The Conclusion

28. April 2025

On the final day of teaching the Fifty Verses His Holiness Karmapa went over some of the most salient points and provided commentaries from various sources. Speaking of the outline, there are three points in the actual outline: the main explanation, the way to follow the Guru and the summary of the way to follow. Now we have come to the second, which is the supplementary point.

1.Verse 44: A Supplementary Point

With the mindfulness of not forgetting
And dedication in their behavior,
When brothers and sisters transgress their conduct,
They should prevent each other with love. (44)

The Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

The mindfulness of not forgetting means undiminished mindfulness —striving and making efforts at the vinaya is dedication to their behavior. The vinaya here refers not just to the vinaya of the Three Pitakas but in particular to the vinaya of Secret Mantra. This means someone who is striving to keep the discipline of the secret mantra.

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Brothers and sisters are vajra siblings, meaning those of the same Guru - the one who gives us the empowerment and teachings. Transgressing conduct is violating the vinaya. If you are doing something that transgresses the discipline of the secret mantra, then your dharma friends should advise you and say you shouldn't do that. They try to protect you from that. And likewise, when some other dharma friend is doing something that transgresses the discipline of the secret mantra, you should give them advice with love meaning to care for each other, whether speaking gently or more forcefully; it’s important to prevent a transgression.

From Lord Tsongkhapa’s Commentary:

The mindfulness of not forgetting your samaya is an example: with undiminished awareness, strive in your behavior within the rules made by Vajradhara guru. When the behavior of your brothers and sisters, or students of the same master, transgresses the boundaries of the rules, prevent them from violating them. This should be done mutually with loving intention, as dharma friends for each other. Chak Lotsawa translates it as, “With mindfulness that is not forgetful.” This teaches how to be with your dharma friends while practicing with the same guru. 

2. Verse 45: The Exceptions

With the guru’s tasks, if due to illness
You must do even what is forbidden
Without permission but with a bow,
There is no fault if your mind is virtuous. (45)

The Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

Permission is given by the guru’s instruction to do even what is forbidden, with a bow… or prostration. This points out the circumstances: when the guru is visibly present, when he/she is ill, there is no fault in what should be done and what should not be done. Whether you yourself have faith in those tasks or you are commanded, there is no fault. Virtuous means a mind that has a virtuous volition or intention “There is no fault or downfall if your mind is virtuous.” 

Similarly, doing what is prohibited from an inability but with a virtuous volition is not a downfall. 

From Lord Tsongkhapa’s Commentary:

This teaches how the ill may be faultless. There is no allowance due to circumstances for disparaging, criticizing, or upsetting the guru, but there is permission for the ill and the like from some mere rules such as, “Don’t sit on a bed or walk before them…” (v. 27)

In all activities of accomplishing service to the guru, the ill should bow with devotion —they would like to accomplish them but are unable to due to their illness. Or if they do what is forbidden in the guru’s presence, when their mind is completely virtuous, this does not become an offense of disobedience—a downfall. In such an instance, even without permission there is no offense to engaging in it, so there is no need to ask permission. 

Chak Lotsawa’s translation reads: 

With illness and the guru’s tasks,
If you must do what is forbidden
Without permission but with a bow,
There’s no offense if your mind is virtuous.

According to this translation, if the guru gives permission to do some actions of a type that are mere prohibitions, there is no offense. The way in which there is no offense is described in greater length in the Vajrasiddhadaya by Chambhalajapa:

When ill or faculties are impaired,
For others’ benefit, for a great purpose,
If necessary to teach non-arising,
To gain ability, when permitted,
When told, or when there’s an obstacle,
Understand that there is no offense. 

This means that if you’re stable in the meaning of non- arising and you have stable samadhi; or when you gain extraordinary powers of realization, or you are told by a superior like your yidam; or when there’s an obstacle to your own life, there is no offense.

3.Verses 46-47: A Summary of the Way to Follow the Guru

What need is there to say much here?
Do whatever pleases the guru.
Give up all acts that are displeasing.
Make efforts at doing both of these. (46)

The Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

What need is there… teaches a summary. What need is a rhetorical question; it means there is no point to it. Whatever actions are taught to please or satisfy the guru in any way, are what you should do. 

Make efforts toward merit. “Give up all acts that are displeasing.” Displeasing acts are those that make the guru unhappy. Abandon and reject all of them. The intention is: do that which will make the guru happy and not that which will make them unhappy. 

From Lord Tsongkhapa’s Commentary:

In the context of serving the guru, you must grasp the critical points of following the guru. Learn what pleases the guru and do it and learn what displeases the guru and give it up. 

The Vajra Holder himself has said,
“Accomplishment follows from the master.”
Understanding this, with your whole being,
In all ways, please the guru fully. (47)

The Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

Regarding the Vajra Holder, vajra is emptiness or suchness. The vajra holder is Vajradhara. The word vajra corresponds to emptiness because it is similar to a vajra in being indestructible. As is said:

Stable, not hollow in essence,
Unyielding, unbreakable in character,
Unburnable and indestructible:
Emptiness is called a vajra. 

With your whole being means in all ways with your body, speech, and mind, please the guru fully to make them happy. Because all accomplishments follow from the master, a student who desires siddhi should please the guru in whichever way possible. The siddhi you desire comes from pleasing the guru fully.

From Lord Tsongkhapa’s Commentary:

When doing so, all siddhis follow from pleasing the vajra master—the vajra master himself says that they are included by it or excluded by not doing it. Understanding that, use everything in your body, speech, and mind to please the vajra master. From the Vajra Tathagata: 

Therefore, with every method
Please the supreme Vajra Holder,
The guru, in appropriate ways. 

From the life of Tsangpa Gyare in the Blue Annals: the founder of the Drukpa Lineage

He went to his guru to receive the pith instructions. After only seven days of practice he was able to wear a cotton robe only. Subsequently he became ill with boils but when he recovered he rode his wild horse to his guru Lingrepa. His Guru was then engaged in the building of a chapel. Monks who (in order to escape from the building work) intended going to various places or enter seclusion, were fined one sho of gold each. He also presented one sho of gold to his Teacher (as a fine) and asked leave to retire to copy (manuscripts).

The Teacher said: "Go to Leu Chung and practise it!"

After due consideration he realized that should the guru be displeased, it would harm the precepts. “O my!” he thought, and cried.

He then placed a plate full of brown sugar in front of the guru and said: “I have committed an offense!”  and confessed.

The guru said: “Ah! Only someone who understands the dharma would act like this!” and was pleased.

Then for five months he worked continuously onbuilding the chapel, and a remarkable concentration was born in him. After the chapel had been completed, he finished (the copying) of one leaf in four days (and thus completed the copying of the book).

4.Verse 48: When to Teach How to Follow the Guru

Give students who have pure intentions
And have gone to the three for refuge
These ways of following the guru
So they may practice reciting it. (48)

In a Collection of Dharma Talks, Gampopa called it perfect qualities: what enhances the accumulation of merit the most efficaciously is pleasing the guru. Geshe Yungdak asked Geshe Potawa who said that if you invite all the buddhas and bodhisattvas to be visibly present and offered them the best of all possible offerings, the merit of offering to a single pore of your master is superior. When Gampopa asked Milarepa, he reiterated the same point. And he added, one offering that was even greater: to practice according to the guru’s instructions, ‘’with great effort of body, speech and mind…’’ This applies to anything or anyone who has the tiniest connection to the guru, even his/her dog. The Kadampa Geshes saw this as a crucial point.

The Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

Students who have pure intentions and have gone to the three jewels for refuge, are stainless. Who have intentions means that it is their wish and their intention is pure. Students who have pure intentions do not have worldly concerns.  To go to the Three Jewels for refuge is to accept that the perfect buddha, the dharma, and the sangha are the only refuge. 

What we should do for them. Reciting it (kaṇṭhagatāṃ) means bringing (gatāṃ) it to the throat (kaṇṭha)—in other words the text and meaning both dwell in the throat. As this is in order to learn it, and to practice; the point is to give it to students and have them do it.  

From Lord Tsongkhapa’s Commentary:

“Give” is the basis of the explanation. This text is about how to give up your independence and follow the guru. Give it to them so that they may recite it aloud repeatedly without forgetting its words, understand the meaning, and then maintain mindfulness and awareness as they apply it properly, doing what should be done and refraining from what should not. 

It is to be given to students who have two qualities. First, they should have gone for refuge to the three jewels, the buddha, dharma, and sangha. The second is having pure intentions; they should have properly aroused the two types of bodhichitta, aspirational and engaged. This text teaches that the mind must be well trained in the stages of the path common to both mantra and the vehicle of the transcendence. 

Following this, it reads: “Then give them mantras and so forth / To make them receptive to true dharma…” After teaching how to follow the guru, then make them receptive to the path of mantra. Thus if they have trained in the common path and wish to enter the path of mantra, a vajra student should follow a vajra master in this manner. 

From Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen’s Elucidation of the Fifty Verses on the Methods for Following the Guru:

4. The Time to Teach: According to Lord Drokmi’s explanation, on the evening of the preparatory empowerment, the student should go for refuge and rouse bodhichitta, and on the next morning after the empowerment is completed, teach this to the students. As it says here:

Give students who have pure intentions
And have gone to the three for refuge
This text on following the guru
So they may practice reciting it. (48)

Naropa’s thought and Gungtangpa’s explanation is that this should be taught when the master and disciple first make a connection. When they request the empowerment and dharma teachings from the master, ask them, “Do you agree to follow the pratimoksha and bodhisattva vows you have followed before?” If they say they agree to continue teach the Fifty Verses on the Guru and examine the connection between each other. If they say they are willing to take those they have not taken before, then give them refuge and bodhichitta and then teach it. Examine each other. This is the meaning of the text:  “Give students who have pure intentions etc.”

Tsongkhapa’s Commentary also says:

Therefore the great lama Drokmi, after giving the preparations of refuge and bodhichitta, would teach The Fifty Verses on the Guru the same day. However, Marpa Lotsawa said that teaching this after they have trained in the common path but before they wish to become a tantric master and disciple is the Naropa’s interpretation, and it is the best way. It is a critical point that the stages of instructing disciples in this text match the Way of the Bodhisattva and The Compendium of Trainings…

Here, Tsongkhapa’s Commentary also addresses a particular doubt:

“It is improper to teach The Fifty Verses on the Guru before giving an empowerment, because that is the offense of revealing secrets,” you might think. There is no fault, however: in this text, there is very little  particular mantra terminology, and the explanations are no more than mere unclear summaries. Moreover, if a student does not have all the prerequisites when they supplicate for an empowerment, in order to protect them, they may do some deity meditation before they have been given the empowerment; this is said not to be revealing secrets. This applies for those who have trained in the common path and wish to enter into mantra; it is not to be done for just anyone.

Following the guru is important in the general vehicles and in particular in the Secret Mantra Vajrayana.  Listing a few words by Indian scholars on the importance of studying Fifty Verses on the Guru, I’d like to quote Master Środhaka Varma’s Distillation of Entering the Meaning of the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras: “Moreover, the distillation of the intent of all tantras is taught in The Fifty Verses on the Guru.” This describes how The Fifty Verses on the Guru distills the thought of all the tantras. 

From the Long Commentary on the Root Downfalls by Acharya Jinadeva and taught by Atisha: 

After bestowing the empowerment, the fourteen root downfalls (Tantras), in The Fifty Verses on the Guru, and the sadhana should be taught  assiduously. Otherwise, the offense falls on the guru. 

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From The Path to Seeing Suchness by Śrī Jñānavajra, taught by Atisha: “Also study and keep the root, secondary, and The Fifty Verses on the Guru.”

With the Kagyu in particular, from Dusum Khyenpa’s Questions and Answers with Gampopa:

What is the path of secret mantra? First, in order to ripen the uninitiated, give the empowerments. Bestow the vase empowerment, the secret empowerment, the wisdom empowerment and the word empowerment, followed by a study of the root downfalls as taught in the Fifty Verses. Then either teach the creation stage and completion stage together after the empowerments or if the creation and completion stage are taught separately, then the Fifty Verses should be taught first followed by the 14 root downfalls. 

Through the prajna wisdom empowerment, undefiled bliss is produced. And solitude of mind is accomplished. Through the fourth precious word empowerment, the emptiness of mind, the dharmakaya, is released from all conceptualization and the kaya of great bliss, the wisdom of the dharma expanse, is pointed out. One listens to the root downfalls and The Fifty Verses on the Guru. Then the first liberating path, the creation stage is taught; then the completion stage with elaborations, such as the nadis and pranas. 

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From Phamo Drukpa’s treatise The Precious Lamp:

When entering the gateway of the Mahayana Secret Mantra, a guru with the proper characteristics should bestow the four empowerments. Then a study of the Fifty Verses on the Guru and the fourteen root downfalls must be understood. 

One important sign that illustrates the degree to which The Fifty Verses on the Guru was studied is whether the great forefathers of this lineage and other lineages wrote commentaries on this text. In the Kagyu tradition, the earliest commentary seems to be the one written by Ngok Shedang Dorje. Both the 7th Karmapa and Karmay Khenchen read this text. Not only is this the earliest Kagyu commentary, but also Ngok Shedang Dorje was an important lineage holder of the transmission of explanations from Lord Marpa; so I see the importance of searching and finding the commentary he wrote. 

Karmay Khenchen’s short commentary on The Fifty Verses on the Guru: The Lamp that Dispels Darkness says, “I took the commentary ‘The Bright White Moon’ by Pakmo Drupa as the basis, and Gya Tönpa’s commentary on the meaning…” If we look at this, I think it seems there was a commentary on The Fifty Verses on the Guru by Pakmo Drupa. I wonder whether Gya Tönpa’s commentary is the commentary written by the Seventh Karmapa Chödrak Gyatso’s student, Gya Tönpa Namkha Gyaltsen, that combines notes on the Verses for a Novice, The Twenty Verses on Vows, and The Root Downfalls of Mantra. I do have a copy of that. 

Also, the record of teachings received by Kunkhyen Pema Karpo that is found in his Collected Works says, “Babilha’s Fifty Verses on the Guru  and its commentary by Ling.” This indicates there was a commentary on The Fifty Verses on the Guru by the mahasiddha Lingrepa, but it is not in the extant Collected Works of Lingrepa, so we should look for it. 

Also, there is the Seventh Karmapa Chödrak Gyatso’s annotations printed in an edition prepared by Surmang Khenpo Pema Namgyal as well as a handwritten manuscript found in the Drepung Chu temple. I have seen the two, and it seems there are some differences in the context. Additionally, there is the Aspiration Prayer by Kongtrul Rinpoche that summarizes it. 

The earliest Tibetan commentaries are Drakpa Gyaltsen’s Elucidation and Drogön Chöpak’s Summary. The most well-known is Lord Tsongkhapa’s Fulfilling All the Students’ Wishes. Tsarchen’s Opening the Gateway to Precious Accomplishment is similar to Lord Tsongkhapa’s and seems like an adornment to the Fine Explanations of the Sakya Forefathers. The largest number of commentaries seem to have been written by Gelukpa scholars. 

In brief, Tsongkhapa writes of the necessity for studying The Fifty Verses on the Guru:

No matter which vehicle they enter, the way of following the guru is taught to be important in many texts. In particular, all of the accomplishments of Vajrayana practitioners follow from the guru, as is said insistently in many tantras. Thus the root of the path is the way to follow the vajra master, and these trainings cannot be learned through just a few sessions of guru yoga. Therefore, put great effort into learning the meaning of this text well. Once you have learned it, you must apply mindfulness and awareness toward and keep the rules made by Vajradhara. 

If you do this, the offenses will grow fewer, and, regretting your transgressions of these rules, will enable you to restore them. Thus in this life or in another, without taking long you will become good at following the spiritual friend and gain the ability to practice it as did the young Sudhana and the hero Sadaprarudita. If you do not learn them or do not put on the armor of keeping them, your multiple offenses will continually stain you and you will be unable to keep these rules for many lifetimes. Therefore, the intelligent should understand that this text is the greatest advice on guru yoga.

5. Verse 49: How to Make Students Receive After they have been taught this

Then give them mantras and so forth
To make them receptive to true dharma,
And make them read and also retain
The fourteen root downfalls of samaya. (49) 

The Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

This verse means immediately after explaining how to serve the guru, give them mantras and so forth, give them an empowerment or explain mantras, mudras, recitation, meditation, the suchness of the mandala. The true dharma is the great vehicle of mantra. Make them (the student) receptive means to make them into an effective vessel. 

 The fourteen root downfalls of samaya : ecause they are the primary ones, they are the root, and because they are solely unvirtuous, they are root downfalls, and if they are committed, the result is to fall into the hells. 

There are fourteen: criticizing the master; transgressing the commands of the tathagatas; insulting your vajra siblings; abandoning sentient beings; giving up the resolve of bodhichitta; rejecting dharma; teaching secret dharma to sentient beings who are not receptive; abusing the aggregates; doubting naturally, completely pure dharma; being friendly to evil people; eternalist and nihilist views; upsetting faithful beings; failing to observe samaya; and denigrating women, who are naturally pure. 

In order to elucidate the fourteen root downfalls, read and also retain : read and memorize them. Recite the text and retain the meaning, and make the student understand it. 

From Lord Tsongkhapa’s Commentary:

After they have trained in the stages of the common path and learned the way to follow the guru, the student’s continuum must be made receptive to the precepts of the tantric vows (but only after the empowerment). The method for making them receptive is mantras. In the Way of the Bodhisattva it says to study The Sutra of Akashagarbha first. Similarly, once we take the vows of the secret mantra we need to study the 14 root precepts. Mantra is from the Sanskrit mantra—man is mind and traya is to protect. Because they protect the mind, they are mantras. From the 18th chapter of Guhyasamaja

Those which arise from the conditions
Of faculties and objects are mind.
The mind is taught to be called man.
Tra has the meaning of protecting. 

There are many ways to protect the mind, but here, after you have been empowered, you must protect the mind, so you are made receptive by being given a mantra. The mind must be protected from the lower realms, the suffering of existence, and together with the Foundation vehicle, it is protected. Once they have been made receptive, it is extremely important that they do not break the samaya and vows received at the time of empowerment. If they lose the vows, the root for achieving siddhi will be severed, so meditating on the path, studying the tantras, and so forth will be like wanting to build a house with no foundation. 

Therefore, at the conclusion of the empowerment, one must guard against the borderline between downfalls occurring and not occurring, so the guru should teach the precepts of the tantric vows and the student must learn them, because it is inappropriate to study all the precepts of tantra prior to receiving the empowerment. 

Though there are many precepts, the root downfalls—the cause of breaking the vows—are different than the others, so they should be made to read the words of the fourteen root downfalls aloud and retain the meaning in their mind. They should strive extremely hard not to be stained by a root downfall. 

Even if one wants wholeheartedly to study the unexcelled vehicle, after receiving the empowerment, first they should learn the rules of the fourteen root precepts. To say that you meditate on the path and study or teach the tantras without keeping them is to stray from the ways of the Vajrayana, so those who want the best for themselves should take keeping the samaya and vows as their basis and then listen to, contemplate, and meditate on the dharma.

6.Verse 50: The Conclusion

Through the infinite virtue I’ve thus accomplished
By writing this that increases the benefit
Flawlessly for all students who follow a guru,
May every being swiftly become a victor! (50)

The Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

 A dedication of merit. Thus by acting in the ways as explained, for those who serve a guru, the benefit is ever increasing excellence.  Because this contains the discipline that pacifies the pangs of suffering, it gives flawless benefit to all students. 

Victor means a bhagavan buddha, because they are victorious over misdeeds. As he said:

Since I’m victorious over wicked dharma,
I have approached and therefore am the Victor. 

Let it be so!

From Lord Tsongkhapa’s Commentary:

“These Fifty Verses on the Guru were written with infinite awakening for the sake of infinite sentient beings in mind. By the infinite virtue that I, Bhabilha (Vapilla), have accumulated through this, may all wanderers swiftly achieve the level of the Victors.” This is a dedication so that the merit arising from the efforts to write this text may increase inexhaustibly. 

According to what has been explained, the Fifty Verses brings students who engage in giving up their independence and following the guru, all short-term and long-term benefits and is free of missing explanations, incorrect explanations, and over-explanation. From In Praise of Superiority:

The dedications to sentient beings
Of accumulations of performing merit
That were taught by the Bhagavan
Are not taught in others’ treatises.

‘’If we practice the critical points of the 50 Verses our human life will be meaningful.’’

The teaching concluded with an elaborate Mandala Offering to His Holiness Karmapa.

Viewing the Guru as a Buddha

7 April 2025

On the thirteenth day of the Spring teachings, His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa continued to teach the Fifty Verses on the Guru primarily according to the outline of Tsongkhapa’s Commentary. He noted that there were eight points on how to pay respect to the guru. Previously he had discussed the first point: how to make offerings. For this session he would cover the second point: viewing the guru as a buddha.
 
Viewing the Guru as a Buddha

This contains two subtopics: 1. The actual meaning and 2. Avoiding being disrespectful to their shadow, and so forth. The Karmapa would speak about both points. 
In the Mahayana Ornament of the Sutras (Skt: Mahāyāna-sūtrālamkāra-kārikā), the Protector Maitreya says:

Serve the spiritual friend with respect, 
Gifts, service, and practice. 

This correlates with the Fifty Verses on the Guru and concerns today’s topic: serving the spiritual friend through respect. 

The root text of the twenty-second stanza is:

Thus, students with qualities of compassion,
Generosity, discipline and patience
Should not ever consider the master
To be different from Vajradhara. (22)

The Karmapa explained how he used different translations for the teaching: the Sanskrit is the original, the Tibetan from the Tengyur, the Chinese from during the Song Dynasty, and the English by our translator, Khenpo David Karma Choephel.

In this stanza, the students have qualities of compassion and generosity. The first two lines describe the characteristics of these students. 

They have three qualities:

The students naturally have great compassion with altruism, they wish to help sentient beings, pay little attention to material wealth and are very generous; they make offerings to gurus and give to the poor and deprived. In this way they are very generous and make great gifts. 

They have the prātimokṣa vows of giving up [negativity] and benefiting others.

They have the vows of the bodhisattva for benefiting others. In brief, the student should have the wish to reach buddhahood, particularly in this lifetime.

Therefore, these students must have compassion, be very generous, and keep their discipline. 

If the student has these qualities, when they follow their guru, there’s a great hope they will be in accord with the dharma. The main necessity for them to be in accord with the dharma is that the student must never think of their master as being different from the guru. They must think of the guru himself as the deity; that Buddha himself as the deity. This is very important.

From Tsongkhapa’s commentary

Here the guru is the field for gathering merit. The guru is the same as all the buddhas. Therefore, true students do not consider the vajra master to be separate from the vajra bearer, Vajradhara. They have the resolve that the guru himself is indeed Vajradhara. 

True students, or great students, have the compassionate mind, the basis of the Mahayana. They have the generosity of discarding all self-interested attachment to their bodies, possessions, and virtues. They are dedicated to sentient beings and have the discipline of keeping the vows they have taken purely. They also have the patience of not being discouraged by sentient beings’ wrong practice and austerities.  

Following this, Lord Tsongkhapa discussed how viewing the guru as a buddha was not something that an ordinary person would teach but was expounded through many different scriptural texts. He cited how viewing the guru as a buddha was taught in many tantras: chapter 17 of Guhyasamaja, chapter 15 of the Vajra Dome (Vajra Pañjara), chapter 14 of the Ornament of Vajrahridaya (Vajrahṛdayālaṇkara tantra), and chapter 32 of the Vajrakhandra, and also the Four Seats (Catuḥpīṭha). 

Since there would not be time to discuss each of these tantras, the Karmapa said he would review some of them.

During the time of Lord Tsongkhapa, most of the citations he gave were primarily from the unexcelled tantra. However, he did cite two lower level tantras considered main tantras of the charya class: The Manifest Awakening of Vajrapani, and The Tantra of the Empowerment of Vajrapani.

Then the Karmapa read from The Tantra of the Empowerment of Vajrapani:

“Lord of Secrets, how should a student view the Master? Just as they view the Bhagavan Buddha.”

This quotation stated very clearly that the student should view the vajra master as an actual Buddha in this great tantra. Although not included in the unexcelled tantras, most Tibetans say this charya tantra, The Tantra of the Empowerment of Vajrapani, was important because it was an example of how the lower tantras also taught that the student should view the guru as a buddha. 

Lord Tsongkhapa also cited an excerpt from the 17th chapter of the Glorious Guhyasamaja Tantra. Here the bodhisattva mahasattva Maitreya supplicated all the buddhas and bodhisattvas and asked the Buddha this:

“Bhagavan, how should all the tathagatas and the bodhisattvas view a master who has been empowered by the secret vajra of the body, speech, and mind of all tathagatas, Guhyasamaja?”

“Child of the noble family, all the tathagatas and bodhisattvas, view them as the Bodhicitta Vajra. Why? The master is the same as bodhicitta, they cannot be separated into two.”

So Maitreya asks, when you view a master, how do all the buddhas and bodhisattvas recognize a guru? The response is that the master is the same as Bodhicitta Vajra, and Bodhicitta Vajra is just another name for Vajradhara. 

According to Tsilupa’s commentary on the Guhyasamaja:

…‘cannot be separated into two’ means that from Bodhichitta Vajra’s dharmakaya, there arises a sambhogakaya. Because its emanated forms are not in our field of vision, it abides in their body and so… it’s inseparable from them.

Since those who are unable to see the three kayas of the buddha as they are because of their own obscurations, the buddha enters the vajra master’s body to purify others’ karmic obscurations. When we are ordinary individuals, we cannot actually see a buddha. But at this time, when all the buddhas enter the Vajra master’s body they then bring benefit to sentient beings. This is what Acharya Tsilupa said in his commentary. 

The reason for viewing them as inseparable from the guru is to have equal faith in Vajradhara and in the guru. Faith should be stabilized in Vajradhara and accumulations gathered with few difficulties to swiftly reach accomplishment. This is the purpose according to Shantipa’s commentary on Guhyasamaja. This is what Lord Tsongkhapa said.

The Karmapa also quoted a passage from the 15th chapter of the Vajra Dome, (Vajra Pañjara Tantra). The citation in Tsongkhapa’s copy (which is from the Tengyur) is a little different from the Kangyur. The Kangyur reads:

The one who is called Vajradhara
Takes the form of the vajra master.
Aiming to benefit sentient beings.
He remains in ordinary form. 

Here, the Kangyur and Tengyur are basically the same, as Vajradhara takes the form of a guru to benefit sentient beings. 

The Karmapa’s Own Thoughts

Just being a guru or a master does not necessarily mean that someone is a buddha. For example, the Treasury of Knowledge discusses the different kinds of masters:

The types are in general: ordinary being, bodhisattva, nirmanakaya, and sambhogakaya, according to one’s own four phases.

When you are a beginner, you primarily follow a guru as an ordinary individual. When your obscurations are somewhat purified, the guru is a bodhisattva on the levels. When your karmic obscurations are mostly exhausted, you follow a guru who is a bodhisattva on a high level. When you are on the path of seeing, the spiritual friend is an actual nirmanakaya buddha. When you are on the high levels, you can follow the spiritual guru who is an actual sambhogakaya buddha. These are the four different types of vajra masters. 

But this is not necessarily definitely so. Even when your karma has not been purified, it is possible that you may be cared for by an emanation of a buddha or a bodhisattva. It’s not necessarily the case that if you are an individual, your spiritual friend will be an ordinary individual. When you talk about the division of the four types of spiritual friends, then this is just a general or a gross overview. 

When you think about the four types of Mahayana spiritual friends, these four types are also similar in the secret mantra: you can classify the gurus as ordinary individuals and as noble individuals who have reached the levels. The reason is because it is not the case that a guru of a secret mantra absolutely must be a buddha. It is not so that an ordinary individual may not be given empowerments or be a guru. This is not what the Tantras say. 

Likewise, the secret mantra explains many characteristics of the guru: it does not say that they must have achieved the bodhisattva levels or that they must be a buddha. It is possible that the guru may be an ordinary individual. However, whether the guru in their own perspective is a buddha or not, the prospective student must have unlimited faith and great pure view of them. This is very important. 

When we look at this from the perspective of the student: the student must have unlimited faith and great pure view of the guru, it is important to have faith as if they are an actual buddha. There are a few main points here:

We see the gurus as being like ordinary beings, but they might be emanations of buddhas and bodhisattvas, since many are like that.

Lhodrak Marpa, the translator, was known to be an emanation of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, or Domba Heruka. When we look at them, they seem like ordinary beings, but they actually are emanations of buddhas and bodhisattvas. This is possible.

When we go into a monastery—like Rumtek—we cannot categorically say that there are no emanations of buddhas and bodhisattvas in Rumtek monastery. When we study the signs, we remember the reasons for the non-observation of the imperceptible. We can’t point at someone and say: there is an emanation of a buddha or bodhisattva. We cannot categorically say that there are none. 

Similarly, when we read the biographies of the Indian siddhas, many had achieved the supreme siddhi, but to benefit a variety of sentient beings, they even took the lowest of low forms. For example, Saraha was servant to a prostitute. Tilopa was a fisherman who caught live fish. Merely appearing in an ordinary form does not necessarily mean that they’re not a buddha. 

Many gurus and scholars in the past have said that while transmitting a teaching through writing, they were possessed and blessed by a deity.

When Acharya Gunaprabha was writing the Vinaya Sutra, the Buddha entered his chest, and he became possessed and blessed. Later, when he wrote the Autocommentary, he didn’t receive the blessings from the Buddha and the Autocommentary didn’t completely live up to his understanding when writing about the Vinaya Sutras. But it can still be said that the Vinaya Sutras are still the words of the Buddha, because the Buddha had entered and blessed him.

Even if the guru is not an actual buddha, they are the ones who give us empowerments, teach us the dharma, show us the path, and guide us out of samsara. In terms of activity, they are like a buddha. It’s not like the sun can directly light a fire. Only if you shine sunlight through a magnifying glass can it light a fire. If you’re going to receive the activity of the Buddha, it needs to pass through the guru. When the Buddha has possessed the guru, the guru has received the blessings of the buddhas. From our perspective, the guru is like a buddha. Because we have lesser fortune, we cannot take empowerments from the Buddha directly or receive instructions directly. 

Since we don't have the fortune or the capability, even if a Buddha were to appear before us, we wouldn't be able to receive an empowerment. Even if a Buddha came carrying a vase, we wouldn't be able to take it, because we don’t have that connection with the Buddha. If a Buddha should come before us, we wouldn’t see them, hear their words, or meet them. We don’t have the ability. Therefore, there’s no one better way to meet the Buddha than through the guru. The guru shows us the Buddha’s method, whether they're a good person or a bad person, for us, a Buddha would have to be just like them. There is no other way.

When Mikyö Dorje wrote Complete Teachings on Mahamudra, he asked:

What is the basis for considering someone the root guru? 

What is the reason we call them the root guru? 

How do we understand the guru?

First, we must understand the great guru: the first guru, the first among the lamas with no one above him, the one who plants a/the stable basis for the roots of virtue, the first one from whom we feel faith, that is our root guru. 

From our perspective as ordinary individuals, the guru is among all the gurus and jewels throughout space, but our guru is the one who has the greatest and highest wisdom, love, and power. There are many jewels throughout space, but compared to all the gurus throughout space, the one who benefits us is the one who has the perfect wisdom, love, and power, is the guru. 

From beginningless samsara until now, many buddhas and jewels have come, yet we haven’t been able to make a virtuous connection with them. Because of this exalted guru, we are able to make a virtuous connection. So compared to all the buddhas who fill space, this guru is far superior to them. The gurus themselves, if they are ordinary individuals in terms of their qualities, can’t be compared to the buddhas. But for us, their capacity and their kindness are far greater. This is why we say, equal to all the buddhas in qualities, far superior to buddhas in kindness. 

No other buddha has been able to bring us onto the path to liberation, so now we have reached the beginning of the path. This is because of our guru Vajra master and our root guru’s kindness. They are extremely kind to us. The Kadampa masters of the past said, “Ordinary gurus are like people who give us food when we’re hungry.” 

Are noble gurus like that? The gurus who are well on the bodhisattva levels are the people who finally give us food. Once we’re already quite full, they’re the only ones who finally start giving us food. The gurus on the noble levels are like that. 

When our stomachs are empty and we’re about to die from hunger, the ordinary gurus give us food; when we’re about to die from cold, the ordinary gurus give us clothes. The noble gurus give us food when we’re full and that  is kind, but it’s not as kind as the ordinary guru because we don't really need it. The gurus who dwell on the noble levels, by the time we get to the point where we can see them, we're doing all right ourselves and are at a pretty high level ourselves. The Kadampa gurus say noble gurus are pretty good, but not quite as kind as the ordinary individual gurus. 

In the worldly tradition of upstanding people, the people who are like our parents and teachers, beneficent, and so forth, are the jewels. Likewise, the guru is the one who can bring us onto the path to buddhahood in one lifetime, in one body, even if they’re not actually a buddha themselves. There’s no way we can find a buddha by ourselves. If we went looking for another buddha other than them, we wouldn’t find them. For this reason, we need to view the guru as a buddha. 

With this point in mind, Mikyö Dorje said in his text on the indivisibility of winds and mind states:

“Even though the guru is an ordinary person, when performing activities which has benefit in empowering students, all the buddhas actually come.”

From one perspective, we visualize the guru as the Buddha, as the yidam deity. All the buddhas and the bodhisattvas, the yidam deities, all the blessings of all three vajras of the body, speech and mind enter the guru. When the student takes the empowerment, they naturally receive the blessings of all the buddhas and the bodhisattvas. For that reason, the guru at the time becomes an actual guru. We receive the activity of the guru coming through the guru, so we are able to receive any benefit from them. Without a guru, we cannot receive the power of the Buddha’s activity, because we haven’t really come to that capability or to that level yet. From our own perspective, the guru is kinder than the buddhas.
 
After this, there are many different citations that Mikyö Dorje gave from the tantras and the Indian texts. So, a qualified guru such as that, when you see them as being an actual buddha or being equal to the Buddha, or even seeing them, if we can view them in this way, this is excellent. 

As Mikyö Dorje said in his 100 Short Instructions:

As you develop devotion, as you develop the ambition to use supplications, then you receive the blessings to be able to receive the supreme and ordinary siddhis according to the level of your devotion and supplications.

In general, it’s not only supplicating that’s important. It’s not enough to think that “my guru is like this, but there must be some buddha that’s superior to that.” If you don't think of your guru as being the greatest, then you’re not going to receive many blessings. 

If you think that there is no Buddha who is superior to the Buddha, if you have that confidence, that certainty, and you have that confidence within your mind, then you can supplicate them with every fiber of your being. With this enthusiasm of body, speech, and mind, unlike any other enthusiasm, then you will receive the blessings of the guru. 

Even if the gurus themselves are ordinary beings, whether they are an ordinary being, or a buddha, or a nirmanakaya, or not a nirmanakaya, most important is that the guru has all the qualifications, and that you yourself have faith—the faith that you are someone capable of development, the faith that causes this—and devotion. This faith you have is one you are able to develop, the faith that is the cause that gives you devotion, and then you will receive the kindness of the empowerments, instructions, and transmissions. In this way, you'll be able to receive all the blessings of the Buddha’s body, speech, and mind. 

From the 100 Short Instructions, Mikyö Dorje said:

Some people think that when we say that the guru isn’t a buddha, but we imagine that he’s a buddha, but they are not, they think that we just imagine being like, we’re just feeling; but the guru is not freed from birth, age, and sickness, they suffer from heat, and cold, hunger, and thirst, and if things don’t happen the way they like, then they can cry out in pain, they can complain, and they can worry. It’s just a human who does that, so if you have an ordinary individual like that, can they possibly be Vajradhara?

A Vajradhara is someone who has no feelings of pleasure or pain, someone who has no experience of hunger, cold, thirst, and so forth. That’s what we think. Their Vajradhara, doesn’t need to experience hunger and thirst, doesn’t need to have birth, age, sickness, and death, for their Vajradhara won’t complain when things don’t work as they should, so we think there’s no way that they can be like that. That’s what a Vajradhara has to be like. But the book of Vajradhara says: “In the final 500-year period, I myself will appear in the form of a teacher, I think this is me, and at that time generate respect for me.” 

If we examine it, they may seem like an ordinary individual, but they receive the blessings of Vajradhara's body, speech, and mind, then the disciples can receive from them the blessings of Vajradhara and accomplishments can be bestowed.

For this reason, there is no greater root of virtue than pleasing the guru.

*

Many similar things have been said, so I don't need to say all of it. Before you follow the guru, you need to look whether the guru has all the characteristics or not. Even if you can’t, you need to examine. You can’t just follow any guru. Once you have followed the guru, even if you see a few faults, you should not lose faith or complain about them or criticize them. 

The Kadampa masters have said, “If you follow the guru, but don’t examine them first,  it’s like getting married.” 

The Karmapa commented on how getting married these days is not as in the past when marriage was for life:

If you get married one year, you break up and go with someone else next year. It’s not like that. It’s not like when you go to a guru and then you are with him for a little while and think, ‘Oh, there's a better one,’ and then you find another.

That's not good. If you disappoint one guru, you are disappointing all gurus. Even if a guru is not good, you must respect them as an actual Buddha. Even if the guru is bad, you should still not disrespect them. If you disrespect them, then no matter how much respect you show a good guru later, you will not be able to receive it, because you will have a breach of samaya; then later, no matter what instructions you have, you will not receive the blessings or develop experience and realization. So, we must be very careful. The main thing here are the blessings. They are extremely important for taking the blessings of the path.

The Karmapa referred to Gampopa’s Excellent Dharma Teachings:

Gampopa said that in the sutra path, taking blessings is the path. Some say that it is taking perception as the path. But Gampopa said that the Tantra is taking blessings as the path, taking Mahamudra, taking the perception as the path. So, in the secret mantra, blessings are extremely important. The origin of the blessings is the guru, it’s the place where you receive the blessings from, the place where the faucet from which the blessings come is the guru. The place where we receive the blessings from is the guru. The place we feel the faith and devotion must be the guru. The place where that comes from, the place where we go, it all comes down to the guru.

It's possible you could receive some blessings without the guru. But if you have violated your samaya, if you have upset the guru, if you have disrespected the guru, then it’s basically impossible for you to receive the blessings and it’s extremely difficult to receive any of the blessings. For this reason, no matter how many blessings you receive from the buddhas and bodhisattvas and so forth, you can receive from the buddhas and bodhisattvas, you must receive them through the guru. So first, you must have true faith, pure faith in that guru. If you don't have faith, then you can't receive any blessings. The gateway for receiving blessings is faith.

There was a Kadampa master in the past who spoke to a student. The student said, “Please give me blessings.”

The guru said, “Well, first of all, give me faith. If I need to bless you, then first, you must have faith in me. If you don’t have faith in me, then I can’t bless you.” So similarly, the greater your faith, the greater the blessings that you will receive. 

As Gampopa said, “It’s well known that the highest devotion has the devotee’s blessings. If you have excellent vigilance, then you have the greatest blessings. If you have middling devotion, then your meditation will also be middling, and your blessings will also be middling. If you have the least devotion, you have low-rate devotion, then you just have low-rate blessings and only have low-rate meditation.” This is an example of faith for a guru.

There is a story found in the biography of Tsurphu Jamyang Chenmo, about a student of Third Karmapa Deshin Shekpa from The Feast of Scholars by Eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje:

A student, Thrimkang Lotsawa Sonam Gyatso, was traveling through Kham to gather offerings where there were many Karmapa followers. He knew he needed the Karma Kamtsang lineage blessing if he should teach them, so he went to Tsurphu to visit Tsurphu Jamyang Chenmo. Upon arrival, he was welcomed and they both prostrated to each other. When they sat, their seats were exactly at the same level. They had good meals together and were provided with excellent hospitality, but Thrimkang Lotsawa did not receive any teachings. They had conversations and discussions about the dharma. Tsurphu Jamyang Chenmo was very learned.

But after a month, Thrimkang Lotsawa thought about it. Tsurphu Jamyang Chenmo was treating him with respect but hadn’t given him any dharma teachings. Every day they had many conversations, but Thrimkang Lotsawa thought, “He’s giving me a lot of respect but not teaching the Dharma.”

Then Thrimkang Lotsawa thought, “To listen to the dharma properly, I have too much pride, my view is too high.” He hadn’t developed faith and had thought of the spiritual friend. He realized he had been thinking about the dharma as a thing, like wealth; he had not thought of the dharma as the dharma, so he had not been able to develop faith, and had not become a proper vessel for the dharma. He hadn’t developed the perception of the spiritual friend as a buddha, but had seen him as a friend, an ordinary being. Thus he realized he had not been a proper vessel for the dharma, and he immediately became very sad and shed many tears. 

When he had this feeling, he realized that Tsurphu Jamyang Chenmo was the same as the Buddha. He supplicated intensely. Then on the next morning, very early, he was called to meet Tsurphu Jamyang Chenmo. 

When Thrimkang Lotsawa arrived, it was different from other days. He saw Tsurphu Jamyang Chenmo seated on his throne. He did not stand up and prostrate. Then Tsurphu Jamyang Chenmo gave a blessing with his hand. In the past they had touched foreheads. In front of Thrimkang Lotsawa there was a small carpet. 

Jamyang Chenmo said, “You please sit here.” When he said, “Sit there,” that, “Someone who seeks the Dharma should act like this." 

Then immediately, Jamyang Chenmo gave a teaching on the profound inner meaning and taught the Six Limits and Four Amounts. Thrimkang Lotsawa made notes on this which we can still see in his commentary. He received this as instructions, so he developed extraordinary faith in Jamyang Chenmo. This is the reason why faith is so important.  

The greater our faith, the better it is. There is another story about that. 

Phagmo Drupa Dorjé Gyalpo and Geshe Zhang Sumthokpa were first dharma friends, but later Geshe Zhang Sumthokpa became a senior student of Phagmo Drupa Dorjé Gyalpo. 

At that time, Gampopa was very well known so Phagmo Drupa wanted to meet Gampopa very badly. So Geshe Zhang said, “If you are going to Gampopa, let’s go. I also want to see Gampopa and prostrate to him.” Since they were both friends, they went together. Geshe Zhang Sumthokpa was very wealthy and brought many gifts and provisions to offer when they arrived at Daglha Gampo monastery. When they arrived, Gampopa was not feeling well, so they did not meet for forty days. 

During that time, Gampopa’s students were building a stūpa as a long life offering for Gampopa. So Phagmo Drupa joined in and carried the earth back and forth to build it. When Gampopa recovered his health, they were immediately called, and they went to see him. 

Then Phagmo Drupa thought, “He’s not going to give me any dharma. I don’t have anything to offer. He considered himself at fault, so, he said to his friend, “I have nothing to offer. So if we go together, he might not give teachings to you as well. We should go separately.” But Geshe Zhang Sumthokpa didn’t say anything, so they went to see Gampopa together. At the beginning of their audience, Geshe Zhang offered Gampopa a huge turquoise, the size of a pigeon according to some accounts, declaring, “This is in place of Phagma Drupa making his offerings.” He then offered many silks and brocades.  They drank tea together and conversed.

Phagmo Drupa had been so worried about not receiving dharma teachings, but Gampopa told both of them to return the following day for breakfast and dharma teachings.

Afterwards, the two friends discussed what had happened. Although Gampopa had had his own personal cup, the student attendants had given them tea from Gampopa’s personal teapot, which surprised them. Geshe Zhang particularly thought this was a breach of protocol. 

Phagmo Drupa asked Geshe Zhang, “When you saw the Guru Gampopa, what did you think him?”

Geshe said, “I saw him as a really learned, virtuous and good individual”

Phagmo Drupa said, “When I saw him, it wasn’t like that, I think it was like seeing an actual buddha.”

They would see him again the next morning, but Pagmo Drupa had such a strong desire to see the guru, he didn’t sleep well. He lay waiting for the dawn. The next day he rose early in the morning, and said, “We’ve got to go now, get up, Geshe.” 

The geshe also rose, since the precious guru had said to come early. Geshe Zhang Sumthokpa said, “Those yogis do have some problems. Those students really don’t understand the way things should be done, because of the way the student attendants had given them tea the previous day. He was critical of Gampopa. He said, Gampopa doesn’t really know how things should be done.

Phagmo Drupa said, “But they did this out of a wish to help us. It was beneficial for us. They did this so we could receive the blessings. There’s nothing to think about. We should go.” 

Only then did Geshe Zhang Sumthogpa go along. 

Because of their interdependent connections, later Phagmo Drupma had activities equal to space because he was among Gampopa’s greatest students; but Geshe Zhang became a senior student of Phagmo Drupma—and other than that he did not have particularly vast activity. 

Now, another example is that if you only have medium activity, when your activity increases, your faith grows stronger and stronger. For example, when you receive this tradition, where you actually see the paths and levels, and you see the Buddha as the Buddha. 

Gampopa had incredible faith in Milarepa before he met him. Then when he met Milarepa, he, of course had greater faith. 

But when Gampopa was about to part from him, Milarepa predicted this: “In the future, one day you will have developed superior realization. It’s unlike what you have now. At that time, you'll also have developed the certainty of seeing me, this old man me, like a natural Buddha.” 

Later, when Gampopa was practicing at Olka and other places, he realized the nature of his mind. And at that time, he had the faith of seeing his guru as being an actual buddha. His previous faith was a great faith, but as he said before, the guru was an actual dharmakaya. He thought, “In the past, I saw him as an actual great mahasiddha. That wasn’t okay.” 

The Karmapa commented: You should think the guru is the actual dharmakaya. Because when you receive the dharmakaya, he actually realized that the guru is also the dharma nature, the dharmakaya. That was one story.

There’s another story about Götsangpa. Götsangpa’s guru was Drogon Tsampa Gyare. He once thought that Drogon Tsampa Gyare was probably a tenth level bodhisattva. This was Götsangpa’s  initial thought—that the guru was a tenth level bodhisattva—but then he immediately criticized himself:

“The guru who points out my own mind, who points out the actual nature of the dharma, do you think that is the dharmakaya? I think there's no one else who thinks of that. He is an authentic guru.” 

“Thinking that the guru is a tenth level bodhisattva is not authentic devotion. Thinking that they are an actual buddha is actual devotion.

“Since I once thought of my guru Chöje Repa as a tenth-level bodhisattva. Immediately he scolded me saying, ‘It’s only the guru who points out your mind is a buddha as on the tenth level.’ From then on, I never lacked the idea of him being a guru.”

From then on, Götsangpa never lacked the idea of the buddha. Thinking that the guru is a tenth level bodhisattva, for somebody like great Götsangpa, we think that the Guru is a tenth level Bodhisattva. Do you think of that? This is not authentic devotion. Thinking that they're an actual Buddha is actual devotion, is what he was recognizing. 

Forget about thinking of the guru as a buddha or a tenth level bodhisattva! For us, it’s even difficult to think of the guru as an authentic guru.  Because of our obscurations and negative karma, the fact that we can see the guru as a human being rather than a dog or a donkey is an improvement. How then can we develop the faith and pure vision of seeing the guru as an actual buddha? 

Some Additional Ideas to Share

There was a time when Dromtonpa asked Atiśa a question: “There are many people in Tibet who practice meditation, but there aren’t that many who develop superior qualities, why is that?”

Atiśa replied:

“All the qualities of the Mahayana you develop, whether great or small, all arise because of the guru. You Tibetans only think of the guru as an ordinary person. For that reason, how can you possibly develop extraordinary qualities?”

The gurus of the past, said that if you lacked dedication to the guru, you would not receive the blessings. You must have faith and dedication to the guru and you must also think of the guru as being a buddha. If you think of the guru as a buddha, then you will receive a buddha’s blessing. If you think of the guru as a bodhisattva, you receive a bodhisattva’s blessing. If you think of the guru as being an ordinary person, a regular person, you won’t receive many blessings at all. 

There are many scriptural and logical proofs that teach us that the guru is the same as a buddha or is an actual buddha. But if you don't believe that, no matter how many thousands of proofs you are presented with, there's not much benefit. 

When you say that the guru and the Buddha are the same, what is the buddha like that the guru is like? That’s something we need to consider. In general, we have our individual ideas. Is this like being the greatest person we know? Or might it be the one with the purest ethical conduct? Or could it be like an individual who has exhausted all qualities, possesses all qualities? The levels differ from person to person.

Some people have very low-level expectations. Some people have very complicated needs and wants, they have a very high level that is difficult.

We tend to think of the Buddha as a superhuman, or like a god, or we think of the Jowo in Lhasa, getting up and coming down to us from heaven. When we talk about the Buddha we treat it like myth. We don’t think of it as human history. But the Buddha was a historical person who lived in India 2,500 years ago. He was a historical person. He wasn't a god. When he was born, he was born from his mother's womb. He spent eight or nine months in his mother's womb. That's the same as all of us, isn't it? When he wanted to learn the alphabet, he had to be taught the letters from the very beginning. He had to eat food. He had to go to the bathroom. At night, he had to sleep. He got sick. He got old, and he passed away. If we don't say it respectfully, he died, didn’t he? He was someone who experienced pleasure and pain. So when you look at him, he’s just a human being, right? 

But what was different about him from other people, is that he had awakened to buddhahood. He had achieved the level of buddhahood. That makes him different from other people. When you say that he awakened to buddhahood, it doesn’t mean that he developed three heads and developed six arms, as if when you become Buddha, you develop extra heads and extra arms. 

That’s not what you mean. Sometimes we talk about the third eye in the middle of your forehead. It’s not like this eye develops in the middle of the forehead, right? We’re not talking about the growth of a third eye. We’re not saying you grow an extra eye when you become a buddha. 

Awakening to buddhahood means that you realize the true nature of phenomena. It's when you understand what the path to achieving liberation in omniscience is. It’s knowing how to teach that path to other people. It means you are someone who can teach this path unmistakably to others. Being a Buddha means you've come to an extremely high level of experience and realization. That’s why we call him Buddha. 

It's not about becoming some superhuman and becoming a god. That’s not what it means. When you say, he’s “awakened to buddhahood” it means a huge improvement in his internal qualities. It doesn't mean that his external form as a human has changed at all. If we only look at him on the surface, it would be difficult to distinguish between whether he's a Buddha or not. 

For example, in the future, scientists could invent a time machine, that could go back in time, so we could return to the time of the Buddha. We would have to search for and find the Buddha on our own, right? If we needed to do it on our own, I think that we probably wouldn't find the Buddha. It wouldn’t be easy to find the Buddha. Even if we did find the Buddha, we wouldn’t recognize him as being a Buddha. The reason is that none of us has ever actually met the Buddha. 

Also, a more important reason is the way we think about a Buddha. We don't think of him as an ordinary person. We believe he must be different, an extraordinary being. When we go to the Bodhi tree, we see an ordinary person who is the Buddha. We wouldn’t believe it. This can’t be the Buddha. It must be someone who’s radiating light, who has a halo. He must be huge. We look all around to see if we can find him. We wouldn't really take any interest in the person directly in front of us as being the Buddha.

So when we say “Buddha” there’s an incredible, huge gap between the Buddha that we think should be there and the actual Buddha. Also at that time, there were many spiritual practitioners who sat on their mats meditating. In India at that time, if you looked from the outside, many looked like the Buddha. The whole country was filled with them. So we’d wonder, “Who’s the actual Buddha?” We wouldn’t know. 

I think it would be difficult for us. We need to understand that Buddha Shakyamuni was an individual who appeared in a human form. If we understand that, then I feel we can understand how the guru can be a buddha.

In general, when we talk about a spiritual friend or a guru, about the external appearance of the spiritual friend or the guru, the way we should understand that is that we don't mean an external appearance of another human being. That's not what we mean when we say a spiritual friend or guru. What it means is someone who teaches us the pure dharma and elevates our mind to a higher level. 

The word “buddha” doesn't refer to the external form. It refers to inner qualities. To understand the Jewel of the Buddha is to recognize someone who teaches the students the unmistaken path. That’s the main activity of the Jewel of the Buddha. 

For this reason, we call Shakyamuni Buddha our teacher, because he’s the one who teaches us the path. He’s the first one who taught us the path, so we call him our teacher. Also, the guru is authentic. The guru teaches the path without mistake, just like the Buddha. They’re able to teach that for us individually. The guru performs the activity of a buddha, just as the Buddha. 

If the guru has a lineage, the dharma they teach has been passed down from Buddha Shakyamuni, from one guru to the next. Many great beings have practiced it, all the way down to our own root guru now. 

The dharma we receive from the root guru and the dharma that we receive from Shakyamuni Buddha would be no different. The dharma they teach is the same. There’s no difference between them. For this reason, if we think about it in terms of these reasons, it wouldn’t be presumptuous to say that all the teachers who teach the students of the dharma are like the buddhas. It’s not contradictory of reality. I think it actually matches how things truly are. 

Instead of taking the very person as an ordinary person, as an example, a spiritual friend, we need to take the person who teaches us the true dharma and helps us elevate our dharma at our mind to a higher level. The teacher Vajradhara himself also said, as I also said before, “In a future time of degeneration, I will appear in the form of a master.” He said this while in a degenerate time: the people who want the dharma will not be able to meet me, the teacher Vajradhara. But they don’t need to think that they can’t meet and practice the Dharma, that they can’t receive the Dharma. Because even though I seem to have passed away, always, I'm performing an activity to pass on the Dharma.

If you are born in a degenerate time, if you want to enter my teachings, at that time I'll become your teacher and teach you the Dharma that’s appropriate for your devotion. 

Another doubt that we might have is that if we think about the guru as a buddha, this might mean we’re being taught secret mantra, and it’s not Buddhism. It’s not something that’s accepted generally in Buddhism. But that's also not true. 

For example, we talk about the preeminent account of the Vinaya. We speak about the activity of associating with the teachers, that those who associate with them should keep the concept of thinking of the Khenpo as the guru. They should serve him, stand up promptly, walk quickly, be respectful.

In the Vinaya, it says that you must regard the Khenpo as the Teacher (Bhagwan Buddha) Likewise, the Mahayana Sutras, such as the Sutra on the Ten Dharmas says: “They are thus free of depravity of body, speech and mind, so arouse the conception of the abbot as the Teacher.”

Likewise, the Light of Gold Sutra says: “Arouse the connection of the Teacher Dharma as the great Teacher.” The Sutra of Narayana's Questions, also known as the Noble Mahayana Sutra called “The Samadhi that Encompasses All Merits” says that you should think of the Dharma as medicine and think of the abbot and master as the Teacher. For this reason, in general of course, we say that in the sutras it said:

We recognize in the sutras that you should view the gurus as being like the Buddha. And in the śastras it says you should recognize them as being the actual Buddha. They do make that distinction, but in any case, where the Buddha is similar, you need to visualize, see them in that way. What we need to do is, it’s not just someone who can teach their guru. What is as important to that is having belief, having confidence. If you don’t have confidence, even if the Buddha came in person, it would be difficult.

Because the Buddha lived around 80 years, during that time many people had faith and confidence in him. Many followed him and achieved liberation. There were a lot of people like that. But there also were people who didn’t feel faith in him, who didn’t consider him valuable, or even who didn’t take much interest in him. There are many people like that. And then there was Devadatta. He wasn’t just anyone. He was the Buddha’s own cousin. He was his own cousin, but Devadatta felt jealous of the Buddha and began to hate him. He tried to kill the Buddha several times. There were even people like that. Even with a perfect Buddha, there were people who made good connections with him, people who made bad connections, and there are people who made no connection at all.

So, there are many different types of people. It’s not like the Buddha is just merely being there. It doesn’t mean that everyone’s going to feel faith in him. That's not necessarily going to happen. There’s no lesson that says you’re going to achieve liberation. The main point is from your own perspective, having faith and confidence is as important. So having faith and conviction in the guru and the Teacher, are the same in importance. Sometimes having confidence is even more important. It’s even more important than having someone to teach you the path. 

There’s a story when it’s more important than being on the path. This story took place in the old days, long ago, when two people wanted to go to circumambulate Tsari mountain. Tsari is a sacred site, a very important Kagyu place. These people went to circumambulate Tsari, and there was a neighbor in that region, an old lady who heard about them. When she heard them, she went to them, and the old woman asked them, “Is it true that you two are going to Tsari?” 

And the two people said, “Yeah, it’s true, we’re going.”

The old woman was delighted. She said, “Okay, then my wish will be fulfilled.” And she said, “Tsari is a long way, so you’ll need some provisions for the trip.” So she gave them a bag of tsampa and a bag of puffed wheat. A full bag for both. Then she said, “Now you two go to Tsari, go to the top at Dakpa Sheri, the Pure Crystal Mountain, and then from Dakpa Sheri, bring a small rock, a small stone as a support for me, an old woman, to pray over. I’ve heard that Tsari is the mandala of Chakrasamvara, so if I can have a stone from there, I can practice.” 

And they said, “Oh, this is easy, of course, we'll do this.”

And off they went. They went to Tsari, they circumambulated the mountain but forgot to bring back a rock. 

As they were returning, the old woman knew that it was about the time they’d return, so she went out to look. “Are they coming?”

She searched to see if they were coming, and then, from the high point, they saw her standing and immediately remembered they’d forgotten to bring the rock. “What are we going to do? What should we do? Think about it, what’s the best thing to do? There’s nothing we can do. We needed to bring just a black rock from there.”

So they went to a spot where the old lady couldn’t see them; they found a black rock, wrapped it in a kata, and pretended it was valuable. They put it inside their cloaks and went to visit the old woman. 

When they arrived, the old woman asked them, “How are you doing? Did you have problems?” She listened, then said, “And then? You two must have brought my rock, right?”

They replied, “Of course. We paid so much attention to this we intentionally were careful to do this.” They said they took the stone from right in front of the Pure Crystal Mountain and then gave it to the old woman. They thought to themselves, “Oh, this old woman! There are many gullible old women like her. Even these days, right?”

She said, “Oh, this black stone must really have come from that sacred place, and it must be the yidam deity itself.” 

She put it above her pillow, she made a shelf above it, placed it on top, then made offerings to it. Every day she offered water and lamps, and whatever she ate or drank she made an offering to it. In the morning and at night, she prostrated a hundred times, and supplicated it. Eventually, the stone grew an image of Vajravarahi herself, the image just grew spontaneously. And the old woman’s faith increased greatly.

Of course, your faith is going to grow, right? She just supplicated like a nun, and as she did, the stone started to give off many relics. In the end, when the old woman passed away, there were so many miraculous signs, it’s like she went off to Kechari. So this is the story.

This is how important confidence is, right? And that belief in confidence must be stainless, sincere, and pure. If our faith and conviction is not pure, then it’s not good. A lot of people nowadays who enter the gate of dharma do not find an authentic guru and instead meet fake gurus. A lot of times this happens. And one factor in this is when the student does not have a pure motivation. The student doesn’t have a stable intention to practice genuine Dharma.

The Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa said, “The student’s mirror is the guru.” 

The guru appears in the way according to your desires and wishes. If you’re someone who is attached to external appearances, then basically when you look, it’s possible to find a guru who, when you look at them from the outside, is handsome and good-looking. That’s what you’re going to look for, and that’s what you’re going to find. Some people think they should find a guru who pays a lot of attention to them, always welcoming, who doesn’t think about other people, and always will see themselves more than anyone else. They think that’s what the guru is going to be like. Because that’s what they want, I also find that there’s the danger that they’re only going to find a guru like that. 

Think of Milarepa, for example. He practiced sorcery, killed people. He killed a lot of people. He thought, “When I die, there’s nowhere I’m going to go except for hell.” He only had one hope, that he could reach a guru who could give the instructions on awakening into buddhahood. If he could meet them, get the instructions and achieve buddhahood, then he could do that. Other than meeting that guru, there was nothing else he could think of that he could do. There was nothing else that he needed. Perhaps this seems like too extreme an example, but in any case, for us to practice the Dharma, it’s important for us to have the motivation of wanting to practice the Dharma and the pure true motivation of wanting to follow a guru as a real practitioner. If our motivation is pure and sincere, then our chance of meeting the guru becomes hundreds of times much more likely. If you don’t have that, you won’t be able to.

For example, if Tilopa, Nāropa, Marpa, and other teachers manifested, how would we see them, as being like a good guru? Most of us probably wouldn’t see them as being like a good guru. People who behave so badly! Forget about us seeing them as a guru. We’d probably call the police to have them arrested, put them on trial, send them to prison, or maybe send them to a lunatic asylum. There’s the danger that we’d do that, right?

Particularly in Tibet, forget about it, there’s no freedom. Here, however, there is the freedom to sue the gurus. People will say anything about the gurus. You have a lot of freedom of criticism. So now we’re in a time like this. If Tilopa, Nāropa, and Marpa were alive today, it would be difficult for us to consider them an authentic guru. For this reason, it’s important to have a good guru. But from our perspective, it’s important to have good certainty and good conviction in them.

With that, the Karmapa concluded the teaching. 

Verses 26-34:

Appreciation of the Guru’s Retinue;

Rules of Conduct in the Guru’s Presence

17 April 2025

The Gyalwang Karmapa continued his teaching on the Fifty Verses on the Guru (Skt: Gurupañcāśikā) primarily relying on the Sanskrit commentary Textual Explanation of Following the Guru (Skt. Gurvārādhana-pañjikā) and Je Tsongkhapa’s commentary Fulfilling All the Student’s Wishes: An Explanation of the Fifty Verses on the Guru.
According to Je Tsongkhapa’s outline, there are eight ways to show respect:

Making offerings

Viewing them as a buddha

Fulfilling their instructions

How to treat the guru’s things and retinue

Being pure in immediate behavior

Particulars of serving with body and speech

Abandoning pride

Not acting independently

Today’s topics are topics 4-6, covered in verses 26-34.

4: How One Should Behave Towards the Guru’s Things and Retinue

Verse 26

Always think, in equipoise,
Of the guru’s wealth as like your life, 
The guru’s consort like the guru, 
And their people as your family. Verse 26 

According to the Sanskrit Commentary 

The Guru’s wealth/possessions could be personal/movable (gold, silver and so forth) and property/immovable (fields, houses and so forth). You should think of them as being like your life. The Guru’s consort means wife according to Sanskrit Commentary [ed: in the root text, the Skt. word aṅganā means a woman, unambiguously referring to a female]. The Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit Commentary reads སྡུག་མ་ (dugma) also referring to a female dear to the guru’s heart (Tib. སྙིང་སྡུག་ (nying dug)), the Karmapa explains,  and adds that it can also include children [ed. Tibetan root text reads སྡུག་པ་ (dugpa), and Je Tsongkhapa’s commentary interprets this as meaning the consort and sons.] Their people means the people around the guru. As your family means that you should view them with love and affection. In equipoise means without distraction. It most likely does not refer to the post-meditational equipoise but, rather, it means always. You should always, without getting distracted, maintain such an attitude.

One should guard the guru’s wealth as one’s own life. Just as one pays respect to the guru so one should pay respect to the guru’s wife and just as one loves their own friends and family and treats them with affection, one should do the same with the guru’s people.

Verse 26 according to Mikyo Dorje’s One Hundred Short Instructions (Tib: ཁྲིད་ཐུང་བརྒྱ་རྩ།) 

According to tantras, considering the guru’s wealth as your own means that you should guard and cherish it as your own. You may only give the guru’s wealth to whomever he has intended it for, only as he wishes – not distributing it as you see fit. Moreover, using it incorrectly while saying that you are using it for something virtuous is an extremely grave misdeed. You should not boldly assume the guru’s needs and wishes and act on your own accord.

Milarepa’s Reverence

In the past, when Milarepa showed respect to Marpa he paid similar respect to Mother Dagmema (Nairatmyā) and their son Darma Dode. He didn’t see them as ordinary people. There are many stories of Milarepa serving Mother Dagmema. For example, while she was milking a cow, he would offer his back as a stool for her to sit on. He saw both Dagmema and Dode as his gurus.

Mahāsiddha Lingrepa’s Vision of Reverence

According to the Blue Annals (Tib. དེབ་ཐེར་སྔོན་པོ།), when Mahāsiddha Lingrepa first went to Phakmo Drupa, he was 38 years old. He arrived on the day of the winter solstice and saw Drogön on his throne. Upon sight of him, he developed unlimited compassion and faith, thinking: “Even these trees and birds are most likely emanations.” 

How Drigungpa Jigten Sumgön Remedied the Transgression of Impure View

When Drigungpa Jigten Sumgön first visited Phagmo Drupa, he was displeased with the conduct of some monks. A geshe named Samyepa, who was considered one of the better students, was expected to pay one measure of yogurt but gave five measures of poor quality barley instead. Thinking: “If the best ones are like this, what need is there to mention others?” he lost faith in the monastic community as a whole. However, he had sharp faculties and was able to recognize that such thinking would create an obstacle. To remedy this, he prostrated three times before each monastic and recited the seven-branch prayer as much as possible to the community. At first, people said that he was just pretending, but later they acknowledged him for his piety and he was called the “faithful person”. He said: “If you don’t develop contrived devotion, it is difficult to develop uncontrived devotion.”

5: Being pure In Your Immediate Behavior

According to the outline in Lord Tsongkhapa’s commentary, this point has three sub-points:

Stopping inappropriate behavior, further divided into two:

The training for when in the guru’s sight – we need to pay attention to our behavior in front of the guru

The training for when in the guru’s hearing range – even if the guru can merely hear us, we must pay attention to certain points

Practicing appropriate behavior 

Teaching other ways to stop inappropriate behavior.

The Ornament of Mahayana Sutras (Skt: Mahāyāna-sūtrālamkāra-kārikā) teaches the stages of respect in the lines:

Serve the spiritual friend with respect,
Gifts, service, and practice.

Honourable Behaviour

Understanding instructions on how to show respect to the guru in the following verses is rather easy, but practical applications can be more difficult, but they are important. This particularly concerns those who are often in the guru’s presence and it is imperative for those serving, attending the guru.

At first glance, they only seem to instruct on paying respect through body and speech, physically and verbally. But it is far deeper than that. For a student, the one who is the kindest in this world is the one most deserving of the utmost respect – and that is our guru, vajra master who is Vajradhara. The Karmapa advised relying on this text as a very useful source for understanding the polite ways of showing respect for the guru of honourable, well-behaved people. But this is also useful for learning the proper conduct in front of other great beings as well. 

Unlike in the past, these days there are more exchanges between different social and ethnic groups. It is taught that to know the level of a person’s education you should look at their behavior. With a country, for example, you can tell how high the level of education is, the length of their history, and the degree of prosperity by whether its people behave in a good, upstanding manner and how respectful they are. There is a saying in the Snow Land of Tibet: “Your view may be equal to the gods, but your behavior must comport with people.” Even in ancient times, our forefathers emphasised the importance of taking interest in areas of knowledge related to good behavior. It would be fair to say that the Tibetan language has one of the most developed set of honorifics in the world. One could make an entire “Honorific dictionary” consisting only of the honorific terms. Our ancestors had a tradition of saying:

Behavior distinguishes the honourable and dishonourable. The honourable are learned in prostrations and honorifics. The dishonourable are great in sleep and stomach.

This implies that good behavior is considered honourable, and bad behavior indicates a dishonorable person. This is a relevant component for understanding Tibetan culture and history.

Vinaya Trainings in Discipline

Likewise, in the Buddhist tradition, the basis of the three trainings is the training in discipline. This is primarily connected with our physical and verbal behavior. For example, in the Vinaya, the largest category of downfalls is in the category of trainings. There are 112 trainings. Among them, there are ten related to wearing robes, twenty related to how to walk and travel, nine related to how to sit, eight related to how to beg for alms, twenty-one related to how to eat, fourteen related to how to clean and repair alms bowls, and twenty-six related to how to teach Dharma. This is not just a question of superstition and faith. The level of realization of another is not obviously visible. It is difficult to have a measure of someone’s view and realization. What is visible to people is the good, honorable behaviour of others.

Bodhisattva Trainings in Discipline

Further, in the Bodhisattva-piṭaka, among the offenses, there are 34 that violate gathering virtuous qualities, twelve that violate benefitting beings, and so forth. If we know these, they are profound advice on how to benefit beings and not harm beings, so they are extremely beneficial. 

Secret Mantra Trainings in Discipline

Further, in the Secret Mantra, the basis of the vows and samaya is not rejecting the Dharma, having faith and conviction in the guru, being compassionate toward sentient beings, and so forth. The behaviors related to the guru are taught here in the Fifty Verses on the Guru in a single text so if we understand them in detail, we will know what is good behavior according to Secret Mantra. We can gain a fair degree of knowledge in this area. Thus, it holds a great value for us.

There are many old gurus and older sangha members who are still with us, who continue to practice honourable etiquette. Since we are not paying much attention to it, we are not able to make the connection and recognize the advice from the Fifty Verses on the Guru which they fully put into practice. Likewise, in Himalayan regions, there are many people who put into practice many rules of conduct taught in the Fifty Verses on the Guru.


How Guyi Gungpa Rinchen Pal Achieved Extraordinary Lifespan

In the Dharma history The Feast for Scholars (Tib. མཁས་པའི་དགའ་སྟོན།) there is a story about a student of the 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje named Guyi Gungpa Rinchen Pal. 
When Lord Rangjung Dorje was camped at Netang in Lower Tolung, there were many small children playing there and gathering the dung of the livestock. It happened that a watchdog got loose and started running right towards them. Most children could not find a way to escape it except one, who crawled under an upturned wicker container used for gathering firewood. He held onto a rope from inside while the dog was circling around. No matter how many times it tried, the dog could not find a way in. Eventually, it gave up and went away. Everyone was impressed by this boy’s cleverness. Recognising his uniqueness, Rangjung Dorje asked the parents to give him the child. They offered the child to him, and he became a very well-known guyi gungpa (a title similar to chakdzö (ཕྱག་མཛོད་) or steward)

He served as the steward not only for the 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje but also 4th Karmapa Rolpe Dorje and the 5th Karmapa Deshin Shekpa. All officials including princes of China and Mongolia, great men, the chief officials of Tibet, the Situ and others respected him without dispute because he was conversant in both worldly and dharmic affairs. He was called nothing other than 'Great Master' for the great respect they had for him. It says in The Feast for Scholars: “When it comes to what disciples have done for the teachings of the Karmapa, this one is the greatest.”

The Lhorong Dharma History (Tib. ལྷོ་རོང་ཆོས་བྱུང་།) says that Guyi Gungpa Rinchen Pal served as the Dharma Lord Rangjung Dorje’s attendant. The way he followed the spiritual friend, he practiced exactly as taught in the Fifty Verses on the Guru. He had all of the qualities taught in the Fifty Verses. Later the Dharma Lord Karmapa Deshin Shekpa extended the lifespan of Guyi Gungpa Rinchen Pal considerably, so he reached a very advanced age."​​​​​​​​​​​​

Thus, these teachings from The Fifty Verses on the Guru are something authentic students should put directly into practice. It is not enough to just understand the material or realise the meaning, and neither is it a presentation of philosophy. It is a daily practice to be integrated into one’s heart and shown in body and speech.

Stopping Inappropriate Behaviour 

(1) Conduct When in the Guru’s Sight

This part teaches restraint, according to the outline in the Sanskrit Commentary, in a two-fold manner: it teaches restraint of the body and restraint of speech.

Restraint of the Body:

Verse 27

Don’t sit on their bed or walk before them,
Wear a turban or drape yourself, 
Step on a cushion, or place your hands
Upon your hips when in their presence. (27)

Verse 27 According to the Sanskrit Commentary

A bed (Skt. śayyā; Tib. མལ་སྟན་) refers to any place used for sleep, lying down or sitting. In the past, the Karmapa clarifies, most people didn’t have a variety of furniture to sit, sleep, rest etc. and the same bed was used for all those actions. To sit on it is to be on it. Walking before them is walking ahead of the guru. A turban is a fabric wrapped around the head, similar to Punjabi head wear. Drape yourself is to do so in a type of upper robe or a fine mantle and sit on a seat. In the olden days in India it was considered a status-symbol. Even these days many people in India wear various head dresses and mantles. Do not refers to the entire shloka. Step on their seat means not having feet on their seatThe phrase place your hands upon your hips can also be understood as hands on the pelvis bones. Alternatively, it could mean placing the upper arms and hands on the ribs or the hands on the hips below the back.

Verse 27 According to Je Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

Don’t sit on a bed should be joined to when in the guru’s presence. Merely sitting on a bed is not prohibited. When walking, do not walk before or in front of the guru. Wearing a turban means wrapping your head: this should not be done in the guru’s presence. Do not step on a seat refers to not taking your seat before the guru. When the guru is on the bare ground, do not stay on your cushion. Place your hands / Upon and rub your hips from Rinchen Sangpo’s translation is Place your hands / Upon your hips in Chak Lotsawa’s translation. The prohibition against rubbing is taught below. Therefore, do not place your hands on your hips and stick your elbows out in the guru’s presence.

Walking upfront, the Karmapa clarifies, would mean that you are self-aggrandizing and that is ill-suited. Wearing hats is permissible during a ritual, otherwise it is considered disrespectful. According to tradition, it is not good for you to be in your seat while the guru is on the ground. Placing your hands on your hips or your back is a sign of great pride and, therefore, in bad taste.

Verse 28

Do not stay lying down or seated
When the guru stands up.  
Always perform their activity
With the greatest skill and energy. (28)

Verse 28 According to the Sanskrit Commentary

You should not remain lying down in their presence means in the guru’s presence. Do not stay means do not remain. When the guru stands up means when he rises intoa  standing position. Skill and energy refers to exertion. Always means, at all times, to perform their (the guru’s) activity enthusiastically and, according to your abilities, with the greatest exertion. 

Verse 28 According to Je Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

According to Chak Lotsawa’s translation (no longer extant but it was available to Je Tsongkhapa):

Do not stay lying down or seated
When the guru is seated or standing.

When the guru is standing, do not either lie down or sit; when the guru is seated, do not lie down. At all times, apply the greatest skill and energy or lightness. Some people are very vigilant and responsive to the guru, His Holiness clarifies, they are quick to get up and move as the guru moves – this is what it means to apply energy or lightness. Sitting around and lying down like a corpse when the guru moves is below par. The guru needs someone very sharp-eyed and quick to respond to the guru’s needs. And some people don’t react, like when “throwing a rock at a sheep”, even when the guru instructs them to do something or get something. Rather, you should remain always at the ready.

The Restraint of Speech (According to the Sanskrit Commentary Outline)

Verse 29

Do not spit mucus and the like,
Stretch out your legs when you are seated,
Walk to and fro or have arguments
While in the presence of the guru. (29)

Verse 29 According to the Sanskrit Commentary

Do not spit… is taught in combination with restraint of speech. Mucus and the like is phlegm, nasal mucus and residue from the teeth and tongue. The Karmapa explains that, in Tibet, it was not a big issue because Tibet is a very clean and vast place, but in current, more crowded societies, this type of behaviour appears very filthy. When seated, or when on a seat, do not stretch out or extend your legs because it is a sign of carelessness. The phrase walk to and fro means going and returning, pacing back and forth without purpose (Tib. འཆག་) . Have arguments refers to quarrelling, making the noise of disagreement (it does not include dharma debate) in the guru’s presence.

Verse 29 According to Je Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

Mucus and the like includes expelling nasal mucus, sputum, and so forth. Do not stretch out your legs when sitting on a cushion, pace to and fro, walking back and forth with no point, or have arguments in the presence of your guru. 

Verse 30.1.

According to Je Tsongkhapa’s outline, the following verse is to be split into two parts because the first half concerns (along with the previous three verses) inappropriate behaviour when within the guru’s sight and the second part concerns inappropriate behaviour when within the guru’s hearing.

Don’t show affection to one another,
Sing, dance, play music… (30ab)

Verse 30.1. According to the Sanskrit Commentary

Don’t show affection to one another – this phrase differs due to different Sanskrit versions of the text where rubbing/massaging (Tib. མཉེ་) alternatively reads: praising (saṃgāyanam) one another (anyonyam). Sing means to sing a melody, while play music means to play a lute, drum and so forth. Dance means showing the nine expressions of dance movement like seductive, fearful etc. 

Verse 30.1 According to Je Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

Massage limbs means massage arms and so forth. Song, dance and music means that you should not do these in the guru’s presence except during a gaṇacakra and so forth. Without the guru’s instruction, the Karmapa clarifies, singing, dancing and playing music is inapposite.

(2) Conduct When in the Guru’s Hearing Range

Verse 30.2.

… or converse

In a place where they can hear. (30.2)

Verse 30.2 According to the Sanskrit Commentary

Converse means having a factional discourse. Gyalwang Karmapa clarifies:

The example of ill-suited factional discourse is when people say: “People from Amdo do like this, people from Kham do like that, people from Central Tibet do like this...” Showing bias, like: “The Sakyapas do like this, the Gelukpas do like this, the Nyingmapas do like this…” Such partisan conversations are considered amiss when within the guru’s hearing range.

Verse 30.2 According to Je Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

Do not engage in conversation on foolish topics within the guru’s hearing range. This means not talking pointlessly, for example speaking about banal worldly affairs one has heard or seen.

Practicing Appropriate Behaviour

Bow when rising from your seat
And be respectful when you are seated. 
At night, when the road is dangerous
From waters, go first if instructed. (31)

Verse 31 According to the Sanskrit Commentary

Bow means to pay homage. From your seat means arising from your seat and standing up. At night means in the dark. Waters are rivers. A dangerous road is in a dangerous area. In such situations or when the guru can’t see the road at night, if you ask and are instructed, then there is no fault in walking first, ahead of them. 

Verse 31 According to Je Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

When standing up and sitting, do it with respectful comportment. To bow is respectful behavior. When traveling at night, crossing rivers and on dangerous roads, go in front when you receive the instruction to do so due to some dangers. This was very common in Tibet, the Karmapa explains, especially when going over a mountain pass or crossing a river when the waters need to be tested; it was necessary to walk in front of the guru having obtained permission.

Teaching Other Ways to Stop Inappropriate Behaviour

When they are in the teacher’s sight,
The wise do not let their bodies fidget.
They do not lean on pillars and such
And also do not crack their knuckles. (32)

Verse 32 According to the Sanskrit Commentary

The wise, the intelligent students, don’t fidget. Do not lean on pillars means not to lean or recline on a pillar. A pillar is an example; do not lean on walls, people and so forth. You should not stretch and crack your knuckles.

Verse 32 According to Je Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

Before the master, the intelligent students do not fidget, lean their backs on pillars, walls, and so forth or crack their knuckles. 

These points are easy to understand, the Karmapa concludes, it is just a question of remembering to put them into practice.

6: Particulars of Serving With Body And Speech

Particulars of Serving With Body

Verse 33

When washing their feet or else anointing
Or massaging their body and so forth,
Begin and also end with prostrations,
And do it as is pleasing. (33)

Verse 33 According to the Sanskrit Commentary

Wash their feet means using water to remove dirt from their feet, ablution. Anointing their body means rubbing with sesame oil and so forth which is good for their health as well as massaging [Skt. mardana]. And so forth means to knead etc. It is prescribed to begin and also end all of the above activities with prostrations. Do what is most comfortable and appropriate. If a guru has a particular physical condition, and cannot tolerate water, one can use mud or clay – whatever is best and appropriate. 

Verse 33 According to Je Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

When washing with water, rubbing, drying, massaging and so forth precede it with prostrations and also when the action has been completed, end it with prostrations. Full body prostrations are not always the practical choice. Though such prostrations were sometimes done in ancient Indian tradition, they were  not well-known and the most common way was as practiced in the Theravada tradition, while kneeling. One does not need to stand up and go down to perform a full prostration as this could be excessive and inconvenient. The easiest and most elegant solution in such situations is to prostrate while kneeling, bow three times and touch the ground with your head. 

For example, when massaging the king in Thailand, the tradition states that the masseur should act in an extremely respectful manner and bow prior to and after the massage. Similarly in Tibet, when shaving the head of the guru, the person prostrates before and after. One needs to show respect while performing such actions. Don’t do it in any-old-which-way but, rather, make such actions a ceremony. You prostrate to the guru to highlight their eminence. If you create the form of a ritual or practice each activity that follows becomes a special occasion.

Particulars of Serving With Speech

Verse 34

Mention them not by stating their name,
But add to its end an honorific.
Say words that tell of their distinctions 
In order for others to feel devotion. (34)

Verse 34 According to Sanskrit Commentary

Mention them not by stating their name – you should not simply utter their full name. Rather, you should add the honorific word -pāda to their name. One named Śrī-Ratnākara-Śānti should be called Śānti-pāda (Śānti’s feet), similar to Eng. Mister or Lord Śānti. Say words that tell of their distinctions – if your collocutor cannot distinguish the person in question, you should explain some other markings, like their place of origin, whether they are tall or short, light or dark-skinned etc. For example, instead of Śrī-Ratnākara-Śānti, you should say: Mr. Śānti from East India or The Great Śānti. In order for others to feel devotion.

There is something similar in the Vinaya. For example, from Ācārya Śākyaprabha’s Three Hundred Verses for the Novice Monks (Skt. Śrāmaṇeratriśatakakārikā):

Use respectful epithets by saying “For a purpose”
And bow when you say your khenpo’s name.
Juniors use respectful terms when addressing seniors,
And use the term āyuṣman* for juniors as well.

[* from āyuṣmat – possessed of vital power, long-lived]

In his auto-commentary on the Three Hundred Verses called The Luminous (Skt. Prabhāvatī) Ācārya Śākyaprabha explains that “for the purpose of” means that one should use the respectful epithet “To mention the abbot’s name for a purpose…”. Saying only the name is improper. For those senior to you, use the epithet venerable, and for those younger than yourself use the term āyuṣman. Also use the respectful address elder for elders.

For example, in the Vinaya, one’s abbot is considered incredibly important. Before we say our own khenpo’s (abbot’s) name, if his name is Karma Lodro Senge we must say: “To mention Khenpo Karma Lodro Senge’s name for a purpose”. Furthermore, it is said in theVinaya that you may not call anyone khenpo (abbot) except your own abbot, the one who gave you the vows according to the Vinaya. Later, the term khenpo became a title for someone who has completed the required education, therefore, such denomination is proper because it is in their title. 

The Tibetan lamas of the past had the practice of saying “whose name is difficult to say. For a purpose and need, to say their name…” and only after say the guru or abbot’s name. According to another custom, when the guru was alive, one did not say “whose name is difficult to say. For a purpose and need, to say their name…” but only after they had passed away. These indicate how important gurus, abbots and the rest were, and how strong is one’s faith and devotion. 

Kinds of Respect

It is common, across cultures, to not call one’s parents (and particularly the guru) by their name and to address seniors and older people in a particular way. In Tibet, an older person is sometimes addressed as genla (teacher or elder). It is also common to address someone who has children of their own or who are simply older than you as father or mother. But these days, if you aren't careful, the Karmapa said in jest, and you call someone father or mother, they have a reaction, saying: “I'm not that old. I'm still young!“ You really have to think twice before calling someone grandfather or grandmother. Particularly when you say this to women. In China, you have to call them beauty regardless of how physically attractive they might be. If you call them beautiful, they're delighted about it. In any social setting, like in a restaurant, you have to call them beautiful. Although, if you do call eveyone beauty, it loses all meaning. But it shows respect to people.

Some would say that you should act out of your own feelings, but that is not the main thing here. Respect means thinking about how the other person feels, how they think. It makes others feel comfortable. This is what respect basically is, right?

Paying respect to the gurus and the khenpos is not done to please them, it's to not make any problems for them. This is why we do it in society, right? But if we don't understand the deeper meaning of paying respect and only do it becuase it is a custom and duty, an external activity, without a feeling inside – then there's no real point to it, it will lack any elevating impact.

Some people pretend to have respect and they perform the actions of respect in a formulaic manner. Merely going through the motions, they speak only from the mouth, from the throat... but people can intuit that. When someone has faith and devotion within and they express it with actions of body and speech, then it is significant.

The Distinction Between Faith And Devotion in Treatises And Pith Instructions

Mikyö Dorje writes about the difference between faith and devotion. Faith is the word used in treatises, and devotion is the word from pith instructions. Devotion is very particular, and actually greater – it entails longing and dedication. The Tibetan word gupa (མགུ་པ་) or devotion is reflected and expressed in the activity of your body and speech, and not just as longing in your mind. Devotion is better than faith because faith is contained in the mind. But if, instead, you display it or express it in your physical and verbal behavior, then it becomes strong – and that is what we call devotion. 

We can see this very clearly in the life story of Milarepa. When Lord Milarepa went to Lord Marpa, he had faith, he had belief, not as a mere outward expression but strongly present in his body and speech. It was clearly apparent in his physical and verbal expressions. If you have great devotion, then it just naturally comes out as a physical or verbal expression. In this way, its power comes through. So if you have great devotion, then you naturally have a lot of dedication and respect for the guru. If you only have faith, then it's not so certain, right? A sincere faith means that you are delighted in your mind and that is fine, but devotion is more empowering.

The Guru and Vajradhara as One

10 April 2025

The Guru and Vajradhara as One

His Holiness Karmapa began by welcoming all the monastic sangha listening over the internet and friends from all over the world.

The discussion focused on the point of the text regarding viewing the guru as the Buddha. According to Tsongkhapa’s outline, this section has two points: 1) the actual point and 2) avoiding being disrespectful to their shadow and so forth. 

First, His Holiness wished to begin by explaining the Sanskrit commentary the Textual Explanation of Following the Guru (Skt. Gurvārādhana-pañjikā) of the verse in question: 

Thus students with qualities of compassion,
Generosity, discipline, and patience
Should not ever consider the master
To be different from Vajradhara. (22)

Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

The first word – “thus” – means the reason why students give offerings to the guru and pay them respect. When we say “students,” what kind of student do we mean? Those students should have compassion and be loving. There are three types of compassion – that with a focus on sentient beings, a focus on dharmas, and a nonreferential focus. They should also have the quality of generosity, which means that they give in three different ways – giving material objects, giving loving-kindness (refuge and safety), and giving dharma. In addition, these students should possess the quality of discipline, which means being free of immorality. There are likewise three types of discipline – the discipline of restraining from harmful acts, of benefiting beings, and of gathering virtuous qualities. Finally, they should also possess the quality of patience, which is a calmness of mind. The three types of patience are contemplating dharma, accepting suffering, and thinking nothing of harm from others. One should work to increase and meditate upon these qualities of compassion, generosity, discipline, and patience.

Now considering the next lines, “different” means “not the same,” and “not” is a negation. The Sanskrit suffix -tva is for emphasis. The Tibetan says lopon, which means master, but the Sanskrit and Chinese versions of the text use the word for guru, so actually it would be better to say “guru” here instead of “master.” In any case, the meaning is that a student with the qualities of compassion and so forth who wishes to achieve siddhi should never see their guru and Vajradhara as different from one another. They should never have this thought at all, even in their dreams. Instead, they should view the guru themselves as Vajradhara. As it is said in the Net of Illusions Tantra (Skt. Māyājāla): 

They are themselves always Vajradhara,
The Tathāgata, and Ratnaketu.
They are the great ocean of wisdom,
The wish-fulfilling gem that gives the great purpose.

In brief, viewing the guru as a buddha is taught as being very important in both the Foundation vehicle and in the Mahayana. In particular, it is essential to have this view in the Secret Mantra Vajrayana. This point is confirmed in many of the tantras themselves. It is especially emphasized in the Dakpo Kagyu lineage. As the Eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje wrote in his Hundred Short Instructions (Tib: ཁྲིད་ཐུང་བརྒྱ་རྩ།), “The Kagyu lineage being broken will be due to students who are not receptive meeting gurus who lack realization and not seeing the guru as a buddha.”

Thus, if the Kagyu lineage will ever be broken, it will be due to this circumstance. It is most important that Lamas who have realization meet students who are receptive, which primarily means that they have faith, that they see their guru as a buddha. If they see their guru as a buddha, they will receive the blessings of a buddha. If they receive the blessings of a buddha, they will be able to develop the realization of a buddha, and thus they will be able to uphold the lineage.

Avoiding being disrespectful to their shadow and so forth

His Holiness then proceeded to discuss the next verse of Fifty Verses on the Guru (Skt: Gurupañcāśikā):

If you would not step over their shadow
From fear the misdeed would be like smashing
A stupa, what need to mention stepping
Over their shoes, seat, ride, and such? (23)

Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

The first line is taught to explain the guru as one who has great qualities who is able to tame his disciples. A “stupa” simply means a stupa, which is often a representation of the body, speech, and mind of a buddha, or sometimes represents only the mind of a buddha. “Smashing” means to destroy completely down to its foundations. If an individual were to completely demolish a stupa in this way, they would have committed a terrible misdeed and would experience terrifying karmic results full of suffering; thus, they would have fear of this act. 

A “shadow” is an image, and the verse here indicates that one would not wish to step on it or walk over it. In the last line, “shoes” means footgear such as sandals, “seat” means the cushion the guru sits on, and “ride” means a palanquin, such as those they use in India where two or four people will carry a person up a mountain on a bamboo pallet supported by two sticks. “Ride” here could also mean horses or elephants, and today it could even mean a car and so forth. When we say “and such,” this means the guru’s clothing, jewelry, and so on. The words “what need to mention” indicates there is not even any need to bother saying these words, it is so obvious that one would not wish to step over these items of the guru.

Tsongkhapa’s Interpretation in his commentary Fulfilling All the Student’s Hopes: An Explanation of the Fifty Verses on the Guru (Tib. བླ་མ་ལྔ་བཅུ་པའི་རྣམ་བཤད་སློབ་མའི་རེ་བ་ཀུན་སྐོང།)

Tsongkhapa’s interpretation of the text is easy to understand. There are five heinous and five nearly heinous acts; destroying a stupa is one of these nearly heinous acts. Since this verse compares stepping over the guru’s shadow to destroying a stupa, it is clear that stepping on the shadow of the guru is thus also a grave misdeed. As such, one should be afraid and avoid stepping on the guru’s shadow. If one is so careful to avoid stepping on even the guru’s shadow, then of course it goes without saying that one should not step on their shoes, their ride, or the rest.

The negative consequences of this act are also taught in the eighth chapter of the Vajra Dome Tantra (Skt. Vajrapañjara-tantra):

Any great idiot who steps
On the guru’s parasol, shadow,
Shoes, seat, and pillow
Will cause people to fall on razors.

Of course, sometimes there are particular situations where one must step on these items of the guru and there is no way around it. In this instance, a remedy is provided in the “Chapter on Beds” in the Vinaya. For example, if you need to put whitewash on temples or you need to clean them, you will have to step on them. In this case, you should recite the verses of the sutra about the temple as you do so; in this case, there is no fault. Likewise, in tantra, there are particular ways to counteract such faults. These methods will be explained later.

There are people in Tibet who truly practice in this way. For instance, sometimes old women circumambulating a temple will avoid stepping on the shadows of the stupas. From one perspective, this is good, as it shows they are very aware of even the most minor karmic causes and effects. You might think this is unnecessary, but it is good to remember even the finest points. If you loosen up with one thing, you might start to become relaxed about the more important points as well.

The main idea of not stepping even on the guru’s shadow is to show that you have great respect for the guru. Perhaps you are worried that it is a prohibition you might not be able to keep – it can be difficult to move around if you are always looking down. But in the Buddhist teachings there are no prohibitions you are not able to keep, as the Buddha would not have made any rules that are unable to be kept since he is compassionate. For this reason, when we discuss not stepping on the guru’s shadow, the main point is not actually about their shadow, but it is about having respect for the guru. If you just feel hesitant about stepping on their shadow, that is a sign of respect.

Fulfilling the Guru’s Instructions

We have now reached the third point of the eight points in Tsongkhapa’s commentary about how to be respectful. The third point is that we should work to fulfill the instructions of the guru. Once we see the guru as a buddha, if we really mean it and it is not just words, we need to accept and follow their instructions. This is confirmed in the Ornament of Mahayana Sutras (Skt: Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra-kārikā), which states: 

Serve the spiritual friend with respect,
Gifts, service, and practice.

***
This instruction corresponds with the verses on serving the guru through practice in Fifty Verses on the Guru. There are two stanzas on this topic in this text; the first reads as follows: 

The greatly intelligent obey
The guru’s commands with effort and joy,
But if unable, explain to them
Their inability properly. (24)

Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

According to the Sanskrit commentary, “greatly intelligent” here means having a vast mind. “Guru” is the master, and “commands” means their instructions, what they say. This could mean that the guru has given us specific spiritual instructions, but it also means anything at all that they say. “Effort” means with a desire that seeks merit, and “obey” means to fulfill and to accomplish the wish. Here it means to listen to the instructions and to carry them out. “Unable” means if you cannot do it because of the cause or the result. “To explain” means to request that the guru listen to your explanation of how you are unable to follow the instruction. “Them” means to the guru, and “properly” here means explaining with analogies to demonstrate your point; you should provide a reason. 

The essence of this verse then is that whatever the guru tells you to do, that is something you should be able to do. Thus, if you can do it, you should strive with great effort to accomplish it. However, if you cannot do it, are unable to do it, or do not have the time or circumstances, you should not just forget about it. If you just ignore it and disregard the guru, then it becomes a misdeed. Out of fear for the misdeed, you should think about the reasons and explain them to your guru. You should say, for example, that you do not have the ability to accomplish what they have told you to do; you should explain it clearly to the guru. This is the intention of this verse according to the Sanskrit commentary. 

Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

In his commentary on this verse, Tsongkhapa explains that “great intelligence” here meansprajñā. Students with great intelligence obey their guru’s commands with great efforts. They work hard, listen to them, and fulfill their wishes. If a king tells you to do something, you have no choice. But here it is not that you are following the guru’s instructions unwillingly because you are under someone else’s power. Instead, you carry out the guru’s wishes with an attitude of great joy and delight.

Should we do everything the guru says we have to do? This is an important question. If the words of the guru do not violate the dharma, then you have to try. However, if you are unable to do it, you should communicate the reason to the guru with words. If you do that, then there is no fault even if you do not accomplish their wishes. Moreover, if you are not able to accomplish the instructions with the proper methods – those that are in accord with the dharma – you need to be sure to explain this to the guru.

In the Tengyur there are many presentations of root downfalls by Indian masters. Among them, Rangjung Dorje’s explanation of roots and downfalls in the Ocean of Samaya is mainly based upon Mañjuśrīkīrti’s work The Ornament of the Essence of Rituals of All Glorious Secrets (Skt. Śrī-sarvaguhyavidhigarbhālaṃkāra-nāma), which states: 

With words that encourage nonvirtuous action,
Request them and remain equanimous.

Likewise, The Vinaya Sutras also confirm, “If they instruct nondharma, refuse.” For this reason, even if the guru insists that you do something nondharmic, you should not do it. However, you should not take this as a reason to lose faith in the guru and criticize them.

The next stanza in Fifty Verses on the Guru is also on the subject of fulfilling the guru’s instructions. This stanza states: 

It’s from the guru that you receive
Siddhis, high realms, and happiness.
So put your every effort into
Never transgressing the guru’s commands. (25)

Interpretation of the Sanskrit Commentary

“From the guru” means that it is from the master. “Siddhis” here means both the worldly and supramundane accomplishments you desire. For example, a worldly siddhi could include achieving a superpower other do not have, such as seeing treasure underground or going very fast. These superpowers are less useful today since technology can also help us do these things. But invisibility could also be a worldly siddhi, and this one could still be useful today. For example, it could be something like an invisibility cloak. These siddhis come about through mantras, but they are all worldly siddhis that are not beneficial for achieving buddhahood. Supramundane siddhis, on the other hand, are valuable for the attainment of enlightenment. If you see the guru as the same as the Buddha, you can gain these kinds of siddhis. 

There are three kinds of “high realms” – the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm. Among these, the desire realm contains the abodes of the gods, demigods, and humans. In addition there are the four dhyanas of the form realm and the four absorptions of the formless realm. You are able to achieve these realms because the guru is the essence of dharma and because of understanding karma and practicing virtuous deeds. The “happiness” mentioned in this verse is also received from the guru; this includes both worldly and supramundane happiness. Worldly happiness includes political power, wealth, and being able to enjoy pleasures. Supramundane happiness means you are able to achieve liberation. You are able to truly achieve such happiness because the guru is the essence of the three jewels and produces every result for happiness both now and in the future.

“Every effort” in the verse means you should act with true effort; if you do this, you will receive all the benefits spoken about here. Furthermore, you should act with every effort with great intention in every situation. The “guru” is the master, and we should not transgress or overstep their commands.

Tsongkhapa’s Commentary

Now we will compare this understanding with that provided in Tsongkhapa’s commentary. If the guru gives an instruction contrary to the dharma, you should explain clearly why you cannot do it and then you should not follow the nondharmic command. However, if the guru’s instruction is in line with the dharma, you need to carry it out with as much effort as you can.

The reason you need to carry out their instructions is because the two supreme and common siddhis come from the guru. The attainment of the bodies of gods and humans in the higher realms requires fulfilling the commands of the guru. The guru’s words are the primary gateway to the guru’s blessings so never transgress them. This second stanza is taken from the Secret Drop of the Moon Tantra (Skt. Candraguhyatilaka-tantra).

The Reason for Fulfilling the Guru’s Commands

At this point in the teaching, His Holiness stated that he wished to digress from the root text to say a few things about his own opinion of the reason for fulfilling the guru’s commands. 

First, the Jataka tales state: “The way to honor those who speak beneficially is to practice according to their instructions.” If we want to honor the guru we can worship them and make offerings to repay their kindness. But the best offering is to practice according to their instructions and do whatever they tell you to do. This is taught to be the best way to remember the kindness of the guru and to please them. 

Generally, many of us categorize the guru’s speech in two different ways: one is when the guru is giving formal dharma teachings such as empowerments and instructions, and the other is when the guru speaks in the course of daily life. So we could ask ourselves – do we only need to follow the guru’s instructions when they are explicitly teaching dharma, or do we need to follow everything they say?

It is easier for us to fulfill the first kind of instructions where the guru is teaching dharma. There is no question at all about if we should follow these instructions; it is only a question if we are diligent and capable enough to carry them out. However, it is more difficult to always follow the guru’s instructions that include everything they say in the course of daily life. In order to do this, we need to listen very carefully and when they say to do something, we need to do it.

Many of us may think that of course we will do what the guru tells us to do, but in actuality the guru’s instructions might not match our wishes. Perhaps their instructions are not what we hoped to receive. It may be that the guru tells us to do something that does not seem very connected to dharma practice. It is even possible that the guru may tell us to do something that seems nondharmic. If the guru gives us many instructions, we may have a lot of difficulty following through on them. When we encounter such difficulties, we will realize it is not so easy to do everything the guru tells us to do. In actuality, it is frightening to receive an empowerment because we are saying we will do whatever the preceptor tells us to do; we will listen to whatever they say. This is something we have to think about. It is not always easy. 

For example, when they first met, Lord Marpa told Milarepa to build many houses. Milarepa suffered greatly working to accomplish this task; it caused him to have wounds like saddle sores covering his back. Nevertheless, Marpa made him continue working; he treated Milarepa terribly. Nowadays, we are many centuries removed so when we read about the life of Milarepa, we think he was able to become a great master yogi due to the kindness of Marpa and his own perseverance. We think it is great that it happened that way, but if we think what it was like for people at that time, they had no way to know the result. They saw only Marpa’s bad treatment of Milarepa. They thought Marpa had gone crazy – here he is abusing a young man who is working so hard! No wonder they thought this way, since they could not see that Milarepa would become a great mahāsiddha. 

Similarly, Tilopa subjected Nāropa to the twelve great trials, which are even stranger for us to understand. He made him jump off a roof and more. It is so hard for us to wrap our minds around it; it is impossible to understand. When we think about it, we can see that we may be able to follow the dharma teachings the guru gives us. But if we have to do everything the guru says, it may be very difficult indeed. It is useful then to distinguish between these two kinds of speech so we can have a better understanding of the situation.

Many skillful teachers in our lineage did not immediately provide dharma teachings to their students. Even worse than that, they instructed their students to do minor annoying tasks that seemed unrelated to the dharma, like Marpa having Milarepa build houses. It may well have seemed like pointless work. Sometimes teachers even gave instructions that seemed to contradict the teachings, such as when Milarepa handed Lord Gampopa a skull cup of beer the first time they met. He told Gampopa to drink it even though he knew Gampopa was a bhikshu in the Kadampa tradition who was extremely strict in his observance of the Vinaya. Many of Milarepa’s students were present for this encounter, so Gampopa looked around and hesitated when Milarepa asked him to drink the beer. Upon seeing his hesitation, Milarepa said, “Don’t think; just drink the beer.” Whatever thoughts and doubts Gampopa had disappeared then and he drank the entire skull cup without leaving a drop. Because he drank it, Milarepa thought, “This Gampopa will be able to hold the lineage. He’ll be a suitable vessel for all the instructions because he drank the full cup of beer.” If Gampopa had given the beer back to Milarepa, it would have shown that he probably would not have been able to uphold the lineage and all of the instructions. But it was a sign of interdependence. It was a test from Milarepa to Gampopa. 

Giving a bhikshu beer to drink is contradictory to the dharma. We think that dharma and daily life are different. But for Milarepa and other authentic gurus, there is no separation between daily life and dharma. They are all the same, all of one taste. For them, everything has become one with the dharma and everything they do is in accord with the dharma. For us, dharma and our individual lives are separate. We have not yet been able to incorporate all dharma into our being. But when mindstream becomes mixed with the dharma, then even when masters break wind, it is all the dharma.

There is a short story about this subject and the Glorious Düsum Khyenpa. If you go down to the lower part of the Tsurphu valley at a place called Nakhar, there is a meditation cave called “Omniscient Wisdom of Undefiled Knowledge” where Düsum Khyenpa practiced. While he was there, of course he sometimes went to the bathroom. Many relics came out of his waste, and these became known as “Düsum Khyenpa’s fecal relics.” Thus, for such masters, even if they go to the bathroom, it is meaningful. For such gurus, there is no difference between dharma and the world. It is us who make a difference between the two. 

The masters always abide within the ocean of dharma. As stated in the Eighth Karmapa’s Hundred Short Instructions:

As long as a master thinks of nothing other than the welfare of sentient beings, it is impossible for anything they do to not benefit sentient beings. Not even a single word of their teachings on what to adopt and what to abandon is anything other than dharma. Therefore, by developing conviction and trust that it is so, whatever they say becomes true dharma, and it is impossible to misinterpret their words as meaningless chatter.

The guru thinks about nothing besides the welfare of sentient beings, and therefore it is impossible that any action of the guru’s body, speech, and mind be for anything other than for the benefit of sentient beings. Likewise, no matter what they say, what instructions they give, it is always dharma that tells you what to do and what not to do in the world. It is speech stating what virtues you should accomplish and what misdeeds you should abandon. If we have certainty in this truth, everything the guru says is dharma and never just meaningless words. The guru will not say anything that does not have a purpose or reason.

For a Lama like that who only thinks of the welfare of sentient beings, everything they say is meaningful. However, the level of our dharma is not at that level, and we do not have realization at that level. As such, we are not able to understand that what the guru says is always true. Since we are not able to understand this truth, we cannot distinguish between what is dharmic or nondharmic. However, there is no distinguishing between regular conversation and dharma teachings from an authentic guru. Everything the guru says becomes dharma and will be beneficial.

Likewise, great masters of the past have said that believing in a guru’s commands and believing in karmic cause and effect are the same thing. Believing in the guru is to have faith in them. Whatever the guru teaches is only teaching the ways for giving up what should not be done and doing what should be done – there is nothing else to say. This is how karmic cause and effect work, so believing the guru and believing in karma come down to the same point. For this reason, Tsongkhapa said that believing the guru’s words and believing in karma are very related, and also very important. All Kadampa forefathers did exactly what their gurus told them to do.

Problems that Arise if you are Unable to Accomplish the Guru’s Instructions

What problems come up if you cannot do as the guru says? As said previously, words of an authentic guru are primarily about practicing virtue and giving up misdeeds. They are about nothing else; all of their words are dharma advice. Even if it does not look like dharma instructions to us, the guru’s words are in fact dharma instructions. Therefore, if you do the opposite of what the guru says, it is a misdeed.

If you intentionally disobey a guru’s instructions or do it with a bad motivation, this can interrupt interdependence and create obstacles. We should follow the guru’s instructions because they are giving us these instructions for our own good. They are not imposing rules and forcing us to carry out their wishes – this is not how we should think of it. 

As an example of the importance of interdependence as a reason for following the guru’s advice, His Holiness told a story about the Tsalpa Kagyu tradition. The founder of this lineage, Zhang Tsalpa, thought he should entrust his monastic seat to his disciple Namkha Öd. Zhang Tsalpa thus conferred the Cakrasaṃvara empowerment upon Namkha Öd and told him to maintain and care for the monastic seat. But Namkha Öd said, “I have not accumulated enough merit to uphold the teacher's legacy. I wish to practice in this life and pray that in future lives I may benefit sentient beings like the precious teacher.”

Zhang Tsalpa responded, “Bodhisattvas only think of benefiting sentient beings, not their own peace. Even if you meditate on the Foundation vehicles’ shamatha for a lifetime, you won’t attain buddhahood. Therefore, work for the benefit of sentient beings.” He then gave him all the instructions and did not criticize him.

However, Namkha Öd broke his teacher’s command and experienced many obstacles in life. He only had a few receptive disciples and his activity was not able to spread widely. Nevertheless, Zhang Tsalpa did prophesy that Namkha Öd would achieve buddhahood in a future life.

If Namkha Öd had done as his guru had told him, it would have benefited himself and the whole lineage. Perhaps he did not listen because he was overly humble. On the other hand, he did want to emphasize his own practice and was stubborn, and because of this he was unable to fulfill his teacher’s command. This was a great loss for both himself and others. Today, the Tsalpa Kagyu lineage is not extant, although this is not due solely to these circumstances.

This kind of situation has occurred in the Karma Kagyu lineage too. The First Shamarpa, Togden Drakpa Senge, was one of the chief disciples of Chöje Rangjung Dorje. According to the dharma history text The Feast for Scholars (Tib. མཁས་པའི་དགའ་སྟོན།), Rangjung Dorje planned to entrust his teachings to the great realized master Drakpa Senge, and he instructed Drakpa Senge to go to Kampo Nenang, the first seat of Düsum Khyenpa. 

Drakpa Senge began this journey going down into the lower part of Tsurphu valley. But he took with him a white mule he liked, and at a certain point the mule did not want to go on the main road; it climbed up the mountain and no one stopped it. The party followed the mule and when they arrived at the top of the hill, they found a pleasant plain with a spring where the mule had laid down. Drakpa Senge rested there and thought he should build a monastery there, so he did and named it Nenang due to auspicious connections. But he did not continue his way down to Kham and so unable to meet up with Rolpe Dorje, the next incarnation of Rangjung Dorje. Rangjung Dorje’s intention was that Drakpa Senge would bring Rolpe Dorje up to Tsurphu but this was not able to happen since Drakpa Senge did not follow his guru’s instructions. Because of this, Rolpe Dorje did not come to central Tibet. Moreover, because Drakpa Senge did not follow his guru’s instructions, his students likewise did not listen to his instructions. 

Breaking a teacher’s instructions can lead to a serious negative consequence such as a misdeed or offense, but even if this does not happen, it can still interrupt interdependence. As another example, Pomdrakpa’s guru Drogön Rechen told him not to go to Markham but after Drogön Rechen passed away, Pomdrokpa went to Markham and then he himself passed away because he had broken interdependence. 

When he fell ill in Markham, Karma Pakshi was with him. Pomdrakpa said he was dying because he had broken his guru’s command. As he was dying, he told Karma Pakshi that if he accomplished exactly as he was taught, it would please all the venerable gurus. Not only Karma Pakshi but all his disciples would receive the same supreme and ordinary accomplishments simply by remembering their gurus.

Pomdrakpa’s reason for going to Markham was to continue Drogön Rechen’s legacy. It was not that Markham was a bad place. Pomdrakpa had a good motivation, but because of interdependence, his going to Markham created a bad outcome.

His Holiness completed his talk for the day by stating that he would speak of Rechungpa in the next session. While Rechungpa disobeyed his guru many times, the talk would focus on one story in particular.