According to the Oxford dictionary, spirituality means ‘the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. A Guru means a ‘spiritual teacher’. Our country is showered by many such ‘spiritual teachers’. They are omniscient, omnipotent and have a ubiquitous influence on the masses at large. Not having a guru makes one a pariah in society. Especially when they have a mammoth fan following which most of them do.
From ‘what to strive for in life’, to ‘which side of the bed is auspicious to sleep’, the Gurus provide answers to all. The disciples go with suitcases full of problems (besides other stuff) and return with the same bags full of blessings and solutions to their utmost frivolous to a deep philosophical quandary.
Such is the ‘halo’ of the gurus today. They work hard. To furnish oratory ranging from occult sciences to religious remedies and their state-of-the-art detox programmes to replenish drained out ‘positive energy’ of the crowds not just in the home country but also around the world. These spiritual guides today lead a busy and hectic life travelling for the welfare of not just the people’s souls but also the ‘soil’ they tread on. They think of the environment as much as they enrich the minds and bodies of their disciples the world over.
Their following is obsequious, and so are their volunteers. Working for a cause they believe to be above themselves. These young men and women toil for their Guru and resonate spirituality in their daily lives, including on social media. The magnitude of their Guru’s presence is evident in YouTube videos. Those who have not had the fortune of seeing them in person can get the privilege virtually too.
From Harvard to the IITs and IIMs and the remotest village in the far away continents of the globe, these spiritual men are ostentatiously invited to spread their ‘Gyan’ on high daises for eager minds. So profound is their concern for the well-being of the human spirit. And so arduous is their journey far and wide for spirituality.
While we bow to the magnanimity of their spiritual power and while they bless us with their spiritual prowess, an expedition into our inner selves will certainly prove to be an intrepid ride for all those habituated with the eloquence of discourses and benevolence of these ‘Gurus’ Swami Vivekananda, Aurobindo, Tagore, Krishnamurti, and Dr Radhakrishnan, may need a google search but the name of Sadhguru, Shri Jaggi Vasudev, enlightens the lives of each and everyone today. His visit to the pilgrim city enlightened Nashikites by his holy presence!
– Seema Moghe