I have learned the importance of having a guru, a spiritual guide. Having a guru is better than a whole library of spiritual books. Some people read hundreds of books for years and never get the peace and happiness they seek.
There is something about the human spark, the relationship with a guru that can help a person go further on their path (or even find a path in the first place).
Once a guru has passed all your tests, it's important to put your faith in them, knowing they will instruct you in ways that are only in your best interests.
But faith can be difficult.
Following this theme, my good friend Bhavna told me this story:
Once there was a man walking through the forest at night when he came upon his guru, who was sitting alone by a fire.
The guru had no coat or blanket and was barely keeping warm with the small fire.
The man saw this and immediately walked over and gave him the blanket off his own back.
The guru thanked him.
Then as the man turned to leave, the guru threw the blanket on the fire!
The man was awestruck, and raced over to the guru's side.
"Why would you do that? You threw my only blanket into the fire, which could have warmed either of us, and now it's destroyed! Why?"
The guru calmly looked at him and gave a simple answer.
"To test your faith."
When I first heard this story, the pragmatic (American) Westerner in me thought, 'That's a ridiculous waste.'
But my was second thought as a person of faith on a spiritual path: 'His faith was tested and failed.'
The guru wanted to show his devotee the measure of his faith. In this case, there was very little of it.
Now that man has a choice: he can let his ego run rampant and stomp away muttering about a crazy guru burning his blanket...
...or he learn from the experience and elevate his spirituality.
And now we can check our own.
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