There are different opinions among spiritual teachers regarding the 'guru function' and the guru-disciple relationship, but certainly in Tantra - as it has been recorded in the texts and passed down through almost all the lineages I'm familiar with - the guru is fundamentally important and not an optional part of the system.
For those who choose not to have a living guru, it would be wise to take care with the idea that "We are our own gurus". It is really a contradiction. By definition, the Guru is one who is leading the practitioner-devotee from ignorance to enlightenment (or literally from darkness to light). To the degree that we are 'ignorant' it is clearly not useful to be our own gurus.
However, for those that feel certain that the guru-disciple relationship is not their path, I suggest that you at least remember that it is not 'you' but 'Kundalini Shakti' that is the inner Guru.
If you are a Tantric practitioner, don't be too quick to declare yourself your own 'Master'. It is through deep surrender to the wisdom of the life-force that we may be guided from within, by the inner Guru.
With or without a physical Guru, if you are seeking Liberation, the humility that enables us to be 'devotees' of the Divine - devotees to Love - is fundamental.
About the Guru-student/disciple relationship:
It is the responsibility of the student to test the guru before committing to the guru-disciple relationship.
It is the responsibility of the Guru to choose his/her students with care so that they will not become only submissive.
The role of the Guru is to bring clarity about the nature of the Self, and about the nature of the practices that are utilised in order to dissolve the patterns and the blockages in order to clean the mirror of consciousness.
It should be understood that 'submission' to the Guru is not a one-way process. It is not intended to be a permanent giving away of one's power. On the contrary, through submission to the Guru's directions and cultivating receptivity to the love of the Guru, one seeks to open to the understanding and the Grace that the Guru embodies.
Of course this is a potentially dangerous position to put oneself in where one is potentially vulnerable to manipulation and many 'half-baked' Gurus have made the word 'Guru' a bad name. For some, to call someone a 'guru' is even an insult.
It seems paradoxical that through submission, we would somehow be able to become more fully our real Self.
But if we see that usually we are ruled by the inner tyrant of fearful, divisive thinking, then perhaps it becomes clearer how 'submission' to one who is embodying the wisdom and clarity we seek can take us to a more real experience of our own self.
Ultimately it should also be recognised that, in a Liberation tradition the Guru is not seen as just a 'teacher'.
So the Guru is not actually seen as a superior human being. The Guru is seen as an empty vessel that through sensitivity, compassion and Grace is able to 'enlighten' the student/disciple.
The Guru is not necessarily 'all-knowing' - skilled in all arts and sciences... the role of a 'Satguru' is simply to bring clarity about the nature of the Self and the nature of Ultimate Reality, and how it relates to the consciousness of the seeker.
The Guru in modern times
In the absence of familiar references for how to respond to the challenges of contemporary society, a guru must be profoundly humble, and students must be constantly reminding themselves that the real surrender is to the Divine and to the Divine intelligence in the Life-force, not to a person, even though we may be capable of recognising the Divine through the form of a person.
It is the responsibility of the Guru to choose his/her students with care so that they will not become only submissive.
The role of the Guru is to bring clarity about the nature of the Self, and about the nature of the practices that are utilised in order to dissolve the patterns and the blockages in order to clean the mirror of consciousness.
It should be understood that 'submission' to the Guru is not a one-way process. It is not intended to be a permanent giving away of one's power. On the contrary, through submission to the Guru's directions and cultivating receptivity to the love of the Guru, one seeks to open to the understanding and the Grace that the Guru embodies.
Of course this is a potentially dangerous position to put oneself in where one is potentially vulnerable to manipulation and many 'half-baked' Gurus have made the word 'Guru' a bad name. For some, to call someone a 'guru' is even an insult.
It seems paradoxical that through submission, we would somehow be able to become more fully our real Self.
But if we see that usually we are ruled by the inner tyrant of fearful, divisive thinking, then perhaps it becomes clearer how 'submission' to one who is embodying the wisdom and clarity we seek can take us to a more real experience of our own self.
Ultimately it should also be recognised that, in a Liberation tradition the Guru is not seen as just a 'teacher'.
So the Guru is not actually seen as a superior human being. The Guru is seen as an empty vessel that through sensitivity, compassion and Grace is able to 'enlighten' the student/disciple.
The Guru is not necessarily 'all-knowing' - skilled in all arts and sciences... the role of a 'Satguru' is simply to bring clarity about the nature of the Self and the nature of Ultimate Reality, and how it relates to the consciousness of the seeker.
The Guru in modern times
In the absence of familiar references for how to respond to the challenges of contemporary society, a guru must be profoundly humble, and students must be constantly reminding themselves that the real surrender is to the Divine and to the Divine intelligence in the Life-force, not to a person, even though we may be capable of recognising the Divine through the form of a person.
"May that form of the Guru, which travels to and fro in the six chakras and the sahasrara and pervades everything, and which is without support (root), and is like ether, complete and silent, inspire me." - from the Guru Gitamm, by Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni
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