Met his guru at twelve

When Lars Christian Ims was twelve, his parents took him to a guru in India. Today he is a grown man, and he still has the same guru.

"Once you have met your true guru, you do not need a new one. He has given me what I need," says Lars Ims, who lives on a smallholding in Hedalen but still travels to India regularly. He has a master's degree in Sanskrit from the University of Oslo and has translated the Bhagavad Gita into Norwegian.

Lars wants to take the mystery out of having a guru. "A guru can be a meditation teacher, a yoga teacher, a psychologist or a coach: someone who has been through many obstacles and processes themselves, and who can help you on your path in life."

He also tells false gurus from true ones. "Some people abuse their power, people who have perhaps been corrupted and are not free from certain desires. Then they are not true gurus either."

Host: Birgitte Gjestvang. Sound and music: Thomas Prado Lamo Lokøen.