July 10 is … Guru Purnima. As the full moon appears in the sky tonight, people will gather in homes, schools, and quiet corners of temples. Offerings will be made. Gratitude will be whispered. Old stories of wisdom will be told again.
But beneath all the rituals and reverence, a softer question stays with us. We live in a world that’s constantly flooded with screens, updates, and the rush of everyday life. And in the middle of it all, it’s worth asking… who, or what, truly counts as a guru today?
Guru Purnima, at its heart, was meant to honour Sage Vyasa… the legendary teacher credited with compiling the Vedas and writing the Mahabharata. But over time, the day has come to mean more than that.
Guru Purnima isn’t just about the image of a spiritual teacher in robes anymore. With the years, it has come to hold something gentler. A way to thank those who helped us see things more clearly. Yes, even if only for a short while. A true guru might not have a title or wear anything that sets them apart. Often, it’s someone who quietly noticed where we were, sensed what we could grow into, and chose to stay… sometimes through words, sometimes just by being there. And sometimes, that quiet presence was all we needed to take the next step.
These days, with all the scrolling and noise, it’s harder to come across that kind of steady presence. But it hasn’t gone. It’s just… changed.
Now, a guru might be a government schoolteacher gently encouraging a child who’s the first in their family to hold a pencil. Or a young therapist who quietly holds space for someone figuring out their pain. A mentor who believes in you when you don’t. A YouTuber who chooses honesty and depth over noise and algorithms.
Maybe it’s a former engineer who, after retirement, sets up a makeshift classroom under a streetlight in a village… thus helping children learn the basics of reading and writing.
The form shifts, but the spirit stays the same.
Of course, the digital world has made knowledge easier to reach, but also harder to trust. Anyone can film a video, offer “life hacks,” and call themselves a coach. But wisdom? That’s something else. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t sell itself.
That’s where the challenge lies: not in finding content, but in finding guidance.
Because no matter how connected we seem, seekers still feel lost. There’s more noise, but the loneliness hasn’t gone away.
What truly defines real mentorship, both then and now, is trust. Whether it’s through a screen or across a table, it’s built on a quiet kind of integrity. Not showmanship. Not control. Just presence.
And those who truly guide us? They are usually not the loudest. They are the ones who stay. The ones who see what we could become. The ones who live their values quietly, and teach through how they move through the world.
Guru Purnima isn’t just about looking back with nostalgia. It’s a moment to pause. To ask, gently: Who is helping light the way now?
Maybe today’s gurus aren’t held up as larger-than-life figures anymore. Maybe they sit beside us… as colleagues, counsellors, coaches, or that quiet elder in the family who doesn’t say much but sees everything.
And maybe the real tribute this Guru Purnima… isn’t in bowing to someone else. Maybe it’s in choosing to be that presence for someone else.
As educator Parker J. Palmer once wrote, “They [good teachers] connect themselves to their students, their students to each other, and everyone to the subject being studied… the connections made by good teachers are held not in their methods but in their hearts.”
In a world spinning fast on data and devices, we need that kind of guidance more than ever. Maybe now, it’s the light that matters most.
