Trusting your intuition vs. obeying the Guru

Q:  I find myself in conflict when my inner listening differs from what my Guru is guiding me to do. This feels like a hopeless situation because the Guru always says “follow your heart,” yet the wise disciple should always obey the sage wisdom and guidance of the Guru, whose job is to liberate me. This seems like a contradiction. What’s worse is that, when what I hear is in conflict with what the Master is saying, I then begin to doubt my own intuition/inner guidance. Please help me.

A:  As for your concern about “hearing” incorrectly, I would advise that you do not fall into that trap. Do not be concerned with that right now. There are distortions/patterns in all human consciousness which a true Master is very adept at identifying and fixing for and with you. It is important that you are not too hard on yourself. You brought up a very good and important point about this business of questioning/following your own inner guidance. What I will tell you may sound contradictory (though it really is anything but), unless you truly understand the nature of the Guru):

You should always follow your gut/instinct/intuition/listening—always… except (and this is the only exception) when that “listening” conflicts with what your Guru is telling you. In those cases, it is wise to defer to the Guru. The reason is that the Guru’s mind is merged in God, it has been purified, healed, and is trustworthy, whereas the human mind is not. The human ego mind is cunning, devious, and often disguises its voice as the voice of the soul/God—this is its greatest talent. The human mind is run by a combination of fear and desire, whereas the Master’s mind is not. The Guru will help perfect and purify your mind. It is his/her job. The Guru is a set of training wheels for your own divinity. Furthermore, remember that you were the one who went searching for a Master to help exalt and uplift you out of the quagmire of Separation (he did not go looking for you).

Always trust in the God perfection of all that the Master says and does, even when what you are trusting appear to be imperfections in the Master.

The Guru has what you want. What lies beneath your seeming conflict is really your fear of losing control of your life, as well as your issues of trust and faith. It is not about who is right and who is wrong. That is the ego talking again. The Guru is your best friend, your most ardent fan and supporter, and is more devoted to you than anyone you will ever know… even more than your parents, spouse, children—anyone. The Guru lives to serve and uplift you. Remembering this inalienable truth, in addition to remembering that the Master is equipped to handle anything you bring before him, will remove any lingering doubts or resistance to simply following and obeying his loving and divine guidance… all of which is designed solely to liberate you, to uplift you, and to help you attain mastery over all earthly dominion.