My cat is Enlightened, but do I still need a human Guru?

Cats have it all sussed. Laze around all day in the warmth. No chores, no responsibilities, and yet they are as independent and free as they want to be. May stay out as late as they like, come and go where they choose, and plenty of them know how to get their owners attention with regards to food. They are the gurus of the animal world, certainly! What’s the need for them to be taught more?

Why can’t we just learn from nature? Or, at least just those around us? Cats are the best example of the inherent, blissful, natural state. Certainly, for us humans, there is no shortage of reference, day to day, to the opposite. Sadness!

There are people all around, from whom we can still learn at all times. Even if their situation doesn’t seem healthy, mentally or physically. We can also learn from our own mistake, as well as from those of others. If we pursue a higher goal, then there are plenty choices for our practice or philosophy, and we justify our choices each time. It is quite interesting that any individual can get an idea of what enlightenment, or Nirvana, all about, and yet never find out how to get on the path towards such attainment!

The Spiritual Tower is open to anyone at any time. There is no drawbridge pulled up at night! Even in the souls darkest night the flicker of the Inner light is constant. There are no rules which say you must have a guide, a teacher or a guru. Rather, there is an understanding that all good focused efforts and energetic practices on the spiritual journey, will reap good rewards. It seems logical, that if you have gleaned good solid information for yourself, you could achieve Nirvana or Moksha, by your own right efforts. The Buddha did!

You may even see better results by doing your own thing, than of you accept, willy-nilly, someone else’s guidance, which may lead you to a mess. I am reluctant to follow recipes when cooking, as I much prefer the results, (and taste), which I get from a little judicious experimenting. The satisfaction of my own recipe is more satisfactory.

However, in some areas of life I need a guide. It’s a choice, and I know when I am beaten, especially! In my case, I would go as far as saying that not having a teacher for the spiritual journey, is dangerous! Would you drive a fast sports car when you are a learner driver? The ego is dangerous, and wants to kill us!

Real gurus though, are not to be trifled with, and they are for those who are willing to accept their human, limitations, and are willing to access some painful truths. Casual acceptance of a spiritual teacher leads to an “in between” situation. Neither out for the fun and the crazy ride of life, nor ready to move on to acceptance of one’s own Divine Self. Rather than peace and bliss, think “dead space”. The word guru means one who leads from darkness to light. A guru must be already in the light, to be able to reach out to the dark hell of others, to help them attain the same illumination. A guru can only guide perfection in others to the degree of that gurus own attainment.

I have no doubt as to the benefit created by the following of an enlightened being. The teacher that gives this light to a human, may not even be alive in a physical sense. As long as the teaching remains, plus a system that can be followed, and guided on a subtle level, then the spiritual journey can benefit. What then if the guide is here and now, and can be available in real time body form!. Wonderful! May be!

However, do not get bumped off the path, into the spectral smorgasbord of new age groups, therapies, sects, cults and religions, (even if if cleverly promoted). Could be a tricky business, so shop carefully!

Otherwise, the sincere student is likely to end up aimlessly wandering, without an understanding of the pitfalls. Sailing into a black spiritual hole, without getting to taste the “goods”.

The knowledgeable guru has the presence, the peace, the awareness, and honesty that comes with real spirituality. This knowledge and awareness can be “transmitted” to a student by subtle means that is not easily understood.

In Sanskrit the word for the transmission is Shaktipaat, the bringing down of Divine Grace and Shakti, or Divine Energy, through the Chakras, or body centers. This is done to help awaken the Kundalini, the “coiled serpent”. (Coiled at the base of the spine).

In Buddhism or Hinduism, this transference is alternatively referred to as the “awakening of the third eye”, which is situated in between the eye-brows. Never the less, to have the full awakening of all the centers, is a much more subtle and deeper process.

You can have your cat as guru, indeed, as you can have many beings of this world. However If you wanted to lean to fly a jumbo jet, would you take lessons from a bus – driver?

Or choose an easy path that fades into swampland, rather than a steady but perhaps uphill path that lasts, and gets you to the mountain top