First, a guru is not a state of consciousness, it is a job. There are all kinds of gurus from musicians and storytellers to those who never speak a word. What they have in common is the appointed authority to do their job: helping the ego-mind-personality merge with the divinity within. The soul, self, jiva, atma - whatever you want to call it - is immortal. There was never a time it did not exist. There will never be a time it will not be. The ego-mind-personality is not immortal. It ceases to be at the time of death, while an essence of what it has learned and accumulated of spiritual value goes forward into the next life, even if that life does not take place for five hundred or a thousand years.

But the ego-mind-personality can become immortal if it so chooses. Of course, this choice involves a clear decision, commitment, discipline, and Grace. Once the decision is made, a succession of teachers begin to appear, helping, teaching and leading the aspirant. The only ongoing quality that matters is sincerity. One can make mistakes, take wrong turns, and make short-term inefficient choices, but if all are done within the framework of sincerity, the aspirant continues to get help. In the process of preparing the ego-mind-personality to merge with soul within, negative qualities are sanded away at the rate the aspirant can stand. Rescue within the bounds of karma often is afforded to struggling individuals. Eventually, one will meet a true guru.

Shake any bush, today, and out tumble gurus of all sorts. They are mostly wanna bes, think they ares, wish they weres, never will bes, and would-be spiritual leaders who have decided that this is their calling. Some of them are sincere. Some are not. A true guru is not self-appointed. They are selected and trained for the job by those who are true gurus, sadgurus and genuine celestial enlightened ones who come here from time to time. There are very few true gurus.

A genuine guru has spiritual authority. They can consciously take on the karma of anyone they meet. Although they have this ability, they use it selectively. If the taking on of karma serves the greater dharma, or spiritual advancement of the species, country or other group deemed important, the guru will take the karma of that individual. Sometimes the karma can be worked off without harming the guru and sometimes not. But the guru always knows both the reason and the outcome for taking another's karma.