Why There is No Room for the Guru in Western Spiritual Pursuites

In the West we are doing something different from people in the East. Westerners are in the process of evolving individualism. By the very nature of this, westerners have to turn their back on the guru. In the East the guru still has an important role to play. People there move forward collectively – as a group. Here in the West we move forward individually and spread the word in that way. The western wider group may follow but it usually is not due to a collective decision. People just look for the new so they can follow the trends. Hence in the West there are goats and sheep but the underlying force that is presently pushing western societies forward is the pursuit of individualism.Following the guru in the West doesn’t work and the younger generation who seek out information know it, albeit unconsciously, for some. They are not looking for someone to worship when it comes to developing new ideas; they are caught up in the wave of change that we are all under at present. This change is governed by individualism.When people look for answers they often take a spiritual perspective to try and understand a greater outlook. If you are reading this then I guess you are one of these people. There is a process to this western development and you are doing the processing. The guru removed this. By giving you the answers you hand over your processing and this is no good in the land of individualism.I have always been struck by what difference it makes putting PHD at the end of your name if you are a spiritual teacher. It reminds me of an old hang-up of gurulism. Believe it or not there is no spiritual qualification. Yes there is a qualification of study but that doesn’t mean you have done any processing. There is no spiritual qualification because the very act of spiritual development is not a test of memory, nor is it governed by whether you have got a structured argument and it cannot be marked by someone else. In fact, what you seek spiritually can’t be judged by any other person as this is central to individualism, which is the route to spiritual development. By the very nature of having a PHD, you are joining a club and denying individualism.Now don’t get me wrong. I think having a PHD is a good thing and it shows what you can achieve but it is not a spiritual qualification. That qualification belongs to you. Let me explain. Spiritual development is a process. From this process information is growing, along with groups that have various forms of practice and venues where you can hear spiritual teachers. Books, blogs and internet forums all have their place in your spiritual development if you choose. However, the process is yours, as it is your development.Individualism is buried deep within western spiritualism. Thus this makes it different from eastern spiritualism and why those working to develop this aspect of themselves have to look to the West for their answers. The western spiritual tradition has always been centred on your soul journey and that means your personal communication with your soul. In order for you to become awakened you must have this communication, which is very individual.It is this communication with their soul that the young generation of spiritual seekers are looking for. The rhetoric, clever speeches and information that is not action based is beginning to wane. With the new time comes a whole bunch of new questions. These young people sense this and are getting ready. They are finding new ways to connect, new avenues of interaction, which are all based around individualism. Through this they will develop a greater communication with their soul.