How do we recognize him (a Guru)? This is a question that someone asked Swami Vivekananda.
“How do I detect a (true) Guru? How do I detect Divinity? I am a seeker. How can I find a Guru?”
And Swami Vivekananda gave a wonderful answer. He said,
“How are we to know a teacher then? The sun requires no torch to make it visible. We do not light a candle to see the sun. When the sun rises, we instinctively become aware of it. And when a teacher of men comes to help us, the soul will instinctively know that it has found the truth. Truth stands on its own evidence. It does not require any testimony to attest it. It is self-effulgent. It enters into the inmost recesses of our nature. And the whole universe says, “This is (the) truth.””
A seeker will know the Guru. A seeker knows instinctively that he is before a Guru; a Guru has entered his life. But the Guru will not say that he is a Guru. Guru is a very serious ocean. (He is) gambheer (गंभीर) - very serious, very deep. He’s not a mischievous river.
