Who are the real gurus?

Jacob Cooper5 said:Let’s be real—there isn't a single successful guru out there who doesn't have someone else ready to jump out from the shadows and claim they're the exact opposite of whatever that guru is peddling.

Exactly. At the end of the day, they're just human beings, just like you and me.

Amma, the hugging saint

https://www.biographyonline.net/spiritual/amma.html

Nowadays, anyone can just step up and call themselves a guru, and honestly, that’s where the danger lies. In our Western culture—rooted in Christianity—we have a long history of honoring saints, and there’s nothing wrong with following their teachings if you can manage it. But this whole "guruism" thing is a phenomenon that drifted over from the East, and frankly, it isn't really built for the average American.

If someone actually wants to learn and reach some kind of realization, they’ll find it even under a self-proclaimed guru.
But if you’re too busy chasing your own delusions—or just following the hype around you—you won't learn a damn thing, even from a real deal teacher.

I don't get why everyone here is so allergic to the whole concept of gurus. Unless, of course, you were foolish enough to follow someone who turned out to be a total fraud (though the real question is: why were you following them in the first place?).
Teachers, much like anyone else in a school setting, exist on different levels of spiritual achievement. It stands to reason that those at the highest level are the rarest, and they aren't exactly going to spend their time teaching beginners.
On the flip side, it also makes sense that novice teachers are going to mess up more often—which doesn't always mean they have bad intentions.

There are plenty of sharp, ultra-critical people on this forum—the kind of folks who are impossible to please, even if it means starving themselves of any actual insight. And honestly? That's fine. We all have our roles to play, good or bad.

Some pretty interesting spiritual lineage here.



Mahavatar Babaj



Lahiri Mahasay Swami Sri Yukteswar gira Satyanand gira Paramahans Yoganand PS oftopic



Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri



Satyananda Giri


Paramahansa Yogananda

PS
oftopic
It’s wild how many people—maybe 40% to 70% of folks in the West—end up falling for those "sexual gurus." They lead people astray sexually and psychologically, then milk them for everything they're worth materially, only to dump them once the honeymoon phase wears off. Basically, they just walk away and leave everyone else picking up the pieces.

Irina Tweedie
I only met her once, but man, she left a mark.
She wrote this book about her journey and meeting a Sufi master—it’s one of those longer, slightly tedious spiritual reads—called Daughter of Fire : a Diary of a Spiritual Training with a Sufi master par

Just some irreverent thoughts on the spiritual path.
Irina Tweedie: Spiritual Training (excerpt)

Regarding this fraud and his little protégé—bluemason3 might have more to say on the matter.



Ramakrishna



Swami Vivekananda

The first one was clearly struggling with some mental issues, while the second was just a naive fanatic.

Just another fog salesman having some hallucinations:
"“I looked at the jail that secluded me from men and it was no longer by its high walls that I was imprisoned; no, it was Vasudeva who surrounded me. I walked under the branches of the tree in front of my cell but it was not the tree, I knew it was Vasudeva, it was Sri Krishna whom I saw standing there and holding over me his shade. I looked at the bars of my cell, the very grating that did duty for a door and again I saw Vasudeva. It was Narayana who was guarding and standing sentry over me. Or I lay on the coarse blankets that were given me for a couch and felt the arms of Sri Krishna around me, The arms of my friend and Lover. this was The First Use of The deeper Vision He gave me. I looked at the prisoners in the jail, the thieves, the murderers, the swindlers, and as I looked at them I saw Vasudeva, it was Narayana whom I found in these darkened souls and misused bodies. Amongst these thieves and dacoits there were many who put me to shame by their sympathy, their kindness, the humanity triumphant over such adverse circumstances.”"


Sri Aurobindo

His collaborator Mirar Alfass -The Mother,


the founder of auroviti, an alternative community where about 2,800 people live right now.

casualtiger2 said:Just another fog salesman having some hallucinations:
"“I looked at the jail that secluded me from men and it was no longer by its high walls that I was imprisoned; no, it was Vasudeva who surrounded me. I walked under the branches of the tree in front of my cell but it was not the tree, I knew it was Vasudeva, it was Sri Krishna whom I saw standing there and holding over me his shade. I looked at the bars of my cell, the very grating that did duty for a door and again I saw Vasudeva. It was Narayana who was guarding and standing sentry over me. Or I lay on the coarse blankets that were given me for a couch and felt the arms of Sri Krishna around me, The arms of my friend and Lover. this was The First Use of The deeper Vision He gave me. I looked at the prisoners in the jail, the thieves, the murderers, the swindlers, and as I looked at them I saw Vasudeva, it was Narayana whom I found in these darkened souls and misused bodies. Amongst these thieves and dacoits there were many who put me to shame by their sympathy, their kindness, the humanity triumphant over such adverse circumstances.”"


Sri Aurobindo

His collaborator Mirar Alfass -The Mother,


the founder of auroviti, an alternative community where about 2,800 people live right now.

True.

There are plenty of people like that. In hypnosis studies, maybe 20% are just highly suggestible "somnambulists." You don't necessarily have to be mentally ill for it to happen.

It's foolish, sure, but definitely better than dealing with pure narcissistic frauds like that 😁
one you mentioned.

Since we're already bringing up "my narcissistic fraud" (his little golden boy)—and let's not pretend I only care about guys from India.
He’s basically the top of your list up there, and probably the only American guru who actually made it big on the international stage.



Aba Aziz Makaj

Self-proclaimed Bulgarian guru—though somehow he made it into the top 100 most influential people in Bulgarian history (ranking at 37th) and became their most prolific author.
They say he was an incredibly humble guy, deeply connected to the natural world.



Peter Deunov

In the West, he’s mostly known through his student who lived in France— Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov.



Their teachings lean heavily into theosophy; they even lent their name to the society (the Great White Brotherhood).
One interesting thing about them is the ritual dances, called paneurhythmy, which are usually performed out in nature.

Vesna Parun


A "crazy old lady" who lived among the clutter and loved tossing the I Ching 😍

Evening Star

Low in the sky, the evening star shines bright.
The summer hum still lingers in the valley.
It’s night—and we’re wandering through the wildlands
where the glow of transience lights our way.

How silent the ocean feels in the distance!
Its vastness is so incredibly lonely.
Somewhere nearby, tucked low in the grass,
the croaking of a frog just won't stop its lament.

It’s night—and we’re heading out into the open.
Our youth is setting behind the mountain.
The star fades. The mountain glows, rising up.
And our path simply vanishes into the silence.

@boldsailor2
Brilliant! 👍

Raman Maharshi, claims he had a near-death experience at sixteen—the kind of thing that supposedly helped him uncover his true self.
Later on, he used to mess with people by asking "Who am I?"—as if we don't all already know who we are. He also preached total devotion to the divine.
It’s a bit ironic when you consider the whole "healthy mind, healthy body" cliché; he ended up dying of cancer, which theologians conveniently explain away as him taking on the bad karma of his followers.



A lot of folks claimed they felt an indescribable sense of peace just being near him.
That hill where he meditated—and especially the cave—really does radiate peace (unless, obviously, you're claustrophobic) and carries a very specific energy.

Back then, while folks in the East were mostly focused on just not hurting anyone else (ahimsa)—or at best, trying to cultivate some compassion—Jesus suggested something entirely different. He pushed for a much more proactive approach, basically saying, "love your neighbor as yourself."
Unfortunately—and looking at the world today, where most people can't even manage to love themselves—it seems he was a few thousand years ahead of his time (honestly, I’d suggest he waits at least another millennium before making a comeback). Back then, the followers decided to stop talking and actually start acting. History took care of the rest, which we see everywhere in churches and on altars.

Given the level of consciousness back then, he probably couldn't have done much more. Still, a few hand-written texts with slightly more precise explanations would have definitely helped steer everything that eventually happened in his name.

boldsailor2 said:Vesna Parun


A "crazy old lady" who lived among the clutter and loved tossing the I Ching 😍

Evening Star

Low in the sky, the evening star shines bright.
The summer hum still lingers in the valley.
It’s night—and we’re wandering through the wildlands
where the glow of transience lights our way.

How silent the ocean feels in the distance!
Its vastness is so incredibly lonely.
Somewhere nearby, tucked low in the grass,
the croaking of a frog just won't stop its lament.

It’s night—and we’re heading out into the open.
Our youth is setting behind the mountain.
The star fades. The mountain glows, rising up.
And our path simply vanishes into the silence.

Where on earth did you get the idea that she loved throwing I Ching? I'd really love an answer here.

hiddenpuma75 said:Where on earth did you get the idea that she loved throwing I Ching? I'd really love an answer here.

I saw a documentary about her on TV—they mentioned that she basically used the I Ching to make every single life decision.

I did a little digging online... found a tiny bit of something:

She’s spent her life making pilgrimages to all sorts of gurus—most of them total frauds, really—who promise everything from physical healing to pure energy or salvation. And then there’s her relationship with the I Ching—she claims she has this creative, positive connection with the ancient book, treating it like her one true, solitary advisor.

Lately, I’ve been feeling pretty fed up—with the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, and even those fake friendships—so these days, I only really "hang out" with her songs. 😍
Either "I'm traveling" — or just "on the road." Desire—it’s just everything. All over the world—everywhere, really. 😬

So, I ran into an old childhood friend on the street the other day—just passing through—and he doesn't even ask "how are you?" or "how's life?" Instead, he immediately starts talking trash about Jesus. He's rambling on about God and love... then drifts into Hare Krishnas and all this half-baked nonsense. There I am, just standing there like an idiot in the middle of the sidewalk, clutching two CVS bags full of cat food, basically waiting for him to trip into a manhole or for some invisible hand to toss him straight into the universe. It’s been eight years since I’ve bothered socializing with anyone, and honestly? I don't miss it at all. I'm perfectly happy hanging out with my cats and feeding the squirrels in the yard. 😬

So, I actually went to visit the Smith family at Arlington National Cemetery recently—just so it doesn't look like I'm avoiding everyone. 🤣

Buddha
Buddha – American
Since we already have a thread dedicated to Buddhism, I’ll just keep this brief—just a quick rundown of what this guru actually taught us.
- The Middle Way—finding that sweet spot between extreme asceticism and pure hedonism (though, honestly, figuring out where that line sits in today's world is the tricky part)
- 4 noble truths, which stem from a deep dive into how we're all conditioned (for anyone paying attention, suffering is universal—it's not about being a pessimist, it's just reality)
- The Noble Eightfold Path, built on living an ethical life (if you can even call social morality "ethics" anymore?) and peaking with meditative and contemplative practice
- Avoiding those endless debates over metaphysics and rejecting the idea of a permanent "self" or soul (like atman)

Don't just believe something because some ancient text says so, or because it's the faith your people hold or what you were drilled with since you were a kid. Instead, think about everything critically. If you find that something is truly good for others, then believe in it, live it, and help everyone else live it too.

Hatred is never erased by hatred. Only kindness can wash away hate. That’s an eternal, unchanging law.

A person might defeat a thousand warriors on a battlefield, but they can't compare to the one who has conquered themselves.

Listen to the person who points out your flaws as if they were handing you a chest of gold.

You can spend your life pouring over the Buddha, some self-proclaimed master, an avatar, or endless scientific papers—or even worse, just sitting there playing the part of the wise, enlightened sage in your own head because you think you’ve already mastered it all. Just more noise and spikes.
It’s all just badaves if you don't actually look inward and read your own soul. Only then can you truly tell yourself where you stand—whether you're stuck in a mess, living in bliss, or actually experiencing freedom... whatever version of reality you've been dreaming up.