The Qualities of the Guru

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you for your letter and practice. Regarding your two questions:

Perhaps [the absolute guru] is not the subtle mind, because if you say the extremely subtle wind and mind is the guru, then all sentient beings become guru-buddha. This is the way Kagyü and Nyingma accept that all sentient beings are buddhas. According to their view, there is purified buddha and obscured buddha, so it seems that what you are saying is more like the Kagyü and Nyingma view.

But direct perception of the extremely subtle mind, maybe that’s called the ultimate or absolute guru. I don’t know the reasons so much, but it may be something like that.

However the absolute guru, dharmakaya, the extremely subtle wind and mind, has no beginning and no end. You can find this in Lama Chöpa after you recite KHYÖ NI LA MA KHYÖ NI YI DAM / KHYÖ NI KHA DRO CHHÖ KYONG TE.... After you finish that prayer it talks about the qualities of the guru. At the end it talks about the ultimate guru having no end and no beginning, and ultimate bodhicitta. There is this one, not obscured, so the Buddha who is not obscured, with no beginning and no end. In Lama Chöpa it is talking about that, which manifests.

Yes, those pure manifestations as a buddha in the nirmanakaya and sambhogakaya aspect are like that. The highest bodhisattvas manifest in ordinary aspect, just as a buddha manifests as a sura for suras; manifests as asuras for asuras; manifests as human beings for human beings; manifests as animals for animals; manifests as hungry ghosts for hungry ghosts; manifests as hell beings for hell beings; and also manifests as yamas for yamas and as mara for maras. Like that there are all kinds of manifestations to subdue those sentient beings and ultimately bring them to enlightenment.

So yes, the ultimate guru, the dharmakaya, manifests in ordinary aspect. In English it is translated as conventional, but in Tibetan it is kun dzob lama, the guru appearing in ordinary aspect, that is true for the all-obscuring mind.

Therefore the guru’s kindness can't fit in the sky. We’re guided by the guru from beginningless rebirth, and all our happiness comes from the guru. Every single present and future happiness until we achieve enlightenment comes from the guru.

Regarding your second question: Yes. Anyway I already answered that.

With much love and prayers...

My most dear one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. It is most wise that you took refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. They have perfect power all together, not just to liberate you from lower realm sufferings, the endless hell, hungry ghost, animal realm sufferings, the most unbearable suffering. Not only that, but you need all three to be totally free from the ocean of samsaric suffering, and the cause, karma and delusions. That includes the general sufferings of samsara and the particular sufferings of human beings, asuras and suras.

All three have perfect power together to free you—for you to achieve nirvana, total liberation from the oceans of samsaric suffering and its causes. So that’s ultimate happiness, not temporary. That is unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable. That one is unbelievable. 

Next, by relying on the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, you can achieve the ultimate happiness, even liberation from subtle obscurations, so you can achieve the fully awakened mind, buddhahood, the full state of enlightenment. Buddha, in Tibetan, is sang gye, which means total cessation of obscurations, gross and subtle, and completion of all the realizations: the fully awakened mind.

That means after you have achieved full enlightenment, buddhahood, sang gye, the total elimination of obscurations and completion of realizations, then just as one sun rises—there’s only one sun in this world, without motivation—however many oceans, water, rivers, springs, water dew, anything that doesn’t have a cover, so the reflection of this sun is received everywhere, numberless. Like that, there’s no motivation. The motivation was before, at bodhisattva time, when following the path, actualizing the path, and even before that, before bodhicitta, great compassion for sentient beings, the numberless suffering sentient beings, to free them from the oceans of samsaric suffering by oneself. So this is the motivation a long, long time before, even before actualizing the path, bodhicitta.

Like that, working for the sentient beings with numberless manifestations of the holy body, speech and mind until the numberless sentient beings of the hell, hungry ghost, animal, human being, sura, asura, intermediate stage, become fully enlightened, become buddha. So benefiting sentient beings happens without effort and with omniscient mind without the slightest mistake, having perfect power and infinite compassion to every sentient being, including you and me.

First of all, you having taken refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha is most wise, so that’s why I say this.

Second, Lama Lhundrup is Lama Yeshe’s disciple from Tibet and at Buxa. I know he’s among Lama Yeshe’s disciples. He’s the one who knew Buddhist philosophy well and was the best student, with very sharp knowledge. He had profound knowledge of Buddhist philosophy and was an excellent debater, debating Buddhist philosophy, the five major sutra texts. He didn’t get to go to Tantric College because he was invited by Lama to come to Kopan Monastery to help, to teach, to be the main person at Kopan, helping with education, teaching, discipline, the real meaning of monastery. There was another monk, Lama Pasang, invited together with him, who did more teaching of Tibetan letters and external development, building and buying food for the monks.

So it’s most worthwhile from whom you have taken refuge. Recognizing him as guru, devoting to him as guru, devoting correctly you will ultimately go to enlightenment, buddhahood, the total elimination of all obscurations and completion of all realizations, for sentient beings. And not only expert and wise in extensive Buddhist philosophy, subjects wide and deep like the Pacific Ocean. That’s very, very important to be learned, so that [the guru] can correctly lead the disciple, not only freeing from samsara but leading to buddhahood, full enlightenment, in order to guide each being correctly.

Now the second quality. Other lamas may teach and are very learned, but may not be sincere; however, he’s one hundred percent sincere. He is not teaching others something that he himself is not involved in, so not like that. He’s one hundred percent sincere and that means no cheating or misleading. That’s very, very important.

I understand so that’s why the best thing that you did is take [refuge] from Lama Lhundrup. I know you said you felt lost after he died. I know many people do feel that, mainly because they don’t know much Dharma. You don’t have to feel that, because still there are many learned lamas, though there are fewer great, great lamas from Tibet.

Two of my gurus recently passed away. Geshe Sopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe’s teacher from Tibet, was an outstanding teacher. For outside people there are many great, learned teachers, who are pure in morality and good heart. In Tibet there were many, many; outside Tibet, many have passed away. Also, Kyabje Denma Lochö Rinpoche passed away just two or three weeks ago. He was a great, great, learned teacher of sutra and tantra. After His Holiness, he had very, very extensive knowledge of sutra and tantra.

[The great lamas from Tibet are] becoming less, but new ones are coming from Sera, Drepung, Ganden, from Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings, deep and wide like the Pacific Ocean, both sutra and tantra, unbelievable clear explanations and not obscured.

So please don’t worry. There are new great teachers coming from the three monasteries of Lama Tsongkhapa, Sera, Drepung, Ganden. They’ve been taught by the old ones, who’ve become less and less, and they also set a good example, they are expert ones.

Since you look at me as a guru then definitely what I know I will introduce to you; I will give you.

Even though we met at Kopan one time and didn’t see each other for ten years, as mentioned, I was very, very happy that I met you there with your two daughters.

I definitely think your daughter might be special because of the relic that she got. It didn’t increase with me. I kept the big and small one with me, but they didn’t increase with me. It didn’t happen, though sometimes it looked like they were getting bigger. With her, the relics increased. It might mean she’s special—not the body, but the mind. I think she is not an ordinary girl, with so much attachment and so many problems in the life, problems of the mind, relating with the attachment, and with jealousy and anger. It’s so unbelievable; it make the life so difficult and so expensive, building debts over debts.

So I was very happy and also you, yourself, are sincere, very clean clear, that’s very good. I came to notice that even the time I met you very briefly in my room at Kopan.

If there is anything that I can help with, we can do it. I am very happy to help you. Please give my warm regards to your two daughters, who asked many questions.

With much love and prayer...

1. Rinpoche's letter to the elder daughter (aged approx. 14 years)

My dear one,
I was very happy to meet you in London and it was a good talk, especially with your younger sister who had many intelligent questions. I enjoyed it very much. If I come to London again, I would like to spend hours with you.

Please take care. Keep yourself in the Buddha’s path, the holy beings’ path, and benefit sentient beings.

With much love and prayer...

2. Rinpoche's letter to the Younger daughter (aged approx. 7 years)

My most dear one,
How are you? I enjoyed very much seeing you in London and your asking intelligent questions. Next time I come to London, I will spend hours and hours with you, then you can talk and ask questions.

Please keep yourself on the path of the Buddha so that you can bring benefit like the Pacific Ocean to the sentient beings of each realm—hell, hungry ghost, animal, human, sura, asura—freeing them from the ocean of samsaric suffering and bringing them to the peerless happiness of full enlightenment, buddhahood.

With much love and prayer...

My dear Patrick,
Thank you very much for your kind, sweet letter, telling me about yourself and how it has been for you. As you know, our permanent residence has been the lower realms, and we have received this upper realm rebirth just about one time, and especially rebirth as a human. This perfect human rebirth is even more special. We are so, so fortunate; unbelievably, unbelievably fortunate.

Not only that, we have met the Buddhadharma, and not only that, we have also met Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings. That is so fortunate. Wow, wow, wow! Anybody who reads, listens to or is able to talk about Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings, is so unbelievably fortunate.

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “If one doesn’t practice but just by knowing the Buddhadharma, the philosophy, that person receives more sharp intelligence, is not ignorant and is unbelievably fortunate, but the best is a person who practices.”

As you said, you never gave up faith, so that is the most important thing; that is the root from where enlightenment comes. The root is the faith.

It is mentioned in the Precious Tala Sutra, (Tib: Konchog Talai do)

Devotion is the preliminary, like the mother that generates all the qualities, to be protected and spread 
Devotion eliminates all the doubts and with this one is able to cross the great river (this means the sufferings of samsara and that we go beyond samsara by generating the path) 
Devotion is like the symbolic city of happiness and goodness 
Devotion makes our mind calm and clear without disruption 
Devotion makes us abandon pride and it is the root of respect 
Devotion is like wealth and like treasure 
Devotion is like the supreme lake that we use to reach where we want to go 
Devotion is like a hand; the root collecting virtue

It is said in the Sutra of the Ten Dharmas (Tib: Phagpa cho chupe do; Skt: Dasadharmaka Sutra):

For non-devotional people, the white dharma does not grow, just like burnt seeds do not grow green stems.

In the past there was a famine, and one old mother recited the mantra of the goddess Tsundi (Tib: Lhamo Tsundi).Tsundi is a female aspect of Buddha, who, after reciting the mantra, was able to cook the stones and eat them. One day her son came and told her the mantra she had been saying is incorrect and he told her the correct mantra. The mother changed what she was reciting and started to recite the correct mantra, but after that she was no longer able to cook the stones and eat them. So, from this story you can see that the main power came not from the mantra, but from faith. She was able to cook the stones because of her faith, not the mantra, so this shows the power of faith.

If there is faith, then enlightenment can be achieved by practicing the path. If we have no faith, then however much we know about sutra and tantra, the realizations cannot be achieved.

Therefore Gyalwa Ensapa, Lama Tsongkhapa’s disciple’s disciple and the first reincarnation of the Panchen Rinpoche in Tibet, said:

In short, whatever great or small realization is generated, this is due to whatever great or small devotion we have generated towards the valid guru, who is originator of all the attainments. Keep this advice as your heart practice, looking at the qualities of the guru and not looking at the mistakes.

The originator of all the realizations is the kind guru (This means we receive from the guru all the attainments up to enlightenment, from guru devotion, the three principal aspects of the path, the uncommon two stages, dharmakaya and rupakaya.) 
May I keep this instruction in my heart 
Looking at the guru’s qualities and not looking at mistakes 
May I be able to complete this commitment without obstacle.

Even if the guru is Buddha, but from our own side, if we do not see the actual Buddha, then we do not receive the blessings of Buddha.

As Kadampa Geshe Potowa mentioned in the Blue Scripture, a collection of teachings on the stages of the path:

Even if Manjrushri or Chenrezig actually came before me, it doesn’t benefit.

If we do not see the guru as Buddha, then we do not receive the blessing of Buddha; what we receive is only loss and no profit, just like the Mara Devadata, who was reborn in hell for eons and eons. Even if the guru is not Buddha from his side, but from our own side if we see the guru as Buddha, then we receive only profit and no loss.

For example, there was an old mother who wanted a relic of the Buddha very much, but her son forgot to bring this to her. Instead, he found a dog bone on the road home and brought it to her, and told her it was a relic of the Buddha. So the mother really respected the bone as if it was the Buddha’s relic, with so much devotion, and then later an actual relic came from that dog bone. So, the main cause of the relic was her devotion; the dog bone was not the main cause.

Therefore, from the guru’s side, even if the guru is not Buddha, but from our own side, we look at the guru as a real Buddha, then of course we will achieve enlightenment first. Then we are able to do perfect works for sentient beings, so isn’t that great? Isn’t that fantastic?

Learning is one thing, but of course it is most important to practice Buddha’s every single word, and to actualize the path to enlightenment. Every single word of Buddha is to subdue the mind, therefore it is very important to live the life with bodhicitta, whatever we do, with devotion to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and with compassion to every sentient being. Live the life with bodhicitta as much as you can, not only when you are studying and meditating, but also when you are eating, working, walking, sleeping etc. Do everything with bodhicitta, as much as possible, then everything becomes the cause of enlightenment, and even when problems happen, use them in the path to enlightenment, to achieve enlightenment for all sentient beings.

Thank you very much.

With much love and prayers...

To all my dear students, those devoted to Geshe-la and those who he nurtured in the Dharma,

I understand your feelings upon the sudden great loss of Geshe-la, not just for the students in Italy but for the FPMT organization as a whole.

As I mention in the quick return prayer, Geshe-la was like the father and mother who babies, every day and even every second, totally rely upon for everything; to whom children express their difficulties and receive help. Not only that, but Geshe-la was especially the virtuous friend upon whom you totally relied and who you trusted for guidance on the journey to enlightenment, the path that transforms a totally meaningless life into one of the highest meaning.

So, don’t worry or feel bad. What you should realize is how fortunate you have been; what a miracle it was to have come under Geshe-la’s care, the care of such a perfect teacher—not a perfect school teacher but a perfect teacher and guide on the path to liberation and enlightenment.

Therefore, simply crying and abiding in sorrow doesn’t at all help fulfill Geshe-la’s purpose. What you need to do is something that would please Geshe-la. Doing what would please Geshe-la and what he would wish for you is the most important thing you can do.

The basis of attainment is protecting the samaya vows, so protect them as much as possible and on that basis continuously study Dharma to the best of your ability. The essential meaning of studying Dharma is practicing the lamrim, which integrates all the extensive philosophy subjects. If you don’t develop your mind in the stages of the path, you’ll get lost in the vast field of philosophy. Problems will arise, but despite your extensive knowledge you won’t know how to put your studies into practice or integrate them with your life; you won’t know how to actualize the teachings in your heart, step by step, while continually purifying the obstacles of negative karmic obscurations, collecting extensive merit, and making requests to the guru with single-pointed devotion.

The external example of this process is a seed. Seeds are the essential element, but they need to be nurtured by soil, water, sunlight, air, and so forth. Then they grow, step by step: first the stem emerges, then slowly come the leaves, branches, flowers, and fruit. Similarly, your studies need to be nurtured by your living in guru devotion and bodhicitta; do everything you do with guru devotion and bodhicitta.

One thing to discover and realize is that Geshe-la’s passing away is a great teaching for us, especially his students. For example, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha showed the entire path to enlightenment in an all-encompassing way, giving teachings on both the profound and extensive paths, liberating numberless beings from the ocean of samsaric suffering, and fully enlightening them. But at the end, as a conclusion, he showed the holy deed of passing away into the sorrowless state in order to emphasize the teachings of impermanence to us sentient beings.

Thus, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s passing taught us that if we don’t think about impermanence and death all the time, we’ll fall under the control of concepts of permanence and think, “I’m going to live for long time.” This will allow the eight worldly concerns to constantly arise, preventing our practice of Dharma or at least postponing it. So, even if we can recite by heart the entire Kangyur and Tengyur and all the Tibetan lamas’ commentaries on the sutras and tantras, realizations won’t arise in our mental continuum.

Geshe-la’s passing away gives us the same message.

In the Sutra of Golden Light the Buddha gave another reason for showing the holy deed of passing away into the sorrowless state. He explained that if he didn’t show impermanence by passing away, people would think that he was always there and wouldn’t get the feeling of how rare and precious he and his teachings are. They would take the Buddha and his teachings for granted, wouldn’t practice, and then their samsaric suffering would be endless; even though they didn’t want to suffer at all, they would have to experience suffering without end.

If, for example, a cook were to serve pizza every day, morning, noon, and night—pizza for breakfast, pizza for lunch, pizza for dinner—you wouldn’t appreciate pizza. In fact, you’d get so sick of it that you’d throw it out the window before the table could be cleared. If, however, a cook makes pizza only occasionally, you get very excited when it’s served and are delighted to eat it: “Wow! Pizza! We don’t get this very often.”

Geshe-la’s passing teaches us the same thing, that his teachings are rare and precious and so is the teacher who reveals them.

Therefore, take this opportunity to practice Dharma—not only basic Hinayana but especially Mahayana Paramitayana and Vajrayana. This is the most important thing in life.

So, this is my message to you all. According to my Mickey Mouse divination, it seems that Geshe-la’s incarnation might come quickly. You can understand this, because there is a very strong bond between Geshe-la and his students, especially those in Italy.

The Master’s Program will, of course, carry on. Geshe-la put too much of his life into Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa and its many branches—visiting them again and again to give teachings—for it not to.

Therefore, please continue with the activities of the center, making the most of the great opportunity you have to give peace and happiness to other sentient beings by educating them in what true suffering and true happiness and their causes really are. Because the big mistake they make is to think, even intellectually, that the wrong causes of suffering and happiness are actually the right ones.

So, liberate and enlighten suffering sentient beings. One can spout a billion words, but this is the essence. Thank you very much.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

PS: If there’s a need, somebody could translate this into Tibetan.

PPS: For Geshe-la’s quick return, a stupa should be built. It should be half an arm’s length in height, made of copper, and decorated with silver and gold, or silver with gilded ornamentation. The bottom part can be made of copper, the vase silver, and the top plain silver or gilded. The sun can be silver or crystal. This is just a rough idea, but basically you, Geshe-la [Geshe Tenzin Tenphel], and Rinpoche [Tulku Gyatso] can decide on materials and decoration. Nevertheless, it would be good to decorate it with many jewels. More details on this will come.

So, your mother took the initiation. Usually people would not dare come to an initiation because you have to sacrifice something, it’s a more serious thing, so then they don't come. But if she took it as a blessing, just sitting there, of course, still it's very good. Even just being there is incredible. Most people don't want to come. If you tell them, they won't come. So, they don't have the karma to have the opportunity. They don't have good karma. That means your mother has created merit just to be there. If you listen, even if you don't understand, it leaves an imprint on the mind. Sooner or later, from that, you get a higher rebirth in the next life.

As far as the Buddhadharma is concerned, just by hearing it, even if you don't understand, you get a higher rebirth. In the next life you are able to understand the teachings so clearly, are able to practice and have realizations of the path and cease the defilements, and achieve liberation. Then, by ceasing the subtle defilements you achieve full enlightenment. Like that, great preparations have been made.

Also, it is amazing that your mother took the oral transmission of Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. Even if she was just sitting there, and didn't take the oral transmission, or didn't pay attention, it is an incredible advantage, and many benefits are received. Just seeing Chöden Rinpoche, sitting in front of him, is incredible. We see billions of people in New York, but we don't get that blessing or benefit for the mind as when we see Chöden Rinpoche. Seeing him, she gets that benefit, purifying the mind, receiving peace, and that deep feeling. She got that from somebody who not only has the realization of bodhicitta, who is a bodhisattva, which is an incredible blessing, but from a yogi who has the clear light realization, who is a Chakrasamvara practitioner. Even just being in front of this person, she receives blessings and is purified. Also, this person’s neighbors and the insects and people around this yogi receive blessings and are purified. Being in front of Rinpoche is incredible. It is said that if this kind of practitioner crosses over a bridge, then under the bridge the insects, worms, and beings are liberated, their negative karma is purified. This is very fortunate.  

The idea of making a thousand offerings to Maitreya Buddha is advice from Kyabje Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, a great yogi with skies of qualities, who unfortunately recently passed away. Rinpoche was not only a great scholar of the words of the sutras and tantras, the extensive Buddhadharma, but a great yogi who had attainment of the whole path to enlightenment. He had experiences like the limitless sky, not only of the common path—of guru devotion, renunciation, bodhicitta, and right view—but of the uncommon Tantric path, the path of secret mantra, or Vajrayana. In Tibet, Rinpoche was the abbot of many thousands of monks in Amdo, and then in India he lived an ascetic life on the mountain in Dharamsala, where he meditated on the path for many years.

My connection to Rinpoche started with lung, or wind disease. There is a very secret, very profound meditation called mani harthön, which is very powerful when you have wind disease. There are different ways you can get lung. Many people, though not everybody, get lung when they do intensive study. Sometimes it happens because of uncontrollable attachment; when you don’t get what your attachment wants, you then get lung.

At Kopan we had one great teacher, Geshe Lama Konchog, from Sera Je Monastery in Tibet. Geshe-la was a great yogi who had completed the path to enlightenment. After he escaped from Tibet, Geshe-la lived high in the Himalayas in Tsum, which is near the Tibetan border with Nepal. He lived for many years near one of Milarepa’s caves, and he lived like Milarepa. He ate no food, but just lived on taking the essence of wind. There are different techniques for taking the essence of stones, water, flowers, or wind. Like Buddha, who practiced austerities for six years, and like Milarepa, Geshe Lama Konchog lived in a cave for six years with nothing, meditating on the path to enlightenment. When some people from the valley below came up and saw him in the cave, they didn’t know that he was a meditator. They got very frightened because his hair had grown long and he was living there with nothing. They threw rocks at his cave. A few days later a group of about sixteen people came up and dragged him out of the cave.

He then moved to another of Milarepa’s caves on a very high mountain. When he left there, he did retreat for two years under a tree. There wasn’t a house or any walls or even a tent—he just meditated under the tree for two years. He totally sacrificed himself to attain the path to enlightenment for sentient beings.

Anyway, after Geshe Lama Konchog had come from the mountains to Kopan Monastery in Nepal, he mentioned many times that he needed the oral transmission of this technique to heal lung. At that time I was spending a lot of time in Dharamsala because there were problems at Kopan Monastery because of a misunderstanding with some Nepalese government officials. A student who was the director of the FPMT International Office at that time had become stressed out and had lung, so I asked him to look for a lama who had the lineage of this meditation. I sent him to Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, who had the lineage. The student received the oral transmission of this special meditation technique. Even though there was no translator and Rinpoche simply read the text, it helped him to recover from his lung. He got better just by hearing the oral transmission, without any explanation.

I then went to receive the lineage of the oral transmission of this meditation, which I then passed to Geshe Lama Konchog and Lama Lhundrup, the abbot of Kopan Monastery. That was the start of my connection to Kyabje Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche. When I asked Rinpoche some questions about tantra, I noticed that Rinpoche had incredible experiences of the tantric path. I then took more and more teachings from him. That’s how it started, and that’s how the channel was opened for Western students and those from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to receive teachings and guidance from Rinpoche. Rinpoche guided students not just with words from the texts but from his own experiences. Rinpoche also gave one of the most precious things, the Kalachakra initiation, many times, as well as many other initiations. He turned the Dharma wheel all over the West and in many other parts of the world, including Russia and Latvia. Rinpoche went all over the world many times and turned the Dharma wheel very extensively. He practiced and preserved Dharma very purely and spread it very purely to sentient beings.

Unfortunately, when Rinpoche was in Israel during the recent war to give teachings, he manifested some sickness, which the doctors discovered to be cancer. Rinpoche then canceled all his programs and went straight to Dharamsala. Rinpoche recently passed away, after being in meditation for a few days. His holy body has been cremated in Dharamsala.