Source:https://gdpr.tubi.tv/

Here is my answer to this week's Question of the Week.

Do we need a Guru? Or a teacher?

I'd like to start by defining these two terms, in order to differentiate between them. Guru is an old word. It was born under the old regime of religion and spirituality, i.e., there is one truth, one divine answer, and the only way to get it is through the assigned and verified spiritual leader. This mean that if you are going to learn with a Guru, or a master, whether they be a Yogi from India or a Sifu from China, you had to obey their commands. This was not a two way relationship. The Guru gave her verdict, and that was that. In time, the student would better understand why his Guru made the decisions she had, and would learn to respect and appreciate his Guru's teachings. But since a level of advanced understanding was required before one could truly appreciate it, the beginner disciple was required to have nothing but faith in the enlightened teacher, and accept wholeheartedly what she had to say. Then we have the word teacher. Also an old word, but the meaning of which has changed dramatically over time. If we think of the term teacher today, we think of a specific teacher in a specific subject. This means we think of teachers as experts, rather than emissaries of God's one truth. If I want to study something, I can find a teacher for that subject, and trust her expertise in her specific field alone, unlike the Guru, who was truly given total power over her disciple's lives, what they ate, where they slept, and how they lived their life.

So, the question is, is one, or both necessary? I have struggled with this question since I was a little boy. Being raised religious, I was always taught that any serious questions I had, should be directed at my spiritual leaders and religious authorities, the Rabbis. This led me to a feeling of disillusionment, at the Rabbis' inability to answer my questions to my satisfaction. They required more faith than understanding, and in today's modern era, my psyche simply wasn't content. And so, my search for answers from a Guru, a teacher, or otherwise, continued. While searching I came across one of my most important teachers, Alan watts. Though he passed 14 years before I was born, he guided me throughout my spiritual journey. (I even have a tattoo of one of his lectures His take on Gurus was a very interesting one. He said, it's similar to that old joke, if you think you need to see a therapist, you ought to have your head examined. Likewise, if you feel you need a Guru, then you need a Guru. But if you don't, then you don't. The spiritual path, like climbing a mountain, doesn't have one way up. There are many ways to reach the peak, and it is our duty to find what works for us. I feel the same about organized religion. It definitely is not what I'm looking for, but if it works for others, who am I to judge? As for my relationship with Gurus; when it comes to information I am inherently inclusive (i.e., not exclusive). My psyche doesn't handle exclusivity and narrowing, but instead I am always seeking to expand my faith, my knowledge, my world view. That is why I believe in many different gods, religions, Gurus and faiths. I believe that there is more than one truth, more than one way to teach it, and more than one way to perceive it. Now when it comes to teachers, Since every teacher is responsible for one field, one area of learning, I have learned everything I know (almost) from teachers. Of course, there is a huge difference between becoming someone's apprentice, living with them, learning by observing and doing, vs learning just from books. I have learned a lot from books, and especially spiritual teachings, but they wouldn't have had the impact they had on me, had I not engaged in meaningful experiences alongside my book learning. All of my teachers are people I have never met. Whether from our ancient past, or simply living on another continent, I have never actually had an ongoing long term relationship with a single teacher. Again, I believe this type of teacher is good for some people, just not me. That is why I am so grateful for the internet, and being alive in the age of information, having these opportunities, to learn from so many different teachers of the past and present, and not have to sacrifice other things in my life, to move to another country to go and look for a specific teacher to live with.

Having said all that, it is a long term dream of mine to find a teacher for the game of Go/Baduk/Weqi in an Asian country, (used to be Chine, now I'm not so sure..) and live with them, to really immerse myself in the game. But, that is not the same as spiritual teachings. I believe spiritual teachings are so much more focused on our inner world, the part we can access no matter where we are, the part of us that is eternal. When it comes to spiritual growth, do we need a Guru or teacher? No, we don't need one. There have been people in the past, and today, who can achieve impressive spiritual growth without any formal training. However for me, the more important question we each have to ask is, "Do I need a Guru or teacher"?

And that is a question that only you can answer.