If you have done even a little bit of exploration of an authentic Tantrik tradition, you know that the Guru-disciple relationship is the central practice.

Yes, we work with mantra and yantra. We practice kriya yoga and ayurvedic self-care. We do dream practice, mind training and nonconceptual meditation. But the heart of everything is Guru Yoga.

Guru Yoga means working with the teacher to awaken within yourself a memory of the natural state. Then you use your practices to develop your connection to that transmission and make it your own home.

Most of us need a teacher who has walked the path before us and can guide us. Otherwise, we may take long detours, or fall into a ditch of fixation masquerading as real understanding.

But how can we find a good teacher? This is a question I get more than any other.

Realize that the circumstance of finding an authentic teacher is a response to you. Everything in this manifest world is participating in a grand conversation. If you are not speaking intelligibly, no one can respond.

If you want to join the conversation and receive a response, you must develop these “languages”:

Longing for a teacher, sincerity of purpose, courage and persistence. In addition, there will be past-life karmas at work.

My own path is instructive. I started “falling into” situations with teachers at the age of fifteen. I was unaware of any spiritual leanings, but things kept happening. This is grace and past-life karma at work.

Each time a teacher came along, I had to take some bold action outside of my comfort zone in order to accept those teachings. This was my part. You have to grab at opportunities.  The world is generous. Many opportunities arise, but if you don’t grab them, you will have to wait.

Finally, when I became aware that I was indeed on a spiritual path, I began to explore and develop that with great persistence, every day. I had plenty of fixations to work with, one of which was anxiety about traveling. This often is a great hindrance if you want teachings and a teacher.

Many people write to me that they want a teacher, but that there is no Tantrik Guru in their little town somewhere out in the countryside! I sympathize with this limited vision, but it has to be gotten over by developing such a driving desire that it overcomes all other considerations.

You might want to read some of the many stories about the efforts other students make to receive teachings. This will put things into perspective. It is unlikely that you will have to build and tear down and build again dozens of stone houses, as did Milarepa before his teacher would acknowledge him. But you likely will have to make some effort that you now consider to be “too much,” “impossible”  or outside of your normal frame of reference.

After many years of cultivating understanding, sincerity of purpose, my daily practice and longing for a lineage teacher, finally I made the move that brought me to my diksha Guru. Again, this circumstance came about through a combination of seen and unseen factors, but I definitely had my part to play.

Surrendering to my Satguru years later also took great effort and courage on my part and a great showering of grace on Hers. Who knows what else? The factors are infinite.

For each person, the path is a totally unique combination of matured desire, bold action and grace.

Not everyone who thinks they want a Tantrik Guru will find one in this lifetime. But Reality has only one aim: Self-realization. Whatever happens is in service to that aim. If you can look at every circumstance of your life this way, even the very painful stuff, and work with it as a practitioner, eventually your sincerity and sense of purpose will win the day.

In the meantime, grab at opportunities to sit in satsang with good teachers. Study and explore. Develop your desire and consistency of intention. When opportunity arises, notice the fixations that keep you from grabbing at it, and see if just might be your moment to step boldly onto the path of greater freedom.

In Ma’s love,
Shambhavi

Posted by Shambhavi on January 4th, 2010 | Explore More! Tags: Gurus, initiation, karma