A Guru who pretends to be Self- realized and plays with the emotions and sentiments of the seeker is a fraud, not a Gnani.
If you emotionally and sentimentally hold on to the physical Guru as a guide you will never be able to transcend the dualistic illusion to non-dualistic reality.
The idea of having a Guru itself blocks you from realizing the Self, which is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.
Sage Sankara himself said: ~ A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).
It means the Gurus, Swamis, and Yogis who identify themselves as holy people are not Gnanis.
Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.
The one who thinks of himself as a Guru and the one who thinks of himself as a chela (disciple) will not be able to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because both of them accepted themselves as the body. And all their understanding, practices, knowledge are based on the false self (ego or you). Therefore, the Guru –Shisya concept is a great obstacle in the pursuit of truth.
Remember:~
A Gnani never accepts himself as a Guru or accepts anyone as his disciple.
A Gnani only shares Gnana and guides the serious and sincere seeker.
A Gnani will never make anyone emotionally gets attached to him because he is fully aware of the fact that such attachment hinders their spiritual growth.
Your inner work is on. There is no need to neglect practical life within the practical world. There is no need to indulge 24/7 on spirituality but use your spare time for that. Do not neglect your family and personal life and spend money on your pursuit of truth. Be happy like any other human beings enjoy life with humility and dignity in the practical world.
Internally focus your attention on the formless ‘Self’ or the consciousness, which is free from form, time, and space.
There is no need to renounce and take sanyasa in order to get Self-realization.
No amount of Diksha or yoga meeting Gurus and visiting Ashrams leads anywhere. Your guide is within and it guides you to the core of what you are seeking.
Swami Vivekananda said:~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own Soul.”
Bhagavan Buddha said:~ Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you, yourself test and judge to be true.
You should not neglect your individual and family life. Enjoy life as it comes and also face difficulties as they come. As your inner conviction about the Soul grows you will be able to realize ‘what is the truth?’ and ‘what is the untruth?’ and be able to see the world in which you exist as a passing cloud that hides the truth, which is beyond the form, time and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar
