S
piritual enlightenment is a funny old thing, isn’t it? I can’t
say I totally understand it. For a start, can you be a little
bit enlightened? Is it something you can work towards in
grades, like my old clarinet exams when I was young? Or
maybe it’s like being pregnant; you either are or you aren’t.
Then how do you know when you’ve got it? Do you have to go
somewhere for a test? “Good morning Miss Jackson. Thanks for
coming in and seeing us today. We’ve got just a few questions so if
you could just sit here....oh....you’re levitating. Never mind...”
You don’t have to delve too far into an online search of
‘enlightened people’ to see that none of them did it alone. They all
had, and then became, a guru.
If you’re looking for the fast-as-a-trip-to-eternal-understanding-
can-ever-be route to getting that big old spiritual light-bulb, seems
like you need to find yourself someone who is “lit” (as the young
people say, I think) in the yogic sense of the word.A guru is someone who has not only completed their own spiritual
journey but is truly absorbed in the teachings they have chosen as
their template for life. They are a mentor and so much more. In fact,
sometimes a student’s relationship with their guru is considered as
the equivalent of a direct connection to the divine (the universe, god,
or whatever you choose to call it).
Whilst I consider my teacher to be incredibly knowledgeable, an
inspirational game-changer in the world of yoga, and absolutely
brilliant at what he does, he’d be the first one to admit he’s no
closer to enlightenment than the rest of us. Awesome teacher and
someone I want to study with for a very long time? Hell yeah. Bloke
with a hotline to the divine? Hell no.
But truth is, having one figure to which you can turn for emotional
insights, guidance and support can be incredibly useful for those
of us who feel like their spiritual path is taking way too many
undesirable diversions.om spirit
You don’t need to be able to levitate to find the guru within, says Meg Jackson
Be your own
GURU
om mind