With every great saint or guru comes a following of devotees. What attracts the devotee to this saint or higher being?

Hmm, let me think…

Thinking sometimes creates the most problems. Don’t think, feel.

A genuine attraction to a guru (teacher) isn’t coming from a place of logical analysis. I feel that someone that is too stuck in their head never gets to see things for what they really are.

How can one being know what is true when comparing and interpreting from their own point of view?

How do you know if your point of view is the absolute truth?

How can you know without knowing, if it comes from a bias place or not, if you are not conscious of it?

As Americans we tend to think way too much and compare things according to our own experiences.

The ego is a powerful thing that can take control of the mind. The ego takes us out of that special place of simple pure love and devotion. The ego brings us out of our heart and into the mind. To be in a state of unconditional love for anyone, especially ourselves, we need to think from within the heart space.

Bliss, consciousness and the true self is obtained though death of the ego. The gurus and saints that we are attracted to have this. This pureness of heart is something we all hope to attain. This place of pure love and bhakti is the most powerful and richest place we can hope to love from. This place is obtained through being absolutely present. This presence is omnipresence. This omnipresence is presence. This presence is only seen through the third eye. Seeing all through the third eye is seeing all as one and without judgment.  It is you as That and That as your true self, which is your true nature.

The true self dwells within the right side of the spiritual heart. All knowledge and truth is in that very place.

How do we get to that place?

First, we have to trust the process. We have to get out of our heads and into our hearts. You must open your heart in order to receive the grace of the guru (God). Once your heart is open, you are then open to this divine grace of truth. In the Indian culture one can see God in a chair. How so? Because God dwells in all. All is one. All is love. All is truth and truth is God.

We have been blessed with these Avatars (Divine Beings) and their guidance. Guidance to bring us back home to the true self. The soul knows no race, gender, religion, or caste. The ego does. The ego is the past, the future and conditioning. The ego isn’t here now in this present moment. The guru’s job is to help cut down the ego so you can reside in the self, which is your true nature. The ego is the jungle which keeps you lost in the unreal and the guru is the razor sharp machete, which cuts away what you are not. This cutting away helps you lose what you are not, so you can just be. You must put forth faith and effort in order to get through the jungle of the mind in order to reach the heart place once again, which is your true self.

This is the job of the guru. The Guru is filled with compassion, love, kindness, patience and divine wisdom. As long as you have faith in the guru, you will be fine. It doesn’t matter whom you choose.  Your heart knows best.  Listen to your heart and you can find freedom now.

Every guru does things their way but all of them have basic things in common: Love everyone, serve everyone, tell the truth and remember God.

Every guru is a train conductor. The Guru’s train allows everybody to hop on board. This train takes you to the place of totality (which you already are). It is up to you to know whether it’s the right train for you. Each train takes a different path to reach the same and final terminal.

“Paths are many.  Truth is one.” ~ Swami Satchidananda

We are all lucky to have been given birth and breath. Take advantage of life, right now.  Because you are life.

Thank you for taking time to read my random thoughts. Our true essence is love. We are all part of the big picture. No one is separate from one another. We all come from the 5 elements and go back there someday. But our souls are eternal.

God Bless. Om Shanti.

Love, peace and hair grease.

Jai Ma!

Keith Villanueva lives in New York City and work as a full-time FDNY firefighter. He is a certified Personal Trainer under the NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association), holds a degree in Allied Health Sciences & majored in exercise sciences. He is a yoga instructor under Dharma Mittra and leads Kirtan—and authored a book on how to play the harmonium.

 

 

 

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• Asst. Editor: Kristina Peterson
• Ed: Brianna Bemel

{Photo: Guru by Gi Myao}