Do You Need a Guru?

A remarkable and timely book about understanding the student-teacher relationship 'in an era of false prophets'. Mariana Caplan has done the rounds of various gurus and courses and is able to write from vivid first-hand experience. Her way through the maze is based on the concept of conscious discipleship, 'a fully empowered, intelligent, discriminating studenthood'. We are not prepared for this simply by training the rational mind but rather by learning how to refine the subtle systems of perception of which we have little or no experience. The five parts look at the dilemma of spiritual authority, necessary qualities for teacher and student, finding the teacher, hot issues such as sexuality and obedience, and finally 'for the glory of love'. The book is given an extra dimension by the series of corresponding interviews with such luminaries as Charles Tart, George Leonard, John Welwood, Georg Feuerstein and Ram Dass. A real contribution to a central topic of the contemporary spiritual scene.