No man is so ignorant as not to give another, good advice, and no man is wise enough not to err at some point in his life. He who teaches himself only has a fool as a teacher . Paraphrasing Hunter S. Thompson a little. This time we want to teach you how to choose a Spiritual Master, who can fill you with knowledge and wisdom, spiritual cleansing and prosperity.
If you have spent many years in the hands of different spiritual guides, of which some of them managed to inspire you totally and helped you, but others were the worst and greatest fools you have ever known, it is because you have not had the opportunity to know him yet. .
Don't feel hurt by fake gurus. It is not so difficult to detect a spiritual scammer, they always keep the best common sense, that will help you choose a real guide.
The choice of a Spiritual Master
The discovery of spirituality is a personal thing, you will be the one to explore this territory, however, since it is a long journey, and since one can easily lose you on the road, it is more It is safe to get help. That is what the Spiritual Master offers you.
A guide will not go the way for you, but that will help you find your way. Ideally, he has a lot of experience in spirituality that he teaches, he knows a lot about him in theory and in practice . He covered the long road before you, and since he knows that very good road, he will take you as a spiritual guide.
For obvious reasons, it is necessary that you choose a teacher very carefully, you want to do well before committing yourself. Now we will give you some useful criteria to find a good spiritual guide and thus filter the charlatans.
There are some aspects that an authentic Spiritual Guides must fulfill:
- A Spiritual Master is not there for the money:
Genuine spiritual teachers do not provide guidance for enrichment. They offer their help to people who need it. A lot of teachers charge for their classes, simply because they need to support themselves or the organization they belong to, that's fine, but make sure they don't filter out people who can't afford their lessons. And generally make sure your talks and seminars are affordable.
Also, if you see them in expensive complexes, with designer clothes and if only the very rich access them, be careful. No matter what your tradition, a teacher will do everything possible to offer his help to those who need it. Don't worry, there are honest guides around, even though they aren't necessarily famous.
- They apply what they teach:
The preferred teaching method of a spiritual guide is to show an example of good behavior. So if he is a Buddhist teacher he will show his kindness and patience in general. The same goes for everything: the way he treats people, his wife, his closest disciples, etc.
If he is an arrogant guy, he may want to stay away, not to mention if he is angry all the time. If you use debatable strategies to protect your interests, even if he claims it is for a good cause, just stay away.
The well-known argument that a teacher can afford to behave like an idiot because he has realized, is just crap. Another good indicator of its reliability is to see how it treats people who took distances from it.
- He takes you where you are:
A qualified teacher sees where you are on the road, and will give you everything you need to go one step further. He will not give you advanced instructions if you are a beginner, even if you think you qualify for them. He does not impatient you if you are a slow beginner, he is there for you, and he will support you so you can advance at your own pace.
- He can be challenged:
Try to challenge it, not just for the pleasure of doing it. Even if you are not sure what you are talking about, try to clearly express an opinion that does not match yours . Insist, once again, especially if you have a different opinion .
How do you react? If he goes crazy, you can pack safely and get out of that fool. Genuine guides do not have an itchy ego, ideally they have no ego at all. They don't care if I challenge them, at most they will try to help you understand. If you are really stubborn, they will let time open your eyes.
- He does not get involved in worldly affairs:
Genuine spiritual guides do not mix with politics. Religion and politics are not compatible, some spiritual models paid a high price for not applying this rule.
This distance to politics will be a guarantee for you, that the person you are following is not linked to worldly interests .
- He will always be kind and compassionate:
This is common in all teachers, who care for people deeply. It may not always be obvious, so once again, take your time and carefully observe the person you would like to follow. If they are a genuine guide, who often put the interest of others before them, it is well worth it, and many times they do it in a very discreet way.
The aforementioned criteria are not a golden rule, they are only mere general rules, which can help you choose a Spiritual Master. Some authentic teachers may even show a very strange attitude sometimes. That is one of the ways in which they help their disciples reach a certain level of understanding.
The best approach is to observe the spiritual guide that you would like to follow. Give it some time, see how it behaves. If he really deserves your trust, he will win it step by step, and you will be in the company of a sure spiritual guide .
Editor: JoT333
