Gurus for Hire: Enlightenment for Sale

By Tsem Rinpoche

The first book of its kind, Gurus for Hire, Enlightenment for Sale provides an insider’s guide to the precarious Guru-disciple relationship. Tsem Rinpoche explains with great clarity the meaning of spiritual practice in the context of our contemporary world and how we can apply it in our everyday lives. He also addresses the myths surrounding spiritual practice, Gurus, Dharma centres and the political games that are played behind closed temple doors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kechara Media & Publications Sdn Bhd
• Release date: Mar 30, 2009
• ISBN: 9789675365003

Book preview

Motivation

REMAIN IN ONE-POINTED

AWARENESS – TEMPTATIONS

WILL SCATTER WITH THE WIND.

REMAIN ALONE – A HOLY

FRIEND WILL FIND YOU.

REMAIN STILL WHILE HURRYING

– SOON YOU WILL ARRIVE.

REMAIN AS THE LOWEST –

EXALTED YOU WILL BECOME.

REMAIN FREE OF THIS LIFE’S

GOALS – THE SUPREME YOU

WILL ATTAIN.

– JETSUN MILAREPA

MOTIVATION

We should learn

Dharma for the

sake of practice.

In Dharma talks or when we are receiving the Dharma, we should not be like the three pots. One pot faces upwards with holes, so that whatever goes in just comes out. We should not be like the second pot which faces upwards but is dirty and contaminated – whatever teachings go in are unusable because they become contaminated. And, do not be like the third pot, which faces downwards – it is like close-mindedness, so that whatever teachings come to us dribble away to the side.

When listening to the Dharma teachings, we should have a good motivation, stay alert, be awake and focus. We are listening to our teachers repeat what Lord Buddha taught 2,500 years ago. Our teachers are not motivated by money, fame or reputation, and definitely not to receive anything from the students. Our teachers are motivated purely by transferring knowledge from a vase to a pot, from one container to another container.

If we make the time to come to teachings but fall asleep once we are there, what is the point of all the effort that we made before the teachings? We did not make all that effort to come to the teachings to have a good nap! Alertness is very important.

We should listen to the teachings as personal advice, not as entertainment or as something fun; not as something that is just for intellectual, absorption of information. If we listen for intellectual satisfaction, then it remains as that and intellectual satisfaction does not match spiritual progress. Intellect, and practice and transformation are related, but not the same. We should listen with concentration and focus without distraction. We should learn it for the sake of practice, absorb it and also have a lot of compassion. We should listen and go over the teachings again and again, so we may share them with others.

The centre does not grow by the Guru teaching every single person who walks in. The students have a greater responsibility to share the Guru’s teachings with others – this is achieved by listening, contemplating, practising and then sharing with others.

GURU YOGA

Start your day

with the Buddha.

It is very auspicious to start teachings or special events by reciting Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga. I learnt this from the great Mahasidda, Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen ² in America, who has passed away.

Sometimes Geshe-la and I would go for big inter-faith Buddhist gatherings in Los Angeles, with Buddhists from all countries, sects and backgrounds. Once, Geshe-la went to one of these gatherings with three or four of us from the centre. Before the meeting started, each tradition or country did a very beautiful, special chant – some were quite ritualised, some recited their prayers with bells and staccato rhythms. Then it came to the Tibetan tradition. Geshe-la represented the whole Tibetan tradition and I thought it was now our time to show off since Tibetans are known for their long rituals!

I wondered what Geshe-la was going to do – maybe some Yamantaka prayers, maybe he would chant and impress them with his memory, his mudras, his recitation, his great chanting.

I waited. Geshe-la folded his hands in front of everybody and recited Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga without any melodious chanting. When he got to Migtsema he chanted it very slowly. He finished with the dissolution. It only took him about ten minutes.

When we left the gathering, I asked, "Geshe-la, those people did all that fancy chanting and stuff. Why did you do just Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga? He looked at me and said, Just?"

He explained that all the 84,000 teachings of Lord Buddha are planted in the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa. If you are a master, you will be able to explain all of Buddha’s teachings completely from each line of Lama Tsongkhapa’s praise.

He said that to recite that – simply, from the heart and purely – would plant seeds of Enlightenment in everybody’s mind, and bless everybody in the congregation. What practice is more superior to that? I shut up real fast! Here was a grand Dharma master who was already in his seventies, with a PhD in Buddhist studies, (a Geshe Lharam of Gaden Shartse) who knew the rituals of Sutra and Tantra inside out, who had everything memorised, who could stand in front of the Dalai Lama and make long life offerings or recite long verses from memory. Even grand masters of our monastery prostrate to him when they see him. And he told me that the most complete practice is that of Lama Tsongkhapa.

Before starting Dharma teachings, he would do Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga, a mandala offering, the short form of the Heart Sutra and a few minutes of meditation on motivation.

When I heard that, it made a huge impact on my life, so I have followed this tradition of reciting Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga before anything, for anything. I would advise everybody to memorise Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga, in English or Tibetan, and recite it.

The minute you get up in the morning – before you start making calls, scream for tea or think about work – recite Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga. Start your day with the Buddha.

After you have completed the prayers, think that your mind is clear and bright, your body is clear and your temporary obstacles are removed. You feel very happy, you feel very light. You should think like that very strongly, and affirm this again and again. All arises from the mind. Then you can continue with your work for the rest of the day.

After you have completed the prayers, think that your mind is clear and bright, your body is clear and your temporary obstacles are removed.

When we do Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga with awareness, concentration, confdence, faith and the visualisation I have described below, we open a doorway that connects us with a real enlightened Being who abides in and comes from compassion, skilful means and omniscient wisdom. It is a real, existent Buddha.

Secondly, by invoking such a Being with those qualities, we open up the same potential within ourselves. When we invoke that Being, we are invoking that same Being within ourselves to come out by their blessings. We all have the seed of Buddhahood that needs to be cultivated. Seed means potential. It does not mean it is there, latent or dormant. It means the potential is there.

When we invoke Lama Tsongkhapa, it is a two-fold prayer. Firstly, we invoke the blessings of the outer Lama Tsongkhapa, who is a real enlightened Being. Secondly, the prayers are an environmental factor for us to open up the Lama Tsongkhapa within us. When we create that environment – with retreats and meditation, dedications, offerings, practice of the six paramitas and association with Lama Tsongkhapa – we will open up the Lama Tsongkhapa within us, stage by stage.

We will see ourselves open up, becoming less miserly, more generous; we will see our skills and speech grow; we will see our ability to forgive and accept, increase. All these qualities embodied by the six paramitas will increase and grow, in dependence on our practice of Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga.

Guru Yoga means the yoga that finds one’s Guru. We call it the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa because when we submit to an outer Guru such as Lama Tsongkhapa, we find our inner Guru.

*

LAMA TSONGKHAPA’S

Guru Yoga

GA-DEN HLA-JI NGON-JYI THUG-KAY-NEY

RAP-KAR SHO-SAR PUNG-DEE CHU-DZIN TSER

CHO-KYI GYEL-PO KUN-CHEN LOZANG DRAG

SEY-DANG CHE-PA NE-DIR SHEG SU SOL

My Lord Guru comes from Tushita Heaven, emanating forth from Lord Maitreya’s heart, and he is assembled before me with his two spiritual sons, Khedrup Rinpoche and Gyaltsap Rinpoche. Please come to this place at this time.

DUN-JYI NAM-KAR SING-TI PEE-DEE TENG

JE-TSUN LA-MA JYEH-PI DZUM-KAR CHYEN

DAG-LO DE-PE SO-NAM SHING-CHOG TU

TAN-PA JYEH-SHIR KAL-DJAR JUG-SU SOL

My beautiful Guru smiles with great delight, he sits before me on a lion throne with a lotus and a moon seat. I request you to remain for a hundred eons in order to spread the teachings and be a supreme merit field for my mind’s faith.

SHEY-JYEH CHONG-KUN JAL-WEY LO-DO THUG

KAL-ZANG NA-WEY JYIN-JUR LIK-SHEY SUNG

DRAG-PI PEL-JYI HLAM-MER DZEY-PI KU

THONG-THO DRAN-PI DON-DHAN LA-CHAG TSAL

Your mind has the intellect to comprehend all to the full extent to be known. You are omniscient. Your speech with its excellent explanation becomes the ear ornament of those with good fortune. Your body is radiant and handsome, with glory and renown. I prostrate to you, Lama Tsongkhapa, who to behold, to hear or to recall, is worthwhile.

YIH-WONG TCHO-YON NA-TSOG ME-TOG DANG

DRI-JEM DUG-PO NANG-SAL DRID-CHAB SOG

NGO-SHAM YIH-TUL TCHO-TIN GYA-TSO DI

SO-NAM SHING-CHOG CHE-LA CHO-PA BUL

Pleasing water offerings, various flowers, fragrant incense, light and scented water, an ocean of actual and visualised cloud of offerings – I present to you, Oh great merit feld, Lama Tsongkhapa.

DAG-GI TO-MEY DU-NEH SAG-PA YI

LU-NGAG YIH-KYI DIG-PA CHI-JYI DANG

CHEY-PA DOM-PA SUM-JI MI-TUN SHO

NYING-NEH JO-PA TAH-PO SO-SOR SHAG

Whatever negativities I have committed with my body, my speech and my mind that I have accumulated for many lifetimes, and any transgressions of my vows, I confess to you, Lama Tsongkhapa, a fully enlightened Being. Please forgive me and may I purify my negative actions.

NIK-MI DU-DIR MANG-THO DRUP-LA TSON

CHO-JYED PANG-PI DAL-JOR DON-YO SHYE

NGON-PO CHEY-KYI LAP-CHEN DZE-PA LA

DAG-CHAG SAM-PA TAG-PEH YI RANG NGO

From my heart, great Lama Tsongkhapa, by reading your biographies and listening to your deeds, I rejoice in your waves and oceans of great merits and the great actions that you committed in your life. You strove to learn and practise in this degenerate age and made life meaningful by abandoning the eight worldly Dharmas.

JE-TSUN LA-MA DAM-PA CHEY-NAM KYI

CHO-KU KA-LA CHEN-TI TIN-TIK NEY

JI-TAR TSAM-PI DUL-SHIH DZIN-MA

LA ZAB-JI CHO-KYI CHAR-PA WHAP TU SOL

Great Lama, without you, Dharma is not possible, attainments are not possible. From the void of the Dharmakaya sky-like wisdom, please rain down a vast Dharma and train me according to my needs.

NAM-DAG WO-SAL YING-LEY JING-PA YI

ZUNG-JUG KU-LA CHAR-NUM MI-NGA YANG

THA-MAL HNANG-NGOR ZUG-KU RAG-PA NYI

SEE-THEE BAR-DU MI-NUM TAN PAR SHUG

My root Guru, all the great Gurus and teachers in the world, I request you again, through Lama Tsongkhapa, to please stay and remain until samsara ends.

DAG-SOG JIN-NYEH SAG-PA GE-WA DEE

TAN-DANG DRO-WA KUN-LA GANG-PHAN DANG

CHE-PA JE-TSUN LO-ZANG DRAG-PA YI

TAN-PI NYING-PO RING-DU SAL-SHEH SHOG

I dedicate whatever virtues I have collected for the benefit of the teachings to grow, for all sentient beings to receive it, and in particular for the essential teachings of the Venerable Lobsang Drakpa, Lama Tsongkhapa, to shine forever.

MANDALA OFFERING

SA-ZHI PO-KYI JUG-SHING ME-TOG-TRAM

RI-RAB LING-ZHI NYI-DAY GYAN-PA-DI

SANG-GYE ZHING-DU MIG-TAY UL-WAR-GYI

DRO-KUN NAM-DAG ZHING-LA CHO-PAR-SHOG

By directing to the field of the Buddhas this mandala, a base resplendent with flowers, saffron, water, incense, adorned with Mount Meru, the four continents, the sun and the moon, may all sentient beings be led to the holy fields of Buddha.

IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALAKAM NIRAYATAYAMI MIGTSEMA

MIGTSEMA

MIG-MEY TZE-WAY TER-CHEN CHENREZIG

DRI-MEY KHYEN-PI WANG-PO JAMPAL YANG

DU-PUNG MA-LU JOM-DZEY SANG-WEY DAG

GANG-CHENG KE-PEY TSUG GYEN TSONGKHAPA

LO-SANG TRAG-PEY SHAB-LA SOL-WA DEB (recite seven times, 21 times, 108 times or more)

DISSOLUTION

PAL-DAN TSA-WEY LA-MA RINPOCHE

DAG-SOG CHI-WOR PE-ME DAN-JUG LA

KA-DRIN CHEN-PO GO-NEY JE-ZUNG TE

KU-SUNG THUG-KYI NGO-DROP TSAL-DUL SOL

Lama Tsongkhapa’s two sons dissolve into Lama Tsongkhapa. They become one. Lama Tsongkhapa’s throne, his lotus and moon disc – all made of light – all dissolve inside Lama Tsongkhapa. Then, Lama Tsongkhapa, for the benefit of ourselves and our perception, shrinks to the size of a thumb, and turns around to face the direction we face. He lands on top of our head, very gently, with a smile.

PAL-DAN TSA-WEY LA-MA RINPOCHE

DAG-SOG NYING-KHAR PE-ME DAN-JUG LA

KA-DRIN CHEN-PO GO-NEY JE-ZUNG TE

CHO-DANG THUN-MONG NGO-DRUP TSAL-DU SOL

By reciting the second line of invitation, Lama Tsongkhapa, as a fully enlightened Being, very happily and very gently dissolves through our central channel. He enters the lotus at our hearts and the lotus closes, symbolising he has become one with our mind. The lotus is our mind, full of light, bright and clear. Do not focus on the heart area – just think that it is there. From the top of the lotus, where the petals have closed, a stream of cloud goes through our central channel, leaves the crown of our heads, and directly connects back to Lord Maitreya’s heart. This gives us a connection, always, with Lord Maitreya.

PAL-DAN TSA-WEY LA-MA RINPOCHE

DAG-SOG NYING-KHAR PE-ME DAN-JUG LA

KA-DRIN CHEN-PO GO-NEY JE-ZUNG TE

JANG-CHUB NYING-PO BAR-DU TAN-PAR SHUG

Lama Tsongkhapa and us become one. He stays with us until the end of time. In this life and future lives, we will meet Lama Tsongkhapa again and again and again, the teachers of this tradition, and the teachers of Lama Tsongkhapa, to receive Dharma teachings.

Guru

YEARS AND YEARS OF

CHANTING AND MEDITATION

CANNOT COMPARE

WITH ONE INSTANT OF

REMEMBERING THE GURU.

– TANTRIC TEACHING

H.H. KYABJE ZONG

RINPOCHE

I felt I was collecting merits with a

person without faults, that everything

that I did would accelerate my Dharma

practice and my Dharma attainments.

When I was 17, I was elected by the centre in Los Angeles³ to be the assistant to His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, my root Guru.⁴ A few powerful sponsors in the centre were totally against it. They told Geshe-la,⁵ No way! He’s such a bad representation of Zong Rinpoche. He’s just a kid! Look at the way he looks! His hair! The way he dresses! That is going to represent one of the greatest living Dharma teachers of Tibet? Certainly we can do better! I looked like a freak, I admit it, but when I heard it, I was very hurt. I almost cried but it made me push myself much more.

I served Rinpoche in the centre – I cooked for Rinpoche, his entourage, my Geshe-la and their guests. I made seven trays of food every single day for six months. Each tray would have food for Rinpoche, two of Rinpoche’s German students, the translator, the translator’s uncle and two monks who were Rinpoche’s assistants. I remember laying out seven trays every day in the kitchen. I had to prepare everything for them because they were Rinpoche’s entourage and I needed to take care of them. I did not know how to cook, so I had to ask anyone who had time to show me how to cook. I could not talk to Zong Rinpoche directly in the beginning so I asked translators to find out what food he liked and what his schedule was like.

I would serve Rinpoche first. I would get up early in the morning and bring breakfast to Rinpoche. I would offer him the breakfast and make three prostrations immediately. I made prostrations because I did not know how long I could be with him, and I did not want to prostrate to a statue; I wanted to prostrate to the living Buddha.

Then I would go to my teacher, Geshe-la, offer him breakfast and make sure everything was alright. After that, I would offer breakfast to the translator, his uncle, Rinpoche’s two assistants and the two German ladies. By the time I finished offering breakfast to the last person, I would go back up and wait by Rinpoche while he was eating.

If there was something left, I would ask his permission to eat his leftovers. I wanted his saliva, I wanted something he had bitten every day. I would even eat crumbs because I believed very much in my Guru.

I would wash his cups and his plates first, clean them and put them in the highest shelf in the kitchen, without damaging anything. Sometimes I would wash his silverware twice, wipe it very carefully so that none of it was dirty or sticky. I would put everything away in a special place so no one could touch his items. I even put up a sign in case anybody made a mistake. This was an opportunity to serve my Guru.

Then, I would do the same with Geshe-la’s and everyone else’s breakfast. If there were any leftovers, I would give them to the dogs outside and feed the cat at the centre. If I had time, I would clean the kitchen and put everything away.

I would take a shower quickly, get dressed and go to work until about 2 or 3 o’clock. I would come home by about 3 o’clock and start cooking dinner. I also had to run to the store to do the shopping, wash, prepare and cook everything. I knew only a few dishes and it was a challenge to cook for seven people each day! Sometimes, if I burned the food, I would have to do it all over very quickly. I hated cooking but Geshe-la wanted me to do it.

I would cook dinner and make seven trays of food again with drinks. Rinpoche liked Tibetan tea and there was a certain way he liked it so I would make it that way, with just the right amount of butter.

Then I would serve Zong Rinpoche – I would go upstairs, offer dinner to him and make three prostrations. Sometimes, when I was not in such a big rush, I would have the luck to sit near him and massage his feet.

I would do my best to massage his feet every day. And I would kiss his feet because I read in an Indian tantric manual that to show the deepest respect to someone very high is to touch the lowest part of their body.

Rinpoche made it a game after a while. He would show me his foot, and when I tried to grab it, he would quickly pull it back and laugh! When I grabbed it, I would put it on my head and I would kiss it. Tibetans do not kiss. I did it because I had grown up with American culture. It was my way to show my reverence to him because I could not speak his language.

No one taught me all this. I wanted Dharma. I ran away from home three times to learn Dharma, to serve a Guru. I tried hitchhiking from New Jersey to New York, and from New York to California, to learn the Dharma. I was successful the third time.⁶ So when I came across such a great master, I was not going to lose my chance.

After serving Rinpoche dinner, there would be Dharma teachings which started between 6pm and 7.30pm every evening and finished between midnight and 2am. There were teachings every day for six months in Thubten Dhargye Ling centre in Los Angeles, and the place was always packed.

After cleaning the kitchen, I would run upstairs and make sure everything in Rinpoche’s room was alright. If Rinpoche had an audience or people coming to meet him, I would vacuum his room and make sure everything was clean and in order. Then I would go downstairs, ask them to please wait a few minutes and confer with Rinpoche’s assistant to see if it was okay.

When they said it was okay, I would assist the person into Rinpoche’s room. I made sure I did not wait for Rinpoche to come out to call them in. When they went inside Rinpoche’s room and had an audience, I would stay nearby quietly, as alert as possible, in case Rinpoche needed anything. I would make sure I never let Rinpoche be without anyone close at hand.

After Rinpoche’s interviews or divinations, I would assist him downstairs, carry incense, carry his hat, help him to sit on the throne and fix his robes. When he was sitting on the throne, I would not leave his side. Even before he sat down, I would make sure everything was straightened.

Then I would sit for Dharma teachings. I had notebooks and more notebooks filled with notes; the notes that I wrote down then are still very useful to me now. In between teachings, if Rinpoche needed anything, I would attend to him; I made sure his thermos was always filled with whatever he needed. If the teachings were exceptionally long, I would assist Rinpoche upstairs after they were finished. If I had to help, explain or talk about some questions with the Dharma students, I would do so. If Geshe-la needed something, I would attend to him. If not, I would go upstairs and give Rinpoche a massage.

Usually if I could, I would give Rinpoche a massage nightly. Once in a blue moon, Rinpoche had a headache so I would have the honour to touch his head. I would wash my hands, purify them with incense and make three prostrations before I massaged his head. Whether I was clean or not would not affect Rinpoche but to be conscientious about what I was doing and who I was serving would affect me and my awareness. Why? Because I wanted attainments.

I would massage Rinpoche’s head very gently. I would make sure my nails were cut so I would not puncture his skin. I would be very careful and very aware because I was touching my Guru’s head – my Guru, the one who confers on me Dharma! That was the reason I left my home and school: to learn the Dharma.

After Dharma teachings, everyone would go home. I lived at the Dharma centre, so I would stay up to clean the kitchen, wash the floor, mop and clean the cabinets. I did it to make the place clean for when people came to see Zong Rinpoche and Geshe-la, so my Gurus would not be misrepresented. I did it to make the place clean for Zong Rinpoche’s feet to step on, if he walked downstairs and past the kitchen. I wanted to be sure of that.

Every once in awhile, Geshe-la would come downstairs, on his way somewhere. He would look at what I was doing but he would not say anything to me. He would just pat me on the back, which meant he was very pleased. I did not get any gifts, flowery praises or any of that stuff. That was the reward I got. It was more than enough.

I did not care about the people who were not happy about me in the beginning and thought I would misrepresent Rinpoche. I proved them all wrong and silenced them. After that, no one had a complaint. No one even talked about the burned chicken I offered Rinpoche or the uncooked potatoes that Rinpoche patiently ate!

I will never forget those days. I never look back on those days as work. I have never regretted, felt tired or felt I did not want to do it. Never. Not even once in my life for the last 20 years. Oh my god, it was so much work! But I do not remember being in pain, or being sick. I felt I was collecting merits with a person without faults, that everything that I did would accelerate my Dharma practice and my Dharma attainments. In that one year, I did not go out to any clubs or meet any of my non-Dharma friends, and the year passed so quickly.

I cannot explain to you how wonderful those days were of cooking, cleaning and serving my teacher, and receiving Dharma every single night. Sometimes,