A Podcast Featuring Sri Aurobindo Studies
Jan. 14, 2023

The Western Mind and the Relationship to the Guru

The Western Mind and the Relationship to the Guru
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2023/01/12/the-western-mind-and-the-relationship-to-the-guru/
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The cultural background of the
West clearly differs from the

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background found in India, which
has a history of Spiritual

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Development, stretching back,
thousands of years, westerners

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tend to have difficulty with the
concept of surrender to the

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grooves guidance, whereas, in
India, this is an accepted

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concept and thus, fits more
perfectly into the psychological

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framework of the people.
When a Westerner attempts to

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surrender to the guru, he does
not have the needed.

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Cultural framework to
distinguish the truth of the

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Guru from the individuals who
come to pray upon Him due to his

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basic ignorance and thus is more
subject to being manipulated by

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a con man, posing as a guru,
whose actual goals are

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achievement of power, wealth,
sex and fame.

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The history of communities, such
as Jonestown, where hundreds of

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devotees were poisoned or
provoked, a violent against.

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Others is a cautionary, Tale.
But there are also instances of

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pseudo gurus who represent
themselves as Divine guides and

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who use the innocence and lack
of background in spiritual

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matters to entrap young people
The tale of Miller epis laborers

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at the behest of his Guru.
Marpa is frequently used by

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these con artists to illustrate
the type of unquestioning

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surrender that they are seeking.
Of course, there are true,

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relationships and sincere gurus
as well for the Westerner,

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however, particularly in early
stages, it is difficult to

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distinguish the difference and
it requires a strong Ang

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aspiration and orientation
toward the deeper spiritual

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Truth for the Seeker from the
West to find and benefit from

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the guru relationship in many
cases.

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A sincere Guru will recognize
the limitations imposed by the

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cultural background of the
Westerner and find ways to work

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around the issues.
Until there is a true trust, and

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comfort level established.
This is not to imply that people

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of India, or any other land are
immune from this type of

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manipulation and deception.
They also have to address the

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concerns but have at least the
cultural background to

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understand more fully how to
navigate The Dangers that can

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arise.
The Westerner then has the added

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difficulty of overcoming, all
the social mental and emotional

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conditioning that values and
emphasizes the ego personality.

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And thus conflicts with the
psychics, need to subordinate

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the ego to the higher Guidance.
The inner guidance of the

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psychic presence eventually is
required for anyone to

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distinguish truth from falsehood
and be able then to undertake

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the aboard nation of the ego to
the Divine guidance, as

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channeled through the guru.
The mother, right?

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Quote, the Western mind.
Always finds it difficult to

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submit.
Totally to a guru and without

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total and unquestioning
surrender to the guru, his help

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to you as paralyzed.
That is why generally I advise

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westerners to find the guidance
and the presence within

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themselves.
It is true that this process is

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very often open to uncertainty
and self-deception.

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Getting some voice of the ego in
Disguise for the divine's

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guidance, in both cases, it is
only an absolute sincerity and

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an unmixed humility that can be
your Safeguard and quote

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reference SRI aurobindo in the
mother growing within the

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psychology of inner development.
Chapter 3 growth of

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Consciousness basic requisites
page 55.