Pleasing the Guru

Pleasing the Guru

Date Posted:
November 2013

Rinpoche gave the following advice. 

A Drepung geshe asked one of the Dalai Lamas quite directly where he would be born in the next life. The Dalai Lama answered him also directly, replying that he would be reborn as a cow with blue horns.

The geshe replied, “How is this possible? After all, there’s the intermediate state after death, then the father and mother meeting, etc. There are so many conditions and paths, so how can you say now what will happen?”

His Holiness laughed at this and said, “Now you will be reborn as a monk.”

“How is this possible?” asked the geshe.

His Holiness said, “Because I’m a special object and by pleasing me, your karma has changed.”

There’s the story of the man who saw a buddha statue outside in the rain. Out of respect and devotion, he used his shoes to cover and protect the buddha from the rain. Another man came along and on seeing the shoes above the buddha, he thought this was disrespectful, and removed the shoes. Both were right, according to their devotional thoughts.

It doesn’t matter if we do millions of prostrations, mandalas, etc—without pleasing the guru, how can this have a great result? The most negative action comes from displeasing the guru, so in relation to the guru, our negative actions are heaviest.

It is very good karma if we know how to make delicious food, because then we can offer it to holy beings. This makes them extremely happy. [Note: That’s why Rinpoche makes shakpa, a Tibetan stew, at Geshe Sopa’s place. Rinpoche also cooks this dish in Aptos and Washington, thus showing how to make delicious food.]