Recently, self professed ‘living master Paramahanasa Nithyananda‘ got busted for having sex with a film actress, and the video was shown on local TV in India. While his videos of speeches on Youtube are clearly full of self-ego, smirks, and holier-than-thou, it should have been clear long ago.

But media makes images, and people are ever so gullible. The new age gurus have not taught anything new. It appears new because very few people actually have acces to or interest in reading the original works of spirituality and religion, wisdom and devotion. And the Gurus claim to be telling only that – from the Puranas, the Upanishads etc.

If one reads the originals, there are so many acid tests of a true guru and/or a mentor that one can follow or even think of following.

To this effect, I have written a short poem:

A real guru is

A conduit that connects to the Divine,

Not a wall that blocks the Shine

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Like a guide that shows you the way

Not a master that keeps you as slave

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Focus on the Divine, not the perishable

They can’t help you, the gurus-comfortable

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It is a shame, they have said nothing new

Old material recycled, readers of original are very few

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Like a priest who weds you, and you forget

So also a guru, with divine, makes you connect

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Divine is the destination, guru just a sign post

He is just a doorman, focus on the host

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This world is a party, and you have been invited

By the very Creator, who can’t be slighted

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Enjoy the party, be a nice guest

Be nice to all, do your best

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Taste the cake, smell the coffee, music is good

Admire the paintings, pay compliments for the food

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It is Divine whose party you should cheer

It is Divine who has brought you here

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Enjoy in limits, but do enjoy, else it is an insult

Focus on HIM and HER, not a guru, swami or cult.

Shashi Joshi, writing from Bangalore, India, has a passion for photography, maintains a practical sanskrit blog, and believes in the phrase, as seen on his Practical Sanskrit Facebook page, “Come curious, Go wise.”