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Guru Busting
By Steven Kirk Boyer

Who do you look to for guidance on your journey? Who do you feel has the answers for you? Who do you look to when attempting to determine if something is "Real" or not? Spiritual teachers? Psychics? Ascended Masters? Channeled entities? Gurus?

Recently, I felt directed by my Spirit to attend an event in my home town of Portland, Oregon, and found that the guru shtick is still going strong with some members of the spiritual community. As is usual at these types of events, there were a plethora of this woman’s tape sets, books, and other products for people to purchase. The clincher was that this woman (who shall remain nameless) even had postcards with her photo on them so that you could buy one and put it on your meditation altar! As if having her photo near you was somehow going to make you more enlightened through some mystical process of osmosis. I thought to myself, "Is this lady serious?" Unfortunately, I was to discover that she was indeed very, very serious.

I experienced a strange mixture of horror and amusement as I walked around, before the event, and heard people talking about how excited they were to have the opportunity to just be in the same room with this woman. I wasn’t quite sure why my Spirit had directed me to attend this particular event, as I don’t participate with the identity of being a "student" that needs some "teacher" to show me the way that it is, but I figured there must be some reason that I felt drawn to attend. I honored my discernment, but remained open to the experience.

We were ushered into a closed off room with a huge poster on a stand which read something to the effect of, "Enter the sanctuary QUIETLY! Find a seat and meditate until the event begins." I smiled to myself as I wondered why spiritual people tend to take everything so seriously. I found a place to sit with my friend, who was attending the event with me.
After a little while, the guru quietly emerged from behind the swaths of fabric which were draped on either side of the stage, as if she were spontaneously being birthed from some other higher realm of existence. We were obviously being graced with her very important presence, and you could feel the sheer excitement in the room as she entered. She was an attractive middle-aged woman dressed in white, which seems to be most guru’s favorite choice of wardrobe color.
The event began, and I sat there and listened to her go on and on about how we need to "overcome our egos" and our "shadows" and the importance of "processing" all of our karmic stuff so that we can become "enlightened". She spoke with that soft, cloying, "spiritual" voice that always makes me wonder why the person is afraid of speaking with any amount of power in their voice whatsoever. Maybe they believe that you don’t need to have a strong public speaking voice when you have a state-of-the-art sound system blaring your words into the room from above as if they were being spoken by Source, Itself. Maybe they had an experience, in some life, where they used the power of their voice to create or destroy something, and they were killed for it. Not that it really matters, I just find it semi-interesting in an strange, off-putting sort of way.

I was about to get up and leave when my Spirit clearly directed, "Nope. Stay and watch." So I stayed and watched as Spirit began to reveal to me some pretty nasty pictures of reality that this woman held concerning her "students", and some very undermining energy patterns in the room. I know now that Spirit wanted to show me these things to make me aware that this stuff was still going on, and that my assumption that most people found gurus passé was not entirely accurate.

Then, to my amazement, the guru proceeded to insult everyone in attendance by claiming that we all "looked horrible" because we weren’t "meditating enough" or doing it the right way. Immediately after that comment, she followed up (in her oh-so-spiritual voice) with, "I hope you are all spiritually advanced enough to handle that statement, and not take it personally." Excuse me? So, I guess it’s perfectly fine to insult people to their faces, as long as you follow it up with an undermining comment that implies, "If you were truly advanced and spiritually evolved like me, then you wouldn’t take it personally." I guess you learn that little gem in Guru School. To us "unenlightened" common folk, that’s considered rude.

When it was time for the "question and answer" portion of the show, Spirit directed me to raise my hand and an attendant came scurrying down the center isle with a microphone. This was it - The moment of truth. Was I going to take a stand and express what I was thinking? Oh, you betcha! I stood up, took the microphone, introduced myself, and informed the woman that I was not familiar with her work, but thanked her for being there. (Well, I was thankful that the event was free, anyway.) I said that I had noticed a tendency within spiritual circles to focus on "processing" and "getting rid of the ego". The guru nodded softly.

I then asked, "At what point does one stop judging the different parts of themselves and just love their Wholeness?" She said, (again in that soft, powerless, and by this time annoying, spiritual voice) "Oh, you love it all the way though the process." I responded that I didn’t understand how one is loving a part of themselves that they have deemed "bad" when they proceed to try to control or get rid of it. This time, her reply was a nice spiritual side-stepping. She said something about my "spiritual ego" and how it was deceiving me into thinking that I didn’t need to meditate everyday and do all this major processing and releasing stuff. (These gurus seem to have an undermining answer for everything, I’ve noticed.) We went back and forth for a few minutes, and naturally, she never actually answered any of the questions that I posed. It was quite obvious that this woman was used to people automatically accepting whatever she said as ultimate truth.

I explained that, from my perspective, to focus on trying to get rid of those parts of us that we have determined to be "bad" or "wrong" or "unspiritual" is only serving to deny our Wholeness. I mentioned that maybe it would be helpful for us to accept ALL the parts of us, even the parts that we don’t like, and love them as a part of our Wholeness, because if that part is in there, Spirit put it in there! Spirit designed your ego, after all. Maybe it’s not about getting rid of the ego, maybe it’s about shifting our perspective on it, and recognizing that it, too, can be utilized by Spirit in Service to others.

The guru said to me, "Well, I’m glad that YOU know those things, but THEY (referring to the other people in attendance) do not." (I couldn't believe that I didn’t see anyone so much as bat an eyelash at that incredibly limiting comment. Maybe they don’t understand, yet, that it is the way this woman holds them in her consciousness that undermines their magnificence.) I replied quite simply, "Oh, I think that they DO know it. They may just have forgotten that they do." The guru developed a bit of the old "deer in the headlights" look, and said, "Oh yes, of course." She then quickly began looking around the room for other, and no doubt easier to answer, questions.

I realized that it was a fruitless endeavor to try and have an insightful exchange with this woman, so I thanked her for the stimulation, and sat down. Let me tell you, I could feel all the telepathic images being projected at me! Both from the guru and from her devoted followers as well. "Sit down!", "Don’t ask that!", and "How DARE you?!?". Like they all just wanted me to roll over and be another lamb on the way to a spiritual slaughter.

The event concluded with a very serious meditation (of course) that I didn’t follow along with (of course). Afterwards, the guru returned to the mystical backstage catacombs from which she had emerged, drained from her enormous outpouring of Divine Love, no doubt. The glares and negative telepathic images continued as people filed out of the event where I stood outside, smoking (which is also a big no-no in the spiritual community). Boy, you’d have thought I was a leper, or something! A few people did, however, actually smile at me on the way out. One person even thanked me, as he walked by, for saying what I did. I said, "You’re welcome. I think it’s always good to consider other possibilities." He smiled brightly and went on his way.

This experience really got me thinking. I know that people tend to get caught up in the whole "teacher/student" karmic monad, and that this is not at all uncommon. We are all in the process of Awakening, and it is easy to look to outside authorities to tell you what is "Real", especially when you feel like your reality is crumbling around you. That can be very scary! I also understand that everything happens in it’s own Divine Timing, and there are no mistakes, even as to when someone will fill themselves with their own exquisite Divine Essence, and abandon the illusion that they need to look for truth outside of themselves.

But, I couldn’t help but wonder, "Don’t people see when they are just spinning their wheels?" Focusing on all this "processing" and "overcoming" stuff simply keeps you locked in that vicious cycle. Of course, they say, "It’s peeling another layer of the onion. It’s getting rid of my veils so that I can attain enlightenment." But, if that’s the case, then it’s an onion with an endless number of layers to peel away, and you’ll never get where you’re trying to go. Allow me to explain that.

One of the Universal Principles (which was so wonderfully articulated by the now defunct group, Extraterrestrial Earth Mission) is "The entire Universe rearranges Itself to accommodate your picture of reality." That means that whatever you participate with as "Real", the Universe gives you more of. How does the Universe know what you are participating with as "Real"? It looks at what you are basing your actions on, and what you are fascinated with. So, if you are fascinated with "processing" and "overcoming your ego", and you put your time and energy into doing those things, then what you get from the Universe is more and more stuff to process and more and more ego stuff to overcome. The Universe observes what you are making a big deal out of, and determines that you must want MORE of that stuff, or you wouldn’t be making such a big deal out of it. You end up in an endless cycle of processing, resisting, and denying. To quote Dr. Phil, "How’s that workin’ for ya?!?"

It only serves to keep people in the illusion of limitation. It keeps people focused on, and fascinated with, all the stuff that isn’t working. So, guess what they get? Another layer of the never-ending onion to peel away! And just like when you peel an onion and it causes tears to begin welling up in your eyes, this process will have you crying, experiencing tremendous suffering and wondering when it all will end. You’ll stay stuck in the pattern of hoping that if you do what all the gurus and spiritual teachers and outside authorities tell you to do, you might become enlightened, or ascend off the planet, or finally find fulfillment, or whatever. You will live a life of quiet desperation as you beat yourself up for not being good enough, or spiritual enough, to attain your idealistic view of enlightenment. Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be this way, my friends.

After a while, it seems like we would take an honest look at all this denial and processing stuff and realize that it just doesn’t work. People have been following all the "spiritual rules" and "meditating" and "getting rid of the ego" for centuries. And I don’t run into tons of folks on the street, let alone at spiritual events, that I would consider very "enlightened", do you? Maybe the lack of Awakened Masters walking the streets is a clue for us that what we are doing isn’t really working very well. Maybe it’s time to consider the possibility that there is another way.

Maybe it’s possible to grow through Joy rather than Struggle. Maybe it’s possible to truly accept EVERY part of your Wholeness and allow it to be there without the need to control, edit, manipulate, or release it. Maybe Fierce Wholeness, Grace, and Ease are a more efficient way to get where we are going. Or, maybe it’s just my seemingly ever-present impatience (which I’m sure the gurus would tell me I need to overcome) expressing itself. But, I’m not going to waste my time and energy trying to get rid of my impatience. It’s part of the perfection of my unique Divine Design. If the day arrives when my Spirit tells me that it’s time to let that particular pattern go, I’ll let my Spirit direct me in the most appropriate way to do that. Until then, impatience is part of my Wholeness, and I honor and love it as such.

Allowing all your pieces to be in there (even the parts that you don’t like), and not resist them, suddenly frees you from the struggle, and they have no power over you any longer. They all become just pieces, just expressions, just facets of your Wholeness. In the exploration of the Loving of your Wholeness, you discover that the most mundane aspects of your life, too, are sacred. They are not to be despised and overcome. They are to be honored and included. This process does not deny your humanity in any way. It exalts your humanity into it’s Highest Expression. Now, I am not sitting here as an outside authority telling you that you have to accept and honor your Wholeness. I am simply offering you some stimulation about this topic which I have found helpful in my journey. Take it or leave it. It’s just another opinion.

Upon returning home from the guru’s event, my Spirit directed me to sit down at my laptop. I did so, and my fingers began typing as the words flowed through me like a river. When it was done, I realized that it was a song called "The Guru Busting Rap". Spirit has directed me to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it. May it Serve as a reminder for you on your journey back to the Source that the only "authority" that you need in your life is your own Beloved Divine Spirit.

Blessings of Spiritual Liberation through Wholeness,
Steven Kirk Boyer

The Guru Busting Rap
By Steven Kirk Boyer
(This song is sung in a rap song rhythm)

Some people seem to think that gurus are cool,
They view planet Earth as one big school.

" Lessons" and "learning" are what they think are Real,
They see themselves as students, so of course, that’s how they feel.

The gurus really dig this, cuz it allows them to be,
the thing they say you need, an Outside Authority.

They love being the teacher, and you being the student,
But playing into these roles, it just isn’t prudent!

Cuz you’re the only one in charge of what’s "real",
See, following Spirit, THAT’S the deal, so don’t be afraid, do it with zeal!

If you believe in what they say, and ignore your gut,
You can be sure that what will happen is you’ll end up in a rut!

They package it all up like a nice spiritual make over,
But, in truth, it’s nothing short of a reality take over!

When they say, "Follow the rules!", don’t participate,
We’re not here to follow rules, we’re here to Co-create!

They seem to be real big on getting rid of the ego,
But what they don’t seem to get is that Spirit made it, amigo!

Denying your Wholeness is really not fun,
And if you focus on "processing", you’ll never be done!

Cuz the Universe rearranges around what you play with,
So, "healing", "fixing", and "saving"... Those are all the great myths!

Listen up, dear ones, the truth is clear,
Gurus aren’t the answer, and there is nothing to fear!

So when you next encounter a guru, you know what to do,
Just stick your fingers in your ears and say, "I can’t hear you!"

Don’t worry about the rules, and all the tools,
And following spiritual teachers... That stuff’s for fools!

Try being fine with right where you are,
And before you know it, you’ll be as bright as a star!

Always remember, this is just a game,
There’s no "messing up", that whole idea is just lame!

You’ve never done anything outside of the Will of Spirit,
So just open your heart, and be willing to hear It!

There’s a huge Divine Fire, oh yeah it’s burning within,
It burns away the illusion of limitation and sin.

So forget the gurus and forget the preachers,
Forget the distortion that you need any teachers.

The jig is up, the veils have been lifted,
Express your own Divine Essence and you’ll truly be gifted!

Divine Grace and Blessings, these are yours for the taking,
Heaven on Earth is what we all are making!

It’s just you and your Spirit, you’re a powerful team,
When you work together you can live your dream!

So bust that boogie, and break that vow,
Come on, Wake up! The time is Now!