While, at the same time, it is just a play as seen from a greater Knowing and impersonal, impartial Unity of all appearances as nothing separate from the One Ineffable Knowing, however it all appears. In this understanding I offer this as blatant and a 'no beating around the bush' critique of the more and more popular Guru slayer personality who is constantly putting down the value of esteemed and respected Guru's with out any apologies. Therefore, neither is there an apology for anything that may seem scathing or sarcastic here. It is quite enjoyable to take on this 'stance' and hope that it will not offend but create instead a bit of broth for the pot that has been stirred by the Guru slayer phenomenon.
There is a trend in certain circles of the social media to 'inform' us that Gurus are not needed and, if anything, it is suggested they delay or impede the recognition of our 'non-dual' nature. The understanding of 'non-duality' being a conceptual one and therefore taken literally has caused a mental dissonance within the 'spiritually correct' population. There seems to be a 'following' behind a notion that the Guru perpetuates duality by the mere physical 'appearance' of the Guru and the disciple and therefore must be discredited and defamed. For, the Guru (already enlightened) and the student 'seeking' (another word taken too literally, which really just means 'looking into') enlightenment are obviously two, ergo it is NOT non-dual; the paradox of non-duality as 'the many appearing in the One' being totally overlooked.
To this end, the Guru Slayer tries to point the 'non-seeking' seeker to the vague and mysterious Land Of Iz where: "Everything just Iz. It Iz all just happening. No body Iz aware. There Iz only this". And, yes, it Iz all true! In fact these statements are not much different from what a truly awakened being would say, except there is not the added integrity to suggest that there be an actual 'in'quiry into the question of 'Who is aware?' or 'Who knows this?' by means of Self investigation rather than just being convinced by a passionate and popular Guru slayer (who strangely rejects the Guru title but none-the-less imitates it). The nature of reality is not explored further than the postulations of the Guru slayer and is denied on the basis of hearsay as 'What just Iz' and therefore not to be looked into further.
The Guru slayer has a fairly easy job and although they never actually slay the true Guru, they manage to slay the natural urge to uncover the 'mystery' (which is not so much of a big mystery) of the Self as the One Absolute Subject of the relative and illusory observable objects. By using a circular argument that no one can discover anything as there 'iz' no one who exists to discover what 'just Iz'. What 'just Iz, just Iz'. End of discussion, with no way to prove or disprove what these statements are affirming and denying at the same time. There is just a kind of dead space and blank stare when the Guru slayer is asked, 'Who knows this?' and then more circular statements like, 'No one here to know', 'Who would know?', Knowing Iz just happening', and so on.
So, it's not so difficult to be a Guru slayer. It's a fairly easy formula:Throw a few catch phrases together, deny any possibility of Self-realization and back it up with the negation of an intelligent Awareness. AND, assert that 'nothing can be known' despite the irony that the knowledge 'nothing can be known' is known by the one who asserts that it can't be known! But then that's the attraction for anyone who loves the mystery of 'not knowing', which is tantamount to choosing to remain ignorant.
It's understandable how the very charismatic Grand Guru slayers in social media mesmerize their 'target' audience, conditioned to mistrust the authorities who have let them down in a world that seems to be over run with corrupt politicians and religious hypocrites. There is a movement of beautiful rebellious and driven crusaders who have had it with disappointment after disappointment in an imperfect society and long for an end to the B.S. that's been their steady diet since the end of innocence. Like many, the search for a better way and a freer life has brought these tender ones to their super hero 'Guru' Guru slayers who take the most radical approach to the question of their existence and conclude, without checking, that it's 'all' misleading (the enlightened teachings) and ultimately a waste of time. But, this is simply an immature attitude which is gobbled up from the spoon fed notions of the Guru Slayers and cannot be taken seriously but rather needs to be addressed at the level of a mature investigation rather than irrational postulating.
Having a Guru as a spiritual guide does not mean giving over one's power to another seemingly more powerful being. It means recognizing the higher power of the Self, which is forever and always One, as manifested in the form of Guru or 'Satguru', that allows a false conditioned self to move out of it's own imagined way and hear it's own wisdom which has been muffled by erroneous thinking. Mistrust is only an obstacle that takes on dramatic proportions and stifles the clear recognition of the truth. The only way to resolve this is to look (observe) for oneself. Don't just believe what anyone says, no matter how noble and righteous they appear, or accept that the 'nay saying' rhetoric must be right because it's the popular opinion. It's like going along with the crowd oooing and awwwing over the invisible robes on the king in the Emperor's New Clothes. For to say, 'wait a minute, he isn't wearing any clothes!' (like the innocent child did in the story) would mean you were the odd one out and obviously just didn't 'get it'. Look for your Self!
A Guru is there to 'show' you (as you), not 'tell' you what is true. It's the naked truth that is shared. There is no hiding behind curtains of smoke and mirrors in the land of IZ when following the Guru's investigation of the Truth. It is actually the most uncompromising and thorough examination that can be conducted, in which there is a direct and completely unbiased discovery that is unquestionable and indisputable, after which the seeming appearance of the two entities is no longer experienced as 'dual' but is revealed in the true light of inquiry to be what was never two and never even 'one' but 'with no other'. HOWEVER, there is no ideological rhetoric behind this. It is automatically and directly found to be the case when the inquiry is taken all the way to the point of no return. It is simple and complete, unless the ego steps up and begins to radicalize the process, arguing with even the greatest sages of antiquity who are presently getting recognition in the field of quantum physics for having described 3000-6000 years ago what is now being revealed in particle accelerators and quantum experiments using highly sophisticated and very sensitive devises.
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| Large Hadron Collider |
It's easy to say; 'Nothing exists', 'There is nothing but what is', 'It's all just happening'. But, it lacks any authority when there is no actual first hand and direct recognition (not as a 'person' recognizing. rather as Self recognizing Self)) through the reflection of Self discovery. A Guru who has integrity, is a master of uncovering the simple truth which is natural and accessible without creating drama but by simply directing inquiry to the Seeing that confirms, 'Yes, This, that Is, I Know as the One and Only Self Knowing'.
Happy Krishna Janmashtami!
Hari Om
~Shanti Mauna
A bit of comic relief: (If needed)
I found this original trailer for the Wizard of Oz. It's a beauty!
https://youtu.be/e0b-7PKaiGM
