How To Recognize the Guru

Guruji Reverend Jaganath Carrera, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears....The Guru is not the body, not the mind, not even the intellect. It is the Self, or God, that is the Guru. As such, the Guru exists within us all. Why then should it be necessary to have someone else show us the way?

"The fire hidden within a stick manifests when it is rubbed against another stick. Similarly, the Truth within can only be called forth by another human being. Wisdom, like light passing from a lit candle to an unlit one, passes freely from one human being to another.

"Ultimately, it is the Guru within you that recognizes and chooses the Guru outside. The path to the Guru/disciple relationship is one in which the head and the heart should agree.

"The Head

• The Guru should be someone well versed in the texts, teachings, and practices of the path. 
• It is very helpful if the Guru is part of a lineage of Gurus. If the Guru’s Guru is someone well respected, you are more likely to be with one who has been trained and has experienced what is needful in a Guru. 
• Watch how the Guru acts. Do his or her words and actions conform to what is accepted by your path?

 "The Heart 

• You feel uplifted in her or his presence. 
• You get a sense of something transcendent in, around, or through the Guru. 
• Their teachings resonate strongly in you and make greater sense than ever before. 
• A feeling that somehow, all is well while you are in your Guru’s presence. 
• The words and experience of being with the Guru leaves an impression that may last for days.

"All this can happen not only with a Guru who is still physically alive, but with one that has passed on. Students can encounter their Guru through books, videos, audios, and through senior disciples.

"The Guru/disciple relationship can be a 'love at first sight' situation. More often, it takes time. The student needs to become familiar with the teacher, the teachings, and the community of disciples. This may take days, weeks, months, or years.

"In the end, the head should approve of the teachings, while the heart is drawn to the teacher."

Sri Guruji Reverend Jaganath is the founder and spiritual head of the Yoga Life Society. He is a direct disciple of world renowned Yoga master and leader in the ecumenical movement, Sri Swami Satchidananda, the founder and spiritual guide for the Integral Yoga Institutes and Satchidananda Ashrams worldwide. Swami Satchidananda is the direct disciple of Swamiji Maharaj Sivananda (Rishikesh)