By Ananda Tirtha Dasa

"I realize that material life is not the be-all and end-all. I want to know more about life's spiritual side. Where do I go? How do I know who is a teacher and who's just a creep or a cheater?"

It's true there are heaps of gurus out there claiming to be the real McCoy, and all have followers acclaiming their guru as the best. The more followers a guru has, the more likely it is that he or she preaches a wishy-washy message. That's because most people who profess an interest in spiritual life don't want to follow any restrictions. A popular guru knows that if he tries to teach the strict disciplines of the scriptures to his so-called followers, most will probably leave. And so he comes out with a watered-down pseudo-spiritual cocktail that satisfies nobody.

For example, there are thousands of yoga schools spread throughout the world. They teach you physical postures and breathing exercises for mental and physical health. Or, one step higher, they teach you to meditate on the universal void, to "merge into oneness" or something equally vague. At least that's what a "with-it" guru might say.

Forget all that. The real meaning of yoga, as repeatedly stressed in the Vedic scriptures, is to link with God. And for that one has to give up impure habits. But you won't hear Mr. or Mrs. Guru dwell on this--they're more interested in collecting cheap followers and living comfortably, even luxuriously, off their disciples' money.

Far from imposing sensory restrictions, some even say that free sex and all the drugs you feel like will eventually bring about a disgust for these things that will kick-start your spiritual life. Some will give you a personalized mantra (for a fee, of course) and tell you that just by chanting it you'll attain the full perfection of yoga--no need to change your eating or lifestyle. Often they will themselves claim to be God, or they'll preach that we're all God, we simply need to "realize" it.

The scriptures call these and similar dodgy kinds of yoga "the yoga of the cheaters and the cheated," and cite the analogy of a blind man leading other blind men. All of them--blind gurus and blind disciples--fall into a ditch.

Especially be wary of gurus who deny the need for reading the Vedic scriptures like the Bhagavad-gita. They just don't want their followers to find out what a real guru should be like!

One of the great teachers of Krishna consciousness made this telling statement: "A sincere sweeper in the street is far better than the charlatan meditator who works only for the sake of making a living."

So beware of bogus gurus!

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