The importance of a spiritual teacher cannot be understated. In a world where there are so many distractions and challenges to one’s spiritual enlightenment, a teacher can seem like a beacon of light, guiding one’s path.
However, many people misunderstand the true role of a spiritual teacher. This is understandable and mostly connected with the perceived image people have of a teacher in school. It is a person who shares knowledge with those who lack it. From the outside, the teacher seems like the person who holds all the answers. In a way, they are authority figures.
And many view spiritual teachers the same. They are perceived as a person who’s reached enlightenment, and therefore hold all the answers to all truths one might look for. They are the spiritual authority who can share the wrong and right ways to reach enlightenment.
Except, this is not the true role of the spiritual teacher.
What Are Spiritual Teachers?
Soul guide, kriya yoga guru, master – there are many labels one can give a spiritual teacher. The most important thing to understand about them is that they are people.
Yes, they are at a different point in their spiritual path and may have reached a heightened sense of enlightenment and spiritual awakening, but attributing them to an almost supernatural-like ability would be a mistake. Everyone can become a spiritual teacher, but not all seekers will end up doing so.
Spiritual teachers are the people who assist those who seek spiritual enlightenment. They hold the torch that illuminates the path of the seeker, providing support and guidance that helps the spiritual seeker take more and more steps towards their goals.
While it’s difficult to create a narrow image of what a spiritual teacher will look like, this role will take the individual traits of the person, some common qualities one might expect from a spiritual teacher can include:
- Wisdom – Spiritual teachers possess wisdom, which they share with their students and other spiritual seekers. This is often done to help remove confusion from their spiritual journey;
- Knowledge – A spiritual teacher has knowledge regarding a specific practice. They have studied it, and studied its masters, as a way to improve themselves. Like with wisdom, spiritual teachers often share their knowledge with students;
- Patience – Everyone’s spiritual path is different. There can be different goals and challenges which will either delay or speed the process of awakening. A spiritual teacher is patient and understands that each student has their own rhythm;
- Love – All teachers hold great love for their students and are fueled by the desire to see them succeed. A spiritual teacher is no different, and will approach all their students with love and compassion;
- Restraint – It can be very tempting to reveal the answer to a student, particularly when they have been struggling to reach it for a while. But spiritual teachers usually show a great level of restraint in this area because they know the journey to getting those answers is just as important as the destination.
Who Can Become a Spiritual Teacher?
Spiritual teachers are not divine entities, nor chosen by one. They are people who, through their practice, have achieved a heightened sense of enlightenment. By this definition, of course, anyone can become a spiritual teacher.
However, it may not be everyone’s true purpose to become a spiritual teacher. For some, spirituality must focus on the self, and living life in alignment with one’s true nature, and with God.
Kriya Yoga Guru: What Is Their Role?
The term guru has developed a negative connotation in the Western world. But at its core, it simply means “teacher”.
Guru comes from Sanskrit and it means “mentor, guide, or master” in a certain field. The term is not only designed to reflect a particular level of expertise on a given subject, but also a great responsibility.
Kriya yoga is passed down from teacher (or guru) to student. The gurus of kriya yoga have taken on the purpose of sharing the teachings of this practice, and everything it stands for, to the entire world. Kriya yoga gurus often arrive at one of the highest achievements of the practice: an ability to commune with God, in a way that allows them to detach from the world, from their minds, and from their bodies.
So, what is the role of kriya yoga gurus?
They help students reach closer to the ultimate goal of kriya yoga. To view the world through the lens of unconditional love, gratitude, and joy, and not negative emotions.
To understand that if they wish to connect with God, they must look inward. And this will eventually lead to enlightenment.