Though essentially unnecessary, the rank of a lama does serve a purpose. Institutions and titles can provide a measure of safety. Just like it might be safer to go to a popular restaurant because it has been written up in guidebooks, popular lamas come with many personal endorsements.

Then again, the system is not foolproof; reputations can be bought. You can always go to a restaurant and check for yourself, but in the spiritual world, it’s much more difficult to come to a conclusion.

This is all just to say that those who are seeking a guru should not look in only one direction; they should look beyond titles and hats. They should also look beyond their romantic ideal of a guru, whether it be an ascetic or a crazy wise man.

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?:

• 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
• Samsara
• The path is practical
• You and only you will decide
• Pure perception
• The whole purpose of the outer guru
• Merging with the guru’s mind
• A different interpretation of austerity