Buddhist teachings urge us to see our master as the embodiment of the Buddha himself. It is only if we can regard our teacher as perfect that we can be truly open to their wisdom. In The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche speaks of a spiritual transferring of knowledge and understanding that can occur between teacher and student under these circumstances. In our super-critical culture, where we pick every bit of knowledge and authority apart, it may seem foolish to be so adoring and unquestioning of our mentors. But thinking about it, I realize that often I am so hardened by skepticism that I don’t learn anything at all.
And maybe this attitude can be extended to other relationships in our lives. We are so quick to find fault in our friends, family and lovers. And these are the people we really should adore! When did you last feel unbridled adoration for someone? Or is it always tinged with some grain of salt, something holding you back? It is through recognition of that Buddha nature within our loved ones that we can perhaps reach a new level of human interaction and give and receive perfect love.
