Wise Teacher, Wise Student: Tibetan Approaches to a Healthy Relationship

Table of Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 14
Part I Spiritual Seekers and Spiritual Teachers......Page 24
The Typical Spiritual Seeker in Traditional Tibet......Page 26
Joining a Tibetan Monastery or Nunnery in Traditional Tibet......Page 27
Joining a Monastery or Nunnery Nowadays in Exile......Page 28
Traditional Tibetan Monastic Training......Page 29
The Traditional Spiritual Life of Lay Tibetans......Page 31
The Contrast with Western Spiritual Seekers......Page 32
The Rectification of Terms......Page 36
The Derivation of the Words Guru and Lama......Page 37
La as a Cosmic Force......Page 38
The Full Original Meaning of......Page 39
Other Uses of the Word......Page 40
Reincarnate Lamas: Tulkus and Rinpocheys......Page 42
Lamaism and the Traditional Social Role of Tulkus......Page 44
“God-Kings”......Page 46
Spiritual Friends......Page 47
The Buddhist Concept of Friendship......Page 48
Gesheys and Kenpos......Page 50
Summary......Page 51
The Implications of the Sanskrit Terms for a Disciple......Page 54
The Starting Point for Becoming a Disciple......Page 56
The Necessity of Correct Understanding and Conviction in Rebirth for a Disciple to Aim Sincerely for Liberation and Enlightenmen......Page 58
The Necessity of Correct Understanding and Conviction in Rebirth for a Disciple to Reach Even the First Stage of Spiritual Devel......Page 59
The Place of Conviction in Rebirth in Entering a Disciple-Mentor Relationship......Page 60
Entering a Disciple-Mentor Relationship While Aiming for Spiritual Goals Only in This Lifetime or Also for Future Generations......Page 61
Stipulations for a Beginner Disciple to Aim Provisionally for Nontraditional Goals......Page 63
The Difference between Becoming a Disciple of a Spiritual Mentor and Becoming a Client of a Therapist......Page 64
Inappropriate Usage of the Term......Page 67
The Realistic Attitude of an Authentic Disciple......Page 68
Premises......Page 70
Terminology......Page 71
Buddhism Professors......Page 72
Dharma Instructors......Page 73
Spiritual Mentors......Page 74
Refuge or Vow Preceptors......Page 76
Mahayana Masters......Page 77
Tantric Masters......Page 78
Progressing through Graded Relationships with Spiritual Teachers......Page 81
Summary......Page 83
The Need for a Buddhism Professor......Page 84
The Need for a Spiritual Mentor......Page 85
The Need for a Combination of Sources of Inspiration......Page 88
How Sources of Inspiration Work Together......Page 89
The Relation between a Spiritual Mentor and Buddha-Nature......Page 91
Inspiration from Oral Transmission......Page 92
The Special Role of Oral Transmission in Tantra......Page 96
Diverse Methods for Inspiring Disciples......Page 97
The Deepest Need for a Tantric Master......Page 98
Clear Light Mind as a Type of Buddha-Nature......Page 99
The Inner Guru......Page 100
The Need for a Root Guru......Page 101
Summary and Conclusion......Page 102
Part II The Dunamics of a Healthy Student-Teacher Relationship......Page 104
Evaluating Tantric Sources concerning the Disciple-Mentor Relationship......Page 106
The Intended Audience for Graded-Path Texts......Page 107
Different Levels of Guru-Meditation Taught in Graded-Path Texts......Page 108
The Qualities of a Spiritual Teacher......Page 111
Thorough Examination......Page 112
The Qualities of a Spiritual Seeker......Page 114
Formalizing a Disciple-Mentor Relationship......Page 115
Expectations in a Disciple-Mentor Relationship......Page 116
Focusing on Good Qualities While Not Denying Shortcomings......Page 118
The Analogy with Looking Out a Window at a Passerby......Page 119
How to Meditate on a Mentor’s Good Qualities......Page 120
The Definition of Believing......Page 121
The Three Ways of Believing That a Mentor Has Good Qualities......Page 122
The Constructive State of Mind That Results from Believing a Fact......Page 124
The Relation between Believing a Fact to Be True and Liking It......Page 125
Being Firmly Convinced of a Fact......Page 126
Appreciating the Kindness of a Mentor......Page 127
Requesting Inspiration......Page 128
The Seven-Part Invocation......Page 129
Practicing Guru-Meditation Before Finding a Spiritual Mentor......Page 131
Supporting the Work of a Mentor......Page 134
Helping a Mentor......Page 136
Showing Respect......Page 138
Taking the Advice of a Mentor......Page 139
Honoring the Authority of a Mentor......Page 141
Rectifying the Term......Page 142
Applying Sutra-Level Guru-Meditation to a Faulty or Abusive Teacher......Page 144
Reviewing a Teacher’s Faults and Mistakes......Page 145
Creating a Protected Mental Space for Addressing Spiritual Wounds......Page 146
Examining the Appearances That the Mind Creates......Page 147
The Analogy with Contextual Therapy for Victims of Abuse......Page 149
Teachers Involved in Controversy......Page 151
Overcoming Emotional Blocks in Appreciating Kindness......Page 152
Overcoming Emotional Blocks in Showing Respect......Page 153
The Relation between a Mentor’s Functioning as a Buddha and Being a Buddha......Page 156
Mentally Labeling a Mentor as a Physician or as a Buddha......Page 158
The Nonliteral Use of the Label......Page 159
Progressive Levels of Interpretation......Page 160
The Meaning of a Tantric Master’s Being a Buddha......Page 162
Viewing One Phenomenon Validly from Different Viewpoints......Page 164
Inseparable Impure and Pure Appearances......Page 165
The Basis for Labeling as a Buddha the Pure Appearance of a Mentor......Page 167
The Viewpoints Typical of the Four Tibetan Lineages......Page 170
Undefined Usage of the Terms Impure and Pure......Page 172
Beyond Good or Bad......Page 173
Transforming Negative Circumstances into Positive Ones......Page 174
During an Empowerment, Seeing That a Tantric Master Is a Buddha......Page 175
Seeing That a Tantric Master Is a Buddha in Gelug Empowerments......Page 177
Causal, Pathway, and Resultant Empowerment......Page 178
A Tantric Master’s Being Inseparable from a Buddha versus a Tantric Master’s Having Attained Enlightenment......Page 179
Seeing All Teachers as Buddhas......Page 180
Actualizing Enlightenment through Seeing That a Tantric Master Is a Buddha......Page 181
Specific Explanation Regarding Empowerment and Generation Stage Practice......Page 182
Introduction by a Tantric Master to the Nature of the Mind......Page 183
Guru-Meditation Relevant for Beginners in the West......Page 184
Part III Unhealthy Relationships with Spiritual Teachers......Page 186
Avoiding Overdependence on Others for Spiritual Energy......Page 188
Cultural Factors in Western and Tibetan Overdependence......Page 189
Overdependence Based on a Western Orientation toward Ethics......Page 191
Overdependence on Guided Meditation......Page 192
Overdependence on Having All Questions Answered for Oneself......Page 194
The Issue of Submission......Page 195
Gender Prejudice......Page 196
The Influence of Ancient Greek Thought on Being an Individual......Page 197
Tension over the Issue of Being Creative......Page 198
Description of the Phenomena in Classical Psychoanalysis......Page 200
The Phenomena in Disciple-Mentor Relationships......Page 201
Resolution of Problems Arising from Transference and Degenerative Regression......Page 202
Pleasing a Spiritual Mentor......Page 203
Deeper Resolution through Voidness Meditation......Page 206
Countertransference......Page 207
Responding Maturely to Countertransference......Page 208
Summary......Page 209
Self-Destructive Actions regarding a Spiritual Mentor......Page 210
Transgressing Tantric Vows concerning Interaction with a Mentor......Page 212
Hellish States of Mind......Page 214
The Reason for the Descriptions of the Hells......Page 216
Fear Related to Issues Concerning Dharma-Protectors and Tulku Candidates......Page 217
Deciding Extremely Obscure Issues......Page 218
Resolution of the Disciples’ Dilemmas......Page 220
Deciding Sensitive Issues Pertaining to Karma and Discipline......Page 221
Paranoia and Vulnerability......Page 224
Systems Analysis......Page 226
Openness from the Side of the Mentor......Page 227
Dealing with the Death of a Mentor......Page 228
Infl ation, Projection, and Idealization......Page 229
Devotion......Page 230
A Mentor’s Actions as Inconceivable......Page 231
The Difference between Seeing That a Mentor Is a Buddha and Projection......Page 233
Stages in the Contemporary Life Cycle......Page 234
Stages in the Spiritual Life History of Baby Boomers......Page 235
The Spiritual Life History of the Me Generation......Page 237
The Spiritual Path of Generation X......Page 238
Avoiding Problems Typified by Provisional Adulthood......Page 239
Avoiding Problems Typifi ed by Second Adulthood......Page 241
Those in Second Adulthood Can Help Inspire Provisional Adults......Page 242
Epilogue: Relating to a Western Spiritual Teacher......Page 244
Appendix: Summary of the Stages of Expanded Sutra-Level Guru-Meditation......Page 258
Bibliography......Page 262
Also by Alexander Berzin......Page 272