Seeing Faults in the Guru

My dear one,
Devotion developed through analytical and fixed meditation is much more stable, so whatever is happening, we don't lose our devotion. That’s why, even if we have guru devotion, it has to be stable. If our guru devotion is based on what we see from the outside, but it is not developed from our own side with reasoning based on analytical and fixed meditation, then as long as everything we see is nice, it’s okay, but if our guru devotion is not stable, once we see a mistake, the devotion is gone. We have to understand this point. That’s why not only guru devotion, but the whole lamrim, is based on analytical meditation (except shi-nä, which doesn’t have much analytical meditation).

There are two techniques using Lama Tsongkhapa's method of making use of seeing mistakes to develop devotion. The first technique is this:

If we put on blue glasses, everything we see is blue and if we put on red glasses, then everything we see is red. Therefore, if we have an obscured mind, mistaken thoughts and past negative karmic imprints, it is like putting on red or blue glasses and we see the guru in that way—as having mistakes, delusions, sicknesses, the shortcomings of samsara, problems, mistakes in actions, sexual immorality and so forth. This is how we see with our mistaken, obscured mind, which is due to past negative karma and imprints. It is exactly the same as the example of the colored glasses. Depending on what type of glasses we wear, we see everything like that.

With a negative mind we see everything as negative and with a pure mind we see everything as pure. With a mind full of guru devotion, we see the guru as Buddha and with that mind we see everything as pure. We see the guru as Buddha, and we see no delusions, no sufferings of samsara, and no mistakes in actions; what appears is just a manifestation of an act. It’s like somebody is acting his or her life story in the theatre. That’s how we see it. Even though there is an appearance, we don't believe in that because we see the guru as Buddha, so it doesn't harm us or make us lose devotion.

That is why the fifth Dalai Lama said, rang dzin log shay... “In the view of the perverted mind all your mistakes manifest in the guru’s action. This is definite—that your heart is broken from the bottom. By realizing this, your own mistake, then abandon this poison.” An appearance is one thing, then believing it is true is an obstacle to achieving enlightenment.

Merits, even those accumulated without bodhicitta, made by circumambulating or prostrating to the Buddha can't be destroyed completely if they are sealed with emptiness, so what we need to do is abandon negative thoughts and the belief that they are true. Think, “Whenever I see mistakes, this is the appearance of my own mistaken mind.” Of course, this reminds and inspires us to purify our negative karma, which causes us to see this wrong view. The mistakes that we see are our own mistakes. They are negative imprints from the past, so abandon them like poison.

The next thing is there are numberless buddhas, one thousand buddhas for this fortunate eon. They all exist, but we cannot see them. They don't appear to us, because our minds are obscured and defiled. It is like this. (Rinpoche covers his eyes with his hands.) We cannot see; not only can we not see, but it is also a hallucination.

Because we can't see the buddhas, they can’t guide us directly because they are blocked by our delusions. Because they are most kind, most precious, they have completed compassion for sentient beings and they have a perfect mind and perfect power, but the only way they can guide us is by manifesting in ordinary form. Taking the aspect of having mistakes is the only solution in order to guide us. The buddhas have to manifest having delusions and mistakes; only then can we see them and receive guidance directly. Through this they reveal methods to achieve happiness in this and all future lives, for example, how to be born in a pure realm or with a perfect human rebirth. They teach us how to achieve all that and how to achieve perfect enlightenment. This aspect is most kind. Compared to the sky filled with jewels, this aspect is more precious.

Specific instructions

1. Buy some offerings, like a big basket of fruit or whatever your guru likes, then go to him and confess. This is very important, so that the negative karma becomes much smaller. If any anger or heresy arises, this is the first thing you must do as quickly as possible. It’s very important that this is the first thing you do. If you confess your negativities, they can be purified. Make prostrations, give the offering, then apologize respectfully. Don’t just say sorry in the Western way. Humbly say, “I had anger, heresy, or whatever it was, arising in past months.” Say it humbly.

2. Think about the guru as most kind and most precious. Keep thinking this, while reciting one mala or even more. Remember all the gurus. If you see any mistake, think the guru is most kind. Think this so strongly until a tear comes. Then remember all the kindness of the gurus and all the happiness of future lives. Do this twenty-one times. Then think about how they teach us to achieve liberation and enlightenment, and how they are most precious and kind. Think that they bring us to enlightenment. Think that they are most precious and kind twenty-one times. Seeing their mistakes actually makes us develop devotion.

3. Think that the guru and His Holiness the Dalai Lama are one, and that all the buddhas are one.

We can think all this is for our guru devotion practice—this is very important. When we talk about the guru we have to say “manifest.” Tsul tenpa means “acted” not real. We have to remember the words “acted” or “manifested.” Even talking about His Holiness the Dalai Lama as being ill is a big mistake. If we say he is ill, we are saying he is not a buddha. Even an arya bodhisattva who has achieved the path of meditation doesn’t have sickness.

4. Please read Milarepa’s life story.

5. Read Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, writing out all the stories of guru devotion and relating them to your guru. Think that the negative appearances come from your own mind. For three months you should think mainly about this and about the guru’s kindness, then happiness will come. Then do more purification.

How our future lives turn out is dependent on this life—how much correct Dharma practice we do, our development with the spiritual friend, whether we find the guru or not, and then if we can correctly devote to the guru or not. That depends on this life. We have to remember this.