Faith in the Lama Is Essential

If one can not see the lama as a buddha, one needs to at the very least regard him higher than normal sentient beings. Without this, all the skilful means employed by the lama to remedy the student's faults and habitual tendencies will only become a cause for wrong views. Relying on a lama in this way, the student won't receive even the tiniest blessing from the lama. Therefore, faith is essential when it comes to relying on a lama.