A teaching on the Vajra Master

Photograph of Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche (sKyabs rJe kun bZang rDo rJe / སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཀུན་བཟང་རྡོ་རཉཇེ་) the Tsawa’i Lama of Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen.

The following commentary is from a teaching on the Vajra Master given at Drala Jong in 2023. Ngak’chang Rinpoche said:

“In answer to your question, there are many people teaching Himalayan Vajrayana at this point in time (February 2023) and some are certainly genuine teachers who have studied thoroughly, practised diligently, and undertaken retreats. They teach in the lineages within which they have taken commitments without adulteration or self-serving popularism. They have had excellent relationships with their Lamas — and thus their realistically inspired devotion to their Lamas, is palpable.

These are the people with whom one should study, take refuge, and enter into Tantric samayas (dam tshig / དམ་ཚིག་)

Then there are others who have many qualifications — apart from devotion to their Lamas and lineage.

Lack of devotion is concomitant with lack of vajra commitment — and cancels all other qualifications. Lack of devotion makes all other qualifications meaningless.

To lack devotion for one’s Lama is disqualifies anyone who purports to teach Vajrayana. So one must ask ‘Does this teacher speak with obvious love and respect for their Lama? Do they mention their Lama at all? Do they merely mention their Lama to glorify themselves?

We shall not allude to individuals, as we have no desire to judge others — but YOU must judge for YOURSELF.

Read texts which relate to the vajra master.

Read books which relate to to the vajra master.

The most accessible material is the books of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Kyabjé Dung-sré Thrin-lé Norbu Rinpoche. Having read such material — draw your own conclusions.

Those who wish to change the fundamental characteristics of Vajrayana, have no respect for Vajrayana or for their Lamas.“