HOW TO SPOT A FAKE GURU
So with the recent full moon came Guru Purnima – a day where we show gratitude to our spiritual guides and teachers that have taught us valuable lessons about life. While some of us are lucky enough to have found an enlightened master who is able to transmit deep insights to us, others are still on a spiritual shopping spree – searching for a genuine guru to help us transcend the drama and suffering of existence.
In Sanskrit ‘gu’ means dark or darkness and ‘ru’ means light, therefore the word guru literally means: ‘from darkness to light’. And as the Zen proverb goes, when the seeker is ready, the master appears. Sometimes though, a master might turn out to be a fake guru. This happened to me a couple of years ago. I met a so-called Himalayan Yogi at a press conference. When I interviewed him afterwards, he was smoking like a chimney and in between long drags and puffs, he told me how he intended to spread his power yoga brand across the globe. Fair enough – there’s nothing wrong with being spiritual and making money. As the Indian mystic Osho once said, “The whole human past has been praising poverty and making it equal to spirituality, which is absolute nonsense. Spirituality is the greatest richness that can happen to a man.”
Later I discovered this chain-smoking guru also enjoys eating barbecue steak and drinking champagne like there’s a shortage of it. It was when he announced that he wanted to open an airline and that his dream was to appear on The Forbes World’s Billionaires List that it was clear his ego was more than slightly inflated. He also bragged also dalliances with movie stars. This man was a far cry away from a sincere awakened master or self-realised yogi. He’s simply an entrepreneur who teaches a few yoga moves. Why not call a spade a spade? And yet some of the press dub him a ‘Himalayan master’ without bothering to investigate further or verify his credentials.
I look back and smile at this episode. From Bombay to California, there are plenty of charlatans out there and they come in different guises. The truth is people are spiritually thirsty and this gives false gurus a chance to flourish. So, how do you know if your spiritual master is duping you?
Here are 8 signs to watch out for:
1. Having psychic or supernatural powers doesn’t necessarily mean someone is spiritual. It is about achieving samadhi – a spiritual state of consciousness, which involves a union with the divine. An enlightened person will be emotionally stable and display a happy, peaceful and serene state. They should also be kind and loving.
2. If someone is riddled with self-centred desires, they are not a genuine spiritual leader. A true master has little or no desires. Enlightened beings are consistent in their conduct and the bedrock of his or her teachings are compassion and altruism.
3. There’s nothing wrong with having material comforts but living in excessive opulence and showing off about it is a sign of greed rather than self-realisation. Someone who is enlightened will be humble and want to help ease the suffering in the world and give back to others in some form.
4. If your guru has collected several angry ex followers, this is an indication that something isn’t right. Those involved in cult-like scams will always have lots of disillusioned ex devotees.
5. An awakened, self-realised will be humble in nature and without a huge ego. Breaking down the ego is tough but crucial if you are on the spiritual path. Dissolving yourself from the ego armour that prevents you from connecting to your true self is the key to spiritual understanding and growth.
6. Do you feel an overwhelming feeling of trust, a spontaneous flash of knowing when in the company of your guru? Use your intuition and observe his or her behaviour over time. Actions always speak louder than words.
7. If someone is trying to control your mind (ie. cutting you off from your friends & family) and/or charging large amounts of money for no apparent service, then of course you should be suspicious. Power hungry people are not enlightened. And run away quickly!
8. A self-realised being doesn’t have to be a bearded man wearing an orange robe and a string of mala beads. We need to look beyond the physical stereotype. One thing that enlightened masters are said to have in common is a hypnotic gaze. Again, use your intuition.
Choosing the right teacher for you is a significant step. As the Dalai Lama says, “There is no special authority to qualify someone as a spiritual teacher. You are a teacher because you have students. To begin with, you should simply regard your teacher as a spiritual friend and closely observe his or her behaviour, attitudes and ways of teaching, until you are confident of his or her integrity. We need the example of someone who, while human like ourselves, has greater knowledge, greater compassion and greater experience than we have. A teacher is someone who is the embodiment of knowledge and embodiment of kindness.”
Love,
