User:Goethean/guru/extra

A guru is an elder, spiritual master, a teacher in general

According to Klaus Klostermaier, later Vaishnavaites often worship their guru or acharya as avataras of Vishnu, and this practice continues today.

According to Klaus Klostermeier, in Sri Vaishnavism, the guru is the "fully trustworthy person" who return the lost jiva to his father (god).

According to Ramanuja, the following parable describes the role of the guru. A young prince, while playing, becomes lost. He is raised by a good Brahmin until he is sixteen, when a "fully trustworthy person" tells the boy who his father is. The boy returns to his father, who actively welcomes him home. In this parable, the father represents God, the prince is the individual jiva (or soul), and the trustworthy person is the guru. The guru is thus a central character in the drama of salvation.