The Essence of Guru Yoga

We practise Guru Yoga by tracing the opportunities we have in the Dharma today back to the kindness of our lama. We reflect, “Through their kindness, I am where I am today.” Recalling that kindness and feeling genuine gratitude—that is the essence of Guru Yoga. Do not simply chant the words of the Guru Yoga prayer, but hold the reflection of your lama’s kindness in mind.

The way we can reflect on the lama’s qualities and kindness is like this: If you have the opportunity to receive a Dharma teaching you can think, “It is thanks to my lama that I have the chance to receive this precious Dharma teaching.” Or, you could think, “My faith in the Dharma and my motivation to practise came from my lama. It is through my lama’s teaching and guidance that I developed this motivation and am here doing this today.” Reflecting in this way is a practice of Guru Yoga.

If your root lama is Thrangu Rinpoche, for example, and you received many teachings from him, you may think, “The wish to enter retreat arose through Rinpoche’s inspiration and guidance. Through his kindness, I came to practise the Dharma and decided to enter retreat.”

Although Thrangu Rinpoche is sadly no longer with us, we can still meditate on him and reflect on all the opportunities we have in the Dharma thanks to him.

Likewise, when we receive teachings and gain even a little ability to discern what is helpful and what is not, that ability comes through the kindness of our previous teachers. Although the person teaching you now might be someone else, your ability to understand and benefit from their teachings comes not only from them but also from the foundation laid by your previous lamas.

1 June 2026, Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal