An Interview with Khenpo Chodrak Rinpoche #3
19.04.1997

Q: In the Vajrayana practice, we speak of this Guru-disciple relationship. Can Rinpoche elaborate on this relationship ?
KR: For there to be a relationship, the lama must be authentic to begin with. Both the teacher and the student, for them to have a proper relationship should have appreciation of one another. The student should regard as his child. The teacher should be concerned with making efforts for the sake of making it possible for the student to free himself of samsara.
And the student should regard the teacher as somneone who acts for the sake of freeing him from samsara. It's important to remember, be mindful of and practice the instruction s that give you the possibilities to attain freedom from samsara. Nowadays, it's very often the case that a teacher establishes connections with people whom he calls his students, for the sake of obtaining influence, wealth and so on and there are many Buddhists students who refer themselves as the disciples of a certain lama but who in fact use the lama for their personal purposes.

Q: Is a Root Guru necessarily an ordained person? Can a layperson become one's Root Guru ?
KR: Why not. Marpa and Milarepa are not ordained.

Q: What is the quality of a Root Guru that the disciple should look for and what is the quality of a disciple the Guru should look for ?
KR: It's difficult to make a general statement because it depends on what type of guru you're talking about. Whether it's Guru in the Theravada tradition, the Mahayana or the Tantra tradition. Thus also if one looks at the characteristics of a student, then it depends on what practice the student is doing. There is nothing general. There are different types of spiritual friends. There are teachers and spiritual friends who are quite ordinary, then there are teachers and spiritual friends who are bodhisattvas on any of the bhumis. In brief, the Guru must have a profound knowledge and understanding of the teachings he expounds.
The Guru's behaviour must accord with the teaching he gives. His conduct should be in accordance with the advice he gives to students. Also he must teach because he wants to free the students from samsara. There should be no other motives to his teachings. In The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, we find a chapter devoted to explaining the qualities of a spiritual friend. In that text one can find a more extensive explanation. And the student must have trust and confidence and who is capable of making efforts in his practice.

Q: What are Samaya vows ?
KR: Samaya, to begin with, is a particular feature of the Buddhist tantras. It is not applicable to all Buddhist schools of thoughts. If a practitioner is capable of upholding his samaya being the various commitments he has made in relation to a particular tantra that he practices, the effect would be that he accomplishes and masters those teachings and he attains realizations. On the other hand if he is not able to maintain the commitments, he has committed himself to maintain he will not obtain any result. When one looks at the Buddhist tantras, in relation to each tantra there is a great number of different commitments. For there to be samaya, in terms of a guru and disciple, the guru must be an authentic guru of the Tantrayana and the disciple must be a disciple capable of practicing whatever tantras at hand. Otherwise samaya doesn't happen.
Reciving empowerment is said to be the gateway to the Buddhist tantrayana and most empowerments are made up of 4 stages. There are four empowerments that make up an empowerment. Now each empowerment is associated with a particular perspective of the true nature of reality. That empowerment is meant to have the effect that the student, when in the process of receiving empowerment, has a glimpse of that particular aspect of the true nature of reality. If that doesn't happen. Each of the 4 empowerments that make up an empowerments has samayas or a set of commitments. It's a code of ethics associated with viewpoint, conduct and meditation. So, it's quite a few commitments associated with each empowerment.
The student has to be introduced to each and everyone of these commitments, otherwise how can there be samaya? How can someone uphold a set of commitments that he doesn't know? Furthermore, as have been mentioned earlier, for someone to qualify as a Root Guru, the case must be that as a consequence of the Guru introducing the student to the true nature of reality, the student has a short insight or glimpse of Mahamudra. If that happens, then the lama becomes a Root Guru. Otherwise not. Also for anyone to be associated with samaya, relating to a particular aspect of a tantric practice, there are certain conditions and circumstances that must be fulfilled, otherwise it doesn't happen.
There is often frequent mentioning of transgressing samayas. One should be aware of transgressing samayas. One should be aware of that here as well, it's not as simple it is often made up to be. Because again, there are certain circumstance that must come together for that to happen. It doesn't happen easily.
Receiving teachings and taking refuge and so on make the person who gives the teaching or the refuge, a teacher, a lama, a spiritual friend and by no means a Root Guru. And by no means a guru of the Buddhist tantras. If one asks the question of whether one should accomplish whatever one is told to do by this person , the answer is, well, if what you are asked to do is in accordance with the Buddhist principles, yes, otherwise, no.
Today we have quite a few lamas who very often tell people that they have received some samayas ot some sort. If they don't follow whatever he says, they will end up in Vajra hell and what nots, this is not true. As was explained, samaya is not easily obtained and furthermore if one doesn't know what the commitments are, how can one break them. It's also not the case that just the student is having samayas. The Gurus also have samayas to uphold. It's not a one-way street. Through their combined efforts samaya may be upheld.