Wake up call

Finding and forming a relationship with a teacher is one of the most difficult aspects of the spiritual path. Many of us fell into teacher-student relationships at the end of the 1960s and in the early 70s. We were fortunate, very fortunate.

So many things need to come together: where one is in one's life, whether the window for spiritual practice is opening or closing, the personalities of the two individuals involved, chance circumstances. I have no prescription for finding a teacher. Look, explore, interview, and, above all else, use your own good sense. Don't rely on reputation alone.

Deep in Western culture, especially in America, is a tendency to look for perfection in our teachers. Tibetans don't see their teachers the same way. I was at a conference with a number of Asian and Western teachers, and one of the Tibetan teachers said simply, "My teacher is Buddha." It was very clear that he had no expectation that his 'teacher' was a perfect being but this was how he regarded the relationship, this was the source for his spiritual guidance and inspiration. It was a subtle point, not said with the usual rhetoric, and I found it very helpful.

My teacher, Kalu Rinpoche was highly accomplished, quite extraordinary. Did I learn everything he had to teach? Not even close. But he was my primary teacher. I've done a lot of guru yoga and similar practices with Kalu Rinpoche as the focus, and I don't see any contradiction between seeing your teacher as Buddha as well as a human being. Remember, Buddha means to be awake. You have to see your teacher as being awake. If you don't, why are you studying with him or her ...?

This article can be read in its entirety in Mandala