That may well be one meaning of "guru", it may be the original meaning". You say you are "not a Sanskrit expert", I have absolutely no knowledge of Sanskrit. But I have a lot of knowledge of English and English words, and I am very well aware of the different ways words originate, and how there are disputes about the exact origins and meanings of words, and how words can have more than one meaning, many meanings and shades of meanings; and original meanings can go back a long way, through the mists of time.

According to my "Encarta World English Dictionary" ("Bloomsbury Microsoft-Encarta, 1999): "guru...a religious leader or teacher...a spiritual leader...[Early 17thC. From Sanskrit, 'elder, teacher'].

Even if "guru" is an adjective which means heavy (which I do not doubt), it is still possible for "gu" to mean darkness, and "ru" to mean light (though I have no idea if this is so).

But the point is that when Maharaji talked about "Guru" and "Satguru", he defined it - and he defined it as someone who can truly bring you from darkness to light. So that's what it means to me - Maharaji is someone who can truly bring me from darkness to light, that's the idea I have been carrying around for 30 years, which to me is not a false idea. I don't give a damn if the Sanskrit word doesn't literally mean that, I know what Maharaji meant by it, because he said what he meant by it, so it was very clear to me. I would gladly give up using the word "Guru" or "Satguru", and more pedantically say "the one who can truly bring you from darkness to light" - only that's not as short and neat a phrase as "Guru" or "Satguru"! The literal meaning of the word is not particularly important, it's what Maharaji actually means which is important.

Maharaji is no expert on English words (I don't know about Hindi or Sanskrit words), he has often used English words in not quite the right way. He is not claiming to be a teacher who teaches perfect or near-perfect English, he is a teacher who is claiming to bring people from darkness to light, he is a teacher who is claiming to show people how to experience peace, love - "what you are looking for", whatever you want to call it - within. That is the point, which is not to be missed!

See, this is a very good example of why Maharaji does not (now) wish to be labelled with any of these concepts such as "Guru". What may be a clear and acceptable label for one person may be a confusing or unacceptable label for another person. For some people (e.g. me) the term "Guru" may be fine, for other people (e.g. dant) it may not be fine. Some people may have no problem with the term "Lord", other people may have a big problem with it. Different people have different definitions. Different terms have different connations and different meanings for different people.

Words are important, and I very much believe in the accurate use of words, and expressing things as clearly as possible. But the actual experience of Knowledge is much more important and relevant in my life than arguing about the exact meaning of words.

Truth is not an abstract concept for me in my practice of Knowledge - "truth is the consciousness of bliss" - to me that means the truth is love, love is the true reality, true reality is beautiful - we just have to learn to become aware of that true reality, as much as possible.

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty, - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."