A Guru's Path

*Here Im trying to answer some often asked questions like - what is your path, or who is your guru, etc. This article is not about a particular guru or a particular path. It can be useful for future gurus.*

### The Greatest Path

Usually seekers take a suitable path which takes them to their spiritual goal in the shortest time with least effort. That is the best path in their perspective. Some do try a few paths before settling on their favorite one. Mostly it is seen that seekers favor one or two paths over the others, thinking that the others are totally different or are not of any use.

There is no problem at all, if this happens, but usually every path has some use, it is useful for a particular kind of seeker, probably not for all seekers. This is due to the fact that the constitution of each seeker is unique and different. As long as this uniqueness is there, there will be a perceived difference in paths. Once you reach the final destination, the uniqueness becomes oneness and the peculiarities of the body-mind instrument become insignificant, they lose meaning, and then the differences in paths or opinions about them also become insignificant.

### Unity of Paths

All major paths have only one goal - to reach the final truth, to become the ultimate, to end all divisions. So how can they divide? How are they different? The difference lies in ways, methods and languages or vocabulary etc. Basically they all teach the same things. The path adapts to the need of a seeker, and hence appears different or specific. So the real difference is among seekers, that too because of their different levels of evolution or progress.

All paths prepare the seeker in some ways. All paths only purify. Depending on the impurity, that path proposes a solution (*Upaya*). The impurity can be physical, emotional, intellectual, energetic, nonphysical etc., and the path takes on an apparent specialization.

Then there are some paths that are like footpaths or small roads that take the seeker to the highway. They appear narrow and are limited in scope. They provide some corrective practices, and make the student ready for a teacher. Sometimes newcomers confuse them with a major path, but anyway they are also important, especially for those who are starting.

Needless to say, the paths acquire the culture and specialities of the place, time and civilizations, and evolve into a tradition. The tradition is a completely different thing, it seems. But think about it, see, it is not. It has taken on superficial colors of its own, and this confuses a lot of seekers and even novice gurus.

### Gurus Path

There is no essential difference in paths, and there is no essential difference in gurus also. They may dress differently, may come from different traditions, may speak different languages or have different vocabulary, but they all say the same thing. Truth is one, and so the message is only one. The differences are apparent. Some new seekers do not recognize this unity at first, but it is fine, not a big obstacle. They do recognize it once they progress.

If gurus are all one, what is their path? Are their paths not different? Do they have a special path - the gurupath, which is forbidden for seekers? Or is there no path at all?

Many questions arise.

After some experience of teaching or guruship, the guru can guide the seekers on many paths, or at least can show them the right path. They do keep their specialization, as it is useful, they have a good amount of experience in their own field, but they no longer remain limited to that one path.

The guru takes on the path on which a seeker is. The guru comes down to the seeker, if the seeker cannot come up, even if that requires adoption of another path and suspension of their own for a while. The guru plays the role of all gurus. One guru is all guru.

You can call such gurus, the great guru or a great master. They obviously do not have a specific path. They are not bound to any specific tradition either. They know what is best for the seeker. Sometimes they construct a new path, just because it is needed, because the other paths are not up to date, and do not meet the requirements of a particular place or time. Many times they set up a new tradition, taking the best elements from the paths available at that time. They eventually become world gurus.

It is indeed difficult to recognize the path of an experienced teacher, he or she appears in many ways, many colors, many styles at the same time. In short, a guru has no path at all. They pick up that which is useful. They drop that which is useless. They adapt to the needs of the seeker. They serve the seeker, not the path or the tradition.

Such gurus are rare indeed. But all gurus are going in that direction only, it is a matter of time.

### Attachment to a Path or Tradition

Ultimately a guru realizes that attachment to a particular path or tradition is very limiting, is bondage, and they renounce their path or tradition completely. This narrowness, this limitation becomes a hurdle in their goal, which is upliftment of all seekers, if not of all creatures, even though the latter is the final goal.

Attachment is seen as an inability to appreciate the teachings of great masters, who are apparently not on their favorite path, or it can appear as a dislike for other paths, or as a competition of some kind. Obviously, this is not a quality of a guru, even a small one.

It is common for seekers to argue over their paths and traditions, some become bitter, narrow minded and extremists, and lose their status of a seeker quickly, as a consequence, but it is rare for a guru to do so. A bitter, narrow minded, extremist guru is not a guru at all. Seeing this, the issue of paths and traditions is uprooted completely for ever, however, the guru may still identify himself or herself with a particular tradition or culture or path for practical reasons or to avoid telling the long stories about why it has all become meaningless now. Sometimes the guru is instructed by their guru to teach only a particular path, and for practical purposes, they introduce themselves as belonging to that path.

But when asked privately, these gurus show no ownership or attachment to anything special. They have risen above the pettiness of differences. They have seen the oneness.

### Attachment to Guru

In the same way, attachment to their guru is dropped naturally, as they all are one guru ultimately, or in short - it is all the gurufield. The guru is not an individual, so there should not be a question of attachment here. New seekers do show some attachment, which is good anyway. But new gurus also show it for some time, at least they keep referring to a particular person as their guru, maybe for practical purposes or maybe to avoid telling the whole story of why there is no guru left for them, or why the gurufield is the only guru now.

So yes, a guru has no guru. You can say it in short. The gurufield is the only guru, it is the guru of every guru, in fact, all gurus are part of it, they have merged into it. No separation, no identification, no attachment remains.

### Freedom

End of search brings a freedom to traverse any path in particular or to follow any guru in particular. Tradition also loses meaning. This is the natural outcome of your practice. This is progress. Expansion, not boundaries. We all want that. Clinging to anything - a path, a guru, a tradition, a practice - is simply an obstacle for a guru. It may feel like a loss, just like when you lost your individuality, your relationships, your worldly attachments, your body-mind etc., but it was progress. Mentally prepare yourself for accepting this apparent loss, whenever it happens. Enjoy the freedom, as nothing of value was lost, and everything was gained by losing your last limitation, last attachment, last vestige of the ego.

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A Guru's Path

Tarun Pradhaan