Cyber-Shedra Distance Learning Program

By Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche and Namdroling, Montana

Lesson 2, Perfect Conduct

Session 3

Please read Perfect Conduct, First: The Initial Virtue, pages 3 5

The Homage

The short homage to all teachers

Let us break down the words of the short general homage which is in Sanskrit "Namo Guruve". Namo -
homage, Guru -spiritual master and ve - to; I pay homage to the Gurus.
Guru is Sanskrit and means heavy and capable of carrying heavy loads. The spiritual teacher is heavy
with good qualities, those of wisdom and compassion. These qualities make the person capable of
undertaking the responsibility to guide students on the spiritual path. This is the heaviest responsibility
because one has to correct the mind of the students, which demands skill and wisdom. Another way of
explaining the term heavy is that the Guru is the source of heavy karma if one either benefits or harms
the Guru.

To remember our Gurus and pay homage to them at all times, and particularly before starting any work,
is unique to the Vajrayana tradition. We begin our practices by praying to our Lama and end by saying
long life prayers for our lamas. Acharya Vabi Deva says:

The Vajra Master who has supreme empowerment

Must be seen as Tathagata
And pay homage to him at three times
By beings in ten directions.

Some scholars assert that in Buddhism Guru is the term used for Vajrayana teachers, Spiritual Friend
(Kalyanamitra) for Mahayana teachers, and Elder (Thera) is used for teachers the Hinayana tradition.
Khenchen Yonten Gyatso argues that Guru is also used for the teachers of the other two, Mahayana and
Hinayana. In Fifty Stanzas on Precepts of Getsul, a Hinayana text, it says,

Knock politely with your hands

On the door where Guru resides.

In the Twenty Vows, a Mahayana text, it reads,

Take the vow from the Guru,

Who observes the vows and has knowledge and power to give it.

The specific homage

The author pays homage specifically to Guru Rinpoche with whom, in many of his past lives, had
karmic connection of master and student. The author is the emanation of the Dharma King Thrisong
Detsen, who invited Guru Rinpoche to Tibet.

In Buddhist poetry we see the traces of Vedic stories used to express the Buddhist thoughts as in this
case. It is said that Indra, the king of gods was on the verge of losing the battle with demigods. They
consulted Vishnu for his guidance. He advised the gods to churn the ocean of milk to get the amrita
(ambrosia), which would make them immortal and have victory over the demigods. They had to make
friends with the demigods to churn the ocean, and Vishnu assured them that the amrita would be given
only to the gods. Mount Mandhara was used as the churning stick, the great naga Vasuki as the rope, the
gods were on one side, and the demigods were on the other side. Vishnu took the form of a tortoise and
held mount Mandhara from sinking in the ocean. Many objects were produced by churning the ocean.
One of them was the moon.

(The demigods fought with the gods because the gods took many of the things that came out from
churning the ocean, especially the amrita. The demigods were able to snatch the amrita from the gods.
To allure the demigods Vishnu transformed himself into a beautiful charming woman. They gave the
amrita to this woman to be distributed to the gods and demigods. Vishnu gave the amrita to the gods and
fake amrita to the demigods. The demigod named Rahu assumed the form of the gods and was given the
real amrita. The sun and the moon knew this and reported to Vishnu. Immediately Vishnu threw his
flying discus at Rahu and cut off his head. Only his head became immortal and his body died. Because
of this Rahu became angry with the sun and moon and chased after them. Each time he catches them, he
swallows the sun and the moon. But they come out of his throat again. This is how solar and lunar
eclipses are caused according to the Vedic epics.)

To explain the enlightened qualities of Guru Rinpoche this story is used as an analogy. The
unfathomable accumulation of ordinary merit and wisdom merit of Guru Rinpoche is likened to the
milky ocean. Ordinary merit is generated by the practice of generosity and other virtuous actions in the
post meditation state. The merit of wisdom is generated by meditating on emptiness. Perseverance on
the path to accumulate merit is like the churning of the ocean. The result of the path, the completion of
wisdom and compassion is like the full moon which came out of the ocean when it was churned. Guru
Rinpoche's ceaseless spontaneous teaching on definitive secret-yana like the shower of rain is likened to
the cool white radiance of the moon light.

Guru Rinpoche brought Buddhism to Tibet, and because of his compassion and exalted activity,
Buddhism flourished in Tibet. Many masters of both the old and new traditions were manifestations of
him or one of his great twenty five disciples. The great master Atisha, showed great appreciation and
respect for his work when he visited the Library at Samye Monastery in Tibet. Guru Rinpoche is
definitely the crown jewel of all masters of Tibet.

Commitment to compose the text

In discussing scriptures, the title of the text, the homage, maintaining humility and the commitment to
compose the text, are the classical way to begin writing a scripture. This is called the initial virtue. The
main theme of the text is the intermediate virtue. The conclusion of the text, confessing the mistake in
writing the book, dedication and auspicious verses, is the concluding virtue. This is to let the reader
know that dharma is virtue in the beginning, virtue in the middle, and virtue at the end. The words and
the meaning of the text are flawless and all virtuous.