How to check whether your guru is real or fake?

Everyone goes through some spiritual practice in their life. We find some guru, learn something from him. The initial learning will transform us for sure. We slowly develop an affection for him, and we build a big temple for him in our minds. We will start to enjoy everything he says. We find so much meaning in his speech.

How will you react if someone says that your guru is a fraud?

How to find whether your guru is real or fraudulent?

I don’t know about other countries, but 99.99% of spiritual gurus are fraud in India. You will never find their real name, place of birth, or any details where we can trace their history. They are like fake ids of Facebook. All the stories about their life are cooked up. Most of them have criminal charges. Yet, they managed to become an international guru representing yoga and meditation. They can speak better English than British and have an extraordinary sense of humor than any standup comedian.

Let’s ask some questions.

Who is the guru?

In a spiritual context, the one who attained liberation or enlightenment and who can articulate his wisdom in such a way that helps someone attain liberation.

Remember, sometimes a liberated person cannot able to express his wisdom or guide someone to liberation. In this case, he will remain living his life as an enlightened being without people recognizing his enlightenment.

Enlightenment doesn’t give you an instant superpower. It just gives you some perspective where you take everything playfully.

How to find a real guru?

Go to his ashram or meditation center.

Ask the question who recently enlightened under this guru?

If they say no one cannot enlighten in one lifetime. then that guru is fake.

If someone is there

Ask the second question.

Can I able to meet him?

No means — that guru is a fake

If you can meet him, ask the third question.

As that recently enlightened person, is he practicing anything?

If he replied yes, then that guru is fake.

According to the Buddha, Ramana maharishi, JK Krishnamoorthy, and OSHO liberated person doesn’t do anything to keep the enlightenment. Once it happened, there is no going back. It is not some state to be there.

Now, if you do this exercise, you would realize that your guru is a fake. Don’t stop your spiritual practice with your current fake guru. In spiritual practice, all the decisions should come from the core of your being; whatever insight I shared in this podcast is mine. Let this sink in your mind. Ask a logical question to your guru. Read books on zen and other different styles of spiritual practice. At some point, you realize your guru is a fraud, then leave him. Please don’t waste your time being angry with him. He is inevitable, like Thanos.

I found my guru, who liberated me after 5 years of spiritual practice going through 4 different ashrams. His name is Sri Bhagavath. He liberated thousands of people. You can always meet at least 5 liberated people at his ashram. After 6 months of meeting him, I attained liberation. Then I never went to meet him. All my spiritual practice becomes unnecessary. Even his book also becomes unnecessary.

One day someone asked him why he is not famous even after liberating thousands of people. He replied,

That’s the nature of this liberation. To become liberated, some experience with meditation is necessary. These fake gurus are branding it so effectively throughout the world. So the first step is covered. The People who awake later from their manipulation find some other guru; since they are fooled, they will find people like me a real guru.