Dharma means reflection to abide by the inherent and highest truth in every situation, and moksha means transcendence of suffering in life. So the rishis in India gave two more directions to the society in this country. The proponents of dharma and moksha became the gurus while the proponents of artha and kama became teachers, shikshaks.
This is something you need to understand very clearly. One does not become a guru by sitting on a stage and giving a nice lecture. The guru principle is something else. The objective of the guru is to take you through the path of dharma and moksha while the objective of a teacher is to provide you with the necessary skills to survive in society. Therefore, the teacher cannot be a guru just as a doctor cannot be an engineer; the roles are different. The word guru is only meant to be used in the context of dharma and moksha.
What is the meaning of dharma? Why does the guru teach dharma? Dharma today is translated as religion, but it does not mean that. The word religion has come from western society, but the word dharma does not mean religion. Dharma means the eternal and inherent response, commitment or duty. In the scriptures it has been said, Dharayate iti dharmah – “The virtues or positive qualities that you hold and express in your life naturally are called dharma.”
Dharma is seen from three perspectives. The first component of dharma is jnana, knowing, understanding, reflecting or analyzing what is good, what is not good; what is appropriate, what is not appropriate; what is white, what is black; what is right, what is wrong; what is just, what is unjust. To cultivate a deeper knowledge is the first compo¬nent of dharma. This knowledge must define for you the appropriateness of life so that inappropriateness is rejected.
That is the first level of dharma: cultivation of positive attributes and removal of negative attributes. In order to achieve the first level of dharma, its second component became upasana, personal practice. Mantra, meditation, anushthana, all these are part of upasana. Thereafter, in order to create a social impact, to have social acceptability and not contradict the traditions of society, rituals became part of upasana. That is the third level of dharma. The first level of dharma is cultivation of knowledge, and this is where the role of the guru becomes necessary.
How can we cultivate knowledge? We don’t have the necessary skills. Even if we read books, we cannot understand what is written in them. To cultivate knowledge, understanding and awareness of the right and the wrong, the appropriate and the inappropriate, a guru is needed. A guru is also needed for the attainment of moksha. Moksha does not mean emancipation; that is its last definition. In the beginning, moksha means overcoming the suffering and pain, the stress and strife of life. The moment you decide to disconnect yourself from the stress and strife of life and search for peace and tranquillity within, you are on the path of moksha. Transformation of the gross nature and attainment of the higher nature of mind, so one is free from the bondages of the senses and society, is moksha. So, those who teach you the skills to survive in society are tutors, teachers, lecturers or professors. They teach you the skills of kama and artha. While those who teach you the skills of dharma and moksha are gurus.
Abstract from “Dharma of a disciple”, Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati