“When the student is ready the Guru appears,” is an old Hindu proverb. Recognizing that the “Guru” can manifest in anything at any time is a key part of understanding Zen.” Al Rapaport writes at Open Mind Zen Blog   Coming from a guru lineage tradition, I find that word spooks a lot of people. GURU = gee, you are you. Anything that shows us to ourselves is our guru. The entire world does that when we have eyes to see. The teacher rises from within our own self as we evolve in consciousness and understanding. The guru is never outside ourselves, we just have the illusion it is. Ancient texts state the guru is within: “The true meaning of Guru is one who dispels the darkness of ignorance. You are your own guru. You need not seek him elsewhere.”  Michelle Peterson tells in her journey at The Guru Within , that early on Care Bears were her guru, later a track coach, later new age teachers and Babaji. “I realized what a Guru truly is;  A teacher who leads you to the teachings that lead you home to yourself.   The process of receiving such teachings however is a process of letting go of the attachment to a being, and being open to the possibility that you can be taught by everything.”  Even Sai Baba, whom some might call a guru, writes at The Guru Within: “The real Guru is only one.  The vision does not come from outside. It is within you, because the Divine is omnipresent. God is everywhere. You are God.” Gee, you are YOU.