Guru means "heavy" and is translated as "one whose opinion has weight". It is essential to understand the fundamental role of the master in the journey towards self-knowledge.
In order not to lose your way during the walk, it is necessary to have the image of the master as a point of reference. He is a mentor who will help and guide us in the quest. There are people who have difficulty accepting the role of the master.
However, if we do have them in our studies, why not have them during our inner quest?
Let's see what the Shiva Samhita says about the role of the master:
“Only knowledge taught by a guru through his lips is powerful and efficient. Otherwise, knowledge becomes fruitless, weak and painful”. III:11.
"One who devotes himself to any kind of knowledge, serving his guru with full attention, readily obtains the benefit of that knowledge." III:12.
“There is not the slightest doubt that the guru is a father. The guru is mother, and the guru is even God. Therefore, he must be so regarded and served, in thought, word and deed.” III:13.
This passage reminds us of the guru mantra:
Gururbrahma
gururdevo maheshvara
group sakshtparabrahman
tasmai shri gurave namah.
The translation of this mantra is as follows:
“The guru is Brahma. The guru is Vishnu. The guru is Shiva. The guru is indeed Parabrahman. My guru, accept this greeting.”
“By the guru's grace, whatever is good for the Self itself is obtained. Therefore, the guru must be served daily. Otherwise, nothing will be auspicious.” III:14.
In this way, it is necessary that we have a wise teacher who teaches us. The master is like a mirror to which we can observe and learn. It is he who will lead us through the yogik discipline most suited to ourselves.
Understand, you shouldn't just practice what comes into your head. Learn to listen to what the master has to say, this will make all the difference in achieving your goals.
When you are a practitioner, you already have elements at hand to understand that Yoga teachers are not always fully qualified to teach you what you need to learn.
When we take into account the take and pay philosophy of the consumer society we live in, it may seem easy to find a master. If you are prepared, your master will find his way to you. You don't have to go all the way to India to find it. This occurs because the student, at a certain point along the way, enters into a subtle attunement with those who can teach what needs to be learned.
A true master is not really someone very visible, rich or of social relevance, but just a person who has transcended the ego, a simple person and full of respect in his attitudes, who does not seek self-promotion or publicity with fees in exchange for lighting.
It is important to clarify that in the practice of Yoga it is necessary to separate the masters from the teachers. The teacher is, unlike the master, an apprentice, someone who is still seeking to learn and who does so with the help of his students.
In the age of self-knowledge that we are in, it is always good to remember that it will not be a video or a book that will solve the question of our existence or reveal the truth about who we really are!
