Shortcomings of not devoting to a guru correctly
(1) If we criticize our guru, we criticize all the buddhas
(2) Each moment of anger toward our guru destroys merit for eons
equal in number to the moments of our anger and will cause us to be
reborn in the hells and suffer for the same number of eons
(3) Even though we practice tantra, we will not achieve the
sublime realization
(4) Even if we practice tantra with great hardship, it will be
like attaining hell and the like…
(5) We will not generate any fresh realisation or knowledge and
our previous realisation/knowledge will degenerate
(6)We will be afflicted even in this life by illness and other
undesirable things
(7)In future lives, we will wander endlessly in the lower
realms
(8) In all our lives, we will lack gurus / virtuous friends
Any negative karma created in relation to the guru is the
heaviest because the guru is the most powerful object, more
powerful than numberless buddhas. If we do alot of dharma
practice,… but continue to continuously make mistakes in our
devotion and displease our guru, we create a big obstacle. If
we don’t pay attention to fulfilling the holy wishes of our guru,
we won’t accomplish much because we will have created an obstacle
the size of this earth. There is no greater obstacle than this.
If we don’t practice guru devotion, our minds will become like a
rock, it can’t be moved or easily changed. Nothing we meditate on
affects our mind…
A tantric text states: “A vajra master is equal to all the
buddhas, therefore, we should never belittle or disrespect the
vajra master.”
The Essence of Nectar states:
“It is said that the actions of all the Victorious Ones
Appear in one’s own guru.
Disrespecting him is thus disrespecting all the Victorious
Ones.
What could have a heavier ripened aspect result than that?”
Kalachakra Tantra states:
“One destroys the merit accumulated over eons equal to the
number of moments one feels angry at the virtuous friend / guru and
for the same number of eons one experiences intense suffering in
the hells and so on…”
The Tantric Text Self-Arisen and Self-Manifested explains,
“One should not go against the good advice; if one does, one
will fall into a hell state. Criticizing the virtuous friend/guru
or fabricating his faults is like having killed a hundred thousand
ordained beings. It is only the cause of the Inexhaustible
Suffering hell. Even if one thinks that the vajra master is
bad-tempered, one has to suffer for sixty eons in Inexhaustible
Suffering”
Guhyasamaja Root Tantra states:
“Those who have committed heavy negative karma
Such as the five uninterrupted actions and so on,
Can achieve the great ocean of Vajrayana, the sublime
vehicle.
But those who have scorned their guru from the heart
Will achieve no success in their practice.”
In the root tantra Ornament of the Vajra Essence
“For those who have criticized their master,
Even if they practice tantra for thousands of eons
By avoiding all sleep and distractions,
It will be like attaining hell.”
Lama TsongKhapa, the second buddha said,
“Without being careful at all in regard to despising your guru,
if you then try very hard to do listening, reflecting and
meditating, it will be like opening the door to the lower
realms.”
The Essence of Nectar says,
“If one is devoid of devotion for the sublime object, the
guru,
Qualities are not generated and those generated already will
degenerate.”
In the Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion,
“The great fool who criticizes the vajra master will die from an
epidemic, cold disease, a demon, a fever or poison. That person may
be killed by a king, fire, poisonous snake, water, wrathful
dakinis, thieves, spirits or malignant fiends. After being killed
in one of these ways, he then goes to hell.”
The Vajrapani Empowerment Tantra states:
Vajrapani once asked Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, “Bhagavan, what is
the ripened aspect result of despising the guru?” This refers to
criticizing or renouncing the guru. Buddha replied, “Don’t
ask me that Vajrapani. If i explained the shortcomings of having
made mistakes in devotion to the virtuous friend/guru, all the
devas and other worldly beings will be terrified. The bodhisattvas,
who have great compassion for sentient beings, would vomit blood.
But steel yourself, and i will tell you a little, O Lord of
Secrets. The person who has made mistakes in devotion to the guru
by having criticized him, renounced him and so forth will be born
after this life in the hell realm that i have described for the
person who has committed the five uninterrupted negative karmas.
He will abide there for infinite eons. Therefore , one should
never belittle, criticize or give up the vajra master.”
The thirteenth Dalai Lama explained,
“Even eating or drinking with someone who has broken samaya with
one of your gurus causes you to go to the lower realms. The
pollution degenerates your mind and causes you to be reborn in the
lower realms.”
Serkong Dorje Chang said,
“Even drinking water from the same valley where there is a
fellow disciple who has scorned your own guru causes you to be born
in the hells.”
The result of disrespecting the virtuous teacher is that in all
future lifetimes we will not find a virtuous teacher, so we will
not hear the holy Dharma. Not meeting a virtuous friend in the
future is experiencing the result similar to the cause of having
disrespected or made mistakes in relation to the virtuous friend.
In life after life, we will be born in places where there is no
freedom to practice Dharma, where we will not meet a virtuous
friend. As we don’t meet a virtuous friend, we don’t meet the
Dharma.
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche