I do not belong to the Sangha - at-least not in the sense people would think - but am intensely driven by the desire to look at the world within. In my journey so far, looking at traditions of a more esoteric nature, I have seen that there is always an emphasis on having a teacher... or a guru... or a Pir... In the context of this part of reddit, my query is about meditation. I sometimes, while lurking here, have noticed some interesting discussion at times in the comments about whether one needs such a hand to guide one or not.

My own opinion is that the words of such a guide are good to start you off but should be taken as just a guide since to find the truth of your search, you must come to your own conclusions. I haven't ever had an opportunity to ask Buddhists about this. So when I saw this sub-reddit, I thought why not ask you guys.