I think there is a danger of mind tricks in both options: I saw hardcore devotees of one guru who turn "violent" when you dare to speak of another guru. And I saw seekers who are wandering among teachers and do not focus on one method for at least sometime and thus do not progress.

I think the answer lies in maintaining inner sincerity. Whether we are guru-monogamous or guru-polygamous, always to check whether we are deceiving ourselves in our conduct with the guru, whether we are progressing, etc.

I always listen to my heart when following a guru. Something vibrates there within when I do the right choice. It is a special kind of pure vibration lacking any intellectual reasoning, desires, and fears, just a quiet subtle magnetic field that draws me to this or that guru. With the years, I learned to respect this compass and let it guide me. It knows what good for me in a certain phase of my journey.

Hey come on, there are no many individual gurus, they are all appearances in the manifestation of the one guru.

There is only one guru and it is within you, right there. But we tend not to trust ourselves and consequently not to trust the voice within us and so there is a need for external gurus to represent the same voice. That is why the words of the external guru sound so familiar when we hear them...

Start trusting the guru within, this trust itself is part of the sadhana. And if you feel you still need an external guru, choose the one whose words sound most familiar to you from within.

I think you refer in your question to human gurus giving satsangs etc, do you?

Don't forget that you are in a dream and in this dream-movie, everything is a guru and your communication with the guru is not necessarily limited to a meeting face-to-face: a guru can be your dog, a sentence in a book, the view of the sea, your neighbor irritating you, anything that conveys a message to you, anything that provokes a state of mind in you, anything that brings out accumulated mental tendencies to the light for you to observe and accept.

This limiting of the gurus into human individuals only, preferably alive, is due to our collective subconscious skeptical thinking that shapes our perception, even in the spiritual realm.

You are not choosing the guru, the guru chooses you. "You choosing" is only an illusion.

When the seeker is ripe, the appropriate "guru instance" that will best serve the seeker will be there.

The little you can do is to ASK for a guru to appear, that's it, and it will appear, out of enormous compassion. You cannot ask for a specific guru, you just ask for a guiding guru and existence will provide you with the appropriate guru for you. So don't expect this or that specific guru, just ask and be alert to identify something or someone as the selected guru for you. If you be attentive, you will easily spot him/her/it.

If that guru is not a good one (a fake, for example), then sticking to one guru will not do any good.

If that guru is a good one (a master, for example), then jumping around to other teachers will not do any good.

Sure, jumping around here and there can become a trap - but it also depends greatly on the guru.

I find all teachings are one teaching and that there are multiple paths, but one destination. The only true guru is the inner guru - the Self. A physical guru's job is to point at that. If you have a medium guru (not a fake, but not a master - so can only verbalize in his or her own single way and not according to the student)...then perhaps hearing what is likely the same message from another guru might be advantageous - as it is the same message but a different perspective. Perhaps you will find a guru that can speak in your terms or a master who can speak directly to you.

Namaste,

~ Eric Putkonen

Santthosh
HI DORA,
THE GURU IS NOT NEEDED IN SPIRITUAL QUEST BUT GUIDANCE IS NEEDED. THE SPIRITUAL MASTER IS ONE WHO NEVER ACCEPT ANYONE AS HIS DISCIPLE.
IN RELIGIOUS AND YOGA FIELD THE GURU IS ESSENTIAL. DO NOT MIX RELIGION AND YOGA IF YOU ARE IN QUEST OF TRUTH.SPIRITUAL QUEST IS SELF REALIZATION. SELF IS ULTIMATE TRUTH IN SPIRITUALITY.RELIGION AND YOGA ARE NOTING TO DO WITH SPIRITUALITY.

RELIGIOUS AND YOGIC SELF REALIZATION REQUIRES GRACE OF GURU AND GOD. GOD AND GURU ARE ULTIMATE IN RELIGION.
THUS FIRST DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT RELIGIOUS OR YOGA BASED REALIZATION OR SPIRITUAL SELF REALIZATION. IF YOU WANT RELIGIOUS AND YOGIC REALIZATION THERE ARE MANY FAMOUS MASTERS YOU CAN APPROACH THEM. IF YOU ARE IN SPIRITUAL QUEST THEN THROUGH FORMLESS SPIRITUALITY YOU CAN GET GUIDANCE.
WITH RESPECT AND REGARDS
SANTTHOSH

My Guru tells a story of a person who met her and told her of all the many Gurus he had and does follow.

When he then expressed an interest in her being his Guru, she replied, "No, thank you."

When asked why, she replied, "I do not want to become a part of a collection. You are simply collecting Gurus rather than focusing on your spiritual discoveries."

I never chose an external guru, I chose to read the various scriptures and determined for myself what in them suggested the way to find truth. I never failed to explore the teachings of others should I be able to obtain it with nothing more than an opened mind for receiving and discerning how they agree or not.

I found Yeshua ha'meshiach's last words in Matthew's account of his story, "go into all the world and share the news to every creature [including animated life other than man], teaching them what and how you observed all things you have" [paraphrased]. Upon doing that in part, I discovered that exploration of the unknown opens one up because all of their faculties has to be on the alert at all times opening you up to comprehend life.

But that is my chosen path, it may not be for you, but you will never know without beginning it. To the outside observer this is a difficult path but to the inside observer, it is the gentleiest of paths.

Elijah "NatureBoy"
If I have caused you to question your beliefs I have accomplished my mission. Now, reason the differences in our concepts and reason that until you have reasoned all pros and cons concerning your new revelation.

I think if you're certain the guru is 'genuine' and authentic, stick with him/her. There's nothing wrong with reading books on the side and such, but getting 'in depth' in some area seems important. If you're following a certain method or path, follow it all the way to the end, or until you feel it's useless and all seeking is going to drop.

Nisargadatta: "You must be extreme to reach the supreme". He's not kidding - we cannot approach this in a "sunday christian" sort of way. If seeking something, *really* seek it. Sincerity and 'earnestness' are all-important here.

http://www.omkaradatta.info

If you are progressing in your spiritual path with a GURU then there is no need to go to other GURU as it will disturb your progress as each GURU is unique and has unique teachings/methods which may differ with the teachings of your present.
if you are sincere and satisfied with present GURU ,then you will reach to your goal.
Do not listen to your mind.
It is my personal experience.
OM

Jai Shri Guru!

The journey is first horizontal and then vertical...
First we gotta find which Guru and his/her teachings appeal us the most and then go deeper with those teachings.

I now have a Guru after years of confusion...My destined Guru is Shirdi Sai Baba and I have received a lot of help from him and his teachings even though he is not in his mortal body since 1918.

I do seek inspiration from writings of other spiritual teachers like Eckhart Tolle, Paramahansa Yogananda etc but I know inside my heart and soul that I just have one destined Guru and that is my Shirdi Sai Baba.
In this process, whenever I come across any spiritual teachings that are NOT ALIGNED or CONTRADICTORY to the teachings of my Guru, then I just follow what my Guru says, simple!

So I believe in finding the right one, testing that one Guru and then being loyal & discipled to that one path...

Now some people may say that they don't need an outside Guru etc etc but well I feel the need for a 'sagun Guru', a Guru who has a form so I share what I think with you. Certainly for some people, having no Guru in the form works and it is okay coz the God responds exactly to our deeper inner feelings of devotion in whatever way it is. "To each his own".

And if it helps to clear any confusion about a Guru, Shri Ramana Maharshi said that the outer Guru helps to PUSH us inside and the inner Guru PULLS us inside.

May God help you find an answer!

Saurabh

Stick to one.

You will know when he will run out.

Then change.

All the enlightened beings speak from the same frequency/state of consciousness, only their body, expression, language, method differ. But all are saying the same thing.

I've been initiated by 3 guru's,

1. Anandmurti Gurumaa - says, awareness, meditation - method is "being witness."
2. Paramahamsa Nithyananda - says, surrender, psychological shift. Method is "sudden understanding" or "click" which will transform you.
3. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev - says, Desire to expand, pleasantness (body, mind), know beyond body and senses. method is kriya yoga, where sudden silence/energy flow happens during/and after the kriya.

So, even though their teachings, expressions and methods look different but they are complimentary to the realization of truth - that which is non changing!

If someone is not aware enough, then each of the above teaching seem contradictory. As soon as one's understanding/awareness/conciousness/awakening grows/happens, one can see the gist of it.

Gurumaa's words were very advanced for me when I first met her. But only after listening to Osho, and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and Paramahamsa Nithyananda... Her words now make profound impact in my inner space.

I vouch for many gurus, at least being in their presence for sometime, so that their living enlightened presence transform us.

If you don't feel tranformation (that something big happens like - your way of life changes; behavior change; anger, greed, fear disappear; calmness/relaxation happens; life feels like joyful; or start thinking is a totally new manner... things/people/situtations make sense) in someone's presence, then he's not (supposed to be) your guru.

Remember, A guru's teaching is only meant to transform your inner space, which can be done easily if you be in his/her presence. Teachings are not important but Presence!!!