Two Different Spiritual Paths and Gurus – Can It Work?

As I write this post, I have been staying in Tiruvannamalai for over 2 and half months. And in these days many people have expressed that they don’t understand which path I am following now. I do the kriya practices of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation. And now I am spending time at Ramanasramam and talking about Ramana’s teachings. Does it mean I have ‘changed’ Gurus? Is there any conflict because of this?

Firstly let’s clarify two things,

Bow Down To Everything

As per our Bharatiya sanskriti (Indian traditions), we bow down to everything. A stone, worm, insect, human et al. We see God in everything, we can take everything as our Guru. We can take a tree as a Guru and bow down. And it would be fine. With the necessary inner intensity the Guru would anyway happen. Either on the outside as an actual person, or through inner clarity. The Guru’s presence is anyway not bound by distance or place.

This is about inculcating a certain surrender bhaavna. Where we just let go of things and bow down. We act as per the deeper truths of life – same creator created everything, hence we bow down to everything – and not on basis of the superficial realities like the food chain where human can be considered the most capable predator.

So as a sadhaka one can just bow down.

And anyway, at Isha Foundation there was not only Sadhguru, there is also Dhyanalinga, who is a Guru of the highest order. Now there is the Linga Bhairavi and Yogeshwar Linga. Haha. At Ramana’s place there is Arunachalam who is also my Mother Guru.

Different Spiritual Paths
Arunachalam 🙂

At the same time,

Nischal tatva, Jeevan Mukti

We also want a steadfast focus on our spiritual path. Unwavering and steady. (Earlier I wrote a long blog post on how cosmopolitan societies affect this Steadiness in our spiritual path).

Having multiple spiritual paths and Gurus can be problematic for spiritual seekers because our minds can trick us into following tenets of each path as it suits us. Plus, what if the paths contradict each other even on small matters, imagine the confusion then in our mind. “Who is right?” and all that drama.

So, having clarified these two aspects, what is my situation….

Karma: My Story

As it would be for any sadhaka the inner journey is convoluted for us all. Karma.

I found Sadhguru JV and stick to his practices. But the logistical situation at the Isha ashram is tricky. The ashram is in the forest, which means I can only stay inside the ashram, and thus, as per their organizational rules. And that’s tricky. I had fights with the admin and was without an ashram support for many years. At the time when my ties with the ashram broke, there was the matter of the Isha Yoga practices which I was still doing.

Should I continue them?

There was deep conflict of heart & mind. As it happened, I poured all of it into my Isha Yoga practices and stuck to those practices like my life saving raft. And so, the conflict with the admin became an impetus to strengthen my practices significantly. And soon I realised that since I had continued and moved ahead with Isha Yoga practices, I would eventually have to clear up the situation with the admin. Except that I had a lot of mind blocks with regards having anything to do with the Isha admin.

I soon realised that I was in a stalemate situation. I figured there needed to be another path which had to come my way. I can then rely on them for the ashram support I need. But which path? There are so many paths out there, I had no interest in going and figuring out which paths were genuine and which were not.

So I muddled about it for a while. Then a spark of clarity happened in my mind. I realised that Sadhguru anyway has referred to many other enlightened beings of old, so I could try any of their ashrams. And that’s how I thought of Ramana Maharishi. Sadhguru had often spoke of Ramana Maharishi as a completely enlightened being. So I checked out the Ramanashram website and ordered his book.

On reading this book, I was floored. It was sooo good. 🙂

And this is how my Ramana saga started. I landed up at Ramanasramam a few years later. And the moment I stepped into Ramanashram – for the first time in so many years, I thought of visiting Isha Yoga Center again.

Since I came to Ramana through Sadhguru, I think it is not surprising, in hindsight, that it is leading me back to Isha.

Even though I felt like visiting Isha, I kept avoiding it until my second Ramanasramam visit. After that I knew it was time. And then finally in Feb 2018 around Mahashivaratri, a visit to Isha Yoga Center happened. And I found that most of my mental blocks about the place were gone. Without Ramana & Arunachalam’s grace it wouldn’t have happened.

So have I changed Gurus?

No. There is no such thing. Because this whole thing has happened through a deeper sense than just “thinking” …. the two places/paths/gurus are falling into a harmonious sync. The strengths and weaknesses, as per me, of each organization and logistical situation, compliment each other most of the times. And it is working very well.

Note the clear distinction of the organization & logistical situation as a separate aspect that needs to be figured. So, when I am talking about the “spiritual path”, I am not commenting on the authenticity or capability of the Guru.

Sadhguru and Ramana Maharishi are both great people. They are not contradictory. Their ways of explaining something may differ and that’s ok.

Guru Hopping This Is Not

The reason I went into the Story above, was to highlight clearly that this wasn’t a consequence of “guru hopping”. I went to Ramana only due to an intense inner situation and after I was clear that Sadhguru said he was enlightened. And so everything for me is still aligned because it was always so in my heart.

I don’t do “guru hopping”. With all the various ‘Gurus’ in the market and yoga becoming a trend, people are often jumping from one to another like it is some kind of sport or shopping behaviour. It must be understood that such a thing is not possible because for a person in this kind of flippant mind-set, there can never be a Guru. They would never actually experience the Guru. They may have spiritual experiences – that’s Ok and not a big deal. But for an actual Guru to happen – one would have to be in an intense inner situation. In that case you won’t be hopping around flippantly.

The future

The future also with these two places, will be figured out in my heart. I am a mature sadhaka who will know what’s right for me. I don’t get convoluted in thoughts (like many of the people asking me these questions 😉 ).

Maturity on the Path

Being a mature sadhaka, a lot of these thoughts don’t arise for me. For me it’s about having a deeper awareness and experience of life. And that’s all it is. If I go to multiple gurus, ashrams, spiritual paths… As long as I maintain my awareness and inner experience in a certain way, all situations are extremely helpful and supportive for me.

Earlier, I read a book by two Buddhist monks, Highway Dharma letters, and it was such a good book. So insightful and helpful to me. Does that mean I have a clash of whether I am now “following Buddhism”?

No.

Because I have turned inwards, which means solutions come easy, problems and inner conflicts are rare. If I find two authentic Gurus in my life – I am stoked and over-joyed. The minds which are busy cooking misery – only they would start a conflict because they met 2 great beings instead of 1. Do you understand?

Different Spiritual Paths
The Nandi shows me the way to devotion, love, patience and meditative waiting.

At the end of day, all true spiritual paths express the same inner experience. And show different methods to get there. The different methods also all fall under broadly same tenets, because, the human interiority they are addressing, is the same.

So, now in most spiritual paths, I can quickly grasp what the idea and intent is. And it is enough for me to be able to use the support offered without conflict.

Anyway, whichever place I am, the single minded focus has developed enough that I can remain focussed on what matters to me and I don’t get entangled in superficial messes.

And it is only because this focus has developed, it is why I can write these blogs giving ‘gyaan’. Otherwise, even these kind of writings can become a pretty bondage.

So, that’s the answer.

If you as a seeker are confused or struggling with different spiritual paths / gurus:

The important thing is to develop the necessary clarity and focus inwards. And not get carried away by external factors. But to do this you need to commit to a particular path and reach a certain intensity. So if you are struggling I would say commit to one path – whichever your situation allows. Or just remain aware of the inner struggle and when some inner clarity happens, act as per that.

But if there isn’t any struggle inside, and naturally different paths happen in harmony, then they happen. That’s all.

27 Replies to “Two Different Spiritual Paths and Gurus – Can It Work?”

  1. I’ve a friend. and she has got five gurus ! they came in her life at different stages of her being. it is perfectly ok to have multiple Gurus. she has got two Vaishnav gurus and rest are shaivites. and you probably might have some idea how vastly different can be their practices, of a Vaishnav Bhakti to that of a shaiv tantra. balance is needed. both are needed, to understand each other, most intimately and most immersively, both are needed. so it is perfectly ok to have one guru for tools and techniques and the other for दर्शन (loosely translated as philosophy). the mind knows when it is full. then no more guru will appear. no more journey will happen.

    1. Hi Rishi, what do you mean when you say “tantra”? You used that word earlier as well…

  2. tantra loosely transaltes to science. you know how science is. where in our school days we used to do those practicals. where first we’ll write objective, then apparatus used, then method, then conclusion. so it is how tantra goes. the word tantra is used in many places such as लोक तंत्र, प्रजा तंत्र .. where we define processes. for example, lets say when you wake up early mornings , the process of surya bheda (सूर्य भेदन), which is a kind of pranayama, is quite helpful. but more specifically it implies taking up dharanas (धारणा)। there is this book known as विज्ञान भैरव तंत्र, which list 112 techniques. if you read them , I mean only reading them, you’ll be blown. that is an expensive book. I haven’t bought it.

    1. Okk. Yes I read Sadhguru’s blog on Tantra: http://isha.sadhguru.org/tantra/
      Not a commonly used word…
      Don’t think it is necessary that Vaishnav paths have bhakti while shaivite paths have kriya. Could be other way around too…
      Tantra prolly comes under “Kriya” path when we consider the 4 margas – Jnana, Bhakti, Kriya and Karma.

  3. I mean generally, Vaishnav mārg, the focus is on Bhakti, everything is there but focus is on Bhakti. there are instances of left hand practices in Vaishnav mārg but they are quite rare. probably Bhakti is the base that is why there is everything else. in Saivite paths Bhakti is there but the expression is of techniques, like they do in Kashmir Shaivism, taking up dharanas. let me know if Sadguru has spoken or dealt with on the subject of those secret 112 techniques which basically form tantra.

    1. I don’t know anything abt Tantra. Sadhguru has offered some Kriya practices. He barely talks of tantra afaik. Dharana he spoke abt sometime.. anyway I don’t remember. Plus I don’t read techniques anywhere.

      What is your daily practice?

      1. I’ve very basic practice. to put it here within the scope of this platform, I would say, there is 30 mins of yoga routine which consists more of breathing and less of asanas. but asanas are there. then after taking my bath I sit in my parent’s Pooja room in sukhasana. there is om chanting, followed by mahamrityunjaya mantra, followed by linga-ashtakam, and then ending the routine with राम नाम जप। then I go out and fold my hands for सूर्य। it takes around 15 mins. that’s it mostly. sometimes I do night meditations but they are very irregular.

        I would love to buy that book. I think OSHO wrote it based on his understanding of विज्ञान भैरव तंत्र। but that is an expensive book, I think it costs around 2500 Rs. and I don’t want to read anything online.

        1. Cool. Good to know of your routine 🙂
          Sure, well you can save up over time and read that book. A lot of people have recommended me Aghori – guess you must have heard of that. So I may end up reading that eventually. No hurry. 🙂

          1. I have some idea of what aghori is but I haven’t heard of the book by that title. you should come visit mahakāl once. we’ve a cycling group here. no big shots but we keep a regular practice of 100-150 kms. so we go Ujjain sometimes. and see Mahakal. there is भस्म आरती that happens there. being a witness to that experience is something phenomenal. email me whenever you are coming this side.

            1. I had visited Ujjain for the kumbhmela that happened couple of years back. So had darshan of Mahakal then…. 🙂
              Let’s see when next.

              1. I was also there for a few times. let me know whenever you come next. I believe you are in Ramanna Maharishi’s place these days. enjoy.

                1. Yea I have been in Tiruvannamalai for few months 🙂
                  No clue when I will head Ujjain side but will keep in mind.

              2. I’ll register for your ‘get a postcard’ thing. then send me a postcard from there.

                1. Haha yes do. I have been wanting to send a postcard from here to lot of people, unfortunately, as is the case in India, no picture postcards available… Planning to get a few printed and then send. Will do next time I am here. Prolly in a few months. 🙂

                  1. ohh k. give an email id that you check regularly. If(and when) I happen to read something great, and if I think Priyanka might like reading it, I’ll send it your way.

                    1. The email on my Contact page is a good one to send me stuff 🙂 https://me.priyankawriting.comsample-page-2/

  4. gregory lent says: Reply

    the longer i do sadhana, the more i realize the Self is driving, and the right thing comes at the right time .. earlier ideas i had about loyalty to one way turned out to be a form of fear, which goes away … and now, anyway, i am too lazy to see any more gurus, so the problem has been solved just by the passing of time 🙂

    1. Ya, that’s interesting. I also feel to some extent there tends to be fear in initial stages of getting swayed away or off tracked or something else.

  5. Also madam I suggest you read Robert Adam’s collection of his works …(I am )..

    All we need break the illusion of small identify which is I am …

  6. I am is the prime cause for everything and if you stay with I am or Naan that’s enough and that is the base for all meditation whether it is kriya or sakthi what ever it may be…

    If you stay with I am everything will become silent and that is core teaching of ramana mahrishi…

    I

    1. Hi, I think it’s best for us to delve into the meanings ourselves. Cause our own understanding is different from everyone else. 🙂

  7. Yes you are right ..but it is not meaning though..I am is the base for all meditation..understanding can be different but I am is same that’s the beauty of the creation… 🙂

    1. All these great Yogi’s have found brilliantly different ways to share the same reality with everyone. Why insist? The same what you call I Am will be called differently by others… nothing makes your nomenclature better or righter than anyone elses. Isn’t it?

  8. No madam.. whether you practice shambavi or any technique the base is same … all.techniques are just to take you to I am… once you stay with I am and that is starting stage of spirtual journey ..till then we are born baby …. 🙂

  9. Mithun Sundarraj says: Reply

    Well, in a year 1/3 of the time I am at Isha and 1/3 in Thiruvannamalai renting behind ramana ashram and half of the remaining time I spend with my parents in kollam and roam around in the remaining time visiting places of spiritual interest with friends I meet from above places. I been doing this full time since early 2017 but it was so since 2012 though I was working abroad almost half of the year with travel to india every 4 weeks or so for 3-4 weeks. Sadhguru is my living guru and Arunachala is my supreme guru. They aren’t different for me. As per my reality, it was Ramana Maharishi who brought me to Sadhguru. Thiruvannamalai is like my spiritual home 😇

    1. 🙂 that’s pretty cool. I haven’t been to Tiru in a while.. but it is always in my mind.

Leave a Reply