A Light Upon The Way

When the World Wide Web was introduced sometime in the mid-90s, we literally saw an explosion of information across the world. Part of the knowledge that spread included topics on esoteric spirituality and occult practices. Naturally, the spread of information has also given rise to a variety of "New Agers" (one of the generic terms used in the US to describe anyone who is into spirituality, occult or anything else esoteric).

For the most part, the spread of information has been very beneficial. E-book or scanned copies of previously hard to find ancient manuscripts are now a few clicks away. I'm certainly one of those beneficiaries and am thankful that all this has happened. Still, with the humongous amount of information available, it falls even more heavily upon the student to practice discernment when studying any new and unfamiliar topic.

One thing that has accompanied the popularization of the Internet are the so-called do-it-yourself teachings on the occult and esoteric practices. Inspirational articles about improving one's life and how to get the most out of praying are one thing, but I've seen some sites publishing different spells, advanced meditation practices and other stuff that the untrained shouldn't be touching with a 10-foot pole, let alone published freely on the Web. I mean, no one would read some blog about how to repair jet engines and then go out and try to tinker with an actual jet engine. So the same thing applies with advanced spiritual practices and techniques.

In ancient times, the exoteric practices of religion were for the masses while esoteric spiritual teachings and advanced practices were passed on strictly from guru to disciple. These disciples were taught based on their capability to handle the new teachings, because most advanced spiritual practices involve the downpour of tremendous amounts of energy. This statement would be hard to understand for someone who hasn't had experience with any energy system but let's just say that there are increasing levels of difficulty, and responsibility, as one climbs the spiritual ladder.

In today's fast food world, the relevance of a guru may be questioned by most but that doesn't decrease the guru's importance. Some Eastern sects of esoteric spirituality in fact put so much importance on the guru that they have a practice called guru yoga. As per the Wikipedia article:

The Guru or spiritual teacher is essential as a guide during tantric practice, as without their example, blessings and grace, genuine progress is held to be impossible for all but the most keen and gifted...The guru is considered even more compassionate and more potent than the Buddha because we can have a direct relationship with the guru.

The guru is a direct and living example of the Teachings, and this is why he is highly revered among the disciples. According to Master Choa Kok Sui, a guru has already made a path through the forest so that his disciples don't unnecessarily get hurt along the way. One may ask why we should bother trying to follow an established path. Aren't we supposed to learn for ourselves instead of being spoon-fed?

An example from the field of computer programming may help explain this. Programmers have this rule of thumb that when writing a program, if there are already a series of codes existing for a particular function (for example, a timer or form checker), they just incorporate or make use of the existing code in their program rather than write the whole code from scratch. It saves time and effort, and when project deadlines are involved, it could also save a lot of money. There is no need to reinvent the wheel every time.

The same thing applies to our spiritual practice. We could spend several lifetimes worth of trial and error in order to spiritually develop, or we could follow the teachings of a guru and proceed faster in our spiritual development. The choice is ours to make.

Of course, it's important to get a true guru so that one is not led astray, otherwise one may find oneself worse off than before one started. So how does one discern a true guru?

The word guru means "dispeller of darkness" so in my estimation, one indication of a true guru is that he should be a living example of his Teachings. A guru does not seek to control, but rather hopes to enlighten his disciples while training them to think for themselves and develop their intuition so that they have the free will to discern and decide how they want to pursue their spiritual development. It's an esoteric maxim that the guru can show the door, but it's up to the student to step through that door.

A guru's teachings should also be uplifting. In this sense, the spiritual teachings of a guru are the foundations that allow the disciples to stand on their own and become gurus themselves through the practice of the teachings.

The disciples of a guru are works in progress, therefore it brings us to one thing that one may encounter along spiritual path. One may notice that sometimes there are disciples of a guru who do exactly the opposite of the teachings. It's a fact of life, there will be those who are not the examples we expect them to be, and the practice of spiritual teachings is no different.

If ever you experience this, then this is when you will find out how much you have internalized the guru's teachings. For example, there are a lot of Catholic priests who are sex offenders, yet the existence of these deviants do not invalidate the Teachings of Jesus Christ. But if one has not internalized Christ's teachings, one may either convert to a different religion or become agnostic or atheist. My personal motto is to focus on the teacher and his Teachings, not on the personalities surrounding the Teachings.

This has now led us to another facet pertaining to spiritual practice: the practice itself. When a guru teaches, he does so not for the purpose of memorization but so that the student can follow in the path and experience the Teachings for themselves. Spiritual teachings are always an experiential matter. This is the only way to internalize them and have a stable foundation. Otherwise, if it's all head knowledge, then the slightest challenge such as an unfavorable situation or arguments by a skeptic and skilled debater will make you waver. Only experience can bring conviction.

But should one decide to embark on the spiritual path under the guidance of a guru, there is one very important thing that one should keep in mind. A guru does not exist by himself. By becoming enlightened, he joins the ranks of all other enlightened beings who work in accordance with the Divine Plan and Purpose.

"The teacher is the needle and the disciple is the thread," wrote Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman, in his book The Book of Five Rings. By aligning oneself with the teachings, one also commits oneself to this Divine Plan and Purpose so that you also form part of this grand tapestry of creation. This should be the reason for one to seek faster advancement in one's spiritual development. As Master Choa said, one should become enlightened in order to become a better Divine Servant.

As we fully enter into this Holy Week, let us then reflect on the Teachings of the great guru Jesus Christ. The Christ's teachings have been passed on to us since we were children. If we were to truly follow Him, we should give serious thought to putting those teachings into practice.