Your Partner Is Your Guru

There is an old Zen story about a young man who, looking for a teacher, decided to visit two ashrams. At the first, he approached the guru there, bowed, and said, “I am looking for a guru. Do you think you can teach me?” The guru smiled. “Of course. I think you would be a wonderful student, and I would be delighted to share my wisdom with you.” Then the young man visited the second ashram, approached the guru there, and bowed. “I am looking for a guru. Do you think you can teach me?” The guru bowed back to him but shook his head. “Really, I know very little, ” he said, “but if you’d like to come back later, perhaps we can sit together and watch the sunset.” The young man smiled and nodded, then chose the second guru. When I introduced the Vedic life stages, I mentioned that each of them is referred to as an ashram. Ashrams are often associated with a revered teacher-a guru. Since ancient times, people have traveled from all over the world to learn from spiritual teachers such as Ramakrishna or Neem Karoli Baba, or to Dharamsala to learn from the Dalai Lama in his temple there. A guru is beyond a teacher, guide, or coach. They are like the captain of a ship who helps you cross the turbulent ocean of lif with deep compassion and friendship.