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Guru

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For other uses, see Guru (disambiguation).

Guru (/ˈɡuːruː/, UK also /ˈɡʊruː, ˈɡʊǝr-/; Sanskrit:

गुरु, IAST: guru; Pali: garu) is a Sanskrit term for
a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain
knowledge or field.[1] In pan-Indian traditions, a
guru is more than a teacher. In Sanskrit, guru
means literally dispeller of darkness.
Traditionally, the guru is a reverential figure to
the disciple (or chela in Sanskrit) or student,
with the guru serving as a "counselor, who
helps mold values, shares experiential
knowledge as much as literal knowledge, an
exemplar in life, an inspirational source and
who helps in the spiritual evolution of a
student".[2] Whatever language it is written in,
Judith Simmer-Brown explains that a tantric
spiritual text is often codified in an obscure
twilight language so that it cannot be
understood by anyone without the verbal
explanation of a qualified teacher, the guru.[3]
A guru is also one's spiritual guide, who helps
one to discover the same potentialities that the
guru has already realized.[4]

The oldest references to the concept of guru

are found in the earliest Vedic texts of
Hinduism.[2] The guru, and gurukula – a school
run by guru, were an established tradition in
India by the 1st millennium BCE, and these
helped compose and transmit the various
Vedas, the Upanishads, texts of various
schools of Hindu philosophy, and post-Vedic
Shastras ranging from spiritual knowledge to
various arts.[2][5][6] By about mid 1st
millennium CE, archaeological and epigraphical
evidence suggest numerous larger institutions
of gurus existed in India, some near Hindu
temples, where guru-shishya tradition helped
preserve, create and transmit various fields of
knowledge.[6] These gurus led broad ranges of
studies including Hindu scriptures, Buddhist
texts, grammar, philosophy, martial arts, music
and painting.[6][7]

The tradition of the guru is also found in

Jainism, referring to a spiritual preceptor, a role
typically served by a Jain ascetic.[8][9] In
Sikhism, the guru tradition has played a key
role since its founding in the 15th century, its
founder is referred to as Guru Nanak, and its
scripture as Guru Granth Sahib.[10][11] The guru
concept has thrived in Vajrayāna Buddhism,
where the tantric guru is considered a figure to
worship and whose instructions should never
be violated.[12][13]

In the Western world, the term is sometimes

used in a derogatory way to refer to individuals
who have allegedly exploited their followers'
naiveté, particularly in certain cults or groups
in the fields of hippie, new religious
movements, self-help and tantra.[14]

Definition and etymology

In Hinduism

In Buddhism

In Jainism

In Sikhism

In Western culture

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Last edited 1 day ago by Bruce1ee

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