus come in all shapes and sizes, false ones and genuine path makers. It is upon us how to be careful in choosing our spiritual mentor. Our trust in god and his men should be sincere but at the same time, it is essential to take precautions as gurus have the ability to either transform our spirituality or diminish the process of salvation. Therefore, one should be able to control our emotions and dependence on them and make a prudent decision before making somebody our idol.

Worshipping the guru for his inner self is significant for us to take the journey towards liberation of the soul but knowing the difference between a guru and God is of prime importance. Gurus lead us to the path of God but are not God themselves, therefore should not be trusted blindly but prudently. The traditions of shakti-patha and bhakti create such a high regard for gurus in our society that it becomes all the more crucial for us to prevent ourselves from falling in our own self-induced trap.

Ways of finding your right spiritual mentor

Before following a guru and believing in him, one should know why we are following him. When seeking a guru, one has to be serious about our spiritual life and be honest to oneself and not simply follow him for finding solutions to our everyday problems, but our endeavour should be towards cleansing of the soul. Finding a genuine guru who can show us the way through disillusionment is crucial so that he can elevate our process of liberation and protect us from harm. Virtue and morality is the foundation of spiritual life but by merely substituting these traits with the presence of a spiritual mentor in our lives will lead us nowhere. The false notion of worshipping the divinities and donating money in temples so that our wishes may be granted is not the right path to enlightenment. We should respect them not because they are great masters, but because of the presence of awakened souls in them which ultimately brings us in contact with our own inner conscience through their guidance and blessings. It is important that the guru we choose is able to guide us personally. If he or she is inaccessible, one may have problems dealing with our difficulties on the path and we may not be able to seek the guidance when we need it the most.

SPIRITUAL DEVOTION : A CHALLENGING JOURNEY

 

Succumbing ourselves to the herd mentality and following a spiritual teacher without knowing him enough might just lead us to a self-destructive path and in the end we may realize that what we were chasing was a mirage after all. An enlightened guru is God in human form and their aura is such that they can transform people through their teachings, sometimes with a mere glance or touch. His disciples don’t need to fill his bank accounts for such illumination, but be sincere and dedicated in their faith.

Therefore, it is important for us to choose our guru passively, with faith in God, lighting up the interiors of our mind and soul. He will come to us through the will of God, according to our deepest aspiration, and not just because we are eager and impatient to find our spiritual mentor. To solve our problems more effectively and in taking the right decision, we should seek the help of the higher intelligence that resides within us. Only that can help us reach the other shore, whether we have to choose a guru or not, the decision lies within us. We should be able to see in him a true reflection of God’s eternal wisdom.

Guru : The guiding force of your spiritual journey