Starting Today – DISCOVERING BUDDHISM: The Spiritual Teacher
Tuesday 1 October @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
What qualities must a spiritual teacher have? How do we find a guru? Discover how to be devoted without going astray, and how to flourish on your spiritual path.
Take the time to investigate the role of the teacher on the spiritual path: the need for a teacher, the qualities to look for in a teacher, the responsibilities of the student, and how to relate to a teacher for greatest benefit in one’s spiritual life. Consider the challenges we face when thinking of entering into a “guru-disciple” relationship and learn how to overcome these skilfully.
Just as you cannot learn to drive from a book, you need an instructor on the spiritual path that can keep you safe from danger and tutor you personally according to your disposition. They need not be accomplished in anything else – but by putting our trust in someone else we need a set of guidelines to ensure that our ultimate welfare is looked after and nurtured. As a student we also need to practice a skilful devotion, not a blind faith.
UNIT 4: The Spiritual Teacher
This course takes an in-depth and comprehensive look at the entire path to enlightenment – and is suitable for both the committed beginner and more established students. Discovering Buddhism is the core program of LTC, and usually takes about three years to complete. Come along for a couple of classes and see how the course suits you.
Topics in the Course:
– What is a spiritual teacher, lama or guru?
– How do we find a teacher?
– Qualifications of a valid teacher, what to look for
– Responsibilities and behaviour of the student
– We why need a teacher, and how to relate in a healthy way
– How to devote oneself in both thought and action
– What to do if things get difficult
– Importance of respecting teachers from all traditions
Presented by:
Please make a donation:
You can make your donation now online, or when you arrive on the on the day (with cash or card). Thank you for your generosity! Your donation helps keep LTC flourishing and providing courses such as this. (The Zoom link will appear at the top of this page 15 minutes before the start.)
*Course Package includes both video and soundfile of each class (to catch-up or re-listen), the powerpoint slides, the reading material from FPMT as well as extras from LTC.
“My suggestion is that before you look for a guru or make a connection to a guru, study well what is mentioned in the lamrim as to how to correctly follow and devote to the virtuous friend. Otherwise, if you make mistakes with the guru, it’s like jumping into quicksand.”
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche
“The blessings of buddhas cannot be received without a guru. The benefit of correctly practicing guru devotion is that it liberates you from oceans of samsaric sufferings and brings you to enlightenment. By pleasing the guru your negative karma is burned up in a second.”
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche