Acharya Prashant explains that a guru is both the lover and the destination. He defines a guru as one who has one foot at the ultimate destination and the other near the seeker. This dual nature is essential because if the guru were not near the seeker and like them in form, communication and guidance would be impossible. However, seekers often mistake the guru's proximity and human-like behavior as a limitation rather than an act of love. To truly recognize a guru, one must look closely and have a habit of self-observation. While the ultimate destination is fixed by the divine, the path and the time taken to reach it are left entirely to human choice. He further elaborates that life is like a book where the final page is already written by the divine, but the preceding pages are blank for the individual to fill. The ego has the freedom to continue its existence indefinitely until it sincerely desires its own dissolution. The divine provides the resources and life but does not interfere with one's freedom to wander. A guru, or the means to return, only becomes available when there is a genuine inner call to return home. This return is not a compulsion but a choice. Ultimately, the process of being guided by a guru involves a kind of 'divine abduction' where the seeker's worldly attachments are taken away, leading them to the state of Krishna-consciousness.
