Mukunda,
Is a Guru necessary? Why? Is the inner teacher, the heart, sufficient? How? Must a Guru be in a physical body? Can one go too fast - or feel like it energetically? What is the dynamic between chela and Guru and teacher? Namste, Lee
his is a very good question. Thank you for asking it; it can benefit all who read and reflect seriously. Let us examine the definitions before going too far in this discussion. The sadguru (true guru) is the grace bestowing power of the Divine. Not a personality. One who is a guru is a teacher. The word in India refers to teachers of any lesson to be learned. Gurus as a spiritual teacher helps you to find the sadguru. For one who is practical in nature seeking a physical spiritual teacher is time well spent. Until you find a spiritual teacher who enables you to become immersed in the inner teacher it is best not to assume you know the difference between your mind and the inner teacher.
The mind is filled with avidya (ignorance) according to the Yoga Sutras II, 4-12. This ignorance creates all sorts of misperceptions based on misconceptions. As a result the spiritual student (chela) often goes astray and wastes their effort going the wrong way or on a path that they are not suited for. I highly recommend finding a spiritual mentor to assist you at finding your path. The mentor is not a spiritual teacher but helps you to find one, to clarify what is the inner teacher, and can show how to relate to your spiritual teacher once you meet.
The dynamic between student and teacher is very alive. filled with blessings, grace, tests, and the encounters with unknown spiritual experiences that must be put into perspective. I have been blessed to have both a guru and several spiritual teachers. I also train those to become spiritual mentors once they have had sufficient experience. Joan Borysenko also has such a training called Claritas Institute here in Boulder; i have served on her staff. www.claritasinstitute.com for details. Blessings Mukunda