Guru Purnima: 5 Tips To Choose The Right Mentor

We all talk about the importance of a guru or a mentor in our lives be it in our personal or professional lives. Our mentors are like our guiding light in a dark tunnel, the path we have chosen. They know all the whats, whys and hows! We all know that gurus play a crucial role in our journeys. However, we hardly talk about how to choose the right mentor in our journey. Do they have a beard–is that an indication of a guru? Will the calmness on their face be an indication? Or Any other indications to consider? What are the key things to keep in mind while associating a person as your mentor or guru? So, to understand this better, we spoke to several spiritual experts and made a list of five key things to take care of while choosing the right mentor in any journey of your life.

Find your mentor after careful consideration: You can’t go by your feelings. Choosing a guru or a mentor must be an educated decision. Sometimes people just go by feelings and blindly believe that they have found their guru. “Would you go to a doctor who has a 90% record of failed surgeries?” asks Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa, President, of Vrindavan Heritage Tower, and Co-mentor, of the Global Hare Krishna Movement. No, right? Similarly, as you do due diligence for finding the right school, and the right doctor, it is important to do due diligence to find the right mentor.

Make sure your goals align with your guru: Well, your guru can’t be someone who has a certain path that you don’t agree with. They should be someone whose goals are in line with what you want to follow in life. Sanskriti Khurana- Reiki Master and Tarot Card Reader Expert, says, “Observe the potential mentor closely to determine if their guidance aligns with your aspirations. Remember, selecting a mentor is choosing someone who will invest their time and expertise to support your journey.” Pushpanjali Banerji, Co-Founder, of AstroJudge, says, “A competent mentor should prioritise your agenda over your own, ensuring that your needs and aspirations are consistently at the forefront of their support and guidance.”

Your guru must be Shrotiyam: This simply means your guru must have heard his knowledge by going to his guru. “He must have gone to a guru and he must have also learnt. Then I must go to such a guru,” says Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa. If you have to learn medical science, then you must go to a doctor or a medical professional and he must have also gone to his senior medical professional, right? He would not just say that he has studied all the books in his house and became a doctor and now he will make you a doctor, right? So, it is as simple as that. Your guru must have a guru and he must have a guru and the original guru is God himself. It comes from God and then there is a hierarchy of gurus before you find your guru. “This knowledge is coming in a parampara. So, in other words, the first indication of a guru is– Is he coming in a parampara (discipline succession)?” This can be traced historically and should begin with God.

Your guru must not force their ideas on you: Well, your mentor must be just being your guide and helping you achieve the goals you set for yourself. They should not force their ideologies on you. Nakshi S, Founder, In:ha Wellness, says, “Choose someone who keeps reflecting it to you, simply facilitates your journey, but this helps the answers come from within you, someone who doesn't force you into their advice being the only right one, someone whose non-judgmental, someone whose professional and maintains boundaries and works with ethics, someone whose values and school of thought you resonate with.”

Guru must be Brahmnishtham: This simply means, the guru must be fully and firmly fixed in understanding the spiritual truth. “Your guru must not be saying something to you and doing something else behind your back,” says Shri Chanchalapathi Dasa. The guru must be Brahmnishtham. The practice of his life must be in line with the spiritual truth.

So, there you have it! Here are five things to consider while choosing the right mentor for you in any path of life.