HOW TO FIND A GURU?

How to Find a Guru
Q. Is there any simple thing like a mantra or some other thing which if done regularly will
help one take him to his guru and find one guru in a physical body? After all we are not
Lord Dattatreya who can take teachings from nature. For someone like you, your guru is
there. He can tell you in simple terms what to do for spiritual growth because daily
obstacles sometimes take away you from your ultimate goal.
A. Whether you want a guru to come to you or a deity to come to you, feeling a strong desire emotionally
is important. Use the mental energy.
As Ramakrishna waited for Kali to give him darshan, he used to cry for Her. He also used to cry as he
waited for the arrival of his disciples such as Naren, Rakhal, Jogin, Tarak etc. The people around him then
were unable to understand his teachings and he knew that his eternal companions who would spend a few
years with him and then spread true spirituality in the world were yet to come. He waited for several years
and used to cry.
A child who is lost by parents at a fair and is alone may cry in pain and confusion, for parents. If one can
become like that child and cry from the heart for deity or guru, one can get them. If you ask me, that is the
best way.
Some also recommend chanting mantras of Dattatreya or Shiva or Krishna to get one's guru. One can do
that, but feeling from the depths of one's heart the pain from the pangs of separation is vital.
Q. What one should do if he doesn’t have a Guru?
A. Just wait. Changdev maharaj waited for more than 1,000 years for his guru. Then he got
what needed from his guru in just a few days. Getting the right guru can change one's spiritual trajectory
forever.
Some people say, "Whoever is your guru, just follow that guru blindly and you will achieve". That is
partly true. But, a moth that clings on to a rock and does not leave it can be crushed when the rock falls
from the mountain. However, one who has blind faith in guru and follows guru completely is at least
pushing the ownership of several karmas to guru and keeping own account clean. That surrender is a
smart (but difficult) thing and actually the first step towards an unconditional surrender to god.
It is good to surrender to a guru and follow with blind faith. But the reward for that attitude is maximized
if guru is a capable one instead of a fake one.
Good gurus first test the sishyas and push them to the breakage point and test the limits. Good gurus are
rare these days.
Just as a guru tests sishya, a sishya can also test guru until one is fully satisfied. But, once one accepts a
person as one's guru, one should be faithful and obedient. People like Vivekananda and some fellow
disciples of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa tested their guru for an extended period of time.