1647: Fake Gurus, Real Danger: The Line Between a Guide and a Manipulator

Wisdom of the Sages

David Ramella

Hardcore, Yoga, Dharma, Kaustubhadas, Bhakti, Srimadbhagavatam, Wisdom, Bhagavadgita, Hinduism, Raghunath, Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality, Punk, Raycappo

5 • 970 Ratings

🗓️ 24 July 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“There are more fake gurus and false teachers in this world than the number of stars in the visible universe.” In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore the subtle difference between a true spiritual guide and a manipulative pretender. Drawing from Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s insights on the Putana story from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, they unpack how pseudo-gurus present themselves as nourishing but actually poison the soul.

Topics Include:
– The guru as a transparent medium for divine light
– Signs of manipulation vs. signs of true guidance
– The ancient symbolism of Putana and how it applies today
– Why charisma isn’t a qualification for spiritual leadership

Spirituality calls for an open heart — but not blind trust. Discernment is essential on the path.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You have to keep that discernment.
0:02.0	And so, you know, when he comes out and says,
0:04.6	there are more fake gurus and false teachers in this world
0:06.9	than the number of stars in the visible universe.
0:09.4	He's saying that a good one is rare, you know?
0:12.2	A good spiritual teacher is rare.
0:15.2	And what's the, what is it that he focuses on to help us recognize a good one?
0:22.4	They're transparent as glass.
0:24.7	They're letting the teachings pass through them.
0:26.9	I didn't create them.
0:28.4	They're passing through me, right?
0:30.3	The teachings, the practices, the tradition.
0:33.1	I'm not coming out here and saying, I'm enlightened.
0:36.2	A lot of times you get these,
0:38.5	you know what, it's like almost like you can count on it. It's like you read the, you read like some
0:44.2	kind of account of some great so-called guru, one of these popular kind of charismatic figures.
0:50.7	And it always mentions, you know, they had this moment of enlightenment you know like
0:54.7	yeah then this happened to me and I became enlightened it's kind of like you know what
1:00.0	is it about you or is it about the tradition are you representing a tradition
1:04.3	oh no bag Bhagavati, Vasudevaea.
1:11.6	Oh, no,
1:13.6	Bhagavati, Basse Debaia.
	...

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