Online gurus?

[Ao]

I'm curious, is it possible/advisable to have a guru be someone you've never met, and only have contact with via email and the like? Or does there need to be personal contact of a more physical nature--like someone you can sit down and talk with?

[Onkara]

I'm curious, is it possible/advisable to have a guru be someone you've never met, and only have contact with via email and the like? Or does there need to be personal contact of a more physical nature--like someone you can sit down and talk with?

Hi Andrew
Yes, it is possible, in my opinion. But the progress of the aspirant depends on factors in addition to the Guru's teaching alone. To use a metaphor: A ripe fruit will fall from the tree naturally. So when the aspirant is ready the answers of the Guru may liken to the breeze which allows the fruit to finally drop in to realisation, however it seems that ripening will occour naturally, as per the personal accounts of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Ji, who's Guru past away shortly after their initial meetings, leaving Sri Nisargadatta to mediate on his Guru's words alone (I understand from his commentary).

Logically, the relationship is not the same, one cannot ask questions dynamically as the answer does not come without some instantly. Likewise this can act in both parties favour as reactive questions and answers can be avoided or refined into a more profound and effective question. It is important that the aspirant asks the right question and the answer is satisfactory, the worse which can occour is continued confusion (avidya) or assumed fruitless practice or ritual, which in my opinion would cease to prove useful to the aspirant after time anyway.

From an Advaitin perspective the apparent obstructions of time and space are an obstruction only on the mind of the striving aspirant. The point being that on realisation it is realised that all is consciousness and consciousness ultimately has not limits due to time and space.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Andrew:

There will be several points of view here. In a traditional sense, it is a two way relationship, and the Guru knows the devotee on a personal level. It is more the Guru taking on the devotee than the devotee taking on the Guru. Of course we do see the 'big time' Gurus today who have such a large following that this is impossible.

There are people who claim that they are followers of 'such and such' but then when you ask them something about the teachings of 'such and such', they know nothing or very little.

Some people used to think that computers could replace teachers in school classrooms. There is nothing that can replace direct contact. A teacher can take into consideration the individual needs of each student. Good teachers are very adept at this, and can even design individualised programs of study.

When you meet a Guru directly, there is teaching on a whole different mystical level that you may not even be aware of. Each person is different, and in these rare instances the Guru has the ability to speak to you and you alone. Those rare moments are by far the most valuable. In the books a Guru writes, who is he speaking to? In my opinion it is a conglomerate 'person' and that may not fit you and your needs spiritually all that well.

Aum Namasivaya