Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Choedak unpacks the psychological and ethical foundations of Vajrayāna practice, beginning with four critical attachments to avoid: pursuing worldly happiness, seeking better rebirths, striving only for personal liberation, and clinging rigidly to the Vajrayāna path itself. Drawing on the story of the young Tibetan scholar Sachzin Kunga Ningpo encountering Mañjuśrī, he connects these four renunciations to the three principles of the path—renunciation, bodhicitta, and insight into emptiness—as prerequisites for any serious Vajrayāna student. The talk then moves to the role of the guru, explaining that the guru functions not as a figure to worship from afar but as a mirror reflecting the nature of one’s own mind. Choedak emphasizes that authentic guru-disciple relationship requires first developing qualities of receptivity and spiritual maturity, then recognizing the guru as a manifestation of Buddha-nature within oneself. He details what makes a qualified teacher (scriptural knowledge, experiential realization, skill in teaching) and what makes a suitable disciple (freedom from inattention, closed-mindedness, and dullness), concluding with cautionary wisdom on neither over-examining nor blindly accepting a teacher.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 04 VP.mp3
UUID: d6462c1b-3d21-4fd5-9692-71dd1e4da5a8
Teacher: Choedak
Collection: Intro to Vajrayāna Psychology (Choedak)
Date: 1987 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Words: ~6,283
Welcome back. I hope I didn’t confuse you last night. I’m afraid I can’t clarify if I did because we are jumping to a new subject. We have been looking at the fundamental basis of vajrayana psychology. It’s integral it is integral path of the teachings of the Buddha, and yet how what it offers as a skillful technique in addition to the already existing techniques in Theravāda and Mahāyāna traditions.
How they can how if a person under by understanding this skillfully, can actually use these skillful techniques. And we almost came to understanding that, to a state that, what if I could do that? Almost as if we would like to do that if you possibly could do it right now. So that is the vajrayana’s special attractive quality. It’s there is a great temptation in vajrayana practices because it it offers multidimensional practices.
It doesn’t only offers one technique, whether you like it or not, but it offers techniques that are suited to different mentality. Even if you you suited to one particular personality, the predominant personality of yours is such as arrogance. There’s a particular practice suited to that. So you don’t have to really feel negative about it, and you can’t possibly think how how I’m going to make progress. This because you’re arrogant, you can make use of it.
And that’s the technique in vajrayana teaching teaches. But even though there is this tempting quality in vajrayana teachings, it’s very important that we have to make sure that we shouldn’t we should always have to have the reference point. Whether these esoteric methods of vajrayan teachings are always related to the to the initial teachings of Buddha. To to to make sure these one has ascertain repeatedly your own mode of approaching to vajrayana practice, the motivation. There’s a four very special things that one shouldn’t get attached to to make it spiritual practice in general, in particular making it teachings of Buddha.
So providing that you you are you’re keeping yourself within that range and not getting attached to these four extremes, then it necessarily becomes the teachings, authentic teachings. For so, therefore, I would like to show you these four extremes to which one should not, one shouldn’t develop attachment. One is, if you are tempted and have been fortunate and wise and intelligent or probably stupid enough to accept vajrayana teachings, then you have to reach to the level of examining yourself that you are not attached to this for for this pursuits of this particular life. If one is practicing vajrayana teachings merely with a hope and an expectation for the betterment of this life, then it doesn’t become vajrayana practice. We have to say, I’m sorry, you’re not the right person to practice.
So one shouldn’t get attached to this life, and therefore the practice that we practice on basis vajrayana or Mahāyāna or Hīnayāna, expecting for the happiness or achievements for this life only doesn’t fit in the spiritual path. So that’s one attachment that one must let go if one were to take advantage of vajrayana teachings. The second thing is one shouldn’t get attached to be reborn in this world. So one shouldn’t practice vajrayana with the hope that you’d be you’d be reborn in a better rebirth or a more suitable rebirth, so that you can come back. Such a motivation shouldn’t develop to practice vajrayana unless you develop the Mahāyāna Bodhisattva’s motivation of seeing the immensity of human and sentient beings suffering, so therefore you want to come back.
Not a mere wish of yourself attached to any worldly existence and rebirth, thus wanting to create good causes so that you can be reborn in such circumstances. With such a motivation, if one practices, then vajrayana has no place either. So that’s the second attachment one must get to let go. And practicing vajrayana for your own enlightenment, that is also one of the third third attachment. One shouldn’t get attached for one’s own liberation because firstly, it is against bodhisattva ideal.
Secondly, it is against vajrayana ideal. vajrayana ideal says you’re already enlightened. So the effort that you you you put in terms of gaining self liberation is is against the whole aim of spiritual practices. So therefore, as I said yesterday, that vajrayana necessarily falls into Buddhist teachings necessarily, and particularly is a branch of the Mahāyāna teachings. Mahāyāna teachings main emphasis is caring other living beings, so therefore, aim of one’s practicing for one’s own liberation is the third attachment that one must let go to make if one were to become a vajrayana practitioner.
Fourth, and probably most important thing to which one shouldn’t get attached to, is the view of anything that vajrayana practice itself shouldn’t you get attached to. You shouldn’t get attached that vajrayana is terrific. This is my kind of path. And then having no room whatsoever to appreciate any other teachings. That kind of attachment to any clinging is no right view.
clinging and grasping is no right view. So should you find any suitable path, you never should get attached to it, clinging. So vajrayana path, it should what you appreciate or practice, whatever you practice, if you get attached to it, clinging to it, and that’s becoming very narrow and having no room to accommodate any form of other teachings. And that is, again, the worst extreme of vajrayana practice. So providing that we can keep ourselves away from these four extremes, then we can probably continue discussing about guru, disciple, and initiation, and how does actual vajrayana practices help we, as an ordinary being, to develop and achieve these results.
So that actually is very important. This is most hardest, probably. Most hardest thing is to be free ourself from these four attachments. These four attachments, although is essence of all the teachings, essence of all the teachings, was not quite distinctively shown until one great teacher called Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, when he was meditating on the practice of Mañjuśrī at the age of twelve, who himself is actually emanation of Avalokiteśvara. When he was instructed by his teacher to meditate on Mañjuśrī, after many years of meditation, Mañjuśrī appeared in front of this twelve year old boy meditator, and Mañjuśrī told in his words, if you got attached to this life, then you don’t fit any spiritual path.
If you get attached to this mundane, this world, and wanting to be reborn in this world again, then then that is not renunciation. If you get attached, if you do the practices for your own self liberation, then that is not bodhicitta. That’s not loving kindness. And clinging onto a view is not right view. So these were the four things that made Mañjuśrī actually said to this twelve year old boy, who with his great surprise, this Mañjuśrī all of a sudden, say these four lines and disappeared.
So it took long for many great scholars to review and research on these four topics and has developed a teaching called four, parting from the four attachments. This is essence. In Gelukpa tradition, these very four teachings are known as three principles of the path. Renunciation, bodhicitta, and understanding of emptiness. And however, they are very same, very similar to the four attachment.
So this has to be the very main important to make ourself a suitable practice, to be a suitable practitioner of vajrayana. If we do not have the renunciation, some kind of understanding of the basic teaching that the approach of happiness that we have been seeking through is totally confused mind. Because the mind is confused, we are in fact creating causes of suffering rather than causes of happiness. With this sense of renunciation, renouncing from one’s attachment, ignorance, and greed, and all kind of defilements, Seeing them as causes of suffering, that’s renunciation. Not so much you give up certain luxury of your life and then think and change your lifestyle, that that might change, you know, our external appearance of ours, but we have to really get disgusted with the defilements.
That renunciation is very important. Without that, then it’s very difficult to make any spiritual path and vajrayana path very beneficial to oneself. I was talking yesterday about the burnable quality. We have to be dry so that we can be burnt. So these are the characteristic teaching, understanding that will make ourself burnable If if there was existing bright sun and magnifying glass, then can only be burnt.
So I’m trying to talk about before we try to really understand what is a guru, what’s his place, what can he do to a disciple, we have to make sure that whoever is going to approach to a guru has to have this understanding in their mind, development of this contemplating on them and meditating on these things. That makes oneself more of eligible candidate to become a disciple. If one get attached to this world, of course, we are already good at being attached to ourselves. So there’s no point giving a spiritual path and making it same usage as we’ve been doing it. So we would rather not do complicate ourself.
We rather do the way we are good at it. So the spiritual path is not. Sengge’i o ma, we have a Tibetan saying, I don’t know if it’s true or not, saying the milk of a lion shouldn’t be poured into China cup. It will break. It’s not receptive enough.
So if we all if we take the teachings for once on for mundane and some sad reasons, then we we really what do you call? We’re really wasting the teachings, wasting time of yourself, the all the conditions that facilitate us to listen, practice, learn, all these things are wasted if we use for the selfish reasons. This is very important. And then most important thing as a result of these two practices is gaining that right view. Right view, although philosophically we try to ascertain and establish what is right view and what is wrong view.
But ultimate decision, conclusion that once you reach is is the non clinging to any view. Non clinging to any view. So, as I was saying, your realization of emptiness, whatever understanding you have about the nature of emptiness, nature of your mind, nature of your mind. We’re talking about emptiness, we’re not talking about anything. We’re talking about your mind.
Mind is truly, truly empty, but truly clear. Clear, but not different from emptiness. Empty, but not different from clarity. So so we’re not trying to find and look at objects and then philosophize thinking the door is empty. And that’s that’s not helping us.
We rather internalize that understanding to see the clarity and and indivisibility of our clarity of mind and emptiness of it. So this understanding has to develop. It’s very difficult for oneself to develop this understanding first. So, for this, we have to have repeated real teachings and study discussion. On basis of this, you will have an intellectual clarity what these three principles of the path really means.
If you gain this, then there’s something, whatever you do in your life, this understanding seems to give you a better way of interpreting your life and attitude. That’s called contemplation. You are able to contemplate on these topics. So the difficulties that we confront in life can be solved or can be transformed by this healthy attitude that you have developed from the realization. As a result of this, you will be more, you will be strongly activated to meditate on this because you’re already experiencing the benefit of those realizations.
So through this, one becomes a suitable vessel, a fortunate. Means. Means suitable vessel. Means disciple. One who’s prepared enough to be disciplined.
History is very important. Otherwise, there’s no vajrayana. There’s no place for vajrayana. The reason vajrayana is secret, it’s not easily accepted, is because not many people already not many people have got this foundation sorted out. Therefore, the teachers also hide in the mountains.
They don’t wanna come down in Adelaide or to Australia or New York City. There aren’t any good place to land down, you know? So so it’s very important that that if we are occasioned our occasioned to come across with Buddhist teachings and centers where various teachings facilitate, these three things are very important to train our mind. Once we have made our mind very fertilizable, fertilized, you know, fertilized soil that is made made receptive enough to sow the seed. So, I’m sure you’ve been doing working on that.
So, probably, I can still talk about guru. So the reason why we have to talk about guru is probably because we haven’t seen the Buddha, but we are yet attracted to his teachings. Not so much that you miss somebody you really need to be a big father or big mother to command you what you should and shouldn’t. We’re already tired of it, sick of it, the people telling you to do things. But what we really attracted is to the teachings of Buddha, the truthfulness of the teaching, and their, you know, their logical approach and how meaningful they are to your life.
Because of this, to make these teachings meaningful to our life, we really have to get to know Buddha better, if you like. The Buddha is enlightened mind, your mind better. To know your mind better, to know our mind better, we need to be introduced to the nature of our mind. Whether it is simply said it’s clear and empty or it’s a bunch of ego or a bunch of feelings, bunch of form, bunch of perceptions, whatever we are explained as, we really still have a very difficult nature of our mind to be understood. So therefore, to be able to understand this mind, the in vajrayana teachings, the guru plays amazing important role.
It has played in the past. If there are anything to be appreciated in vajrayana teaching, it is because of the place of the guru, how well placed it is, how well recognized it was, and how important it is. If the the reason why most teach suitable most spiritual teachings, I wouldn’t be really, you know, sort of convincing enough to say much about other teachings, the reason why Buddhism in general and Buddhism, that there is the qualities that attracts in vajrayana Buddhism, if there is any quality, that’s because of the the the the place of guru has been maintained and reserved and respected up to the presenter so well, therefore, the quality of teaching has been well maintained. Otherwise, there’s anybody who is eloquent enough, who is clever enough, who can reinvent things, who can, you know, do change the color of the pattern of the teachings and make a different package deals of the teachings. Who many people can do that.
Of all various religious teachings, all modern therapy. But vajrayana teaching has its own very strict rules how to keep maintain its its its good culture, its heritage, its purity. So therefore, the place of guru has not only helps a practitioner to be on the right step, but also to keep the whole teaching on the line. Because they because the the guru represent the quality of the teachings. Why?
If the guru represent the quality of the teachings, the disciple who will be able to see the nature of the guru and its value will act is actually seeing the nature of the mind. So, the quality of mind the guru is no other than a mirror helping us to mirror our mind. So, let me just give you a simple definition or etymology or explanation of the word guru or lama or whatever you like it. Guru is a Sanskrit word. Lama is a Tibetan word.
Guru actually comes from the combination of two Sanskrit word, which means guna or guhya. Guna means quality. Guhya means secret. Ruta means heavily burdened, who’s heavily burdened by the secret qualities. Whatever they are.
Secret qualities. And that secret qualities that you cannot study and cannot find elsewhere. It’s not to be educated. So so to simplify this, the word from this, we understand These are the three basic quality of a guru. Qualification of guru is very important for a disciple to know what is a guru first time.
And secondly, by understanding the qualities of guru in the explanation, does need necessarily mean that one has to be an one has to be always search a guru objectively. These qualities are only the way to hook your mind to get in touch with a guru, with with a guru or gurus. Not some we are taught how taught how to relate to sentient beings. That’s the main aim of Buddha’s teaching, how to relate to sentient beings. Thus, to purify negative negative karma and have a healthy relationship.
And not so much that you have to develop one relationship, one healthy relationship to one, and then forget the rest. So, when we say guru disciple relationship, it doesn’t suggest necessarily that you become a obedient disciple of a guru and forget other sentient beings. It means that the guru, through the understanding of guru, concept of guru, you have to be if you really have guru devotion, I’m ultimately speaking, if you really have guru devotion to one guru or many, the the practical function of guru devotion, if it is really functioning in you, is that you should be able to see all living beings as equal as your guru. If we haven’t got that sorted out, then our guru disciple relationship is mere attachment, mere clinging to a holy concept. You know?
That’s why guru fixation is taking place. Because we are attached to reputed people, rich people. Who seem to be able to create this magic? Who seem to have great followers? Who seem to have glory?
We become very objectified. It’s another way of confusing ourselves. Another way of misleading ourselves. The whole approach of guru is so that the practical reason of relating ourselves as guru is so so that we are able to understand the nature of our mind. If you have that tremendous respect to your guru as a means and method of developing guru disciple relationship, that is actually to make your mind more malleable, to be able to relate other beings as equally as important as your guru.
See? It is said that the only way that to fulfill the being as a disciple of a guru is fulfilling the guru’s wishes. A guru might smile you even you do something nice and respect him. But guru wouldn’t be very happy if you if our our practices is against his teachings. So therefore, the very fundamental aim of guru disciple relationship is we understand our nature of our mind with the help of the guru.
We we try to understand the nature of that burnable dry quality through the help of magnifying glass. That that the the dry piece of cloth or dry piece of wood that you got, that the burnable quality in you, is no different, ultimately speaking, from the sun, from the fire. Is fire different from this wood when it’s burning? You can’t distinguish. So what the the guru magnifying glass like guru is all trying to do to realize the ultimate nature of the burnable piece of cloth or burnable piece of wood, which is no different from the fire.
But when we do not when we do not focus ours, our basic quality with the with the guru type of, you know, go between activator, when there’s no that quality, we cannot realize the the burnable quality in it. We cannot burn. We cannot produce fire in it, although it’s potentially fire. Maybe I can give you a simple example. You can say we have a you have a jug full of milk.
The milk has a milk is it has a potential to become yogurt. It’s got its own culture to make to be made yogurt. But you have to make create conditions. Pouring a bit of yogurt culture or any other means and methods to create the yogurt, to make butter out of it, whichever way you wanted to make. So what I’m trying to say is the guru is not an not to be regarded as external object to be worshipped, ultimately speaking.
And if if we do if our mind hasn’t been realized very carefully through the help of initiation, we always grasp the guru as a holy object to be worshiped and respected, and thereby, we become merely no other than a dog following after after guru’s tail. So therefore, we, especially when there’s a tremendous difficulty in the in modern world, except accepting anybody more special than you, more special than you, we have to know what really is the practical purposes of me having somebody to really see as one’s one’s guru. So, it is said that, first of all, first, the the training of the nature of relating the guru is, first of all, you are taught to see the guru as Buddha. It’s very difficult. First of all, you you are taught to see the guru as Buddha.
You can’t can’t sometimes even see the guru as a good human being, let alone seeing Buddha. So that’s most difficult things. First of one has to be able to see the guru as a Buddha. Are we ready for that? You know?
Secondly, if you’re able to see the guru, no, guru as a Buddha, that’s not the answer. You just have to go first. Means, firstly, try to see the guru as a Buddha. Okay. And secondly, what you try to see is that that that you first of all, you try to meditate and train your mind to see the guru as Buddha.
Secondly, you would see secondly, you would see the guru as the Buddha. Okay? That’s good progress. First, you’re trying to see him. Secondly, you really see him.
And thirdly, what it happens is, thirdly, what you happens is, thirdly, what happens is the guru that you are able to now see as Buddha is no other than the reflection of your mind. Third third’s progress. That’s very good progress. Being able to see the guru as a reflection. Guru that you are able to see as Buddha is a reflection of your mind.
So, there’s external guru there. But most important thing of all is seeing that and most important thing is that you don’t see any Buddha outside other than your mind. Neither guru nor Buddha. If you’re not able to see the mind as a Buddha or guru, you’re not seeing anything out there. You’re just creating another illusion.
So the whole aim of all these trainings is true so that we can see the nature of our mind. So these external uses of gurus and deities are skillful enough to to divert our mind towards showing respect to external thing, but when we do not when we are carefully utilizing it, the whole aim is to realize the the indivisible nature of our mind from that of the Buddha. So, guru, which we use, was only a method, only magnifying glass. When you don’t have to use it, it’s gone. You don’t need it.
So, guru, in in a sense, as long as we’re not able to see, realize ultimate nature of mind, that that the ob that objective reference to whom you we try to see guru, and then see guru, then reflection of being able to see that our reflection of mind, that’s we we require that. So reason why there is emphasize that you should maintain this healthy relationship with guru is because until we are ready to realize our mind as as no different from that of the Buddha, we have to rely rely or be guided by the guru. It is said by I forgot where, but I remember the quote. What is inside you is elsewhere. What is not inside you is nowhere.
So, if you if you really know what really is inside you, then whether you’re seeing Buddha or guru or any holy things, they’re all part of you. They’re no different from you. If you think there’s something outside other than you, it’s nothing. It’s that don’t exist. They don’t exist.
We were talking yesterday how things don’t exist within themselves, other than our imputation, other than the interdependent origination, and other than the role of mind. These are very important to understand. So, as far as actually establishing the qualification of guru for us to find the right one, as I said, the most important qualification of guru is is is in-depth discussed in one’s in in various tantric teachings in great depth. But most essential quality of guru is that some gurus are it is said that whatever he or she is teaching, the guru, the guru means merely teaching in this case. In this case, we’re talking about being able to teach.
Whatever he or she is teaching has to be well versed in this topic. And make sure these these teachings, when debated by disciples or others, saying, where is the original scripture authority have you got to back yourself to be so eloquent about that? And the teacher has to be well equipped with these scriptural, you know, these scriptural quotations. Don’t ask me. I’m not one.
That’s one thing. And then, the be traceable be traceable, even if he fails to give you the right scripture quotation to back himself, but be traceable. That someone who really would research for him would actually find something really can back his point of view. The teaching he teaches. And then, that something that a text that really he he if he was he or she was approached, can really show as a foundation where on basis which he taught, and then on basis of his own experiences.
And then it is said, a text that has been translated by the great translators. Not somebody who make up like Californian therapy. Not something you can make by yourself and with some kind of experiences. Something which has a solid foundation, and then which has been simplified and modified very skillfully with one’s own based upon one’s own healthy experiences. So when we say that which has to be translated by translator, it means all the teachings, if anybody is teaching, the word translated has to be translated from Sanskrit or Pali.
And therefore, usually, all the teachers, whoever teach on the basis of a text, actually know the scholar, know their composer, know their translator, know the various kind of commentators. If he hasn’t seen those, then he’s really wondering. It’s not not very easy. You know? So this from this, what we understand is the teacher has to be very, very well qualified in the topic he or she is teaching, who has the authority to teach.
Why? If the teacher, he is not well qualified in the topic, he can’t clarify the top points he wanted to make. So, instead of giving a clear explanation of the topic, he will confuse his students. That’s not an action of a teacher. Teachers to teach things clearly and precisely, which I’m not doing.
So I don’t know why I’m doing this. And what another important thing is, even if the guru is able to, you know, has studied many, many years and reputed to be one of the greatest scholars, great meditators, If he hasn’t got the art of art of teaching, the art of teaching, being able to explain where the disciple’s level is at, at least to the reach to the most simple and approachable way the disciple understand. That is the one of art of teaching is as special technique the guru should have. Whether or not you are able to find this, whether you are not able to find this, a guru actually means somebody you you really can trust, Somebody you really can feel, I can understand his teachings. I can really trust his teachings.
That kind of feeling that when you when you develop, that is a person who can approach for teachings. That’s not that we’re not talking about root guru at this stage. From a teacher who you can study. Here, in the modern days, if you wanna do any kind of job, people want a piece of paper. You know, the degrees.
It’s got a good reason in that. vajrayana is quite quite strict about that too. So when we say, therefore, the word lama, word lama, therefore, it doesn’t mean this. Because we’re talking about spiritual teachers, we’re not talking about philosophical teachers. It’s not only that you have to have a set number of years you have been trained in philosophy teachings, but you have to have practice and meditate and strict disciplines.
Because it’s it’s easy to have philosophical clarity, but then it’s difficult to develop that philosophical clarity and to put in the meditation practice and develop the realization. When we say the word lama in Tibetan, it has a connotation of being or way of easily people accepting lama mean anybody who is in robes. Anybody who is teaching. It’s not quite. Strictly speaking, strictly speaking, word lama actually means who have undergone basic trainings required in monastic trainings, and then particularly gone in in intensive vajrayana vajrayana meditation trainings.
This is in Kagyu and Nyingma and Sakya traditions, they have a special way of what we call lama training. You put put them, if they have proven to be eligible candidate for ten to fifteen or twenty years of study, then the guru really thinks he’s prepared, then he puts into the three and a half years meditation retreat. Having done that, he only degree point of view, he has passed his exam. He has fulfilled the criteria to become to officiate monastic ritual, but that doesn’t mean he should be approached by anyone thinking that he’s a qualified guru though. So these are the monastic method of training.
The providing that one lama in Tibetan means who can officiate tantric rituals, tantric initiations, tantric practices. And and therefore, in more strict discipline Vinaya monasteries, there is all called Abbott, who have or Geshes who have been trained in philosophy teachings and monastic disciplines. And there are some who are both trained in both and are either finishing Geshe degree first and then going to going to intensive meditation, tantric meditation training, and that’s the best of best. We put these in the parent. Best of best.
So, whereas there are different ways. However, you know, we’re not talking about who is really to be eligible or not. Most essential point is that you have to have a karmic link. That’s most important. You have to prove and have an experience that you have a karmic link.
There’s a lot of stories how many disciples and great teachers of the past have been able to find the right guru, more so from their karmic link through the feeling rather than searching for. It is said in one case that say that you cannot find who is guru or not until you search for. Just as you wouldn’t be able to hear the sound of the drum if you don’t strike it on it. But that’s not that that’s that’s one way of establishing the necessity for looking for a guru. But then you there is a danger of over, you know, over searching that you never come to a stage that you become really fulfilled because you become developed judgmental.
So more important, particularly for people of this time and age, is that you feel a first of all, you have to really feel that spiritual maturity in yourself as with the three principles of the path. When you have that, there’s a some karmically, will ripen. Once you find it, there shouldn’t be made any any examinations or or judgment. Therefore, because the nature of human man mind is the more you try to look, examine, the more you your mind get attracted by many things, and you lose interest, you lose interest. So you’re never never being able to find, actually follow one path and appreciate the guru and his lineage teachings.
So there is a limit how much you search, but there’s there’s great emphasis to search. It is say that Disciples who accept gurus without examining and without carefully is like drinking poisons. And teaches who all gurus who give in tantric initiations and accept others to be their disciples is without examination, without careful examination, is like their self jumping into deep abyss. So there’s always a this is said by Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava, the first founding fathers of Tibetan Buddhism. So there’s always a limit how much you should look and how careful you look.
But most important thing is there should be the karmic link. There’s a lot of stories how, say in the case of Milarepa, who was in search of many gurus and learned all this magical, know, black magic and all kinds of things, and that even though he learned all these techniques, that even really in vajrayana teachings quite do not teach those things, but still he didn’t actually feel the sense of link until he heard the name of Marpa first. So there are more karmic reason. Karmically, you become miserable. You prove yourself to be prepared enough receptive practitioner.
The guru will come on time. So one shouldn’t really too much judge or examine. The guru will come on time because guru is regarded as a manifestation of the Buddha. And when when your Buddha is about to wake, there will be Buddha to there will be Buddha Buddha to know to acknowledge you’re waking up. So we wouldn’t, therefore, go in deep.
The most important thing about disciple, so the guru quality qualification of guru, if you were really interested, there’s a lot of in the Tantric texts being mentioned. But we cannot go in the field. Here, the most important thing probably, because we all wanted to be the disciple rather than a guru. So, means, take yourself an example, then look for others. And If you even you have two eyes to see others very clearly, you need mirror to see yourself.
So to be ourselves to be ourselves as a suitable candidate, a disciple, we have to make sure that we got these qualities. First, I explain about the understanding of three principle part. That’s just basic. That’s just talking about understanding. The most important thing is the the disciple requires what we call one who is free from the three defects of a pot.
You know, we were talking earlier about the suitable vessel. Suitable vessel is one which is free from three defects. We’re talking about pouring a wisdom technique through learning of the guru. But if the if the pot is is diluted, has the problem of one of one or all the three defects, then whatever is poured will not be good. The first defects of a disciple analogous to a pot, is like a pot put upside down.
If a pot put upside down, we cannot we can’t pour anything. Even if you pour everything, everything will spill. Similarly, a disciple who’s disinterested, whose attention is simply not there for spiritual maturity, but merely for mundane purposes. One is lonely staying home, so might as well go and be in the teachings and trying to practice. So the motivation, it should be very, very spiritual motivation.
And, therefore, your attention in the teachings would be teachings and practice would be completely there. There wouldn’t be any dangerous, you know, inner thieves of your mind that will distract your mind or put to sleep or any other inner negativities that hinder our practices will not develop if had you had you freed your mind from the defects of pot put upside down. That’s mainly talking about your total interest. Your total interest. You have to be interested.
Otherwise, guru can’t give you anything. Anything. Buddh even Buddha would not really ever do that. There’s a lot of Buddhas his own cousin who served him for twenty four years never saw Buddha as Buddha. He thought he was the most arrogant person that he’s ever seen in whole life.
That’s called his cousin called Lekpa Karma. He served Buddha for twenty four years and studied everything Buddha taught, and he learned actually everything by heart as much as he thought Buddha knew. And after twenty four years, when he really examined, he knew that there was not much of a great difference between him and Buddha, except that Buddha had had an arm span length of halo of light. That was the only thing. He said, he thought he wasn’t very moved with that.
So he said, you know, he said, I have served you for twenty four I wouldn’t quote you verbatim because it’s a waste of time. I have served you for twenty four years, and I know everything that you know, probably even more. The only thing that you are distinctive about me is halo of light. And that doesn’t really interest me, so now I will go.