Seeking guidance

Ordinary people like us are easily influenced by whatever happens around us. We tend to get lured and so distracted that we end up suffering. But if the purpose of life is happiness, we need to consciously follow the right path. To do this, many follow a spiritual teacher. Few can explore a difficult terrain without the help of an experienced navigator or guide. Who, then, is the ideal teacher?

The Abhidharma has a long list covering pratimoksha, or external, bodhisattva, or internal, and the secret mantrayana vows. It includes deep insights of one's master as gleaned from his teachings, knowledge of rituals and actualisation of extraordinary achievements by practising the teachings one receives. There is emphasis on generosity, conformity and on affable disposition. When I asked teacher Khenpo Sonam to identify that single-most important quality of a teacher, he answered, 'That would be compassion, which among many other things would mean that a worthy teacher would never, ever think of taking undue or unfair advantage of any of his students.'

Just as the responsibility is upon the teacher to examine his student, the responsibility also rests with the student to examine the teacher and know which teacher to avoid - and which one to follow. Guru Padmasambhava said: not to examine the teacher is like drinking poison; not to examine the disciple is like leaping from a cliff.