Guru or Not?

The staff at the famed institute where I taught meditation kept a little black book on the spiriual teachers there. You don't easily fool people who support the retreats...they have seen it all - the love and light, the good, the bad and the ugly.
How do you find a spiritual teacher? How can you tell who really walks the talk and who is simply capitalizing on the marketing of a name, self-proclaimed mandate, or a tradition whose meaning has long been lost can be very simple:
- 1. Look for the enegetic connection that awakens a higher consciousness. Rely on YOUR reaction. Explore the recommendations of others, but rely on your own intuition and experience.
- 2. Observe the progress of the teacher's group. Is this the way a spiritual group interacts? Are issues handled with compassion and in a way to promote growth? Is there a structured hierarchy or is this a circle of peers?
- 3. Ask questions. Be respectful, but how does the teacher handle the challenge? The truth withstands all questions.
And if all else fails, look inside that little black book ![]()
Namaste.
Meditation - The Puzzle Vision

Thursday Meditation
Tonight there was an immediate lifting into the causality realm. In the clear dark light I could a 3 dimensional puzzle below. Large hands were rotating pieces as the puzzle had to have everything in place before it would all snap together perfectly.
I recognized my friends in the moving figures of each piece. Noted with amusement how all interconnected we all are. The I entered a piece of the puzzle to understand one person there. yuck...there are places I would rather not go.
We do create our own reality to the extent that we fit into the larger puzzle. Where does your puzzle piece fit?