Two Conditions For Blessing

Blessing is never some external force. You won't receive blessings by the lama bumping you with his mala or he blowing on your head – if that were the case, it would contradict the truth of karma, cause and effect. If a Buddhist thinks he has received a blessing which opposes the law of karma cause and effect, wouldn't that be very strange?

When a student says to the lama, "Lama, please give me some blessings." The lama should ask,"Then how much time have you got?" Because how much blessing you receive is determined by how much time you're prepared to spend on receiving the teachings from the lama, which is what he transmits to you and what will change and transform you.

If receiving blessings is so simple, why did Milarepa practice so hard? His effort would have been in vain. Why didn't Marpa just bump his head with his mala? Why did he have to go through the hardships of practicing in the caves for all his life?

There are two necessary conditions for blessing to happen: one is the lama has to teach and explain; the second is the student has to receive the transmission and has to assimilate it and put it into practice – only then the blessing would happen. So don't become jaded, you have to put into practice what you've heard. Don't listen to a lot of teachings without practicing. Only when you put into practice what you hear will you receive real blessing.

Khenpo Karma Lhabu's teaching on Guru Yoga at HwaYue Foundation, 11 November 2016