Her Prophet Speaks: The Guru Racket
Oct. 31st, 2017 09:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nebris~I committed my first Overt Spiritual Act when I was eleven years old. I stole a Book of Wisdom* from a shallow fool. I've been working that Karma out ever since. /laughs
But seriously folks, that IS where my Spiritual Path really began, although I had no idea at the time, which is par for the course I have found. We seem to stumble onto our Paths rather cluelessly.
Anyway, while I've been at this Guru Racket for a little over twenty years now, that is where my Path started and over time I have discovered a few general rules about gurus, 'spiritual masters', etc.
As usual, we fall into two main categories [yeah, a cliché...so sue me]
There are The Enlightened Masters, the ones who smile and radiate Love and Peace and say many Wise and Deep Things and make you feel like everything could be alright, your job, your relationships, the world, all better, if only you do what they say. They are almost always hustlers and con artists who tell you what you want to hear. Note how well they dress and their lovely residences and how they're Very Fond of their younger acolytes. Westerners eat that shit up with a fucking spoon.
And then there are the Gurus who are crusty and cranky. They tend to yell at those who want the above pablum. They'll tell you that gaining Self Awareness is a dirty and nasty business and that said Path is not for the faint of heart. Those gurus are not trying to 'sell' anything. They are on that Path because they have no choice. They are crusty and cranky [and downright mean even] because people keep asking for an easier and softer way, which really pisses them off. They're the teachers who lay the cane across your back when you drift off during meditation.
I suspect you can guess which type I am. I am on my Path not because I chose it, but because it chose me and would not take 'no' for an answer. It can be a real pain in the ass, but it does get me out of bed most days...
...and so it is.
*it was Manley P. Hall's The Secret Teachings of All Ages, the deluxe full color edition, runs a few hundred bucks these days
But seriously folks, that IS where my Spiritual Path really began, although I had no idea at the time, which is par for the course I have found. We seem to stumble onto our Paths rather cluelessly.
Anyway, while I've been at this Guru Racket for a little over twenty years now, that is where my Path started and over time I have discovered a few general rules about gurus, 'spiritual masters', etc.
As usual, we fall into two main categories [yeah, a cliché...so sue me]
There are The Enlightened Masters, the ones who smile and radiate Love and Peace and say many Wise and Deep Things and make you feel like everything could be alright, your job, your relationships, the world, all better, if only you do what they say. They are almost always hustlers and con artists who tell you what you want to hear. Note how well they dress and their lovely residences and how they're Very Fond of their younger acolytes. Westerners eat that shit up with a fucking spoon.
And then there are the Gurus who are crusty and cranky. They tend to yell at those who want the above pablum. They'll tell you that gaining Self Awareness is a dirty and nasty business and that said Path is not for the faint of heart. Those gurus are not trying to 'sell' anything. They are on that Path because they have no choice. They are crusty and cranky [and downright mean even] because people keep asking for an easier and softer way, which really pisses them off. They're the teachers who lay the cane across your back when you drift off during meditation.
I suspect you can guess which type I am. I am on my Path not because I chose it, but because it chose me and would not take 'no' for an answer. It can be a real pain in the ass, but it does get me out of bed most days...
...and so it is.
*it was Manley P. Hall's The Secret Teachings of All Ages, the deluxe full color edition, runs a few hundred bucks these days
(no subject)
Date: 2019-01-19 08:58 am (UTC)