When I reflect on Guru devotion, I often begin by reminding myself that relying on a master takes two complementary forms: dependence through thought and dependence through action. Over the years, as I moved through different traditions and cultural settings, this distinction helped me understand why Guru devotion appears so differently across Buddhist cultures. In Tibetan communities, for instance, devotion becomes tangible – students serve their masters physically, sometimes even helping with basic tasks like bathing during the harsh winters. At first, this can surprise us, but later we come to see that such service is not mere sentiment; it can be a profound expression of liberation, an offering born from seeing the teacher as the direct doorway to awakening.
Still, according to the Lamrim, such forms of devotion are appropriate only for those whose faith is already well-rooted. I often emphasize that it cannot be forced. Devotion must resonate with one’s own inner disposition. My own path required time, confidence and discernment, until I found the form of relationship that nourished rather than obscured my understanding.
Devotion does not mean blind obedience. When someone once asked me whether a disciple must follow every instruction of a guru, I remembered the Lamrim’s very balanced view: if a teaching contradicts the Dharma, it should be questioned respectfully. The disciple protects the relationship and the Dharma through honest inquiry.
I often think of Asanga’s three promises to his master, Shakyamuni Buddha, as an example of devotion rooted in humility rather than dependence. Asanga pledged never to take advantage of the privilege of being around great masters and never to use their leftover food or clothing for his own benefit. While these details come from a specific cultural context, the underlying message remains timeless: devotion should be clean, without self-serving motives.
Reflecting more deeply on the subject, I’m struck by how intricate the master–disciple relationship can be. Gyaltsab Je’s commentary to the Abhisamayālankāra, drawing from Buddha Maitreya, describes situations where obstacles arise because of the master, the disciple, or circumstances between them. This teaching broadened my compassion: devotion is not merely an ideal; it is a living relationship that must be examined with honesty and care.
One especially detailed list describes fourteen ways in which the master can become an obstacle to the disciple’s growth. This has always stayed with me. These points are:
- The disciple is diligent and hardworking, but the lama is lazy.
- The disciple wants to receive Dharma in a certain place, while the lama insists on teaching somewhere else.
- The disciple’s desires are modest, while the lama harbors strong personal desires.
- The disciple has the necessary qualities for training, but the lama lacks them.
- The disciple possesses faith and other virtuous traits, while the lama does not.
- The disciple gives away all their possessions generously, but the lama is stingy.
- The disciple offers gifts or monetary support, but the lama refuses to accept them.
- The disciple understands teachings with just a hint, while the lama only teaches through long, elaborate explanations.
- The disciple knows many teachings, but the lama does not possess such knowledge.
- The disciple has cultivated the six perfections, while the lama has not.
- The disciple is skilled in methods that lead toward enlightenment, but the lama lacks such skill.
- The disciple has attained the power of retention (dhāraṇī), whereas the teacher has not.
- The disciple wishes to engage diligently in the effort of writing, but the teacher does not support this.
- The disciple is free from the five obscurations, while the teacher is still affected by them.
These fourteen points are not meant as criticisms but as guidance – reminders that the teacher must embody the qualities that uplift the disciple’s path. When this balance is lost, devotion becomes strained, and confusion can replace clarity. These contradictions can undermine the relationship unless understood and addressed with honesty.
Ultimately, the Lamrim teaches that Guru devotion is one of the most profound practices because it cuts directly through the five obscurations – craving, aversion, dullness, restlessness, and doubt. Training myself to rely on a master with both devotion and discernment becomes a way of working with these obscurations in real time. Devotion, when grounded in wisdom, becomes a transformative force; it restructures our mind, stabilizes our practice, and anchors us in the lineage of awakening.
Lotsawa Thubten Sherab
FPMT Registered Teacher
The Garden of Maitreya 