Dispelling the fog on the path to the spiritual guide
Hi everyone, this is my first post here (in the entire forum I mean). First of all I want to say that I’m glad that the New Kadampa Tradition was not dicriminated in a buddhist forum besides any consideration about the matter of DS and the struggle between HH Dalai Lama and Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. I respect both high masters of their Lineage as any buddhist should respect any other human being because that is a must considering that Compassion is one of the very essencial points in Buddha’s teachings. Really I’m happy for that because the best teacher is the example.
Well first of all I have to say that I’m likely new to Buddhism because my first encounter with Dharma happened just two years ago and I’ve been just in touch with it, specially trying to look for a school or tradition where to develop in the path of wisdom and compassion and it is not so easy because there are just few options available here in Argentina, specially in Cordoba, the province where I live.
But the reason why I’m posting this topic here is because I’ve met a Dharma center of the NKT that is new here in Cordoba and I felt interested in joining this sangha but I had a couple of doubts that weren’t cleared appropiately by the resident teacher, so as I’ve seen that there are a couple of members here in this forum, maybe those who know something about this, could answer my questions.
Well my doubts concern about the spiritual guide (as the title of my post says). I feel that the matter of the spiritual guide is quite not clear within the NKT. When I asked about who would be my spiritual guide in the tradition, then noone had a clear answer for that, so I suggested a couple of situations to help me to understand it better.
For example, if I take part into an “Offering to the Spiritual Guide” puja but I have received not any transmission from someone in whom I can rely as my Guru, so who could I consider it to be? I thought that maybe I could consider GKG as the “general” Spiritual Guide until I choose one of the senior teachers of the NKT as my Guru.
But considering that point (and having taken a lot of time to read from the beggining to the end the topic about Tantric Masters qualifications in the NKT) I make a supposition, at least for me, that a person that I would chose as my Guru should be able to transmit me all the teachings of his or her lineage. Am I right in my supposition? Is it really neccesary?
Specially because it becomes confusing when thinking of all the teachers the NKT have, but you have not received a direct transmission from GKG, specially on Guru Yoga that is the most essential teaching and practice that links a disciple with his or her Guru. I mean, if you have received that transmission from GKG so it doesn’t matter if you receive any teaching from any other of his disciples because you can consider them as emanations from him, as both (you and the teacher) are linked to the same Guru. But if that’s not the case - and it will be THE CASE for the new generation students, as possibly it could be me – so it’s not clear that it should be the same. For example if I rely on Kelsang Dekyong as my Guru (considering maybe that I could take in the future a HYT empowerment with her), how will I consider other teachers if I receive a Lower Tantra empowerment from anyone else? I mean because the other teachers at the moment have been trained by GKG and not by her.
And what if I choose as my Spiritual Guide someone who cannot give a HYT empowerment and then I receive it from KD... who will be the Spiritual Guide?
I consider that Highest Yoga Tantra is an important point of the question as it is the highest of Buddha’s teachings, the fastest way to attain enlightment (in general, maybe not for every person) and the heart and the root of a vajrayana tradition (Even if NKT defines itself as Mahayana but it is Vajrayana if they practice Tantra) something that distinguishes it of other paths on Buddhism.
I really need to understand this because on other schools it is easier. For example I have met some people of the Dzogchen Community leaded by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and they have not that problem, the guru is only one and you receive transmissions only from him (you could receive teachings from other people but he is the only one who grants transmissions).
Well I hope someone can answer and bring me some light into this matter.
Thanks for your time and attention.
Dechen.
