Spiritual Portal

Questioner: Why is it that the Guru is given so much importance in the spiritual path?

Amma: Come on, tell Amma, is there any path or work that you can learn without the help of a teacher or guide? If you want to learn learn how to drive, you need to be taught by an experienced driver. A child needs to be taught how to tie his shoelaces. And how can you learn mathematics without a teacher? Even a pick-pocket needs a teacher to teach him the art of stealing. If teachers are indispensable in ordinary life, wouldn't there b even more need of a teacher on the spiritual path, which is so extremely subtle?

If you want to go to a distant place, you may want to buy a map. But no matter how well you study the map, if you are heading toward a  totally strange land, an unknown place, you won't know any anything about that place until you actually arrive. Nor will the map tell you much about the journey itself, about the ups and downs of the road and the possible dangers on the way. It is therefore better to receive guidance from someone who had completed the journey, someone who knows the way from his or her own experience.

What do you know about the spiritual path? It is a totally unknown world and path. You may have collected some information from books or people. But when it comes to actually doing it, the experience part of it, a Satguru's [true Master] direction is absolutely necessary.

~Amma...'From Amma's Heart'

I am also very interested in this topic lately. Especially because it is now common that people are saying there is no need for a Guru and that you are already enlightened, etc. Their statements are particularly interesting because they are not without some level of truth. It is a subtle subject with plenty of paradoxes. One being that to denounce the Guru is to take on that role oneself. I have met people in other groups online, who are much older and who for all I know may really be awakened, who have said that you should throw your teacher's picture in the garbage. Needless to say I find such a view appalling. Admittedly, there can be a propensity to develop imaginary relationships with gurus who are not alive and whom we have not met. To the extent that these relationships become mere fantasy and escapism, I guess we have to admit that they are unhealthy.

I love the Amma quote, Steve. Would you consider re-titling this thread so that we can add statements from other respected sages on this important topic of the Guru?

I recently made a webpage that outlines some of Sri Ramana's responses on the topic of the Guru in this vein. You can see it at this link:
http://callahanweb.xyz/on_the_guru/

Brock

u are welcome to start a new topic. u should have the ability as a moderator if not let me know. Since Amma has much to say on this topic i prefer to leave her comments under her heading so people can find them. However u r welcome to copy and paste them in another thread. Somethings seem so obvious to me and i have had so many things happen to me from following the Gurus that is seems counter productive to question. i would b better off to question whether i had parents and to deny their help. But i am not the only one on this forum so others may feel differently.

When you have a Master you are swimming with the current instead of against it---if you are with out one.~ Amma