To get an all-round exposure to life, take out five days – not too many, just five days.

Spend one day – morning to evening, with a farmer. Go with him to the farm early morning and see whatever he does all day. You will become sensitive towards the environment, towards food. Spending the day watching the farmer will let us know the hard work and resources that go into producing food and we will think twice before wasting it.

Spend one day in jail (but without committing a crime). You will realize that the people we label as criminals and put in prisons landed there due to circumstances, due to ignorance. When anger grips a person, they are not in control of their actions. If you ask the most hardened criminal, they will say, “I didn’t do it. Something came over me and it just happened.” It will become evident that inside every culprit there is a victim crying for help. Compassion will arise in your heart.

On the third day, become a school teacher. You will understand why a guru is needed. Wherever you are in life, there are so many that you can help and guide.You don’t really need a special skill to be a guru, you need compassion. Being a teacher, you can channel that compassion to people.

Spend the fourth day in a mental institution. Whatever anybody in a mental hospital says to you, whatever names they call you, you won’t take it to heart. After spending a day when anybody can say anything to you, you will develop the strength to face criticism without being shaken. Not only will you be strong enough to accept all criticism, you will have compassion for those who criticize you. You should have the courage to give criticism and the courage to receive criticism as well.

Spend one day in the cemetery or funeral home. You will have a very close and intense experience of the impermanence of life. Whatever complaints you have will vanish. Having the experience that death can come anytime will change your perspective on life for good.

What is the chief skill of a guru?

compassion

The chief skill of a guru is **compassion** (Option 3).

The passage suggests that being a guru doesn't necessarily require specialized knowledge or technical skills but rather a deep sense of empathy and understanding towards others. It emphasizes that compassion is the driving force behind guiding and helping others, regardless of one's level of expertise or background. So, while knowledge and compatibility may play roles in being an effective guru, compassion is highlighted as the primary attribute necessary for this role in the passage.