The Guru in ourselves?

[Nanda Kumar]

On the subject of considering that the Guru lies in us, I would like to raise
a few points. Since I am on the Vyavaharika level I request the readers
and the knowledgable members to pardon ay errors I may commit whilst
expressing my ideas.

The basic concept of Vedanta is that each soul is divine. On the
advanced level it's expressed that there's no individual jiva and that
everything integrates into Brahman. Since there's no 'you' nor 'me', it's
felt that the best guide or guru should lie within us.

But is this really practical? Can it (the talk of 'you' nor 'me') really be
applicable at any stage less than the jeevanmuktha? Until we attain
Samadhi or are probably one level lower on the brink of realization, we're
still unrealized souls and are subject to human infirmities and errors and
are solely dependent on our sense of reasoning.

It's true that the Shruti is as genuine a guide as any. Here we're solely
dependant on our faculty of reasoning. But are we 100% sure of  our
interpretations? Even in our discussions on the list, we see a lot of
contradictions and disagreements even amongst the knowledgable ones.
And as somebody expressed earlier, that religion begins where science
ends, can we trust our sense of reasoning and judgement? The Katha
Upanishad in it's razor's edge anology stresses upon the importance of
finding a proper teacher to guide the aspirant thru the ardous path.

 In Vivekachoodamani, Shankara uses the crocodile anology to warn us
of the danger of taking up the path without purifying ourselves. So isn't
the steadying hand of a physical guru necessary when we slip up? Or if
one feels that he won't slip up, isn't that in itself foolish and egoistic,
which is exactly the thing the Shruti warns us against?