Theos-Talk Archives (May 1997 Message tl00426)

>> ... the moment you come to me and ask me, "Is a guru necessary for
>> understanding?" then I say, "No." On the contrary it is destructive.
>
>A blanket statement that is contradicted many times over. Read the
>writings of Kirpal Singh, Milarepa, Yogananda, Yukteswar, Sai Baba
>.. etc

This touches on a very sensitive and controversial subject.  Many,
including Tibetan Buddhism, insist on the necessity of a competent
guru.  K, and others, insist on the very opposite.  I think that a
guru is, indeed, necessary.  However, I have a broad definition
of just what a guru is.  To me, a guru is anyone or anything that
teaches us something.  Thus a good book can be a guru, if we
learn from it.  K's problem was not in our 'having' a guru so much
as our 'worshipping' one (which is our natural tendency).

Jerry S.
Member, TI