[Advaita-l] relevance of a guru

[sriram]

Dear Members
Guru is one who is  thoroughly enlightened and is well versed in the subject matter which the disciple seeks to get faultless and full knowledge.Not only that, the guru does more than that he makes the disciple wise.That is the discipleis made capable of  becoming a guru to some other disciple who seeks full and faultless  knowledge on the suject matter.It is not necessary that the guru has even to verbally explain to drive away the doubts.Even his presence, his conduct his bearing and his personality may influence the sincere devotee to understand what he wanted to.If one reads Sri Ramana`s life and His anecdotes one will understand what is a guru.it is for the ardent disciple to pick up the knowledge and work on it to get enlightenment.A guru need not be a human being even.It may be the five elements, living and nonliving beings for that matter anything under the sun.The seeker has to be in constant pursuit of what he wants to know and it is my firm conviction that he will get at it.May be it will be immediate or may be some time after.A sincere  seeker will never get frustrated.That is why THE GURU 
Sri Dakshinamurhty is depicted as personification of silence.And mind you all doubts of the aged disciples got dispelled by His silence.A professor or a school teacher can in noway be called a guru.A guru imparts a lot more than mere knowledge of the subject.
R.Krishnamoorthy.