Role of a Guru and Enlightenment

Sadhvi Bhagawatiji explains, “Ru means remover of, and Gu means darkness. So Guru is one who removes darkness and brings us into the light. It’s important to understand that Guru doesn’t mean the creator of light, because the light has always been there. Guru helps dispel the darkness. But what is the darkness? The darkness is ignorance which keeps us in separation from who we truly are. Ignorance is due to false identity and ego which we have based on our possessions, relationships, etc. As these things change, we experience great darkness, pain and suffering in our life.” She shares that enlightenment simply means ‘living in the light.’ Living with the experience of being whole and complete is living in the light. So a Guru not only shows us the light but also helps us live in that divine light.