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It Ain't Me, Babe! or...
The Guru Syndrome

by Peter Ralston

So often people fall into the trap of waiting for someone else to do it. You sit back and watch.

Someone is talking about this thing called truth, is communicating and demonstrating something about reality. Well, let's see what happens to him. Critically you look. Hopeful, but ready to tear him down if you can find any weakness, evil, or flaw.

If he makes it through your severe testing and, for now, you accept what he offers, then you applaud him, sing his praises, and use him as your argument and protection.

What about you? So anxious to tear down or believe. What does that have to do with you, or your own understanding and transformation? Nothing. It is only more "you" the way you already are.

If you tear him down you have simply recognized or projected qualities of yours onto him that you find unacceptable. So you have gained nothing, except you have added to your sense of "self-correctness" as an individual.

You have also neglected to challenge or even notice the assumption that these detected qualities or flaws are even true, or that the form that you recognized meant what you inferred it to mean.

It is probable in fact, that regardless of the status of the so-called individual in question, you are completely off-base, incorrect in your judgement of him.

If he "passes" your requirements, to go on to fulfill your fantasy of what one-of-those should look like, you still have gained nothing in truth. You have only added to your "ornaments" of identification, what you will accept as representative of you as a "special" individual.

Once again, this has nothing to do with you, or your real growth.

You must not allow someone else to be responsible for the experience of the nature of being or its representation. It is, and will always remain, your responsibility. Your relationship to such a one is cherishable, but only if you recognize it as your relationship with yourself and with Being itself.

This article was excerpted from:

Reflections of Being
by Peter Ralston.

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About The Author

Peter Ralston is a leading practitioner of martial arts, investigating and teaching aplications of psycholgical and spiritual growth. He directs training programs and workshops at Cheng Hsin, The Center for Ontological Research and Internal Maritlart Arts in Oakland California. The Institute's website is http://www.euronet.nl/~tv/chenghsin and the author can be reached via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . He also conducts staff training workshops for Lifespring, the Institute of Self Actualization, Robbins Research Institute (NLP) and other human potential organizations. This article was excerpted with permision from his book "Reflections of Being", ?1991, published by North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA, USA. http://www.northatlanticbooks.com

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