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 pointsPracticing 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.