If one cannot contact directly this inner guru, then one must search for the outer guru. The outer guru - the spiritual teacher - is he who guides the true seeker into this inner journey for the intimate contact with the inner guru - wisdom. He who is trying hard to experience his inner guru, will easily find an outer guru also to help him in his inner journey.
Each individual has to experience the truth in his heart because the experience of others cannot be his own experience. The enlightened teacher cannot give someone his own enlightenment. The teachers guidance verbally helps in the understanding of our mental and physical functions, manifestations and problems, so that we may begin on the path of self inquiry. The duty of the spiritual teacher is to pass on the information, and the duty of the student is to practice and to transform the information into his blood.
Everybody understands reality according to their own capacity, rather than the ultimate reality itself. Therefore, your teacher can be only he who understands you, and whom you understand. Nature is the ultimate teacher, and it has only one goal for all beings, especially all human beings: to bring them from the field of multiplicity into the realm of unity.
A spiritual teacher does not teach anyone to depend on him, nor does he pretend to be the master of anybody. Those who declare themselves to be a guru, and those who pretend to be the guru - definitely they are not.
The true teacher is he who removes the power of competition and jealousy from your heart, and makes your heart able to love not only all fellows of the present, but also fellows of the past and future. When there is union with the inner guru, all selfishness, evil tendencies, chaos, disharmony, ignorance, egoism, misunderstanding, greed, lust, and hatred disappear and there is an uninterupted flow of love, understanding, togetherness, selfless service, gratefulness and compassion. credit: The Samara Foundation
You can't buy enlightenment, but you can hire a mirror so you can watch it happen. -Alek Vila
How can one know who his spiritual teacher is?...his heart looks at the spiritual Masters and makes the choice. When the heart sees a spiritual Master, if it is overwhelmed with joy, then there is every probability that spiritual Master is the right one for the seeker. -Sri Chinmoy
quote credit: Zaadz quote / graphics with gratitude to Shelby Briggs
