You are your own "Guru," or you are your "own teacher"!!!! Both the statements sound synonymous. However, in reality, are they interchangeable? If we see the dictionary meaning in English, the word ‘Guru’ means teacher, counselor, master, mentor, leader, and even, ‘Hindu spiritual leader.’ However, there is a lot more in a ‘Guru’ than just being a teacher. The word ‘Guru’ has its origin in the Sanskrit language that can be literally divided into two portions ‘Gu’-Darkness and Ru—Light. In other words, a Guru is a person who dispels darkness and knowledge is the tool that dispels darkness. So, ‘Guru’ is one who leads a person from darkness of ignorance to light of knowledge/wisdom.
In the current days of information overload, the conventional teachers try to fill the mind of the students with tons of information. That makes life complicated, isn’t it? Already, the life is so involved with data, information everywhere that we tend to miss out on the essential points. So, to get the gist of everything, we need to unlearn certain things. To make us understand the essence of everything is precisely what a ‘Guru’ tries to do. I love calling a ‘Guru’ as a mentor because it is a big responsibility to be a ‘Guru’ or a mentor. Accordingly, more information overload given by a teacher might lead to the darkness of ignorance. So, a ‘Guru’ will strip you of all your existing ego of being an information bank and guide you towards your inner core of light. This inner core is light/knowledge is vast and unfathomable. There is an answer to every possible question in this inner core of every human being towards which can only be guided by a true Guru.
When I say that ‘You are your own Guru,’ I mean that the pure, inner core present amongst all of us is the guiding ‘Guru’ present in all of us. So, on this teacher’s day, let’s pay our gratitude to all the teachers who have confused us with tons of information. Also, let’s extend our gratitude to the entire Gurus’ who have made us unlearn all the information overload thereby stripping us off our ego of being intellectuals. Finally, those who can identify the true Guru within you have been lucky of having being guided by a true Guru!
Here are some contrasting features of a teacher and a guru, in my opinion:
A teacher gives information; A Guru strips you of the information overload!
A teacher appreciates; A Guru challenges!
A teacher gets satisfied easily by your progress; A Guru makes you work till your fullest potential!
A teacher boosts your ego; A Guru strips you of your ego so that you can touch your most creative inner core!
In the short run: A teacher is loved and a Guru is hated!
In the long run: You may turn indifferent to your teacher but will develop reverence and gratefulness to your Guru.
In the long run: The teacher will forget you and will be indifferent to you, but a Guru will always be guiding and loving!
Hence, it is most important to connect to your inner Guru as guided by the external Guru.
