From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (@jalpalyul) on November 21, 2010
In Tibetan Vajrayana one absolutely needs a Guru. It is the Guru that ripens and turns the mind. One cannot learn Tantra from books. If the mind is not matured, purified through empowerment, there is no chance for ultimate benefit. Empowerment empowers the student to practice. Without these blessings one’s understanding of Dharma is shallow and there is not much faith. Not much benefit.
Without a Guru, one can talk Dharma only in a shallow way, and the result is merely intellectual. There is no view. If you practice without a qualified Guru you will do exactly as you want, and end up with exactly what you have – obscured mind.
In Empowerment the student connects with a Lineage of ripening, unbroken from the source. If the ripening has no past, it has no future
The Guru in Vajrayana is the main source of refuge, as Guru is the condensed essence of the Three Precious Jewels. The three jewels are Buddha, Dharma and Sangha (spiritual community). The Lama represents all three. All are needed.
To hang out and simply discuss Dharma, to endlessly pontificate from no source is useless. The mind becomes hard, and ego grows. This is not to say that one should not read and study; this is essential. Still, the Guru is the actual guide, and again, if enlightenment is the goal, Guru is the source. The Tulku system is based on that. It is based on an unbroken Lineage of accomplishment beginning with the source of the cycle being taught.
© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo
