Where do we find a Guru
July 2015
By Jamuna Rangachari
When most of us think of a guru, we usually conjure up an image of a person with a long beard in a flowing robe. Some may see them on TV, some may travel long distances to meet them and some may pray to them always to show us the correct guru and path sometime soon.
I have often heard people say, “Where can I find a guru? I have tried so hard, there seems to be no one around us now. We are perhaps not in the right era” This is really not anywhere near the truth. We can find gurus wherever we are, all around us. This actually is the journey of life.
When translated, “gu” means to remove; “ru” means darkness. So the term guru relates to anything that moves us metaphorically from darkness to light, from the untruth to the truth.
There are indeed many books showing us this truth. Attending and listening to wisdom alone does not work unless we apply it in our own life.
I have attended many workshops and have actually found that all of them do mention that life progresses only when there is harmony in relationships. Relationships are indeed the bedrock of life itself. We just need to work on each of them. Some relationships could inspire, some test our patience, some make us wonder where the fault lies.
The point is, all of them are lessons of life. Hence, anyone who helps us move forward in the journey of life is indeed a guru. It could be one’s children, one’s co-workers or even one’s spouse.
Actually, if words are theoretical knowledge, the practical lessons are provided on life’s laboratory. This is a already present for us. We are guided to the right lessons as the time has come to learn them. We can choose to learn the lessons or discard them. Like any good teacher, life shall keep showing us the same lessons till we learn them.
Have we not noticed that those who crib continue to crib all the time and those who are cheerful continue to be cheerful always. This happens whatever the situation outside is? The fact is, this itself shows us that there is always a guru inside us. We have been provided with it ever since we are born.
Let us make the most of all of the lessons that have been provided to us automatically by life.