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In this excellent lecture Sangharakshita first establishes what a guru is not. He then explains what kind of relationship a disciple has with a guru or spiritual teacher, and draws a distinction between Eastern and Western attitudes towards spiritual teachers.
Talk given in 1970.
This talk is part of the series Aspects of the Higher Evolution of the Individual.
| 1. | A matter-of-fact approach; a guru is not the head of a religious group (10:23) | |
| 2. | Responses to criticism: the Buddha and the angry monk (6:17) | |
| 3. | A guru is not an ecclesiastical superior (2:01) | |
| 4. | A guru is not a teacher (4:17) | |
| 5. | A guru is not a father substitute (12:10) | |
| 6. | A guru is not a problem-solver: a distinction between 'problems' and 'difficulties' (9:26) | |
| 7. | A possible misunderstanding; 'horizontal' and 'vertical' communication (12:60) | |
| 8. | The guru continues to evolve (2:23) | |
| 9. | The necessity of personal relationships; how to choose a guru: (11:29) | |
| 10. | Eastern attitudes to the guru (8:31) | |
| 11. | Gurus in the West (5:55) | |
| 12. | The Middle Way: “Let any reasonable man come to me” (5:57) |
Total running time: 1:31:49
