Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche: About Guru Devotion.

[sonamdhargey]

I found a very interesting video about Guru Devotion and other matters commented by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche touched on topics like spontaneity where we become more and more distant from it and everything that we do must be programmed which is the cause of mess of everything.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche also said that his students takes him very seriously and that is prove that karma does exist...

Please view the video and leave your comments.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche - SubEsp.avi	Small | Large

Thanks.

[Midakpa]

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's views on the guru-disciple relationship are forthright and insightful. One thing that struck me was what he said about the karmic debt that students need to repay. This explains why some students are very helpful financially and will go out of their way to help their guru fulfill his wishes. It is possible that in past lives, these disciples were also followers of the same guru and had received a lot of benefit from their teacher. So in this life, they find each other again and continue the good work of the teacher. These students are not ordinary people; many are well-educated and have positions in society. Yet they are very submissive and listen to their guru. Why? Karmic debt! This shows how a skillful spiritual guide can, life after life, benefit their students and lead them towards enlightenment.

[Ensapa]

Here's a nice, short biography of Dzongzar Khyentse Rinpoche which i find it to be a bit brief for a mahasiddha like him, but more or less gives us an idea of who he is.

Ven. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
By Nyingma.com and others
Aug 3, 2006, 13:04

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In many of the homes of Tibetan refugees from Western Sichuan Province, China (historically Eastern Tibet), there is a large black and white photograph over the altar of their root guru, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, who died in 1959. He was the incarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892). Although both were of the Sakya tradition, they mastered all four groups of Tibetan Buddhist lineages including, of course, the Nyingma practices. They founded the non-sectarian Rime tradition at Dzongsar Monastery in Derge, Kham.
 
 
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, was born in Bhutan in 1961 the son of HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, and was recognized as the main incarnation of the Khyentse lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He is an incarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, Like his predecessor he is both a Sakya practitioner and committed to the furtherence of Rime.
 
For the people of Kham, in particular, Dzongsar Khyentse is not only a beloved teacher in this present life, but the continuation of lifetimes keeping alive this pivotal spiritual tradition.
 
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche is a student of contemporary Buddhist masters including HH Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, HH Kyabje Sakya Trizin, HH Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, and HH the 16th Karmapa.
 
From a young age he has been active for the preservation and interpretation of Buddhist teachings, establishing centers of learning, supporting practitioners, publishing books and teaching all over the world. He oversees his traditional seat, the Dzongsar Monastery located in Western Sichuan Province, China with its associated retreat centers in the province and Dzongsar College. Rinpoche is currently responsible for the care and education of approximately 1600 monks distributed between six monasteries and institutes in Asia. He also oversees six branches of Siddhartha's Intent in Australia, North America and the Far East, contemporary teaching and practice centers established in several continents as well as the non-profit organizations Khyentse Foundation and Lotus Outreach.
 
Dzongzar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche is well known for his directorial debut “The Cup” (1999) which received the Cannes' Camera d'Or nomination and the for Bhutan's first feature length film "Travellers & Magicians" (2003).  He is also the subject of Lesley Ann Patten's feature-length documentary "Words of My Perfect Teacher: The Movie" (2003).
 
 

[vajrastorm]

Dzongsar Kyentze Rinpoche gives very candid views on Guru Devotion in this video. Here is a highlight of some of these views.

1) The difference he sees between his 'Western' students and his 'Eastern' students. His Western students may have been trained from young to think;  and yet they behave like sycophants towards him. he attributes this to a karmic debt they owe him. On the other hand, Eastern students tend to show 'trust' in their teacher and in the Path he is guiding them along. This may have disadvantages like leading them to have merely 'blind faith' in the Guru which can have undesirable consequences. Nonetheless, sometimes this kind of faith may bring 'benefits' like miraculous healing which is attributed to the power of the Guru(though in actuality the Guru had done nothing to make it happen). So it's all in the mind and in one's  imagination. It's how the mind interprets things.
2) Often students look for a Guru to fulfill  what they want, not what they need. Hence, if the Guru is not really qualified, he will play along with the students' mind-games and agenda. A qualified and true teacher will not be afraid to give their students what they need. He will not be afraid to use painful and wrathful methods to crush their ego.    A genuine teacher is one who is not interested in himself, but in you and other fellow sentient beings.
3) Often, students do not see their teacher as a Buddha. Hence they will act hypocritically in front of their teacher, not realizing that if the teacher is a Buddha, there is no such thing as in front of him or behind his back.
4)Ultimately, we seek a Guru who reflects the inner Guru in us. The whole process of Guru Devotion is to realize the Inner Guru within, our Buddha nature.

[Dorje Pakmo]

Dear Sonamdarhey,
Thank you very much for posting this video of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.
I find that what he says makes a lot of sense and is very true.

A disciple looks for a Guru because they “need” help.

And a true Guru, will teach according to what the disciple need, not to cater to what he/she wants. This is because if the Guru teaches according to the needs instead of the wants of the disciple, he/she is purely thinking about how to benefit his/her disciples and there are no hidden agenda.

The disciples must also understand that the Guru, if he/she is a real one, will not be afraid to risk being hated or despised when prescribing his cure, which is in the way he teaches and train the disciples.

Due to our own ego, and impure mind, we do not like to listen to the truth about ourselves. Because very often, the truth is hurtful and it shows us how ugly we can be. But if we do not have a Guru to point out to us our flaws, and not willing to accept and start transforming, then the disciples will never progress.

Hence the trust between the Guru and Disciple is very important. The disciple if really seeking for enlightenment should trust the Guru and go all the way without any personal agenda and be consistent whether in the presence of the Guru or not. This in turn will make the Guru gain trust towards the disciple, seeing his/her integrity and consistency will only mean that he/she have surrendered and is really following the Guru's advise.