Guru Yoga
Our Root Master is our channel to everything. Our Root Master gives us the medicine of the teachings and introduces us to our Inner Master, our innate wisdom. We need to use this channel; we need to use the master. This is the way to receive blessings.
Blessing means change. Without blessings, it is not possible to change. But blessings don’t come mouth to mouth; they come heart to heart. This is the meaning of a warmness teaching. It is something we feel. It is not enough to study Buddhism intellectually. We need a teaching of the heart. This means you need to connect to the master. Devotion is how we connect.
Guru Yoga is the practice of devotion. We learn to cultivate love and devotion for our master within ourselves. This opens us and reduces our ego-pride. This is how we receive blessings.
With Guru Yoga, everything becomes medicine. Then we are safe. Without Guru Yoga, the practices may help, but only temporarily, or they might even become poison. This is why we say Guru Yoga is the spine of Tantrayana. Without it, there is no strength, no power in our practice.
Guru Yoga is a method to feel, not to think. We need to feel devotion, faith and respect. This feeling changes everything. No matter what happens in your life, always keep this feeling. Really, it is not the person that is your master; it is this feeling. This is the magic!
Some people may worry, “Is this person good? Who should I devote myself to?” Well, no one is good until you see them as good. And you see them as good only when you are good. Practice Guru Yoga and you will be good. You will see more clearly. It is our ego-pride that creates delusion, so we need to reduce ego-pride. This is the only way to have correct motivation when we practice spiritual things. Guru Yoga is a way to practice motivation and be sure that everything we practice goes in a good way.
If you are interested in attending any of Rinpoche’s online or in-person teachings, please visit his tourplan to find information about his upcoming events: