Spiritual Teacher

Spiritual Teacher (bla ma)

• One of the three roots (rtsa ba gsum) of spiritual practice, along with the meditational deity and the ḍākinī. The spiritual teacher (Skt. guru) is said to confer blessings on the meditator, in contrast to the meditational deity who confers supreme accomplishment and the ḍākinī who confers enlightened activities. The original Sanskrit word 'guru' literally means "heavy" or "weighty", and by extension a 'venerable teacher'. The Tibetan equivalent 'bla ma' (pronounced lama) means 'unsurpassed' or 'supreme', indicating that the guru is unsurpassed in terms of being the perfect object toward which meritorious activity should be directed. However, it is important to note that specific qualifications are necessary in order to be considered as a spiritual teacher. These qualifications differ according to the level of spiritual practice at which a teacher is adopted. In this regard, Klong-chen rab-'byams-pa ([[GGFTC, pp. 1194-1197) identifies five or six types of authentic root spiritual teacher (rtsa ba'i bla ma) on whom students may rely: 1) the spiritual teacher who can act as a monastic preceptor, 2) the spiritual teacher who can genuinely explain the teachings, 3) the spiritual teacher who can confer scriptural transmissions and esoteric instructions, enabling one to cultivate an enlightened attitude, 4) the spiritual teacher who can repair broken commitments, 5) the spiritual teacher who can confer empowerment, and 6) the spiritual teacher who is universally venerated for all these reasons. For a more detailed discussion, see dPal-sprul Rin-po-che, The Words of My Perfect Teacher, pp. 309-347; and Dil-'go mKhyen-brtse, The Wish fulfilling Jewel. GD (from the Glossary to Tibetan Elemental Divination Paintings)