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If you are seeking a leader to help you on your spiritual quest, how do you know that they are the real deal? |
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You should observe your potential teacher carefully. Being drawn to the teacher and intuitively trusting him is important but it may not be enough. Manipulative people can also be very attractive yet in reality they only want followers for their own agenda. A good teacher on the other hand has a genuine desire to be of service to his/her students. Carefully check if he practices what he preaches. This can be difficult because there is some controversy surrounding practically every person who has ever risen far enough above mediocrity. My Buddhist teacher used to smuggle and do drugs and I just found out that Steve Pavlina(also influential in my life) was a kleptomaniac when he was a teenager. You can even find controversial information about people like the Dalai Lama if you dig deep enough(he is involved in politics :) ). So how do we decide whether to trust a guru or not? Well, if he's not trying to conceal his past "mistakes", if it's obvious that he's learned his lessons and moved on then that's great. That would make him even more trustworthy in my book then someone who tries to convince people that he was born enlightened. Further when there is criticism of his or her present activity, one should check if that criticism is based on facts or is it just evil gossip and theories. The teacher should be able to balance kindness and strictness. He should be able to comfort the students when they need it. At the same time he would challenge them when they are simply stagnating. Finally it is great if you can meet your guru in person at least once in a while. Having a real connection with an experienced teacher brings the fastest results. |
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Ultimately, the only teacher you should put all your faith in is the one within yourself...treat all the others as temporary stepping stones to helping you build that inner link. Very good answer!
(14 Oct '09, 01:45)
Rebecca
I agree good anawer,God doesnt divide only unites.
(14 Oct '09, 15:16)
Roy
Agreed. Ultimately everything is self and can be learned from, but you have to know yourself and trust your gut.
(24 Nov '09, 11:42)
Eddie
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If you are truthfully seeking you will find. I read once that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear". The teacher can appear in different forms , it can be a book, a person, an experience, etc. The main point is that when you are really ready you will attract what you need. Our thoughts are like magnets and they pull to us what we are seeking. Its not possible to attract negative if you are aligned with positive. Make sure your thougts are pure and you cannot go wrong. |
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Matthew 77:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. By feeling, observing and allowing your inner guidance to guide you in the right direction to know they are the real deal. Sometimes however we do not know that the spiritual leader is there or was there until they have gone. That is so true you know an tree by the fruit it bears.
(13 Oct '09, 14:52)
flowingwater
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
(03 Oct '11, 03:24)
white tiger
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As Ain says you know a tree by the fruit it bears which this statement comes out of the bible. There are so many human beings, entities, immortals, and etc out there to confuse, lie, tell half truths, mislead you down the wrong path of life for their own reasons. You must pray to God and his guidance and his holy angels to come an guide and show you the way and watch over an protect you, which they will. Angels are here to guide, assist and protect us humans. But they are only allow to do so much for God gave us an free will to chose to do or not do something, to believe in or not believe in something and so on. We have an choice. Go into something with your eyes wide open, listen, watch, and learn. Don't be afraid after you have started believing in something to say NO I am not going to believe in this any more and stop and get out of it; don't be ashame and just stay in it because you told everyone how great this was and now I am ashame to stop. This is an learning process and just say I found out more things and now I know this is not the path I want to be on the end. Continue on with your life don't let what other people think about you dictate to you how you should live your life. Quiet yourself and go deep within and ask God to help you whether this is someone you need to even deal with in your life by believing what is being said and God will answer you in many different ways and you will know the answer when it comes and you will know hey (its like that Ah Ha moment and you really get it) so continue communicating and talking to God to show you the way and he will. That where that word faith comes into play. You must have faith. Faith in God and that he loves you and is there for you.This is something you must feel on the inside an know that he is real for his spirit is within you. Now in everything thing other people has placed lies, half truths, and deceptions to throw you off of your trail to find out the truth about God. Don't ever forget your spirit within you knows the truth and the whole truth which may be lock away but it is there. The spirit of truth may dwell within you and if it does it will let you know that this is the truth. Pay strict attention to what you are feeling on the inside and what is your soul trying to convey to you about what you are hearing or reading. |
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