The Buddha Book: Buddhas, blessings, prayers, and rituals to grant you love, wisdom, and healing. Lillian Too
bringing purification and dissolving life’s obstacles.
Seeking the Buddha’s emanation: the guru
The Buddha sends the guru to us when we are ready. The guru is the emanation of Buddha’s omniscient mind and, as we get closer to such emanations (be they humble monks, holy yogis, or recognized reincarnations of highly realized lamas of some past era), we become less obscured. We start to see the clear light that opens windows on the real nature of existence. We shed our ignorance and take on the wisdom that understands this true nature.
The guru is the most vital part of our spiritual journey, for without a guide we may get lost or lose sight of the essence of compassion and wisdom. The spiritual journey promises blissful enlightenment at the end, but it is not without its perils. At each step it is easy to fall into a lower-realm rebirth, unless you have the guiding hand of a truly compassionate teacher whose love and motivation are completely pure. There is no way of telling how long a time we each have; the only certain thing is that one day we will all die. Death can strike at any time, anywhere.
Much has been written about finding a guru, and the adage that “when you are ready, a guru will materialize” has proven true for many students and disciples with whom I have had the good fortune to converse. I discovered that each had his or her own extraordinary story of the moment when they made the connection and knew they had met their spiritual teacher. It is very special when you connect with a guru with whom you have complete affinity. When this happens, it becomes natural to develop a clear faith in your guru, and eventually to see his teachings and advice as that of the Buddha himself. It is this latter realization that creates a powerful reverence for him deep inside you and enables your guru to lead you along the path from one level to the next, until you reach enlightenment.
But seeking a guru (or what Tibetan Buddhists refer to as a lama) is not to be taken lightly. When you find one and take refuge with him, your whole life will change. Your value systems and attitude will undergo a major shift of emphasis. You will not be unaffected, whomever you follow, so it is vital to follow someone who will be exceptionally good for your spiritual progress. You must never compromise on the perfect quality of the one who will be guiding you and once the connection has been made, you must honor it with integrity.
Rinpoche explained to me that we often refer to the historical Buddha as Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. The word “guru” here describes Buddha’s omniscient holy mind, which works for us, guiding us from suffering. We get close to his holy mind by taking “refuge” in perfectly qualified gurus.
THE TEN QUALITIES OF A HIGH LAMA
The Mahayana Sutra, Maitreya’s Abhisamayalamkara, describes these ten qualities that a Mahayana teacher should possess.
1 A mind subdued: through the higher training of morality
2 A mind pacified: through the higher training of concentration
3 A mind thoroughly pacified: through the higher training of wisdom
4 More qualities than the disciple
5 Perseverance: in working for others
6 A wealth of scriptural knowledge: oral transmission and study
7 A realization of emptiness according to the view of the Prasangika school
8 Skill in teaching: according to the different levels of the disciples
9 Love: for all beings in general and the disciples in particular
10 No sense of weariness in teaching even the most difficult of disciples.
Westerners sometimes think monks and nuns are holy. We’re not holy; we’re just trying.
LAMA YESHE
When I met my guru, Lama Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche, I was particularly taken by his abject humility, which is such an integral part of his whole being. And there is a special kind of joyousness in the way he speaks – laughter is never far from the corners of his eyes and mouth. I was quite bowled over, and I also felt rather humbled.
I had brought to our meeting all the negative baggage of a lifetime’s worth of posturing and self-cherishing. There was a skepticism within me borne of the conviction that “I had seen it all …” – the kind of arrogance you find in anyone who has tasted success, power, and wealth. I really was rather full of myself! And I smoked like a chimney.
Lama Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche.
In Bodhgaya I was politely requested not to smoke in the presence of the high lama, and I recall slinking to the back of the building to light a cigarette every few hours. But here is the miracle. Soon after I returned from India I never touched another cigarette, and I have not smoked since. It was several months later that I realized that quitting smoking had something to do with meeting Lama Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche. Yet when I attempted to thank him, he did not even acknowledge that he had anything to do with it – that is the extent of his humility. Later there were many instances of Rinpoche’s clairvoyance and his seemingly effortless ability to read my mind and know what I was about to say, before I gave voice to my thoughts. Yet each time I make reference to his “powerful magic,” he will roar with laughter.
Since then I have come to realize that this is the way of high lamas. They are so incredibly humble that they never acknowledge their yogic powers. They create all kinds of phenomena, offer wise advice, demonstrate incredible clairvoyance, create cures, and heal many hearts by advising on spiritual practices, prayers, and mantras – yet they never take credit for the miraculous results that ensue. Lam Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche is always happy, no matter what time of the day or night and what problems have been placed before him. His mind is never troubled. And I have never seen him refuse to help anyone.
At first I developed a genuine respect for Rinpoche’s awesome knowledge of the Dharma and his obvious goodness, but over time I came to see him as something much more than just a teacher. Each time he speaks to me, it is as if the Buddha is speaking directly to me:
The guru is the root of the path
He is the source of all my good.
Finding a lama and taking yourself to him in the correct way is the first step on the spiritual journey to enlightenment. It is like building a house: when the foundations are strong, the house is solid and lasts a long time. Or like a tree: when the roots are planted firmly in the ground, the tree grows steadily and strong, producing healthy fruit and flowers. Think seriously about this.
Perhaps one of the most wonderful lamas of our contemporary age is His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whom Lama Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche reveres as an emanation of the Compassion Buddha, Chenrezig (see Chapter 5). Speak to anyone who has ever been in the presence of His Holiness and they will describe the aura of purity and goodness that emanates from him. He appears so humble and ordinary, so approachable and full of happiness, and yet the world knows the sufferings he has had to endure on behalf of his people. Yet he is unswerving in his conviction that violence and animosity are not the way to deal with problems. The Dalai Lama truly exhibits all the qualities of the Compassion Buddha.
A modern thangka painting showing Lama Tsongkhapa (left), Shakyamuni Buddha (center), and His Holiness