The guru era is over.
The pedestal has become an irrelevant artifact.
Hierarchal structures are no longer useful.
Hypocrisy and deception are rampant in the world of spirituality, and people are sick of it.
Many religious and spiritual traditions are based in a vertical structure of codependence. The unspoken agreement is that the guru or priest will provide you with secret knowledge and transcendence so long as you continue to relinquish your personal autonomy. It's the oldest game of disempowerment there is.
The original scam of scams: "you're fundamentally flawed, conceived in sin, but we'll fix you. It'll take a lifetime, maybe longer."
Hogwash!
Wisdom can't be purchased.
Heaven doesn't accept bribes.
And wholeness is your natural state, already and always.
To attain wisdom and recognize inherent truth, we must live our own lives, make honest mistakes, self-reflect, and continually grow. A coach or mentor -- who provides clear and effective practices based on direct experience -- can be of incalculable value. But the structure has to be right from the beginning.
There's a difference between receiving guidance from a spiritual mentor and outsourcing our power.
It's the difference between top-down authoritarianism and spiritual friendship. The former is an antiquated structure based in fear and control. The later, a precious gem.
Spiritual friendship is the new black (although it's not actually a new idea).
It's a horizontal relationship based in mutual respect. Transparency. Vulnerability (on both sides). And clear communication.
It functions on the principle of reflection:
Wholeness reflects wholeness until wholeness remembers it is whole.
The guru is dead