It’s almost impossible to find a guru in this world at this time who has all the noble qualities of a Vajrayana master described in the ancient tantric texts. But in the Mahayana sutras the Buddha offered advice about what to do if we can’t find an authentic master. He said if you encounter a person who talks about buddha nature, such a person should be venerated as the Buddha himself. If you think about how many millions of people there are who talk only about food and clothes and bank balances and never about buddha nature, you see why the Buddha would say such a thing. In this degenerate time, if you can find a guru with even a few of these qualities, then you should consider accepting him or her as your teacher because such a person is so rare, on the verge of extinction.
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?:
- Beginning to subdue and outshine appearance and existence
- The quest for a guru
- Spiritual wealth
- Your decision is now taking the lead
- Devotion is supreme
- Abundance and variety in the teachings is so important
- Open-minded guru
- Outer display of guru devotion
- The very essence of the Spiritual journey
- Seeing a student’s potential
- Check how the guru handles criticism
- Cultivating trust in simplicity
- Practicing Dharma requires sacrifice
- Gurus Don’t Fish for Devotion
- Advice on selecting a guru
- Humble Gurus
- A proper guru-student communication
- Skillful Guru
- Going beyond Rational and Irrational Devotion