Seven reasons why we don’t need another guru. We need you.

Do you ever feel insulted by a culture that routinely refers to you as a “consumer” rather than a human being?  As if you were part of a life threatening virus that this planet can’t seem to shake?

Have you ever felt that something big is happening, but couldn’t quite put your finger on it? Does choosing the “lesser of two evils” in elections seem a little stupid to you? Does relying on a teacher or “authority” to guide you, as gurus of old were trusted to do, seem ridiculous when you already have the authority of your learning within you?  If these or any whispering warnings have been occurring to you lately, take heart. You are not alone.

I have not been visited by angels (yet), nor have any of my meditations brought ascended masters to my beck and call. No aliens (of which I am aware) have given me any inside tips on the galactic markets and when I use the latest book I am reading for a pillow the only thing I wake up with is a stiff neck.

Yet I am being urged by something, something wonderful and whole and without form.

Something big.

Something that makes words feel small.Something truly worthy of Hollywood  hyperbole:

Something of epic proportions, millions of  years in the making, starring every one of us, coming to a planet near you.

In truth, we don’t need another guru. The separation of student and teacher is an illusion. The Savior and the saved are inseparable. You are the writer, director, actor and witness of life. We have simply forgotten who we are and what we are here for.

You are what the world has been waiting for!

Zen Master Thich Naht Hanh teaches:

“One Buddha is not enough.”

One awakening does not exonerate the rest of us to keep hitting the snooze button. It’s time to Buddha up, to re-awaken, re-member and re-collect our purpose in being here. The age of Gurus’ served us during our evolutionary adolescence, now it is time to accept that our maturity can no longer be postponed. This is so big. If not now, when? If not you, who? If not here, where? Here are seven reasons why we no longer need “Gurus.”

1. Something big is happening
   

   For most of this life, I have stumbled from book to book, teacher to teacher, stone to slippery stone, trying to bridge the divide that separates who I am from a culture that seems opposed to everything I hold to be true. For years I have been turning my back to a world that seems to have turned its back on me, joining the thousands who grow their own vegetables, seek to live a simple life and take the information being dished by Big Media with a grain of salt. What does your intuition tell you? Are you listening?

2. It’s time to grow up
   

   Our current systems aren’t sustainable. It’s not a good or a bad thing. We are simply at a dis-harmonic moment of becoming, an evolutionary adolescence. An exciting pivotal stage is upon us, where success depends on each of us taking personal responsibility for the evolution of our collective awareness. We are the components of a bridge whose assembly is dependent upon everyone’s participation in their own spiritual maturity. Have you considered your role in the solution?

3. You are who you have been waiting for.

   There is no historical precedent in scale or urgency for our situation. We can no longer afford the luxury of following the herd. The participation of every single person is required. The good news is that evolution loves company and every time an individual is liberated to the next level of awareness, it makes it easier for others.

4. There are no short cuts.
   

   Unless you are a prophet, someone who has been visited by angels or a recluse who speaks with ascended masters, your personal transformation will require your presence. It may or may not be accelerated by hiring a guide, following a guru or paying indulgence to a high priest. Be wary of those who jealously guard their secrets. All we need has been revealed. The proportion of rear view mirror to windshield is just about right for most vehicles, including our lives. It’s nice to see what’s behind us, for perspective, but it is what’s in front of us and under our feet that matters most. I once asked author Peter Matthiessen for advice in navigating the realms of self awareness and his response was both challenging and simple “pay attention, pay very close attention.”

5. Impermanence trumps tradition.
   

   Countless pseudo-shamans, gurus and charlatans have cashed in on our tendency to follow a well worn trail. The DalaiLama, exiled patriarch of Tibet encourages his followers to let go of traditions that no longer move them forward. His support of  rights and empowerment of women in Buddhism has earned him the scorn of many traditional Buddhists, this as well as his insistence that he is not a guru, but a simple Buddhist monk are hallmarks of authentic leadership. Letting go of tradition is difficult but when the old ways no longer serve us, its time to find new ones. Monasteries, temples and universities are useful but they are useless without intuition and direct experience. What can you let go of? Why haven’t you?

6. Our humanity is our gateway.

   I grew up as a Catholicaltar boy. My parish priests would often ask me “Son, have you heard the call of God?” Had I ever considered the priesthood as a vocation? Intrigued, I replied, “Can you give me a job description?”

   Their response was typical, “A priest acts as an intermediary between God and the people. A sort of spiritual go between who is often called to perform rites of passage.  Hatch ’em, match ’em, patch ’em and dispatch ’em.” I humbly declined their offers, citing serious concerns with my ability to honor their celibacy clause. The American yogi celebrates life by exploring a path to liberation through the physical rather than in spite of it.

7. We already have an IGS (Internal Guidance System)

   Increasingly people are designing their own liberating alternative models for living. We are finding comfort, nourishment and answers to life’s most challenging questions without the benefit of an overbearing hierarchy. We demand more complete answers than the framed narratives of business and government institutions. A few common threads that run through our tapestry are ahimsa (non-violence), synergy and empathy. We are synthesizing relationships and philosophies from every culture on the planet. We are developing practices that embrace quantum science, Zen Buddhism, Sufi poetry, Jungian psychology, and Tantric Yoga and many other wisdom traditions. And we are tolerant of others who are still working it all out for themselves.

If you haven’t yet felt the inexorable tug of self awareness, don’t worry, you will not be left behind. Your role is vital to the process. Your transformation will be the tipping point of a new way of being for the whole planet.

Kirtan musician Krishna Das recounts the story of how he and fellow pilgrim Ram Dass saved all of their money and traveled to India in search of a guide or Guru. When they thought that they had finally arrived at the feet of a true yoga master they asked him, “What is the meaning of life? How should we live?” the yogi laughed and smiled and told them “be like Jesus.” In other words, we don’t need another guru.

JP & Cassie McClellan are full time Karma Yogis in action.  Their intelligent and flexible approach to life allows them to think and work outside the box.  They teach workshops based on experience and relationships. They believe each and every moment is an opportunity for growth and connection.  They are Certified Baptiste Power Yoga Instructors and their Sivananda style yoga certification is recognized by the Government of India. They believe in relationships and use yoga as the medium to build them.  Their classes are characterized by witty humor and lightheartedness. A luminosity beams in their style of co-teaching. As they seamlessly weave their words together into a tapestry of flow, their students are invited to share in the celebration of a Space of Love. What follows is often a taste of living life At Cause.  They live on Amelia Island with their beautiful daughter who is one of their greatest teachers. As Co-Creators of Go Yoga their visionary style is to listen and respond to the unfolding role of yoga in today’s modern world.  They understand the impermanence of process and the central role mindfulness in choosing the next right step.

 

 

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Editor: Seychelles Pitton

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