| Guru comes from the combination of two Sanskrit | | | | a teacher? There is no way we can achieve this |
| words: Guna, meaning "good qualities," and Ruchi, | | | | without a teacher. |
| meaning "a collection". So, Guna and Ruci is "a | | | | Not everything can be learnt from books. I was just |
| collection of good qualities". Temporarily, for now, we | | | | reading a commentary about spiritual teachers which |
| need a Guru on the outside but the outer Guru leads | | | | said very clearly that if we only read books to study, |
| us to the inner Guru. Without the outer Guru there is no | | | | we can only reach a very low point. Many questions |
| guideline for our practice; it is impossible. | | | | cannot be answered. We need a teacher with |
| In worldly life, we need teachers, we need help. | | | | experience to explain these things to us. |
| Everything we have in life has been acquired from a | | | | If books were enough, then the Buddha would have |
| teacher or someone who has taught us - a parent, at | | | | emanated as books and he would never have spoken |
| school, a relative, etc. Whenever we want to achieve | | | | a single word of teaching. If teachers were not |
| anything in ordinary, worldly situations, we must have | | | | necessary, Buddha would have never manifested as a |
| someone to guide us and lead the way. We respect | | | | universal teacher. |
| that person, and we speak nicely and politely to them. | | | | No one has ever become enlightened without a |
| If we fight back, show no respect, do not listen and do | | | | teacher. It is impossible without a teacher - not in this |
| the opposite of what the teacher tells us to do, then | | | | world, in this age, at this juncture. There may be other |
| we will not be able to learn or perceive as quickly. | | | | world systems where Buddhas have manifested, |
| This is just for our ordinary lives, which is only for | | | | turned the Wheel of Dharma and given other sets of |
| about 60 to 80 years. For our spiritual lives, when we | | | | teachings where those beings could run on their own |
| want Enlightenment - where the roads and direction | | | | for a while. According to what I have studied, it is not |
| are much more complicated, difficult, longer and even | | | | like that in this place. |
| dangerous at times - how can we achieve this without | | | | |