The Guide to Enlightenment: Why the Teacher Still Matters in Buddhism Today

Description

Navigate the transformative potential of the student-teacher relationship with advice and personal stories from two female Buddhist teachers with decades of experience working with spiritual guides. Taking a spiritual path that genuinely transforms our lives is no easy task. It engages the deepest parts of ourselves, and there are many pitfalls and ravines that can carry us away on this sometimes treacherous path. A spiritual guide who is genuine and experienced is vital for navigating such obstacles--someone to give perspective, someone to trust, someone to light the way. The teacher-student relationship has been a core part of Buddhism from the time of the Buddha and his first disciples over 2,500 years ago, and it continues to be central to navigating a spiritual path of meditation and reflection. In this intimate collection of personal stories and advice, Allison Choying Zangmo and Carolyn Kanjuro team up to reflect on their experiences as longtime practitioners of Buddhism, their own unique relationships with their partners who are also their spiritual guides, and to celebrate and uphold the transformative power of the student-teacher relationship. As both students and leaders in their Buddhist communities, Allison and Carolyn share insights into how we can successfully interpret traditional Buddhist understandings of spiritual mentorship for today's world. From guidance on how to find a teacher to how to face issues of miscommunication and confrontation, Kanjuro and Zangmo help readers consider their own goals and emotional boundaries as a starting point for building a positive new spiritual connection.

ALLISON CHOYING ZANGMO is Anyen Rinpoche's personal translator and a longtime student of both Rinpoche and his root lama, Kyabje Tsara Dharmakirti. She has either translated or collaborated with Rinpoche on all of his books. She lives in Denver, Colorado. CAROLYN KANJURO was a writer and creative collaborator. She served as creative director for Secrets of the World, an award-winning audio series for children featuring global storytellers, and taught meditation, theater, and contemplative archery to kids throughout North America.

"Filled with vivid reflections on their personal experiences as followers and teachers of Buddhism, this guidebook offers modern students valuable advice and models on how to orient themselves towards the Dharma, the Teacher, and the Sangha to fulfill their highest aspirations."-Tulku Thondup, author of The Heart of Unconditional Love "This is a helpful book written by two American women, both married to their teachers, who offer guidance on the traditional approach of the guru in Vajrayana-a heart connection based on total trust and devotion. This willingness to surrender should leave us open to receive the guru's blessings like an empty vessel ready to be filled, unlike any ordinary relationship. Although this imbalance of power could be a sad cause for abuse and exploitation, here the authors discuss the ideal association with a fully qualified guru who embodies bodhichitta and is worthy of trust."-Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, author of Reflections on a Mountain Lake "For a student on the Vajrayana path, nothing is more import ant than choosing and committing to a guru. This little book, clearly written by two Western Vajrayana students in language Westerners can understand, offers simple and straightforward advice on how to prepare well for a devoted lifetime relationship with a vajra master. These writers should know-both were married to realized masters."-Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, author of The Guru Drinks Bourbon? "It is a joy to endorse this important book compiled with great care by Allison Choying Zangmo on behalf of her dharma sister, Carolyn Kanjuro. Together they offer advice and guidelines on the subject of devotion to the spiritual master based on their personal experiences. Since my life has taken a similar course, I have long known that the most important relationship that one can cultivate in life is with one's spiritual guide. I also know that this remains one of the most misunderstood areas of spiritual development for western seekers. Once becoming a Buddhist, one of the first texts that I was fortunate to receive teachings on was the Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion by the Indian Acharya Tayang. It is crucial for disciples of dharma, and in particular Vajrayana, to receive instructions on the qualifications of a true spiritual master and the qualifications of the disciple. Given that this is the backbone for the timeless process of lineage blessings and transmissions, this book and the insight, inspiration, and truth that it reveals are especially timely at this juncture."-Sangye Khandro, cotranslator of Essence of Clear Light "Painful revelations in many sanghas, especially over the past few years, have left some wondering what a guru is good for these days. The authors highlight the essential role that student-teacher relationships have held throughout history and provide personal stories to help readers find the right teacher and navigate this complex connection."-Tricycle: The Buddhist Review