Are you in right path to acquire Advaitic or Non-dualistic wisdom?

Second-hand knowledge of the self gathered from books or gurus can never emancipate a man until its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realisation will do that. Realise yourself, turning the mind inward. – Tripura Rahasya, 18: 89 

 Are you in right path to acquire Advaitic or Non-dualistic wisdom? 

In this hi fi world many self-declared Spiritual Gurus are born like mushroom amidst us and they are looked upon as great solace by the mass of gullible people, who are more ‘peace and wisdom hungry.  Most seekers are looking for something beyond their inherited belief system. Most of this dollar hungry gurus hankering after titles and honours and enjoying it like these modern day self-styled gurus and they are connected one or other controversies and scandals.

People get stuck with these modern self-proclaimed gurus who claimed to be enlightened.  Many of these Gurus have taken many new “avatars” like Corporate Gurus, Universal Gurus, online Gurus, Global Gurus, one name it, he will find  them. The honest gurus and swamis never come to limelight and they remain minding their own inherited divine business remains aloof from the publicity.   

There are so many   gurus who have overnight become Global Gurus. They only play with the feelings of people. Most of them are propagating ancient yogic practices as if it is their own great new invention and branding them or getting them patented,   this is the height of the mockery of spirituality. As long as innocent and ignorant people are there, these kinds of Gurus can flourish their business to a peak height. They cannot only fool the mass of people but also the people at political power. 

Religion needs a guru to propagate its belief system, whereas in pursuit of truth there is no need for a guru. The ultimate truth has to be ascertained by him alone.  Yoga needs guru to guide its student to practice Samadhi. 

Religion encourages one  who can induce himself to feel convinced that he has realized the Self, or has  an admirer who believes that he has done so, the it  opens up for  him the way for the founding of a new sect based on Guru-worship. People, too, have developed curious credulousness. Often they would install an earnest seeker and devotee, or a pious saint, on the throne of God and begin to offer him worship and homage even if he protested and resisted such acts. They would lay prostrate, sing hymns, wave lights (arati) and burn incense before him, and present to him food which was to be returned by him as prasada, wash his toes and sip the wash. At times the disciple would go to the length of getting food, fruit or a betel-nut leaf chewed by him, and taking the morsel back from it.

They would place his photo in the private temples of their homes and perform all these rites and ceremonies which are usually offered to temple-idols.  In this way there might be at present in our country scores of individuals who are worshiped as living God, with a following varying in numbers.

If one is seeking ultimate  truth  or Brahman one has to drop all religious based dogmas and blind beliefs ritualistic baggage and move forward in their pursuit of truth.