In reality, there is no difference in the ultimate goal of "right" and "left" hand practices, and they are one path-- not two. It is not that there is a "choice" whether to do the left or right hand path, thinking you can become enlightened by avoiding some aspect of reality. In fact, the aspect of realities that we must avoid or they overcome us are the obstructions to enlightenment. If you want to know who/what your guru is, tell me what aspect of reality you avoid out of weakness or fear-- that aspect of reality is your master and so, for the time being, it is your guru. The left-hand path is just a progression of the "right hand" path. The essence of the right-hand path is simply that a person initially isolates themselves from certain aspects of reality that threaten to destroy their spiritual practice. For example, a person may avoid women because he cannot establish correct relation with them due to shortcomings. A person avoids money, business, alcohol, or sex because these things threaten to destroy their spiritual integrity. The "right hand path", where we artificially insulate ourself from any object or thing, is temporary at best (applied as a method), otherwise it is a form of escapism. A person must eventually come to terms with any and every object, and define their relation to it eventually. When we speak of self-mastery, what we mean is that we are the owners and lords of our own self. There is not a drug, woman, temptation, or authority figure who controls us. This is what it means to be a true "Nath", or Lord. Because all external objects exist within ourselves as well as outside of ourselves, it is only from internal weakness that one can ever succumb to losing freedom to an external situation or object. All that the "left hand path" really is, is returning to reality from any artificial insulations or restrictions we have placed upon ourselves, and not becoming corrupted by anything. A pure person can remain pure even when having sex, eating meat or garlic, drinking alcohol, or owning a business-- and assimilate any aspect of desire into their reality without being consumed or controlled by that desire. Nothing you can do will harm them or make them compromise their integrity, spiritual principles, and practices. They own themselves and are self-realized; nothing can shake their lordship and self-sovereignty. Avoiding anything proves that it is too much for you, has mastered you or you know it could master you, and so you call it "evil". To the man mastered by money, he will call money the root of all evil. The woman who wastes her time on social media or on her phone will say it is evil, and say that you must give it up to be happy. To a man who constantly masturbates to "instagram whores", he will say they are the ruin of society and will rail against them as "evil", just because he cannot control or obtain them. To an individual who established themselves as a lord over every part of themselves, there can be no "evil" because there is nothing that is uncontrolled. Fear is the result of not being able to control something, and desire can threaten to overwhelm your integrity and abandon your willpower. Desire and fear are the primary ways that a person can potentially fall under illusion, which is why teachers of "the left hand path" methods are rare, and the ability to transcend reality cannot be taught out of a book-- it must be experienced by a person themselves. When a person progresses spiritually, it follows this order: Vedachara, Vaishnavachara, Saivachara, Dakshinachara, Vamachara, Siddhantachara and finally Kaulachara. The last of which is by far the most advanced, and requiring a person to have absolutely no personal weaknesses whatsoever and embrace every aspect of reality. The first 3 are for the "animal" stage of human, who avoid many aspects of reality due to the large, uncontrolled animal nature. The next two are for the "human" type individual, and the third group of two correspond to extremely refined individuals who have "divine" personality dominating. The final stage has no restrictions whatsoever, and often uses living human women as Yantras or Talismans, and performs worship on their physical bodies rather than a picture or statue of deity. Because this path has no restrictions, it is obviously dangerous to the average person and this is why Tantra or Hermeticism is considered elitist and cannot and will never go mainstream or be for the "common" man or woman. To anyone who is sincere about transcending their limitations and does their best to do so, they will inevitably come to follow this path, as this is its essence. This path is not about intellectual gymnastics, titles, or the like. It is the worship of "power" itself and this is, in reality, what everybody really wants deep down. A woman wants to be beautiful and seductive because this is a sign of power. A man wants to destroy his enemies or attain a position of power and wealth and is always seeking methods to obtain this. A person who has a discriminating intelligence will realize that there is only one path to attaining any type of "power" and that it requires controlling the mind and mastering your own weaknesses. This is the path to Adepthood, and although it is available to all, and many true written works are published as to how to obtain self-mastery, few find them and even fewer still practice the methods and exercises that lead to attainment.