The Three Gurus are Master Charles Cannon, Swami Shankarananda, and Swami Chetanananda. They are highly regarded Western spiritual teachers who share the spiritual tradition of the great Indian sage Bhagwan Nityananda*. They have their own diverse styles of teaching, their own students, ashrams, and meditation centers stretching all the way from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to Melbourne, Australia. And, occasionally, they also tour as a trio, presenting a unique program of triple satsang (a gathering before a realized Master), meditation instruction, music, and dialogue with the audience. WIE founder and fellow spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen met with them in L.A., and conducted this candid backstage dialogue about the predicament of the postmodern guru.

With disarming honesty, the three—plus one—gurus share with us the real world of the spiritual teacher. They possess a genuine camaraderie and ease (far too rare among spiritual teachers today) which contributes to the unselfconscious intimacy of the discussion. Informally moderated by Cohen, they speak about the joy of their work, but also about the challenges they encounter while performing their sacred function—enlightening other people—in a culture of unquestioned individualism and general mistrust of hierarchy.

Perhaps even more striking than what they say is that it is being said at all. It is worth considering that at any previous time in history, gurus of such distinction would not likely be heard sharing their personal experience in this way with anyone, let alone with everyone! That these modern spiritual teachers can discuss their lives and work so freely and that we can make such a dialogue available to listeners around the world is not just unprecedented—it is a living testament to the ever evolving face of spiritual life.

* Swami Shankarananda and Master Charles both are disciples of Swami Muktananda, and Swami Chetanananda is a disciple of Swami Rudrananda. Both Muktananda and Rudrananda were disciples of Bhagawan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri.

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