Two Requirements
Two criteria must be met to rely on a lama. You need a lama that you have faith in and a lama that you can learn from.
Without faith, even if the lama is giving you time, things will not go well for you. If you have faith but the lama is not giving you regular teachings, you won’t be able to learn from them what you need to know.
Many people think the Dharma is simple. If you listen to how people talk, many imply that it is harder to learn Tibetan than the Dharma, for example. We understand that we will not make any headway by just attending a one-week Tibetan language course; it will take a couple of years of daily effort and discipline to achieve a worthwhile result. But when it comes to the Dharma, many people think they are going to learn what they need to know by merely attending a week’s course once or twice a year, and they will achieve a meaningful result in their practice on the back of that.
Good lamas teach their students extensively. Take Khenpo Jigme Puntsok Rinpoche, for example. He would teach every single day. He taught those who spent the most time with him everything from grammar up until the most profound teachings on the Great Perfection.
By the time I went to study with him, his eyesight was poor, and he couldn’t read the texts. But he did not let that stop him. He had a student record himself reading the text, then he would listen to the recording and explain it. Even when he was too sick to make it to the teaching seat, he would not be deterred from teaching. He would teach from his bed with his words being broadcast through loudspeakers.
He prioritised his students’ studies and practice above all else. He would always tell us not to make offerings to him. He would say, “I do not need your offerings. We are only three—my sister, niece and I—and we already have more than enough. Most of you have come a long way to study and practise here. Use your resources to provide for yourselves.” Not only did he not take our offerings, three times while I was there, but he gave away everything he owned to all of us students. One time in particular, there was quite a lot, and we all received enough to live off for a good few months.
Because of how he taught and supported his students, people flocked from all over to stay with him. In the time I was there, the community grew from about 1000 to around 10,000 at Serta Larung Ga.
