Contrary to some reports, I am not a ’self-proclaimed’ guru. Friends, co-workers and students dubbed me with this title, which amuses me to an enormous degree - so, of course, I’m working it like a day job.
It is no small thing to have the title ‘guru’ conferred upon oneself. I have not taken this title - many have come to me for assistance and it is they who bestowed this great honor.
When I was first referred to as ‘a guru’ I felt it incumbent upon me to know what this title actually meant. In it’s original usage, it referred to spiritual teachers, which I do not profess to be. Etymologically, the term Guru means one who gives light by eradicating the darkness of ignorance. According to philosophical Hindu texts, Guru means dispeller (gu) of darkness (ru). I prefer that definition.
I’ve done a fair bit of teaching and discovered that it is one of the most difficult things to do, requiring great patience and compassion. I have come to understand that a student learns for themself, not me. My duty to the student is not to make them measure up to some standard of my devising, but rather to help dispell the shadows in their own knowledge. Together we journey into the darkness of the unknown and often the student teaches the teacher. That has been a tremendous gift to me and I thank all my students for what they’ve taught me.