WHAT IS GURU

by Randall Krause

Swami Veda Bharati was a masterful, loving, intuitive, and wise teacher. When he led guided meditations, I felt drawn into the inner depths of my being. People often called him their guru, but Swami Veda countered, “I am a disciple of Swami Rama, not a guru. Only Swami Rama is Gurudeva in this tradition.” “I,” he would say, “am an anthill compared to his Himalayas.” Swami Veda asked us to call him our Preceptor.

Why is there concern about being called a guru? One reason for this concern is the confusion surrounding the term “guru.” In the Himalayan Tradition, the word refers less to an individual and more to a level of consciousness, the “teaching force,” or the “teaching spirit.” The Guru resides within us at our deepest levels, although most people remain unaware of it. Only someone who has attained self-realization and is unified with the Inner Guru is worthy of being called a Guru. Swami Rama was such a supreme yogi.

Unfortunately, another reason is that many individuals elevate themselves with grand titles out of egotism or for marketing purposes. Associating with such self-appointed gurus can create obstacles on one’s path. Swami Veda emphasized that only a few rare adepts have attained the lofty heights of self-realization, and only they qualify to be called gurus.

A common myth is that a guru will bestow enlightenment on anyone who appears in their presence. However, the reality is quite different. Only a few individuals, whose karma permits, ever find themselves in the company of a genuine guru. For those fortunate enough to encounter a true guru, their work begins in earnest. The guru reveals the disciple's imperfections and provides guidance and knowledge to overcome them. The guru’s role is to teach and assist in self-purification. A guru doesn’t enlighten you; instead, they point the way and accompany you on your journey. At times, being with a guru may feel like walking over hot coals.

Early in my relationship with Swami Veda, he encouraged me to meet Swami Rama. However, I felt conflicted. I had heard stories that Swami Rama was powerful and did not tolerate ignorance. He could also be fierce and shout angrily at disciples, which intimidated me. Nevertheless, Swami Veda praised Swami Rama’s immense love. I knew I had to meet him.

So I traveled from California to the Himalayan Institute in Pennsylvania to attend a lecture series featuring Swami Rama. My room was on the third floor of the sprawling institute building. On the day of the first lecture, I left my room, descended the central stairwell, and emerged on the main floor. As I exited the stairs, just to my left stood a towering man dressed in maroon, surrounded by a crowd. I thought, "Oh my God, that must be Swami Rama!" Alarmed, I quickly retraced my steps back into the stairwell, ascended a flight, hurried down the long hallway and descended the stairs at the end of the building, intending to bypass Swami Rama that way.

Upon exiting the stairs on the bottom floor, I stumbled right into Swami Rama, and he was gazing straight into my eye. “Oh my God! Here he is again!” I thought, “And he is looking right at me!” Cornered and unsure what to do, I croaked “Hi Swamiji! I’m Randy Krause!” and stiffly extended my hand for a handshake. However, he didn’t offer his right hand to grasp mine, and I began to feel embarrassed. Then I noticed he was holding his left hand, palm up, ready to receive mine. I placed my hand on his, and he smiled at me.

This was my first meeting with Swami Rama. Although he was tall, robust, and powerful, he was also gentle and approachable. Over the years that followed, he remained kind and gentle with me whenever I encountered him. That was how I needed him to be in order to learn from him. He was different for others because they needed something different. Some people needed him to be fierce, while others required him to be playful; for me, gentleness was essential. His chameleon-like ability to adapt to each disciple’s needs was part of what made him a guru.

Teaching is the essence of a guru. In my experience with Swami Rama, this teaching often occurred through situations he created rather than through spoken words. For example, during that first meeting, he was gentle and kind instead of fierce. Without using words, he subtly taught me to let go of my expectations and to experience reality directly.

Let me share another story highlighting a different aspect of this guru’s teaching. I was at the Himalayan Institute suffering from a terrible cough and feeling unwell. One day, I saw Swami Rama talking with people in a large room. Gathering my courage, I approached him. Upon seeing me, he placed his hand on my head. At that moment, I thought, "This great guru will heal me!" However, later that night, I felt even worse. It just so happened that the next day, I had an appointment with Dr. Ballantine, the President of the Institute, for a homeopathic consultation. Dr. Ballantine met with me and gave me a homeopathic remedy, which I took immediately. I was completely healed the following day, with no sign of the terrible sickness.

While Swami Rama did not seem to heal me, I appeared to be healed by the homeopathic remedy. Or was it Swami Rama? From this experience, I learned that homeopathy can be effective, and I did not develop a dependency on Swami Rama. Had I been clearly healed by his touch, I would have formed a dependency instead of gaining something useful.

I want to mention one final point about gurus: The role of the outer guru, such as Swami Rama, is to guide you in connecting directly with your inner guru, your true self, the Center of Consciousness within. A true guru, and indeed a true teacher, works tirelessly to facilitate this connection.