Guru-God
In India, there is a history of people thinking that their gurus are god. In Sikhi, it is taught that there is only one formless god and none of our gurus are god. Even in the West, they have made a god out of Jesus.
I used to be very judgmental about this idea that people think the guru is god. However I’ve come to realize why this happens, people need to humanize god. We like to put a face to god because we are in fact human and can’t really relate to a formless god.
I myself even have a form or a face that I have a picture of in my mind when I think of god. It helps me in my meditation. I know that is not the real face of god or the only face of god, since she is formless and every form all at once.
In Sikhism, it also says that you cannot get to god without a guru. Now our tenth Guru did say that the Sikh Scriptures, The Guru Granth Sahib, is our guru. However, it says over and over within the scriptures that a person cannot attain enlightenment without a guru.
I know this may be controversial to some Sikhs, but I take that to mean any guru. I would consider in this life that Neale Donald Walsch is my guru. I have read every single one of his books, and I re-read them over and over. He is having conversations with god in these books and they happen to speak to me.
However, I’m not obsessed with the man Neale himself, I’m interested in his knowledge and his conversations with god. I have learned so much through reading his dialogues and I consider them to be sacred.
I think it is true that in order to find ‘salvation’ everyone needs a teacher or a guru. Often times these gurus have written books that read like scripture to many people. The only problem with this guru-god paradigm is that people often confuse the guru for god.
But I have this feeling that god doesn’t mind that we think that one of his messengers is him.
Do you have a guru? A teacher? Someone who has helped you spiritually?
nina