It’s recommended that beginners do a thorough background check of the guru in question — listening to the stories that follow a particular guru around, reading books and other literature, evaluating his or her social media. Also, don’t limit your search to just one guru; leave the mind open to other options, apparent or unseen.

Just because a guru is adored by hundreds of disciples does not prove his or her authenticity. As history has shown, hundreds, if not millions, of people are very capable of creating a phenomenon of group denial. You could settle with the first person who sparks your interest, but it’s wise to seek out different types of teachers from different age groups, with different styles, from different lineages, before making a commitment. They may open your mind.

Perhaps you have a preconception that you don’t like a certain type of guru, but you might be surprised to find that that is the very type that benefits you most.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

from the book The Guru Drinks Bourbon?

Read a random quote or see all quotes by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.

Further quotes from the book The Guru Drinks Bourbon?:

• The authentic guru lineage is indispensable
• Peeling of our patches of samsara
• Experience is like a mist in the morning
• Modern Buddhadharma
• Sooner or later, you will have to check
• Devotion
• Never opt for the easy way out
• Guru devotion and pure perception
• Hearing the Dharma
• Teachings don’t just rain down
• Examining the Guru
• Controlled by circumstances
• The guru is like the horizon
• Celebrity Gurus
• Vajra hell
• Famous unintentionally
• Dharma without devotion
• Guru
• Look beyond titles and hats
• The path is practical