Second flower bloom

Chapter 13 Master and Disciple

Ordinary people can help you solve mundane matters, but masters can only teach you how to deal with major matters of life and death. "Vajra Master" actually represents a relationship between the master and the disciple.

Recently, some disciples asked me how to get along with my master and how to study the Fa with him.This is a very important question.I refer to the content of relying on the guru in the "Ruyi Treasure Treatise" written by the omniscient Dharma King Wugouguang and Patrul Rinpoche's "Teachings of the Samantabhadra Master", combined with my daily observations, I try to understand the relationship between the guru and the disciples. Made a brief and not comprehensive exposition.For the inappropriate omissions in the article, I sincerely repent to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and look forward to readers' correction and understanding.

I would like to especially thank the disciples who asked me questions, which gave me the opportunity to reflect on my words and deeds as a teacher.If this article has some merits and can help everyone in their practice, I will be very pleased.

From taking refuge to the present, we have worked hard to listen, contemplate, and meditate, to generate and strengthen renunciation and bodhicitta, and to try to understand emptiness.Everything seems to be going well, but there is always a problem in front of us, and that is how to deal with the relationship with the teacher.

It seems impossible for us to grope for the door of liberation on our own without the guidance of a Master.Being in samsara since beginningless time is still confusing, which is a proof that we cannot get out of samsara only by our own blind pursuit and exploration.

The Buddha's understanding of the true meaning of life is like a bright light in the long night, illuminating the path of liberation for countless walkers.When he attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya, India more than 500 years ago, we wandered somewhere. In short, we missed the opportunity to learn, think, and experience with the Buddha.For 500 years, we have repeatedly missed opportunities due to arrogance, inversion, stubbornness, care and fear, until today.Although we are still narrow-minded and do not know how to cherish, some people still hold the light of Buddha's wisdom, waiting in the endless night to illuminate our way forward.If we still miss, he said he will stay and he will come again until we don't miss anymore.This is the compassion of the master.

Guru is the free translation of "Lama" in Tibetan, referring to the teacher of Buddhism, or master.From seeking outwards to returning to our own nature, the moment this transition occurs, we begin to prepare to meet our guru.Because we are accustomed to interpreting the meaning behind the words according to our own preferences, our thinking can never jump out of the "self" pattern. Without the assistance of a master, it is difficult for us to fully realize our true nature by reading, thinking or practicing according to our own ideas.

A guru who can accurately explain the meaning of the scriptures, inspire thinking, and give advice in response to the situation is an indispensable Taoist friend on our way of learning Buddhism.On this basis, if the master himself has achieved enlightenment, he can guide the disciples to obtain the experience of cultivation more quickly, directly and appropriately.

Sakyamuni Buddha once said: "In the past, none of the Buddhas did not rely on the guru to become a Buddha, and thousands of Buddhas in the eons also relied on the guru to obtain the ultimate enlightenment." If we have the wisdom and insights of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, we will Seeing the encounter with the guru in this life is the most fulfilling and warmest experience in our samsara.

Venerable Wugouguang wrote in "Ruyi Treasure Theory": The virtuous guru is the source of all wisdom and merit of the disciples.Ordinary people can help you solve mundane matters, but masters can only teach you how to deal with major matters of life and death.

To get rid of the shackles of samsara, wish is not enough, we have to learn to choose the cause and effect under the guidance of the guru, and the guru can quickly and effectively accumulate blessings and wisdom for the situation.The most powerful way to save sentient beings from the sea of ​​samsara is the blessing of the guru, and the fastest way to increase merits such as wisdom, compassion, and confidence is also to rely on the guru.

There is no better guide on the path to liberation than a guru.

There is no doubt that we all really want to learn Buddhism and be liberated. Otherwise, in such an age full of temptation and mistrust, we would not choose to practice such a difficult path, nor would we willingly accept the guidance of our master.The problem is that we underestimate the "I"'s cunning, tenacity, and ability to do anything to protect itself.

"I" will jump out at any time and destroy our karma to follow the master to learn the Dharma.Why did he dislike the master so much?Let's start by looking at what one does when one visits a teacher, according to Tibetan tradition.Usually he would offer offerings and salute, which is not only out of politeness and respect, but also has a profound meaning behind it.

Offerings include Dharma offerings, service offerings, and property offerings, among which the merits of practicing the Dharma are the most excellent offerings to the guru.Dharma King Ruyibao has emphasized more than once before that the most important connection with him is through the practice of good dharma, and the Dharma offering makes him most happy.

The result of Buddhist practice is to get rid of the attachment to "I".Although a real guru will not be greedy for money, from the perspective of a disciple, the biggest attachment of many people in this world is money. When you see a guru, you can give away what you are most attached to, which means that you are willing Let go of your attachment to material things and accept the teachings of your master.This is not only an effective way to weaken the ego, but also a convenient way to accumulate merit.No matter what kind of offerings are made to the guru, they can quickly accumulate a huge amount of spiritual merit.

Some people may have misconceptions about the offering of property, thinking that whoever makes offerings with more money will have greater merit, and people with poor financial conditions will not have much merit even if they barely put out a little money to offer to the guru.In fact, making offerings to the guru mainly depends on the disciple's motivation.If you do it for others to see, then offering a lot of property to the guru may not necessarily have great merit.

Of course, Dharma King Ruyibao once said: "Although the amount of offerings is not important, it can still be regarded as a basis for judging the disciple's confidence." Without confidence, no matter how strong the vanity is, they will not easily take out money to make offerings to the guru and the Three Jewels.If you have firm faith in your guru, and your vows are pure, no matter how much you make offerings, it will have great merit.

In the Buddha's time, there was an old beggar who often saw kings, princes and others making offerings to the Buddha and his disciples, and wished he could make offerings like them.But after begging for a day, she only got one copper plate. She took this copper plate to buy oil, but found that it was not even enough to light a lamp.The oil merchant gave her some oil out of mercy, and she happily came to the temple to light a lamp, and made a vow: "I have nothing to offer but this lamp. But through this offering, I hope that I will gain wisdom in the future." , may I help sentient beings dispel the darkness in their hearts and guide them to enlightenment."

That night, all the oil in the other lamps burned out, and only the lamp provided by the beggar burned until dawn. Not only did the oil not decrease, but the wick was still new.That day happened to be the turn of the Buddha's disciples, the "superior supernatural power" Moggallana, who was on duty to take care of the lights. Seeing that it was dawn, he wanted to turn off the light and save it for the night when the Buddha taught the sutras, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't turn it off. that lamp.

When the Buddha knew about it, he came over and said to Maggallana: "You can't extinguish this lamp. Even if you pour all the water in the world's oceans, rivers, and lakes on this lamp, it will not be extinguished, because it It comes from a pure heart and is ignited for the ultimate liberation of all sentient beings."

At this time, the beggar walked up to the Buddha, and the Buddha prophesied that in the future she would surely realize the Supreme Enlightenment, named the Buddha of Light.

It can be seen that even making trivial offerings in front of a virtuous teacher with a pure heart can have immeasurable merit.It is also said in the scriptures that all pleasing things, such as gurgling streams by the roadside and wild flowers in the mountains, can be visualized and offered to the guru, and the merits and virtues are also incredible.

Serving and supporting refers to doing things for the master or serving the master.Because what the guru does is to benefit all beings and stay in the Dharma, we create convenience for the guru through our body, speech and behavior. Although we do not practice the Dharma directly, we also indirectly benefit sentient beings and protect the Dharma.Moreover, this rejoicing merit will flow into the guru's merit sea, and we will also get all the good karma accumulated by the great vow of the saint guru.Therefore, no matter what you do for your master, you are accumulating merits for your practice.It is impossible to fully realize emptiness until the two accumulations of merit and wisdom are complete.Even if you have realized emptiness, you still need to diligently accumulate two kinds of merits to make your practice more and more advanced before you can achieve the perfect enlightenment.

Whenever I have the opportunity to do something for Guru Dharma King Cinnamon, I am very happy.At dawn yesterday, in my dream, the guru whom I missed day and night came to the cave where I practiced, and I ran out with surprise and joy.His Holiness smiled and sat down on a blanket at the entrance of the cave. I was worried that the rocks behind would touch his head and back, so I hurried back to the cave and took a big woolen blanket to make a cushion for His Holiness.I was so happy and so nervous inside that I couldn't manage to turn the blanket into a cushion, and I was in a rush of joy until I woke up.

People also often divide the offering into the three offerings of body, speech, and mind, which refer to the practice of Dharma in action, speech, and thought as the dharma offering to the guru, as well as making service offerings to the guru in action and speech, and making offerings to the guru with thoughts. Rejoice in the merits of the master.No matter what form of offering, it can help us increase our confidence and reduce our ego.

Prostrating with all five bodies on the ground, on the one hand, it means that you are determined to let go of your arrogance and prejudice, put yourself in the lowest position, accept everything calmly, no longer worry about falling and losing, and on the other hand, you can accumulate huge merit.

It is said in the Buddhist scriptures: One of the 32 treasures of the Buddha, the top view of the Buddha without seeing, came because of respect and homage to the virtuous teacher.Offerings and prostrations when meeting a guru have clear symbolic meanings, which means that we are ready to let go of our ego. This is the attitude we should have when we get along with the guru, and it is also the reason why we don’t like the guru.Before the guru, there is no place for the ego.

In real life, what kind of mentality do people usually have when facing their guru?First of all, before seeing the guru, there are already deep prejudices.The guru should be virtuous, dignified, mature and simple, majestic and kind; the guru should respond to our requests, comfort us when we are depressed, and help us when we are in trouble; , so that they will not retreat because of the boring practice... We bring so many "shoulds" to see the master.If the actual situation is different from what we expected, we will be disappointed and even start to doubt whether the teacher is really virtuous.

Some people hesitate after seeing a guru, wondering if they need to deepen their relationship with him.Before entering into a formal master-student relationship with a guru, one does need to look carefully.The guru is the place of refuge from life to life, and also the teacher who teaches the principles of choice and rejection.If you do not observe and mistake unqualified people as gurus, the seeker will sink deeper into the pain of samsara.

Tibetan Buddhism places particular emphasis on observing the guru.Once established, the relationship between the vajra master and his disciples cannot be destroyed. Otherwise, the tantric precepts will be violated or even broken, and the consequences will be extremely tragic.

How to identify a real guru? It is clearly stated in "Teachings of Pu Xian Guru".In the Dharma-ending period, although it is extremely rare to find a guru who possesses all merits and virtues as mentioned in the tantra scriptures, as a qualified guru, at least the following conditions should be met: first, he must have a pure bodhicitta; Disciples need to fully teach a certain method of liberation; the third is the purity of precepts.When judging whether a practitioner is qualified as a Vajra Guru, whether his tantric precepts are pure or not should be put in the first place.

"Vajra Guru" is not a title or appellation like "Khenpo", "Living Buddha" or "Rinpoche". It actually represents a relationship between the master and his disciples.When a guru gives you initiations, explains tantra teachings, or imparts esoteric tips, the relationship between him and you becomes the relationship between a vajra master and his disciples.If the guru himself is not pure in his esoteric precepts, the Dharma lineage will be interrupted when he reaches him, so what will he use to empower, explain and teach you?
Some people pay great attention to the trivial matters of daily life, such as eating a meal and buying a piece of clothing, but they are very blind and careless when it comes to choosing a guru, as if anyone can be his guru, as long as "the self ’ Tell him that having a “guru” makes him feel more complete.

What kind of guru a person will meet depends not only on personal motivation and karma with the guru, but also on the common karma of all beings in the same generation.

At that time, Shakyamuni Buddha appeared in the world directly in the image of Buddha to guide all living beings, but after the Buddha passed away, all living beings could only see the Buddha in the form of Arhat due to the reduction of blessings. sentient beings.In the Dharma-ending period, sentient beings can only see ordinary people, and Buddha appears in our lives in the image of ordinary people.

As far as individuals are concerned, without the blessings of past lives, it is impossible to meet a virtuous teacher in this life, and if the heart is not pure, the true Buddha will not see his merits.

The so-called observing the guru is also observing our own mind: what kind of mind do we use to worship the master and seek the Dharma?Is it for relief or for something else?Do you hope that all sentient beings will be happy in this life and be liberated in the next life, or do you just want to get rid of the pain of samsara as soon as possible?Do you want to understand and realize the true meaning of life in the universe, or do you want to gain some kind of spiritual experience or have a new identity?
If your heart is pure, even if the Buddha appears in the image of an ordinary person, you can still recognize him as a Buddha; if your heart is not pure, you will not be able to see the goodness of your master even if you are the best.The Buddha's cousin Devadatta and Shanxing Bhikkhu, who have followed the Buddha for decades, always believe that the Buddha is not as insightful, enlightened, and virtuous as they are.The image of the Buddha is related to the common karma of all living beings. In your eyes, whether the guru is a Buddha or an ordinary person depends entirely on your personal blessing and wisdom.

It is specifically pointed out in "The Words and Teachings of Puxian Guru" that observing the guru refers to "observing well before the fate of seeking empowerment and passing on the Dharma. Dharma appearance does not rely on it. After relying on the guru, no matter what the guru’s behavior is, it should be regarded as good and wonderful, and all of them should be regarded as merit, so as to generate confidence and observe the pure heart. If evil thoughts arise, it will lead to inconceivable Excessive trouble".

In addition, whether there is a spiritual connection between the master and the apprentice is also very important.

In Tibetan, learning the Dharma from a teacher is called "Lama La Dengba". "Dengba" refers to relying on, firmly believing in the heart that relying on the guru will surely be liberated.

The predestined relationship between each person and the guru is different. Some people will have a strong reaction when they meet the guru for the first time or just hear the name of the guru. Like the first time Venerable Milarepa heard the mention of the great translator Marbaloza , I had great confidence in this guru whom I had never met.There are also people who gradually build up trust through continuous contact with the guru to increase understanding.Some disciples can study the Dharma with their master for a long time, like Mipham Rinpoche's disciple Wosha, who accompanied Rinpoche for 37 years and stayed with him day and night until the master passed away.Some disciples had to leave after seeking and listening to the Dharma in front of the master for a period of time. Venerable Atisha once sought the Dharma from more than 100 masters, and Boy Shancai also traveled all over the famous mountains and rivers to find many good teachers.

However, no matter how far or near the body is from the guru, as long as the heart maintains a tacit communication with the guru, understands, comprehends, and keeps his teachings in mind, and appreciates his merits and kindness in the depths of the heart, you can receive the guru's continuous flow. blessing.This is to follow the guru to learn the Dharma, relying on the guru to gain liberation.

Not eager to get close to the guru because of observation, and disappointed with the guru because of prejudice are two different things.Are you observing without prejudice, or do you feel that the guru is not consistent with your expected or obsessed image?Sometimes a guru deliberately presents himself as an unexpected or disappointing figure, challenging your inner capacity for openness.

If you want the guru to be majestic, you are likely to see his naughty side; if you think the guru is gentle and gentle, he will act harshly; if you think the guru should be extraordinary and different, he will act like an ordinary Hiccups, teeth picking, sickness, aging like people.

Venerable Milarepa, who wanted to find the key to becoming a Buddha immediately, saw his guru Marpa. Marpa was working in the field. He was an inconspicuous farmer.When Naropa, a well-known university scholar, asked to see his guru Tilopa, Tilopa was eating fish in a hut. He was recognized by the local people as a crazy beggar.Changtiao Bodhisattva, who had gone through mountains and rivers and experienced hardships, finally saw his guru, Fasheng Bodhisattva, who was enjoying the wonderful happiness in the palace.The list goes on.

The masters seem to have similar routines. When they come up, they first break your prejudices, make you feel lost and at a loss, and make you realize the falseness and ridiculousness of prejudices, especially the prejudice against the person you expect to teach the way of liberation.

In the past, my uncle Luo Rongdanba often relished talking about an experience in his childhood.When his father, that is, my grandfather, passed away, the family invited the famous Living Buddha Sonam Gyatso to offer salvation to the deceased.Unexpectedly, the living Buddha came and fell asleep after a full meal. Seeing this, my uncle couldn't help feeling anxious.The living Buddha didn't wake up until noon the next day. He smiled and said, "I'd better recite the scriptures, or the child will blame me: 'Eat all the food in my house and do nothing'." After hearing this, the uncle said, Surprised and guilty, he developed great confidence in Sonam Gyatso Living Buddha.

Not scared away by the guru's presence, you stayed, and for perhaps the first time in a long time, you resisted the temptation of your ego, and you weren't led by it.This failure made the proud and cunning ego unwilling to reconcile anyway, so it immediately resorted to a new trick and congratulated you: "Now you have become the disciple of this important person, and your blessings are very comparable. Ordinary people are more intelligent and more noble than Buddhists of other sects. You are the most powerful weapon, one in a million." Such flattering words sounded quite useful to you.Making you feel important is part of the "ego" trick.

Egged on by your ego, you are busy taking on new roles.In front of the world, you act as a Buddhist; in front of the Buddhists, you act as a Buddhist with a higher morality; Most of the time it is unconscious.In other words, you think you are a Buddhist, when in reality you are just playing Buddhist.

You change the way you eat, sleep, talk, and live, regularly burn incense, kowtow, release animals, and contribute money and efforts to religious or public welfare causes.There is no problem with this, the key is that you do these things to prove to the world that you are a Buddhist, or to reassure yourself that you are indeed walking on the recognized right path, or to find out your true colors?

The Buddha taught [-] methods, all of which point to liberation, but no matter which method you practice, if you only do superficial work, and you are not willing to head-on and work hard on your own mind, liberation will be far away.

"Ego" said: "The guru is very important to everyone's liberation, and you must leave a good impression on the guru." So you show your best side, hoping to win the favor of the guru.Many people have this kind of experience: they were impetuous, arrogant and blunt, but when they came before the guru, they became calm, gentle and joyful.If this transformation is a natural expression, of course it would be great.

In the scriptures, there are detailed instructions on the rules of words and deeds for the disciples around the master, such as being humble and gentle in attitude, respectful and gentle in posture, not frivolous and unscrupulous, etc.For ordinary people, it is necessary to deliberately imitate these kinds of quiet majesty before they can learn it slowly. Therefore, as long as you are really respectful in your heart, it is normal to be a little artificial in front of the master at the beginning.

Every time one of my disciples saw me, he was very respectful and terrified, and his words and deeds seemed a little exaggerated, which often made the fellow Taoists beside him laugh.Although I don't have much merit as a guru, his sincere respect has great merit, so I admire him very much.But if you just put on an air, trying to appear more stable, generous, knowledgeable, and open-minded than others, so that the guru will treat you differently, it will be difficult to respond to the guru.

The short story of Gongbu Ben in "Teachings of Pu Xian Guru" may give us some enlightenment:
In Gongbu, Tibet, there lived a simple man named A Ben.Once, he went to Lhasa to worship Jowofo.When we arrived at the Buddha Hall of the Jokhang Temple, everyone else had left.He was tired and hungry, and when he saw the food and the butter lamp on the table, he thought: Jowo Rinpoche dipped these tsampa balls into the butter in the lamp to eat, and lit the fire to prevent the butter from solidifying, well, I too Eat something like him.

So he dipped the tsampa toriko in butter and ate it with relish.After eating, he looked at the Buddha statue of Juewo and said: "You are still smiling when the delicacy is taken away by the dog, and you are still smiling when the butter lamp is blown by the wind. You are really a good master. My pair of shoes support you. Keep it safe, I will come back after circling you." After speaking, he took off his shoes and put them in front of the Juewo Buddha statue, and circling by himself.

When the incense lamp master came back, he saw the shoes in front of the Buddha statue and was about to throw them out.At this time, the Juewo Buddha statue spoke: "Gongbu Ben asked me to keep this, don't throw it away."

When that Gongbu came back to pick up the shoes, he said again: "You are such a good master, please come to my hometown next year, and I will prepare wine and food for you." The Juewo Buddha statue said: "Okay."

Gong Buben returned home and said to his wife: "I have invited Jowo Rinpoche to be a guest. I don't know when he will come. Remember to go outside often."

One day in the second year, his wife went to the river to fetch water, and Jowo's image clearly appeared in the water.The wife immediately ran home and told her husband, "There is a man in the water over there, is it your guest?" He immediately ran to look, and sure enough, Jowo Rinpoche appeared in the water.He thought that Juewo had fallen into the water, so he jumped into the river to save others, and he really pulled Juewo up, so he happily took the guest home.

In Gong Buben’s simple heart, the Juewo Buddha statue is not “same as the Buddha”, but the Buddha himself.The Buddha is not an Indian who lived thousands of kilometers away in ancient times, but a guru who is close in front of us and can talk to him.The guru is not a fairy who flies around in the sky and does not eat fireworks in the world. The tortellini offered to the Buddha are not for show. The guru will encounter wind and rain when he goes out, and he will fall into the water if he is not careful when crossing the river. He needs rescue.

A Ben sincerely respects and likes Jowo Rinpoche. Otherwise, a person like him who has no concept of etiquette and entertainment would not make a fuss about inviting his master to come to his house as a guest.And the reason why he respects and likes the master is not that the master is famous and has supernatural powers, but that "you are still smiling when the delicacy is taken away by a dog, and you are still smiling when the butter lamp is blown by the wind. You are such a good person." Guru".

Ah Ben had no prejudices or assumptions in his heart. He assumed that he was a believer, how the believer should treat the guru, and how the guru should react and behave.He didn't understand these things, he just came to the guru so simply and frankly, and got close to the guru from the bottom of his heart.

Everyone has a different personality and a different fate with the guru, and they will have different reactions when they see the guru: some are relaxed, some are cautious, some are straightforward, and some are delicate.

I remember that when Dharma King Ruyibao was alive, my brothers and I would be so nervous and at a loss every time we met the master, we always hesitated outside the master's door for a long time, no one dared to be the first to enter, and sometimes we had to draw lots. Decide on the order of precedence.

In any case, as long as it is simple and frank, it is easier to respond to the guru.

In the past, Dharma King Ruyibao talked about his early study experience, and often said: "I am in awe of my root guru, Toga Ruyibao. Go before the master." At that time, he often secretly looked at the hut where Toga Ruyibao lived in the distance, as long as he could see the figure of the master going in and out from a distance, he was satisfied.If the master happened to see him while looking around and asked him to touch his head, he would be so happy that he didn't know what to do.

Dharma King Ruyibao also often mentioned the interesting story of his visit to Guru Guanyin when he was young.Among the treasures of Guru Rinpoche unearthed by later generations, there are thirteen termas that clearly prophesied that Guru Panmaste is the real incarnation of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, so people also call Guru Panmaste as Guru Avalokiteshvara .

When the Dharma King first met Master Avalokitesvara, he was innocent and thought that he would see the graceful and luxurious Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with fluttering clothes and belts, but he never thought that what appeared in front of him was an ordinary Tibetan old man.His Holiness thought he was wrong, rubbed his eyes and looked again, he was still a simple and kind old man.He thought to himself: "It must be my karma that prevents me from seeing Guanyin Bodhisattva!" So he closed his eyes and prayed deeply.In his heart, the belief that the guru and Guanyin Bodhisattva are inseparable has never wavered for a moment.Because of this, Master Avalokitesvara praised him very much, and happily said to the four disciples at the Avalokitesvara Dharma Assembly: "The great Bodhisattva from Tuoga Wishful Treasure will participate in our Dharma Assembly, so that everyone's merits and virtues of mantras will come true." It’s a great honor to double the number! Usually, I ask everyone to count strictly when chanting mantras, and not to exaggerate at will, but today’s situation is special, so we can boldly count a little more. It’s no problem.” The position moved forward a few more.

Dharma King Wishful Treasure often uses this story to teach his disciples: "Because of our own blessings and karma, we may not be able to see that the guru is a Buddha and Bodhisattva for a while, but as long as we don't think about unnecessary distinctions and sincerely repent of our karma, we will go to heaven and earth." The teacher will be happy, and the compassionate blessings of the master will melt into our hearts."

There is a saying: "There is water in a thousand rivers, and a thousand moons in a thousand rivers." If the master's heart is like a full moon in the sky, the calmer and clearer the river in everyone's heart, the brighter and more perfect the moon shadow will be, and the moon shadow will be reflected on the turbulent river surface with floating dirt. It must be polluted and messy, so Baoyue is in the sky, and Jiangyue is different.

However, we should also realize that as long as there is water in the river, no matter it is clean or dirty, it can reflect the shadow of the moon.There is a moon in a river, and there is a moon in a thousand rivers.Don't think that you are the only one who corresponds to the guru, and don't worry that other people's contact with the guru will detract from your corresponding relationship with the guru.This question sounds simple, but in practice it often becomes an obstacle to everyone's practice.

Sometimes it makes you feel uncomfortable if other people are closer to the guru than you are.If possible, you even prevent the master from interacting with other devotees.You believe that this kind of exclusive attachment is your confidence in the guru, but in fact, it will only hinder your communication with the guru and fellow Taoists, and you will find that you are less and less able to understand the meaning of the guru.

Pure faith is open and equal, and will not exclude other Taoist friends, nor will it exclude other virtuous gurus.When you can never abandon the existing guru, if you meet other predestined guru, you can still go to rely on it.Not everyone can have only one guru.A guru is not the monopoly of a certain disciple, and likewise, a disciple is not the monopoly of a certain guru.

Some practitioners with pure faith, due to their karma and the needs of practicing the Dharma, will rely on the many good teachers they have learned without any conflict or loss of confidence.Whether it is better to rely on one master or multiple masters depends entirely on whether your faith is pure or not.If you abandon the old guru when you see a new guru, you will lose all the blessings of the guru.Abandoning one guru is tantamount to abandoning all gurus.

In the past, three practitioners sought empowerment from Venerable Khyentse Yeshe Dorje.The Venerable said: "If they agree to abandon their master, give them the empowerment." Because this opportunity to receive the empowerment is extremely rare, two of them finally agreed to the Venerable's request after careful consideration, while the other named Woja But he said: "My master is not at fault in the slightest. Even if I pretend to give up in my mouth but don't give up in my heart, I will not do it." So he was kicked out of the ranks of receiving empowerment by the venerable master.Just as Wo Ra was on his way back to his hometown disheartened, Venerable Khyentse Yeshe Dorje sent someone to invite him back.His Holiness praised in public and said: "Relying on the guru should be like Woja." Then the two seekers who abandoned the guru were expelled from the monastery.Later, Wo La relied on Khyentse Yeshe Dorje for many years, and was called "the Venerable who is indistinguishable from me" by the master.

The student's actions are all to please the master. Such motives are undoubtedly pure, but sometimes "to please the master" can be an excuse for our stubborn opinions.When we believe that we are doing the right thing, we are more stubborn than usual.For pious us, there is nothing more correct than pleasing the guru, so once we believe that our way is in line with the guru's wishes, it is difficult to accept other people's different opinions and practices.However, it is extremely important to live in harmony among Taoists, especially Vajra friends. Vajra friends are companions on the road of liberation until they become Buddhas.

Contradictions among Vajra friends will disturb the heart of the master, and create a conflict with the life of the master and the cause of promoting Dharma and benefiting lives.The starting point is to "make the master happy", but in the end, such a serious mistake is committed. Such a result is really regrettable!The reason is that the "ego" is at work, everything can be used by the "ego", even the best motives can become an obstacle to practice.

"Kalachakra" clearly points out that among the fourteen esoteric root precepts, three are related to the guru: don't disturb the guru's mind, don't violate the guru's teachings, and don't hate each other among vajra friends.This third commandment is often ignored.People only know that the guru is a severe situation, but they don't know that the tension and breakup of the relationship between the vajra friends is directly related to the guru, so it is also a severe situation.

If we have the opportunity to work with other fellow practitioners to do something for the guru and the Dharma, we should cherish this blessing and fate, rejoice in the intentions and actions of fellow practitioners, and even if we have opinions or disagreements, we can communicate and resolve them.In many cases, in order to protect the kindness and thoughts of others, and to fulfill the good deeds of others, not only our own opinions and methods can be given up, but even the "good deeds" or "right things" we do can be given up.We don't have to insist that things have to be perfect.If all participants can reduce afflictions, increase Dharma joy and Dao heart through working together, it will be complete.

The Dharma King Ruyibao once warned his disciples: "Don't cause troubles in all sentient beings." Venerable Wugou Guang once advised practitioners: "Do everything according to the master's instructions. This is the greatest offering." We who are stubborn and not good at choosing between cause and effect , perhaps should always bear in mind the teachings of the saints.In the Buddhist scriptures, don’t the gatherings of Taoist friends often describe the situation at that time as “everyone is happy, believed, accepted and practiced”?

According to the Dzogchen Nyingtig Vajrayana view, as long as you learn from a guru who is pure and undefiled and has extraordinary enlightenment, regard the guru as a Buddha, and pray sincerely with firm confidence, your ordinary mind can be with you. The wisdom of the guru is completely corresponding, and there is no difference. With the blessing of the guru, self-continuity can be realized.

At the age of 15, His Holiness Ruyibao sincerely prayed to Mipham Rinpoche with strong faith in the supreme Dzogchen.After reading Mipham Rinpoche's prayers 100 times, he carefully read the essence of Dzogchen Dzogchen "Directly Pointing to the Nature of Mind" written by Rinpoche.Repeatedly, after successfully reciting the prayer [-] million times and reading and thinking [-] times "Directly Pointing to the Nature of Mind", an unprecedented Dzogchen state will arise in the mental continuum.

However, if you think that as long as you follow the guru in this life, you will not have to worry about it and leave everything to the guru to decide, this may not be completely correct, you may just not want to be responsible to yourself.Those of us who have gone to heaven and earth since beginningless time have seen everything. We are saddened by the afflictions of life after life. We turn our faces away and forget again. When we come back again, we are still confused and entangled.Shakyamuni Buddha said: "I will teach you the way of liberation, and you should know that liberation depends on yourself." If you don't work hard, you always think that your master will throw you to the Land of Ultimate Bliss like a stone, no matter how powerful the master is, No matter how earnest your compassion is, it will not be able to satisfy your wish.

At the beginning, Venerable Milarepa obtained the empowerment and practice tips of Dzogchen from Master Rongdun Raja.The master said: "This is my supreme Dzogchen Dharma. I practice daytime to become a Buddha, and night practice to become a Buddha at night. Those who have predestined relationship do not need to practice it. They can be liberated just by hearing it. The method of repair."

Venerable Milarepa thought to himself: "When I learned mantras, it took only fourteen days for me to experience obvious phenomena, and it took only seven days for me to learn the art of raining hail. Now this method is more effective than mantras and art of raining hail Easy: practice daytime to become a Buddha, and night practice to become a Buddha at night, those who are predestined do not need to practice. Since I have encountered this method, I am also a predestined person.” So he did not practice anything and slept all day long .After a few days, the master said: "It seems that I can't tame you, you should go to the great translator Marbaloza."

Now that the transportation and communication are developed, if you want to seek the Dharma from a master, you can get on a plane or a car and you will be in front of the master in a short while, or you can listen to the master’s lectures through the Internet, audio, and video at home, and various books. It is relatively easy to see that these are all convenient conditions for studying the Fa.In contrast, the former practitioners had to go through much more tribulations in order to meet their guru and seek the Dharma.

When he was a teenager, Dharma King Ruyibao walked more than 500 kilometers from his hometown of Seda to visit Toga Ruyibao at Jiangma Buddhist College in Shiqu. Along the way, he lived by begging for food and overcame many difficulties.Afterwards, he listened to the sutra and esoteric teachings comprehensively under the guru's seat. At a young age, he was able to endure untold hardships like adults without wavering in his determination to study the Dharma diligently.

At that time, Dharma King Ruyibao's parents died, and no one provided him with the food and clothing he needed to study abroad. He had to rely on a small amount of yogurt regularly distributed to monks by the Jamma Buddhist Academy for a living.The rough grass house he lives in is small and simple, and the walls are ventilated.When autumn and winter came and there were no enough clothes to keep out the cold, I dug a big hole in the house, filled it with hay, and sat in the hole every day with most of my body to read a book to keep warm.At night, they light butter lamps and work hard all night. When they are tired, they lean against the wall of the pit to rest for a while.

His Holiness often used the story of the all-knowing Venerable Wugouguang relying on the Guru Gema Ranza to encourage himself: When he was the poorest, the Venerable Wugouguang used to rely on a mere Tripitaka to raise tsampa powder for two months.Whenever it snows, I get into a cow hair bag to keep warm, and this bag is used as both a quilt and a mattress.Despite such difficult conditions, His Holiness still persevered and listened to many teachings in front of Guru Gema Rancha, and he was called "Gengchen Yenyaba" - the omniscient one living in a ox hair pocket.Later, the Venerable became the successor of Guru Gema Rancha's legal tradition, and all living beings who saw, heard, remembered or contacted the Venerable would receive the Bodhi fruition.

The blessing of the master is everywhere, and all the encounters in life are the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.This means that we are determined to face the reality of life, and choose to regard both good and bad times as the path of practice.However, for some people, the "blessing of the master" may just mean not facing the realities of life.You hope that there is a way, a person, who can take you beyond this trivial and vulgar life, and enter a completely different and wonderful realm.Is it good or bad that worldly affairs no longer interest you?

If you still want to be, want to get and keep, no matter if the goal is worldly fame and wealth, emotional desire, or non-worldly fame and gain, the behavior pattern behind it is the same, you just try to use another A set of things to strengthen the ego.If you lose your job, you don't think it's because of your lack of ability, bad luck, or poor interpersonal relationships, but rather believe that it's a test, a guru or the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas wanting to see if you can bear life big gift.You feel that every single thing that happens in your life has a different meaning.You don't really fall, and if you fall, you should fall on the lotus or at least the cotton.However, if we truly believe that the blessings of the master are omnipresent, we will not care how badly we fall. Even if we are poorer than the people around us, it is acceptable.In fact, this calmness and determination are enough to broaden and enrich our lives.

We listen to the teachings of our masters and begin to listen to and contemplate the Dharma.The beauty of literature, logic, and thinking of Buddhist classics, all kinds of theories, concepts, and koan make you excited and amazed. Knowledge.

Dharma King Ruyibao used to say: "Listening to the Dharma is for liberation, not for accumulation and ostentation." Although you can find affirmation and comfort in the knowledge you have collected, and you can show it to the world, this does not guarantee that your knowledge will be reduced. Puzzled.If we do not have firm confidence in the guru and pray for the blessing of the guru at any time, our efforts in the process of reading, contemplation, and meditation will easily be affected by habits, and become a hoarding behavior, hoarding knowledge, and hoarding experience.

In the past, Venerable Naropa was the most prestigious pandita in India. He was proficient in the Tripitaka and his eloquence was not hindered, but the Wisdom Dakini reminded him: "You are only proficient in words and sentences but not fully enlightened." The Venerable Naropa knew that What the Dakini said hit his heart, so he resolutely gave up all his fame and achievements, started to study the Dharma with Venerable Tilopa from scratch, endured all kinds of hardships, and followed his master wholeheartedly, and finally realized enlightenment under the blessing of his master. The reality of all laws.

Dzogchen lineage patriarchs Venerable Janastra and Venerable Buma Mudra also had similar experiences.Both patriarchs have been reincarnated as Taipan Zhida for five hundred lives, but they have never been able to realize the supreme enlightenment.Later, Vajrasattva appeared in the air and gave advice. They went to the east to pay homage to the Venerable Xirisenha as their teacher, and finally achieved Buddhahood relying on the Dzogchen tips taught by the master.

Buddhism emphasizes the simultaneous development of listening, contemplation and meditation.While listening and contemplating, we need to practice the Dharma and verify the teachings of the Dharma with our own experience.

For beginners, practical practice is often full of mystery and attraction, but when you are full of enthusiasm and eager to try, ask the master to grant the wonderful and profound method in the legend, he will either smile and say nothing, or suggest you to go Kowtow, chant mantras, or do other such mundane things.You simply don't understand why he should discourage you like this.Don't you need to do something different to become a Buddha?Is there an inevitable connection between kowtow, reciting mantras and enlightenment?You start to wonder if the guru is really willing to teach you anything of value. The "self" is like this. As long as it doesn't work as expected, it is easy to fall into suspicion.You want to make a difference, you want to be extraordinary, these are all manifestations of the "self" desire for achievement.

Because we see the dreamlike and illusory worldly life, we devote ourselves to religious practice.And if this kind of practice still can't satisfy the desire for success, we think: spiritual practice is probably not more real and reliable than secular life. If we spend the same amount of time and energy on secular life, we won't get nothing as we do now.This is how we jump back and forth between secularism and religion, between material pursuits and spiritual practice, but in fact our attitudes and methods have never changed.

Perseverance in the spiritual path is much more difficult than we expected.We only believe we are on the right track when we feel better about ourselves.If things don't get better, we hesitate or simply give up.

Unfortunately, most people feel bad for a long time after starting their practice.In the past, because of being scattered, we didn't realize how impetuous and rigid we were, but through mind training, we may see our own chaos for the first time in this life.This makes many people feel embarrassed or even unacceptable, but this is the only way to practice. If you can't face your own chaos, you will have no way to talk about concentration.

The scriptures say: At the beginning of practice, our mind is like a waterfall flying down from a high mountain, noisy and chaotic; after a while, our mind becomes like a river flowing on a plain, no longer splashing and overwhelming; The sea looks as calm as a mirror from a distance, but you will still find the undulating waves of the sea when you come closer; in the end, your heart is like a mountain, firm, quiet and unmoving.

"Don't look at practice with mystical eyes, and don't try to be extraordinary." This is the first message that the master wants to convey to us.But we often only understand this truth after we have suffered a lot. The so-called "normal mind is the way".

One of the reasons why the guru advises us to recite mantras, kowtow, and practice additional practices is to let us gradually let go of all kinds of unrealistic thoughts, subside the impulse to aim high, and experience the taste of practice in a plain way.

Look at the first paragraph in the "Diamond Sutra", which reads: The Buddha and his disciples sat quietly in the woods outside the city of Savatthi. When it was time to eat, they put on their clothes, took a bowl, and went to the city to beg for food from house to house, and came back after eating. , folded the coat, put away the bowl, washed the feet, patted the cushion, and continued to sit quietly.The Buddha, who is perfect, unsurpassed, and worthy of offerings from humans and heavens, lived such an ordinary life.

After millions of heart mantras have been recited and one hundred thousand kowtows completed, although you may still not be able to visualize the images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the details of the mandala, your mind will be much quieter, and you will no longer play with "the body" all day long. Concepts such as "becoming a Buddha", "Dzogchen", and "Mahamudra" are no longer ambitious, as if they are determined to achieve.For you, practice is a step-by-step, ordinary and specific thing that you do every day, like eating and sleeping.

Shakyamuni Buddha said: "All living beings have Buddha nature, neither birth nor death, neither increase nor decrease." Buddha nature, original face, mind, etc. all point to the same thing.If it doesn't move, it's always there. It doesn't wait until a certain point in the future to appear, nor is it transplanted from the master.What the master can do is to help you throw away all the unnecessary rags in your backpack (look at how much unnecessary luggage you have brought along this journey), until the wish-fulfilling jewel wrapped in it is revealed.

At first, Venerable Milarepa went to Master Marpa to seek the method of becoming a Buddha instantly.He believes that there must be a way to "become a Buddha by daytime practice, and nighttime practice to become a Buddha", which can turn him from an ordinary person into a Buddha in an instant like a golden touch.He thought that the master would definitely agree to his request, but he was wrong, no matter what he did, he would not be affirmed by the master.Apart from beating and scolding, the master didn't even pass on a single verse to him.

When he cried bitterly because of sadness and disappointment for the first time, the master said to him: "You can't exaggerate the Dharma, but it is said that you are a diligent person. If you can practice my tricks diligently, maybe you can become a Buddha in this life." " And comforted him: "If you can build a house according to the requirements of the master, I will pass on the tricks to you."

When everyone else went to accept the master's empowerment and teach the Dharma, he was busy carrying earth and rocks to build a house.Every time the house was nearing completion, the master would beat him up and order him to rebuild.His back is rotten, but the shadow of "Dharma" is still invisible. Day after day, suffering, grievances, and trivial labors have worn away his arrogance and impetuosity, and calmed his eagerness for success. impulse.He no longer thinks that the karma of the past can be purified by just talking about it, and he no longer expects to become a Buddha in one body. He even gave up his plan to continue to seek the Dharma and is ready to die.And just then, the barrier between him and his master was cleared.The master finally agreed to teach him the Dharma.

The master said: "In order to purify your sin karma, I asked you to build a house of rest, increase, embrace, and death. I drove you out of the seat of empowerment and did many unreasonable things, but You do not have the slightest wrong view, which means that in the future, when your disciples and Dharma are learning the Tao, they will have the confidence, diligence, wisdom, compassion and other conditions that all disciples should have. The perseverance of diligent practice will finally generate experience and understanding, with compassion and blessings, and become a perfect guru."

The Buddha's teachings can be passed down through writing, but the true meaning of Buddhism only exists in the heart of the master.There is only one way for it to be passed on, and that is from heart to heart.

When you let go of your preconceived ideas, pretense, and plans, and your worries, anxieties, and hopes, your heart will truly open.Only then will it be possible for you to receive the message that your guru has been trying to send you.Opening up is a long and difficult process, and it means blurring the boundaries between you and me on which our lives are built.The whole life seems to be spent in distinguishing this and that, good and bad, accepting and rejecting.

We associate things with concepts, and concepts with emotions and attitudes.If your ability to discriminate is a little weak, others will regard you as mentally retarded.It is precisely because the whole society strongly advocates separation that people are so alienated and the world is so divided.Separation makes us look at things with isolated and separate eyes, and the connection between everything disappears in our eyes. Therefore, it is difficult for us to face the world with tolerance and believe that selfishness is self-interest.

Some people don't know how to verify whether their practice has deviations. The method is actually very simple: check whether your "self" is still strong, and whether the sense of boundaries between you and others and the world is still strong.

The master helps us weaken the mind of discrimination and trains the ability to open the mind. Sometimes he will use drastic methods, just like Tilopa did to Naropa.It seemed that Master Tilopa had been trying to mistreat his disciples in every possible way, and Naropa accepted them all without complaint.Leaving aside the respective achievements of these two great sages, the tacit communication between them is already breathtaking.

In an unacceptable way for ordinary people, Tilopa wanted to test the limit of Naropa's psychological endurance time and time again, and Naropa, this outstanding disciple, proved to his master time and time again that his heart was open enough.He is worthy of being the successor of Tilopa's lineage, and the communication between his heart and the teacher's heart is very thorough.

We think that we are quite open and don’t have much discrimination, but when the master tells us to do something, our first reaction is still to judge, and sometimes we hesitate or refuse because we don’t agree.It's not that we don't trust the guru, but that we have formed a habit since time immemorial. We must judge when things go wrong, and we will rebound when things go wrong. This is the problem.

The guru is someone we are determined to respect and be friendly to. If we treat him like this, we can imagine how we will react to other people and other things.Therefore, the master asked us to take him as an example and learn to treat people and things with an open and flexible heart. "Do not violate the teacher's teachings" is not to establish the authority of the teacher, but to cultivate our ability to calmly accept all encounters.

The great masters of the predecessors once suggested that disciples who want to study the Dharma with their masters should be called around like a ferry without getting tired, or like an anvil in a blacksmith shop being hit by turns from hot and cold without changing their sincerity.

Everything in the world is interconnected, and if we can fully open our hearts to one person, we can open to the whole of life; if we can communicate with one person in any situation, we can communicate with the whole world.We will become accustomed to admiring and respecting everyone around us, just as we have admired and respected our guru for many years, that open and humble heart comes directly from the guru.

Only then did we know that what Shantideva said is completely achievable. When you look at any sentient being, look at it with sincerity and compassion, and visualize: relying on the benevolent sentient beings, I will be greatly enlightened.

From coddling and imagining, to practical practice, the master helps us adjust our mentality without showing any trace.With the continuous improvement of practice, the friendship between us and the master becomes deeper and warmer.The guru is a Buddha, but he is not an idol with a golden face on the temple.Facing the guru, we not only respect the Buddha, but also have sincere love for another life.Buddhas and Bodhisattvas dance around the world, showing life, old age, sickness, death, joy, anger, sorrow and joy like ordinary people, all of which have profound meanings.

I remember that shortly after Dharma King Ruyibao passed away, when I went to Chengdu, several lay Buddhists came to see me and asked, "Should we be happy or sad when Dharma King passed away in the Western Paradise?" It is said that there is no difference from the Land of Ultimate Bliss, but for us ordinary people, the Saha World and the Land of Ultimate Bliss are vastly different.In order to guide us, Dharma King Ruyibao advocated the vow to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss all his life, and he also showed himself to be reborn in the Western Pure Land.In the state of the Dharma King Ruyi Jewel, there is no pain and worry, but in our state, the illness and departure of the Dharma King are real.We can't bear to see the guru suffering from illness, and we don't want the guru to leave like this.Since then we have lost our guardian, and all sentient beings have lost their guardian, how can we not be sad!
In the past, Mipham Rinpoche was in poor health, and his attendant Wosha often kept the believers who came to visit him out of the door for the sake of his master's health.Sometimes Rinpoche secretly met guests while Wosha was away, and said while looking out: "We must hurry up, don't let Wosha see, otherwise, he will be unhappy with us." Strict, as a disciple and attendant, it seems that he shouldn't do this, but his love for the master is so real and strong that he doesn't pay too much attention to his words and deeds.This point, the master certainly understands.

Before his death, Mipham Rinpoche came to Wosha’s hut to bid farewell to this loyal disciple who had followed him for decades, asked him if he had any questions about his practice, and said:
"I am the incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva. I came to this world with the power of my vows, not because of karma like ordinary people. In the end of the Dharma period, all beings are cunning and suspicious, so I have never revealed my origin before. Now I am leaving this world. You are sad to tell the truth. The current separation is temporary, and you will go to Shambhala to meet with me in the future. We will never be separated. In this life, you will have all the merits and virtues I have. Everything you do by my side, even walking, is the cause of becoming a Buddha in the future."

Because of the blessings accumulated in the past, we are able to meet our guru in this life. However, this encounter is very short-lived.

People in the world often say: "The child wants to support but the relatives don't wait." Although the guru does not need us to take care of the elderly like the parents in the world, but when the guru is alive, we should diligently follow the teacher's teachings and practice Buddhism, and do our best to let the guru live. The teacher is happy.To Master, may we not leave too many regrets.

A few nights ago, I dreamed that I went back to 25 years ago. When I first arrived at the Larung Wuming Buddhist Academy, Dharma King Ruyibao specially arranged a small wooden house for me.I met my neighbor at the time in front of the house, and he was also the same as when he was young.We were walking and chatting when we suddenly picked up a manza crest on the ground.At this time, I pulled out of that scene, still in a dream, but already an outsider, watching it like watching a play, feeling infinitely sentimental: when this crest was still new, Dharma King Ruyi was still alive, everyone Very young, today is far away.But in the blink of an eye, Dharma King Ruyibao has left?How so fast?A piercing pain pulled me back from the dream to the reality of the night, with tears streaming down my face.

I am willing to give everything in exchange for a moment of reunion with the Dharma King Ruyibao. Although I will definitely be the same as before, I will feel nervous and dazed when I see the master, but only I know how happy I am !

There is not much time to meet with the master, and there is not much time to be a human being in this life.

The master's stay in the world is not because of nostalgia, but because he can't bear to leave, he wants to help us realize that our hearts are already in the light just like his heart.

When we gradually open our hearts and learn to treat everything around us respectfully and intimately, and no longer have frequent conflicts with ourselves, others, and the world, we will understand that this simplicity and frankness are taught us by the master.

All people, things, and objects encountered in life, even the breeze passing by just now, or every plant and tree on the roadside, carry the breath of the master.In our open, tender hearts that perceive them, there are traces of the guru guiding us along the way.Only then did we truly realize that the blessings of the guru are indeed omnipresent.

May we always remember the merits and virtues of the Three Jewels of the Guru and remember the kindness of the Three Jewels of the Guru!

Chiarombo
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Festival on October 21st of the Year of the Earth Rat in the Tibetan Calendar
Nov. 2008, 12

Disciple notes
During the writing process of this article, Khenpo Xi'arongbo saw the Daen Root Guru Dharma King Ruyibao many times in his dreams, and in the early morning of the day when the article was completed, Khenpo once again dreamed that Dharma King Ruyibao was sitting on the high dharma in the scripture hall. On the seat presided over the chanting Dharma meeting, and Khenpo sounded the clarion call to teach the Dharma among the masses.Khenpo said: "Trumpet blowing has special skills. It needs to be skillful in controlling the breath so that the sound can be full and coherent, but I have never been good at this."He was very worried that he could not blow it well, so he carefully held his breath and concentrated on blowing hard. Unexpectedly, the clear and smooth Buddhist chant suddenly sounded, and it was long and long.The familiar sound of the dharma horn, passing through the clouds, the earth, and dreams, is transmitted to the ears and pillows...

The disciple who took notes for Khenpo also dreamed that the sky was enlarged and bright, and the sky was filled with rainbows of different shapes and sizes.

Khenpo hopes that these auspicious dreams will become a good cause.May this article be of help to all of you in your spiritual practice!May everyone have unwavering confidence in the Guru Triple Gem!

(End of this chapter)