“Whoever accepts himself as guru or as a disciple is not qualified for self-knowledge, because he accepts himself as an individual.”

Yoga Vasishtha :- "Teachers, interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth which is revealed in the clear reflection of the heart, engendered from contact with the good."

Without wisdom, there can be no Self- awareness.  Wisdom can be got by getting rid of ignorance. Only through soulcentric reasoning, the innermost self the ignorance vanishes. 

Neither by rituals nor by yoga nor by hearing sermons, is it very difficult to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. Without realizing the fact that, the world is illusion, without renunciation of ignorance and mentally giving up the illusion which one believes it to be real, absolutely nothing can be accomplished in the path of truth. Truth is not a thing anyone can snatch by a trick."

Kabir views humanity as being caught up in illusion, searching for Ultimate Reality in all the wrong places, always seeking It outside of ourselves in various rituals, temples, forests and mountaintops, not realizing That for which we seek is already hidden within us. 

“Whoever accepts himself as guru or as a disciple is not qualified for self-knowledge, because he accepts himself as an individual.”

Swami Vivekananda said: - “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

The one who identifies himself as swami, guru or yogi is not a Gnani. A Gnani never identifies himself as swami, guru, pundit or yogi. Swami, guru, pundit or yogi belongs to religious and yogic path not to path of truth or wisdom.   

It is very true. Seeker of truth must have firm conviction that the self is the soul/spirit. If the self is formless spirit, then there is neither the guru nor disciple, nor the world exists. Because one is fully aware of the fact, the whole experience of the diversity is spirit or Atman.   Therefore, Atman is Brahman.  One, who has realized the fact that Ataman/spirit is the true self, is unaffected what others call him.

Thus until one gets firm conviction that, the self is  the formless soul, which is present in the form of consciousness he will remain in the clutches of physicality. Physicality is duality.  Thus accepting oneself as guru  or disciple is an obstacle in pursuit of truth. Keeping this in mind the seeker has to proceed deeper in pursuit of truth.   

 In India, people consider the person with scriptural knowledge, religious scholars and the person who are wearing religious robes, yogis are considered as gurus /masters/teachers.

 People believe that teacher or mystic or priest has got so many followers and therefore there must be some truth in their teaching, is a common fallacy accepted by the mass due to their inherited conditioning. It proves only an ignorant can find a number of greater ignorant to follow him.

 Even Sage Sri,  Ramana Maharishi did not accept anyone as disciple nor he had any guru, but many claim themselves as his disciples.  

Since he had many disciples before he started his pursuit of truth . He preaches religion to his religious followers because people are not capable of understanding and assimilating higher truth. Nisargdutta’s used to mingle with ordinary people and sing praise of god, and same time he was discussing higher truth with the serious seekers.  Sage Sri, Ramana Maharishi used to prescribe different things for different people according to their level of understanding.   Thus, it creates confusion in the mind of seeker what is truth.

 A Gnani never accepts himself as neither as disciple nor as guru.  Because he has a firm conviction that the body9waking entity or ego)is not the self. He is unaffected by what others call him or address him outwardly, because his inner conviction is very strong.

Sage Sri Ramana Maharshi said:-"Jnana is given neither from outside nor from another person. It can be realised by each and every one in his own Heart. The jnana Guru of everyone is only the Supreme Self that is always revealing its own truth in every Heart through the being-consciousness 'I am, I am.' The granting of true knowledge by him is initiation into jnana. The grace of the Guru is only that Self-awareness that is one's own true nature. It is the inner consciousness by which he is unceasingly revealing his existence. This divine upadesa is always going on naturally in everyone." 

Mundaka Upanishad  :- This Atman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature.(3 –page-70)

It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals its own form.  Then what is the use of indulging through our intelligence or our accumulated knowledge, when one is not chosen by the self, which is the soul, which is in the form of consciousness.