How to Recognise a Genuine Guru? – Part 1

After acknowledging the indispensability of a Guru https://www.deardevotees.com/guru-a-beacon-illuminating-the-path-to-transcendence/ in our spiritual journey, the next pressing question is how to recognise a genuine saint amidst the multitude of imposters masquerading as gurus.

A straightforward definition of a true Saint is someone who knows God. Knowing has two dimensions: theoretical spiritual knowledge and practical experience of God. A true Saint possesses both. The Vedas use two terms to describe this: Shrotriya (complete scriptural knowledge) and Brahmnishtha (practical divine knowledge or God-realisation). Among these, the primary qualification of a true Saint is their practical experience of the Divine, as even an imperfect being can deliver scriptural sermons. But how can we discern if someone has attained God?

This is challenging because people can be categorized into four types, with two being ordinary humans and two being true Saints:

Materialistic Outwardly and Inwardly: An ordinary human who makes no attempt to hide their materialistic nature.

Pretentious Holy Person: An ordinary human who wears the robes of a holy person but is not truly realised.

Externally and Internally Divine Saint: A Saint completely absorbed in God, showing no worldly behaviour.

Internally Divine but Externally Normal Saint: A Saint who is God-realised but conceals their divine state by acting normally in the world. 99.9% of historical and modern Saints are in this category and are particularly useful for our spiritual guidance as they are the ones who mingle with us and guide us.

Recognising the fourth type of Saint, who hides their love for God carefully, is particularly difficult. So how can we differentiate a genuine Guru from an impostor?

The Hindu scriptures state that a true Guru is free from Maya (illusion). Shvetashvatar Upanishad adds that freedom from Maya means being free of all desires, as Maya is the source of all desires. Thus, if someone doesn’t exhibit human vices like anger, greed, or hatred, we might infer they are free from desire and therefore a Saint. However, impostors can fake this demeanour. If you insult a fake Guru, they might pretend to be unaffected while harbouring negative feelings inside.

Though it is impossible to gauge a genuine saint if it is done with the intent to test them, for an earnest seeker who with all humility desires to take refuge at their lotus feet, here are some indicators:

No Material Blessings: A true Saint doesn’t bestow worldly wealth, as material accomplishments are determined by an individual’s destiny and past actions. Moreover, the root cause of an individual’s wretched state is their material attachments and desires. Why would a Saint further ignite the fire of desires by providing material wealth? Instead, a genuine Saint graces his disciples with spiritual wealth and devotional love for God.

Non-Interference with Destiny: A true Saint doesn’t interfere with one’s destiny, as it results from actions performed with free will. The individual is responsible for both their choices and the outcomes, which cannot be altered.

(…to be continued)

Please stay tuned for many more indicators, as the aspirant must have a good understanding of these critical points for a successful spiritual endeavour.

Suggested Reads

Radha Govind Geet Mahapurusha The Saint : https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/radha-govind-geet-mahapurusha-the-saint-english

Philosophy of Divine Love – English : https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/prem-ras-siddhant-1

Guru Tattva - Hindi: https://www.jkpliterature.org.in/en/product/guru-tattva