Wanting to impose guidelines on Buddhist teachers is a cultural habit that is based on basic nihilism and the democratic ideal. The main concern is to insure that everything under observation is equalized. Among all the democratic countries in the world, America is the leader. Still, if carefully examined, no matter how hard America may try to impose the democratic ideal of equality upon everything and everyone, tremendous conflict persists between the democrats and republicans, who are at the very heart of the democratic structure. Wishing to impose these ideals upon Buddhist teachers proves that there is a lack of basic understanding on a spiritual level.
The teacher-student relationship on the path of Buddhism is of utmost importance, from the time of meeting with the path until liberation from the round of confusion occurs. The basis of such a relationship is faith. The result of all paths is the attainment of the state of Buddha Vajradhara or absolute wisdom, however it is necessary to have faith in order to achieve this goal. Currently in the west there is a breakdown in the teacher-student relationship due to lack of faith. This is why it is so important to understand what faith is and the profound benefits that arise from it. The nature of faith is to trust in sublime beings in order to receive the blessing of wisdom energy that benefits self and others. True faith creates and stimulates the vast love of compassion which touches countless beings. If the mind experiences faith there is the opening through which blessings are received. When blessings are received, the causes for confusion and suffering can be identified and eliminated while the indwelling wisdom Buddha nature is able to blossom and begin to be sustained. Faith is therefore the most important quality necessary to possess in order to practice Buddhism in such a way that there will be actual, ever-lasting results.
Having faith is surrendering one's body, speech, and mind to the object of one's devotion and respect. In the case of Buddhism the object of devotion is the Buddha represented by the spiritual teacher. The Buddha as the spiritual teacher has nothing to receive or gain when disciples offer their body, speech, and mind. Rather, the pride and other passions in the minds of the disciples are cleansed and offered so that the blessing of their natural indwelling wisdom awareness can manifest. It is through this process that true wisdom qualities develop. If individuals whose aspiration is to realize enlightenment were not able to connect with pure wisdom teachers it would be extremely difficult to proceed on the path that brings such a result. In the west there are many spiritual paths and religions that are available for people to choose from. It is important for westerners to realize that if they are choosing the path of Buddhism, they are choosing to connect with a living tradition of teachings timelessly upheld by authentic lineage holders who are the wisdom teachers of the unbroken tradition representing the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. These teachers are like a chain of golden links, untarnished by external circumstances such as broken commitments and incorrect view. Knowing that the path is illuminated through the connection one makes with a pure wisdom teacher is the first step to take when entering the path of Buddhism. The next step involves knowing how to find the best teacher. In particular, if there is an interest in the path of Vajrayana Buddhism it must be known that it is only possible to enter this path by connecting with and receiving empowerment from a fully qualified Vajra Master. Teachings that are given and received on the level of Vajrayana must occur within the context of the sacred bond of a pure teacher-student relationship. This is because it is impossible to receive any blessings or gain realization through the methods of the Vajrayana path without cultivating a pure teacher-student relationship. From the time that the formal relationship begins, it is of utmost importance that it be carefully maintained through faith, respect, and devotion until enlightenment is realized. This is what renders the relationship pure. The state of Buddha is primordial purity, free of stain and fault. In the state of Buddha, all traces of obscuration are completely purified, and all sublime noble qualities are fully expanded. Therefore the state of Buddha and the objects of faith and devotion that represent this state are understood to be perfectly pure and infallible. By expressing faith and devotion towards sublime objects that represent the state of perfectly enlightened Buddhahood, all of the students faults will begin to be purified, and all inherent wisdom qualities will naturally begin to blossom. This is the reason for the teacher-student relationship and the reason for practising the path of Buddhism. A fully qualified spiritual guide must be a true representative of the Buddha so that the disciple can begin to cultivate faith towards the qualities that the spiritual teacher embodies and represents. The Buddha is the embodiment of the Three Jewels who are the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Of these Three Jewels, the Buddha represents the state of enlightened mind, the Dharma represents enlightened speech and the Sangha represents enlightened form. Whenever there is mention of the Buddha, this always includes the Dharma and Sangha because the Three Jewels are inseparable. The Three Jewels of Refuge cannot be separated because together they represent the complete state of perfect realization. They represent the pure, true nature of the disciples body, speech, and mind, which also cannot be separated. Since the spiritual teacher represents the Three Jewels, how can we follow the path of Buddhism without relying upon a teacher? To think that the role of the teacher can be diminished because it is only necessary to rely upon the Sangha for guidance will not suffice if one is aspiring to achieve the state of perfectly enlightened Buddhahood. Sangha means "followers of virtue." In order to follow the path of virtue, one must rely on the Dharma as the speech of the Buddha. Without the Buddha and Dharma, how can there be the path of Buddhism that leads to liberation? The Buddha appears for sentient beings in any kind of form that is necessary and beneficial. The spiritual teacher that we either do or do not have the good fortune to meet with is the representative or embodiment of the Buddha. To be a representative of the Buddha is quite a responsibility. Therefore on the Buddhist path, becoming a fully qualified authentic spiritual teacher is not something to be taken lightly. Nor should a teacher ever consider accepting disciples on a casual basis. It is absolutely necessary to fully examine the potential teacher, no matter which path of Buddhism one is hoping to pursue. Likewise, the teacher must examine the disciple regardless of their aspirations to enter a particular path of dharma practice. The point of view of the teacher as the embodiment of the Three Jewels of Refuge differs according to the different schools of Buddhism. It is important to know the difference and practice accordingly. After the process of examination is complete, and when the final decision is made to request to become the disciple of a particular teacher, if the request is granted, then holding a pure view toward that teacher thereafter is crucial for the disciple's spiritual development. This should be obvious since the source of uncontrived faith, devotion and respect is the mind. Buddha Shakyamuni said: "All existent phenomena are naturally within the mind. Mind is primary and exists before there are the actions of body and speech." Although the importance of the initial stage of examining the teacher should always be stressed, it is a step that is easily ignored. Many westerners wonder what is appropriate, and what is not. Initially, before the formal relationship begins, almost anything is appropriate. A simple way to begin the examination process is to check and see, in the case of an Asian teacher, if the teacher has disciples in his or her own country, and what type of spiritual deeds they have accomplished in the past. Find out if other Asians accept this person as a qualified teacher, take empowerments from, and hold this teacher with deep respect. Just reading about the person's credentials like reviewing a resume is not necessarily a reliable or accurate source. Rather than checking names and titles, it is important to check qualities. Often times there are teachers who claim to hold a title among their peers when in fact they are only promoting themselves erroneously in foreign cultures. If the teacher in question is from your own country, then you must investigate their background. Just reading about their credentials on a flyer or in an advertisement should not be the basis for making the decision to accept them as a spiritual guide. Do you really think that fame, name, prosperity, physical appearance or charisma are the only acceptable qualities necessary to look for when searching for a sublime spiritual teacher who will lead you to liberation? It is much safer to be practical, wise and patient enough to take the time to research their lineage of teachers and teachings and check to see if their own dharma peers have respect for them that is comparable to their personal claims. These are important steps in the process of searching for the right connection. In the teachings there are innumerable guidelines given to help determine the true qualities of a spiritual guide. It isn't necessary to repeat all of those qualities here; however it should be obvious to anyone with even a little intelligence that a spiritual teacher must possess humility and true compassion for others. It is very surprising that so many disciples are inclined to follow teachers who do not demonstrate these most important qualities. Doesn't it seem important to look for a teacher whose three doors are not separate from virtue? Doesn't it also seem logical that a teacher should show unflagging respect for his or her teachers and tradition without compromise? Please keep in mind that the path of Buddhism is based on tradition, faith, wisdom, and compassion.
Those who do not have a formal teacher-student relationship but are developing their full potential as human beings are able to do so because they are learning selflessness through cultivating respect for others. From this point of view other beings are temporarily serving the role of the spiritual teacher. There is a difference between this stage and the stage of becoming a disciple on the path of Buddhism. When an individual decides to become a Buddhist and exchange self-fixation for faith and devotion, it is because they realize that cyclic existence is by nature impermanent and based on suffering which only brings temporary states of limited happiness. They realize that in order to learn about the path leading from this undesirable state they must find a qualified guide who has either realized the state of perfect liberation or who has the full capacity to reveal the correct path. By relying upon such a guide, through respect the student continues to learn selflessness, and by cultivating faith, the student begins to become aware of the intangible, stainless wisdom nature that the teacher represents. Eventually, the student will see that this wisdom nature is their own nature. The purity of the teacher-student relationship, which is based on faith, makes this possible. Doesn't it seem logical that permanent happiness and liberation from suffering would have occurred long ago if it was based on independent effort alone? Now that it has been established that the student-teacher relationship is the basis for the path of Buddhism, it is important to look at some of the most common misconceptions and fears that exist concerning this relationship. Many westerners concerned about the conduct of spiritual teachers are trying to impose guidelines upon their teachers in order to protect themselves and others. Several points need to be taken into consideration here. Wanting to impose guidelines upon spiritual teachers is an attitude that comes from the habit of nihilism. Over countless generations, the tradition of Buddhism has always been that of lineages of teachers guiding students, not students guiding teachers. For countless generations the non-spiritual tradition has also been that of teachers guiding students because students lack the capacity to guide their teachers. Wanting to impose guidelines on Buddhist teachers is a cultural habit that is based on basic nihilism and the democratic ideal. The main concern is to insure that everything under observation is equalized. Among all the democratic countries in the world, America is the leader. Still, if carefully examined, no matter how hard America may try to impose the democratic ideal of equality upon everything and everyone, tremendous conflict persists between the democrats and republicans, who are at the very heart of the democratic structure. Wishing to impose these ideals upon Buddhist teachers proves that there is a lack of basic understanding on a spiritual level. In addition, this displays the arrogance of thinking that one knows something about that which one does not. The worst of this is that some westerners who are trying to impose these guidelines and new American ideals upon the traditional path of Buddhism do not really believe in Buddhism's traditional way, yet they continue to use the name of Buddhism for their very existence. If these cultural ideals are imposed upon the pure path of traditional Buddhism it will not be possible for the fruit of a teacher-student relationship to ripen. The root of this problem is illuminated by this quotation from the teachings of Thinley Norbu Rinpoche,
Dharma's respect which depends on our limitless wisdom mind is disrespectful to samsara's respect which depends on the dualistic mind. If we always respect samsara's way we cannot release our rigid limited mind into true respectful pure light qualities. But, temporarily, without respecting samsara's customs we cannot reveal Dharma's way.
This quotation also helps to illuminate the importance of learning how to examine the teacher-student relationship according to the Buddhist tradition, in order to cultivate unshakeable faith and respect. Once the relationship begins, if one only continues to rely upon the mind of samsara's way (dualistic habits), then it will not be possible to cultivate deep enduring faith. Whenever unexpected circumstances occur, faith and belief will easily change and be forsaken. If we experience faith, it is because we want to believe in something extraordinary and sublime beyond the suffering of ordinary existence. If our conceptualized object of faith is perceived from a confused or deluded point of view, and if from materializing intangible spiritual qualities, we decide that the validity of the object has decreased, then faith will decrease right along with it. This is why one must know how to always combine awareness of the relative view of the spiritual teacher with the absolute view. Too many disciples are only aware of the obvious, easy to recognise conspicuous appearance of the relative point of view. Due to emphasizing only this, they easily become disappointed because of inability to recognize that they are actually seeing the reflection of their own level of awareness in the way that they view the spiritual teacher. Often times students will then become so discouraged that they will find faults in their supremely kind spiritual teachers as well as the sacred Dharma. Finally, they will abandon their teacher and the Dharma in order to follow their own ordinary habits. This prevents the cultivation of pure sublime qualities and obstructs the opportunity of making true progress on the Buddhist path to liberation. All sentient beings have the strong habit of only believing in tangible phenomena. Naturally this habit predominates in the minds of westerners as they become disciples on the path. The strong attachment to the tangible phenomena of the temporary circumstances that one believes are real, creates an inability to recognize the profound intangible qualities of the wisdom mind. Many western disciples are afraid that if they give up their attachment to tangible phenomena, they will be cheated or mislead by a spiritual teacher. This attitude defeats the purpose of relying upon a spiritual teacher. If we always believe only in the truth of our own deluded perceptions and fail to believe in that which we cannot see, then we will never believe in vast wisdom qualities because of remaining trapped in our own disbelief. This defeats the very reason for entering the path of Buddhism, and in particular the path of Vajrayana Buddhism.
A true wisdom teacher who cares only about the liberation of others can assume any aspect that will bring benefit to sentient beings. In fact, such teachers engage in whatever means are necessary to help tame the minds of beings in accordance with their faculties, elements and circumstances. In the west, many people expect to hear only kind sweet words of praise from their teachers, so if the teacher points out their faults directly, they react with disappointment, resentment and anger. How can there be true progress on the path, if a student only aspires to cultivate a superficial relationship with a teacher?
Furthermore, no one teaching or circumstance is ever going to be exactly the same for everyone. The kindest teacher of all is the one who selflessly and fearlessly reveals the faults and shortcomings of the disciple. At times when wisdom teachers criticize a disciple, it is to reveal discerning wisdom, humility, selflessness and other enlightened qualities to the disciple. Other times, when the teacher agrees with the student, it is to reveal the wisdom of equanimity. The conduct of the teacher will be in accord with the needs of the disciple, which need not be obvious or tangible. However, the effects of whatever the teacher says or does depend upon how it is understood by the student. It is through the student's personal positive phenomena that the natural indwelling qualities of the awareness mind of the teacher can be understood. Through the great fortune of connecting with a spiritual teacher who can correctly introduce and reflect the nature of mind, a disciple with faith and pure view can use whatever occurs within this precious connection to be led to enlightenment. Once deciding to rely upon a spiritual teacher, entering the path is like rekindling a torch in the darkness so that the path to follow can be clearly identified. Thereafter as one begins to embark upon the path, it is still going to be necessary to continue to rely upon the guide for assistance. The reason for this should be obvious. There will be junctions on the path, dangerous passageways, rest areas that are safe and those that are dangerous. Whether one will continue walking, begin running or even flying down the path will also be determined with the help of the guide. The skillful knowledge that knows how to traverse the path belongs to the one who has already successfully completed the journey. Buddha Shakyamuni completed the journey along with countless other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who are living examples of this knowledge and skill. When choosing a spiritual teacher, a disciple must have unerring confidence that the teacher has this same wisdom knowledge and skill. Ask yourself if you think it is necessary to rely upon a teacher in order to skilfully walk the path that leads to perfectly enlightened Buddhahood? Maintaining a pure relationship with the teacher along the journey is one of the most important guidelines for success. You must learn how to fearlessly trust in the teacher and your own ability to complete this journey that will allow you to believe in the non-dual intangible wisdom nature. This journey will not be like the other experiences that you have had in your life until now. The basic teachings of the path of Buddhism, as well as almost every other pure spiritual tradition, help all beings become happier, kinder, more decent human beings. However, in order to achieve liberation from cyclic existence, it is going to take a lot more than just that. That is why realizing the state of enlightenment depends upon the teacher-student relationship based on faith and pure view. The blessing and singularity of this path is that it has not been compromised or ostracized over the centuries, because so many of the great lineage upholders, leaders and teachers of Buddhism had complete confidence in the timeless truth of the Buddha's teachings. They knew that this truth surpasses the temporary circumstances created by the dualistic mind. When choosing a teacher, please look to see if their speech and actions are in accord with the Buddha's teachings or not. Since the Buddha presented 84,000 categories of teachings in the world, investigating these teachings alone could take more than a few lifetimes. Once deciding to become a Buddhist, it is best to use one's effort to investigate the vast and inconceivable teachings of the Buddha and put them to practice rather than deviating from the authentic path by attempting to materialize the sacred dharma through dualistic habituation. It is as Jé Mipham Rinpoche states,
Even though the sublime ones may become the objects of aggression, their sublime noble qualities can never be stopped. Such disparagement will only exhaust your own qualities in the same way that pointing a burning torch downward will burn your own arm.
It is unquestionable that by relying upon the most precious and rare relationship with a spiritual guide, all negative habits will be purified and transformed through faith, practice, and meditation in wisdom awareness. Until realizing self nature as the absolute spiritual teacher, it is necessary to sustain a pure relationship by constantly seeing the spiritual teacher to be the very nature of the state of Buddhahood. It is as Paltrül Rinpoche states,
Through the disciples faith, the teacher's enlightened intention is invoked. Through the teacher's wisdom blessings, the disciple's mind is liberated. By this most auspicious excellent connection between teacher and student, may sentient beings achieve the state of perfectly enlightened Buddhahood as one mandala!