When you meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him! -The Guru.

                               An old crucifixion hanging on the wall in an old monastery in Rome.
 

The Guru, the Mirror, and the Sword of Self

What is a Guru?

A Guru is more than just a teacher—it is a deeply spiritual concept rooted in ancient Indian traditions, especially in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The word guru comes from the Sanskrit:

• "Gu" means darkness or ignorance

• "Ru" means remover or dispeller

So, a Guru is literally “the remover of darkness.”

---

🕉️ In the Spiritual Sense

A Guru guides the seeker from ignorance to enlightenment, from ego to essence, from illusion (maya) to truth (sat). A true Guru teaches not only with words, but with presence, insight, silence, and example. In traditional spiritual systems, the Guru is considered essential for inner awakening.

“The Guru is greater than God, for while God may forgive, it is the Guru who shows the way to God.” – Kabir

 

---

👣 Qualities of a True Guru

• Embodied Wisdom – not theoretical, but lived truth

• Compassionate Presence – loving, patient, and kind

• Egoless Guidance – no agenda, no control

• Transmission of Being – their silence speaks volumes

• Mirror of the Self – they reflect your own light back to you

The Guru does not give you enlightenment.
The Guru shows you you already are That.

---

🔍 How Do You Know a True Guru?

The signs are subtle, but unmistakable:

• You feel stillness and inner silence in their presence

• Your ego begins to dissolve—not from judgment, but from love

• Insights arise effortlessly; your mind becomes clear

• You are guided back to yourself, not into dependency

• You feel completely seen, and yet, invisible—no "me" remains

“The Guru is not outside you. The true Guru points inward and disappears.” – Ramana Maharshi

 

---

🧘‍♂️ Realizing You Are the Guru

Eventually, the true realization dawns—not only that you don’t need to seek outside—but that the Guru and the Self are One.

This realization does not come with egoic declarations, but with a gentle recognition of truth:

• Your words arise from silence

• You act without agenda

• You teach without teaching

• You are no one—and in that no-one-ness, all flows

The real Guru is not a person. The real Guru is Presence.

---

⚔️ “If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him”

This famous Zen koan—often attributed to the Buddha, but actually Zen in origin—applies to Gurus just as deeply.

It means:

“Do not cling to any image or idea of enlightenment—not even the Buddha, not even the Guru. Kill that illusion.”

• If you see the Buddha as other, you’re still lost

• If you revere the Guru as greater, you’re in bondage

• If you cling to teachings without insight, you’re asleep

True liberation comes when you kill the image, shatter the illusion, and realize you have always been That.

---

🌿 Closing Reflection

You are the student.
You are the teacher.
You are the silence.
You are the song.

When all seeking ends,
The Guru remains—
not outside,
But as the light
You have never not been.

---

#Guru #ZenKoan #InnerAwakening #NonDuality #RamanaMaharshi #BuddhaWithin #KillTheBuddha #SpiritualIndependence #CheeseburgerBuddha #PresenceNotPerson #MysticReflections #SelfRealization #SpiritualJourney