A Gnani never identifies himself as a swami, Guru, pundit or yogi.+

Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by the politicians as useful. 

In this Hi-Fi world, many self-declared Spiritual Gurus are born like mushrooms amidst us and they are looked upon as great solace by the mass of gullible people, who are more ‘peace and wisdom-hungry.  

Most seekers are looking for something beyond their inherited belief system. Most of these dollar-hungry Gurus hankering after titles and honors and enjoying it like this modern-day self-styled Gurus and they are connected to one or other controversies and scandals.

People get stuck with these modern self-proclaimed Gurus who claimed to be enlightened. Many of these Gurus have taken many new “avatars” like Corporate Gurus, Universal Gurus, online Gurus, Global Gurus, one name it, he will find them. The honest Gurus and swamis never come to the limelight and they remain to mind their own inherited divine business remains aloof from the publicity.  

There are so many   Gurus who have overnight become Global Gurus. They only play with the feelings of people. Most of them are propagating ancient yogic practices as if it is their own great new invention and branding them or getting them patented,   this is the height of the mockery of spirituality. As long as innocent and ignorant people are there, these kinds of Gurus can flourish their business to peak height. They cannot only fool the people but also the people at political power.

Religion needs a Guru to propagate its belief system, whereas in the Atmic path there is no need for a Guru. The ultimate truth has to be ascertained by him alone.  Yoga needs a Guru to guide its students to practice Samadhi. 

Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

The one who says he is enlightened is not a Gnani.  The ‘Self’ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. How can you and the world in which you exist remain when the ‘Self’ gets enlightenment?   Only the Soul the innermost ‘Self ‘remains in its own awareness in the midst of the dualistic illusion.

Select Works of Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad: ~ “Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread."

Mandukya Upanishads: ~    Even the Gods cannot find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the religious robe has anything to do with him.

Thus, the one who identifies themselves as a swami,   a Guru, or a yogi is not a Gnani. A Gnani never identifies himself as a swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi.  The Swami, Guru, pundit, or the yogi belong to the religious or the yogic path not to the path of wisdom.

That is why Sage Sankara's commentary: ~   "The knower of Brahman (Gnani) wears no signs. 

Sage Sankara:~ "Tell us what you know, show it, and let us examine it under the mental microscope." It means we must bring notions and beliefs out of vagueness into clearness. It also criticizes the mystics who claim superior knowledge but who cannot communicate it for purposes of verification.

Sage Sankara:~ "The knower of Brahman wears no signs. Gives up the insignia of a monk's life…his signs are not manifest, nor his behavior."  When the knower of Brahman wears no signs ~ it means he does not identify himself as a Guru. 

Ashtavakra Samhita:~  "The man of knowledge, though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him and only those like him understand his state.

Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. Know the ‘Self’ not ‘you’, and what is hidden beyond the form, time and space will be disclosed to you.

The feat of a Guru, touching people and thus putting them into mystic states is purely a physical or at best a psychological one; based on the power of suggestions it has nothing to do with epistemology, with the question of truth. The truth is not physical because the ultimate truth is the Soul or the Spirit.

The ultimate truth or Brahman is nothing to with religion.   Religion is based on the illusory ‘I’ as a reality whereas the ultimate truth or Brahman is beyond form, time, and space. If you are seeking truth make sure you are not chosen the wrong path.  

Remember:~

The Guru is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and Guru is equally useless when the ultimate truth or Brahman has already been known.

A Guru is needed in the religious and the yogic path.  There is no need for a Guru to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Unless you realize the Self as the Soul, you are all blinded by the dualistic illusion.

The Guru who pretends to be Self- realized and plays with the emotions and sentiments of the seeker is a fraud, not a Gnani.

All the Guru Parampara is for religious people.  There is no need for a Guru who wants to tread the path of wisdom.

Even Swami Vivekananda was Ramakrishna Paramahansa's disciple.  Swami Vivekananda himself said: ~   “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

There are two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the more advanced seeker who seeks to know the ultimate truth or Brahman.  The Guru and Guru Paramparas are meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, there is no need to follow any parampara and follow any Guru those who wish to realize the truth which is beyond the form, time, and space. We should not mix religion with spirituality because religion is based on the ego and spirituality is based on the Soul.   Religion is concerned with its paramparas, not truth whereas spirituality is concerned only with the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. Religion is not spirituality.

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage Sri, Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad)

Thus, the above passage proves that all those who were the sanyasin robes are wearing it for the sake of bread belongs to the religion; they are nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

There is no need to criticize and condemn the Gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

Sage Sankara in Viveka Chudamani (2), states that the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

It means the Gurus, Swamis, and Yogis who identify themselves as holy people are not Gnanis.

 Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.

The one who thinks of himself as a Guru and the one who thinks of himself as a chela (disciple) will not be able to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because both of them accepted themselves as the body. And all their understanding, practices, knowledge are based on the false Self (ego or you).  Therefore, the Guru –Shisya concept is a great obstacle in the pursuit of truth.  A Gnani never accepts himself as a Guru or accepts anyone as his disciple because he was fully aware of the fact that the Guru and shishya belong to the dualistic illusion. Those who accept themselves as Guru or some gurus disciple will never be able to transcend from the dualistic illusion to Advaitic reality.  :~Santthosh Kumaar