Guru

Another popular etymology affirms that the syllables gu (गु) and ru (रू), stand for darkness and light, respectively, providing the esoteric meaning that the guru is somebody who leads the disciple from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge [1] [2].

In the sense mentioned here above, guru is used more or less interchangeably with "satguru" (literally: true teacher) and satpurusha. Compare also Swami. The disciple of a guru is called sishya or chela. Often a guru lives in an ashram. The lineage of a guru, spread by worthy disciples who carry on that guru's particular message, is known as the guru parampara or disciplic succession.

In the traditional sense, the word guru describes a relationship rather than an absolute and is used as a form of address only by a disciple addressing his master. Some Hindu denominations like BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha hold that a personal relationship with a living guru, revered as the embodiment of God, is essential in seeking moksha.

The role of the guru continues in the original sense of the word in such Hindu traditions as Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and Bhakti sects. Indeed, it is now a standard part of Hinduism (as defined by the six Vedic streams and the Tantric Agamic streams) that a guru is one's spiritual guide on earth. In some more mystical Hindu circles, it is believe that the guru could awaken dormant spiritual knowledge within the pupil, known as shaktipat.

Some influential gurus in the Hindu tradition (there have been many) include Adi Shankaracharya, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Shri Ramakrishna. Other gurus whose legacy of continuing the Hindu yogic tradition grew in the 20th century were luminaries like Shri Aurobindo Ghosh, Shri Ramana Maharshi, Swami Sivananda and Swami Chinmayananda.

Devotees' views on Guru and God

The origin of guru can be traced back as far as the early Upanishads, where the conception of the Divine Teacher on earth first manifested from its early Brahmin associations. Indeed, there is an understanding in some sects that if the devotee were presented with the guru and God, first he would pay respects to the guru since the guru had been instrumental in leading him to God. To illustrate the elevated status of a guru, some saints and poets have sung the glory of the guru:

• Kabir

Guru Govind Doa khade kake lagun panv

Balihari Guru Apne, jin Govind diyo lakhay

Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?

I bow before Guru who introduced God to me.

• Brahmanand

Bhagya Bade Sadguru Mei Payo, Man ki duvidha door nasai

Brahmanand charan balihari, guru Mahima Hari se adhikai

It's my great fortune that I found Satguru, all my doubts are removed.

I bow before Guru. Guru's glory is greater than God's.

• Sahjo Bai

Raam tajun Pei Guru Na Bisaron

Guru ke sam hari ko na niharon

I can afford to forget God but not the Guru. I can not equate God with Guru.

It is worth noting that in all sects with a disciplic succession or parampara, both guru and disciple affirm to be servants of the divine.

List of famous gurus

Hindu tradition

• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the Hare Krishna Movement (ISKCON)
• Bhakti-yog-rasavatar Jagaduguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj
• Caitanya Mahaprabhu
• Chinmayananda
• Dayananda Saraswati
• Dharmsamrat Paramhans Swami Madhavananda
• Gurudeb Rabindranath Thakur
• Lord Basava
• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
• Mata Amritanandamayi or Ammachi
• Muktananda
• Narayana Guru
• Neem Karoli Baba
• Nisargadatta Maharaj
• Paramahansa Yogananda
• Paramyogeshwar Sri Devpuriji
• Ramakrishna_Paramhansa
• Ramana Maharshi
• Ram Dass (Richard Alpert)
• Shirdi Sai Baba
• Sathya Sai Baba
• Shri Aurobindo Ghosh
• Shrii Shrii Anandamurti (Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar, founder of Ananda Marga (AMPS)
• Sivananda
• Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (founder of the Saiva Siddhanta Church, Hinduism Today magazine)
• Sri Chinmoy
• Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji
• Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
• Sri Yukteswar Giri
• Sri Shankaracharya (Advaita philosophy)
• Swami Dayananda
• Swami Ramatirtha
• Swami Shyam
• Swami Vivekananda
• Saradamani Devi, the holy Mother
• Tamala Krishna Goswami (Srila Gurudeva), Prabhupada's disciple

Guru in Buddhism

In tantric Buddhism, a guru is essential for the initiation,practice and guidance along the path. The importance of a guru-disciple relationship, is demonstrated by ritual empowerments or initiations where the student obtains permission to practice a particular tantra.

The Dalai Lama speaking of the importance of the guru said: "Rely on the teachings to evaluate a guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism."

Guru in Sikhism

The title Guru is extremely fundamental to the religion of the Sikhs (see also Sikhism). Indeed, the Sikhs carried the meaning of the word to an even greater level of abstraction, while retaining the original usage, to apply to understanding of imparted knowledge through any medium. The most important is the Guru Granth Sahib, their holiest book.

The word is also used by Sikhs to refer to their Prophets – see The Ten Gurus of Sikhism

Additional meanings in contemporary western usage

The original meaning has evolved to a broader one. In more recent usage of the word guru, it means anyone who propagates a philosophical or religious belief system independent of an established school of philosophy or religion and attracts and accepts followers because of this. Sometimes Christians use the word guru as a pejorative label. On the other hand, some Christian scholars like the Dutch theologian Dr. Reender Kranenborg accept the word guru for Jesus. Often, dependent on the teachings of the guru, the followers will see the guru as a prophet, saint or avatar. Gurus often claim that they have achieved enlighment, moksha, that their teachings were channeled or that they have received a revelation.

The word has acquired a negative connotation in western countries, likely due to the prominence of several self-proclaimed "gurus" in the US during the 1960s and 1970s "New Age" movement (see e.g. Osho), who used Hindu terminology without having much else in common with mainstream Hinduism. But also due to more traditional gurus who didn’t practise what they preached especially with regards to celibacy and luxury. Some people using the title guru, as in all positions of respect, were found to be abusing their status and were found to be charlatans, self-deceived, businessmen pretending to be saints, cult leaders or a combination of this.

The term guru has also passed into an even wider metaphorical use. In hacker culture, a guru is an expert of legendary proportions. Nearly synonymous with "wizard", but additionally implies a history of being a knowledge resource for others. Less often, used (with a qualifer) for other experts on other systems, as in VMS guru. (The definition is from Jargon file.)

Attraction by gurus

There are several reasons why people in Western cultures are attracted by gurus. The most common is that people look for the meaning of life and are disillusioned in traditional religions. Gurus provide answers to the meaning of life, often free from the intellectualism of philosophy. Other people who have traditional beliefs seek to intensify their religious life and see a guru who can help her or him with this. Gurus offer a belief system that offers fulfillment and purpose and sometimes promises of a peaceful happy life. Many gurus claim that they can bring people closer to God, facilitate enlightenment, moksha, or nirvana, or can help people to achieve good karma and a correspondingly better next incarnation.

Criticism and assessment of the guru's authenticity

The British psychiatry professor Anthony Storr argues in his book 'Feet of clay - A Study of gurus' that gurus (in the non-Hindu usage of the word) share common character traits (e.g. being loners without friends) and that some suffer from a mild form of schizophrenia. He argues that the belief system that gurus hold developed in some cases from a period of psychosis. The belief system was developed during the psychosis to make sense of the guru's own mind and perceptions. This belief system persists after the psychosis has gone away.

Storr also wrote in the book that the gurus who are eloquent are the ones who are more likely to be unreliable and dangerous. The scholar David C. Lane wrote that a charlatan who cons people is not as dangerous as a guru who really believes in his delusions. The 'bigger' the claims a guru makes, the bigger the chance that he is a charlatan or deluded. The history of various gurus, religions, sects, new religious movements and cults has shown that the question how to assess the authenticity of a guru is difficult, especially when the guru is still young. According to the Bible, Jesus said that one should judge a prophet by his fruits, though it is not not clear whether this rule of the thumb also includes gurus. [3] . Some believe that this rule has the drawbacks that one should know what is good and bad in the first place and that one cannot possibly know all acts and their corresponding fruits of a guru.

The Indian skeptic Basava Premanand considers gurus either self deceived or charlatans and tries to prove that the miracles that they claim to perform or that their followers attribute to the guru are not genuine.

See also Contemporary Hindu Movements, Charismatic authority

Non-Hindu gurus

• Marshall Applewhite leader of Heaven's Gate
• Shoko Asahara former guru of Aum Shinrikyo
• Madame Blavatsky founder of Theosophy
• Maharaji, born under the name Prem Rawat. Note: Maharaji dropped the title "guru" from his name in 1980s together with other Hindu trappings
• Aleister Crowley
• G. I. Gurdjieff
• U.G.Krishnamurti
• Meher Baba
• Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh or Osho
• Adi Da

External links

• Understanding the Guru by Dr. Georg Feuerstein, author of The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice.
• Excerpts on assessing the authenticity of a guru from a book by Dr. David Lane.
• Ratings of hundreds of gurus by Sarlo. Sarlo, is a follower of the Guru Osho and also has a corresponding Yahoo! group].
• How to become a cult guru, practical tips for charlatans and con men, satirical website with a serious message.

Other Uses of the word 'Guru'

• There is a 1990s alternative rapper named Guru.
• There is also a 2002 movie titled The Guru.

de:Guru fr:Gourou nl:Goeroe ja:グル pl:Guru