In Hinduism a venerated spiritual teacher, or acharya, who personally instructs and guides the disciple. In Tibetan Buddhism the guru embodies the Buddha himself and is correspondingly revered. In Sikhism, guru is the title of the first ten patriarchs (see Nanak).

Lead rapper for the group Gang-Starr. Name is an acronym for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal.

Also in the group, among many others, is DJ Premier.

If you have those, a touch of charisma, and reasonable skill with the Socratic method, you don't need any real expertise to build a reputation as a guru. Add a laptop with a portable projector, a laser pointer, and some skill with PowerPoint, and you can make a living as a professional guru.

When you achieve Tony Robbins-stature, you can get by on more cryptic statements, such as "Feel my skills, donkey donkey donkey, donkey donkey", or "Do or do not, there is no try".

When a living being has attained a certain advancement along a Path, a Divinely appointed Guru will be sent to ease the student out of remaining karmic debts. As one slowly learns to unblock and purify the channel flowing from the Divine into one's Self, the Divine will manifest in one's life in gradually more obvious and concrete ways--until materializing in the holy body of a Guru. You will recognize the Divine visitor on first sight, for student and Guru have met many times along the circular river of infinite time. When the Divine arrives, it is unambiguously familiar.

guru n.

[Unix] An expert. Implies not only wizard skill but also a history of being a knowledge resource for others. Less often, used (with a qualifier) for other experts on other systems, as in `VMS guru'. See source of all good bits.

--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.

Goo*roo", Gu*ru" (), n. [Hind. gur a spiritual parent or teacher, Skr. guru heavy, noble, venerable, teacher. Cf. Grief.]

A spiritual teacher, guide, or confessor amoung the Hindoos.

Malcom.

© Webster 1913.