Very useful, yes! Thank you.
Always, the Guru is held as most supreme for he is the one who directly conveys the dharma to us and is most kind to us AT THIS MOMENT. At our current state of mind, we cannot perceive the yidams and protectors directly, so it is the Guru who represents all three for us and conveys us the teachings as such.
This is why is is extremely important that we take time to check out the Guru before we finally accept him as our teacher. This is not something to be taken lightly, that we just jump from one teacher to another or conveniently change our minds. The Guru also takes on the promise to bring us all the way to enlightenment - we have to be sure that we can follow this person, his instructions and advice to us, and have faith that he will give us all the teachings we need for our highest benefit.
There are many books on this and anyone who is contemplating entering this path should definitely read more on the subject of the Guru and the Guru-disciple relationship before they commit. this is not meant to be something scary, but once understood, it is an extremely beneficial and liberating relationship.
Some books to consider:
- Relating to a spiritual teacher by Alexander Berzin
- Gurus for Hire, Enlightenment for Sale by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche
- Dangerous Friend by Rig'dzin Dorje
- Words of my Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche
However, in some cases, someone may not have found a teacher yet. It is still okay to do prayers such as to Dorje Shugden or other Buddhas like Tara, Lama Tsongkhapa etc. Be careful that the prayers are not the ones that require initiation and you should be fine. it is very good to make aspiration prayers daily to meet the right teacher, and make requests to Dharma protectors to clear obstacles to you being able to find a qualified teacher that can lead you on the spiritual path.
