Let me tell you a story. There was a time when a young king named Alexandar set out to conquer the world. It is said that Alexander became Alexandar the great due to the tutelage of Aristotle. While the king has the prowess and militia, he lacked leadership which came from Aristotle. It is documented that Aristotle tutored young Alexandar from the age of 13 till 16 and helped him develop refined ideas of how the world works.
“Guru” the Sanskrit word for master or expert literally means “the remover of darkness”. Alexandar’s life journey and achievements prove to us the value of a wonderful teacher. Let us look at ancient Indian civilization. The advancements of the region in the fields of astronomy, physics, architecture, philosophy and social sciences is not debatable anymore. This tradition placed a premium on the importance of right guidance.
In multiple texts, it is said that a capable and invested Guru can be way more important in your life than the God himself/herself. The rite of passage in the realms of any kind of higher intelligence goes through this entity.
Let us also then understand what good looks like when it comes to Guru / teacher. My grandmother gave me a three-step rule to assess whether the person I am looking up to is worthy. It has helped me all my life.
- The right guru would be self-reflective and aware wherever it matters.
- The right guru would command devotion and would encourage you to ask higher levels of questions as you move along
- The right guru would be extremely kind and humble and would not let him/her be placed on a pedestal
As I gained experience in picking up mentors. I came up with an additional parameter in my mentors, teachers, trainers and coach. They need to have a high positive regard for people in their tutelage and everyone else as well.