The Unique Role of the Guru

The Unique Role of the Guru In our postmodern age of egalitarianism, the role of the enlight- ened teacher, the guru, or the Buddha-aspect is perhaps the most hotly debated dimension of the Triple Gem. Our culture is replete with anti-guru-skepticism, both for very good reasons as well as for truly problematic ones. As the image of the guru in our culture shifted from that of a purely venerated spiritual figure to a more controversial character, it became increasingly more challenging to maintain a balanced perspective on the value of the guru role – one that doesn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. As a result, many influential voices have boldly declared that the age of the guru is definitively over. Some have reduced the guru-function to that of a spiritual friend, a guide, a mentor, a fel- low traveler on the path, or have simply replaced it by one’s own inner guru. Others, like the venerated Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who uttered the visionary words “The next Buddha may be a Sangha,” have given voice to the equalizing forces of our post- modern culture by merging the guru with the Sangha and suggest- ing that the collective wisdom of the community may replace the The Buddha: Portal to your Own True Self singular guru. From this perspective, the Sangha itself becomes the source of spiritual wisdom, and the role of the Buddha is diffused throughout the community – thereby effectively scaling back the significance of one of the three time-tested Jewels of Enlighten- ment. This, however, begs the question: Can the guru-function, which requires a unique expertise rooted in enlightened awareness, actually be taken over by a community of students? To shed more light on the answer to this question, let us ex- plore, for a moment, the unique role of the guru within the Triple Gem. The beating heart of the guru role is the direct relationship with a living realizer of enlightened awareness. Such a realized master is able to skillfully guide you through your own unique process of awakening. He or she can help you overcome your obstacles and illuminate your blind spots, so that you can realize your own Enlightened Mind or True Nature. The bedrock of the guru-disciple relationship is the Great Transcendental Mystery that lies far beyond your everyday egoic state and of which the master is a living embodiment. There are four core functions of the guru role that quicken awakening and inspire the soul – and they are still as relevant to- day as they were when the Triple Gem was first conceived. Being the Face of your own True Self The true heart and secret of the guru-student relationship is rarely articulated. When you find your true guru, a deep love-relationship spontaneously forms between yourself and him or her. An authen- tic master who is established in the state of enlightened awareness radiates the grace and beauty of the Divine. You feel magnetically