Kalu Rinpoche on “the essence of the lama”

This quote is from one of the final teachings by Kalu Rinpoche, who was one of the first teachers of Hannah and Lama Ole Nydahl.

Kalu Rinpoche, one of Hannah and Lama Ole Nydahl's first teachers

“What we call the Buddha, or the lama, is not material in the same way as iron, crystal, gold or silver are. You should never think of them with this sort of materialistic attitude. The essence of the Lama or Buddha is emptiness; their nature, clarity; their appearance, the play of unimpeded awareness. Apart from that, they have no real, material form, shape or color whatsoever-like the empty luminosity of space. When we know them to be like that, we can develop faith, merge our minds with theirs, and let our minds rest peacefully. This attitude and practice are most important.”

– Kalu Rinpoche (1905-1989)

From “Dzogchen Essentials: The Path That Clarifies Confusion” Marcia Schmidt (Rangjung Yeshe, 2004)

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One Response to “Kalu Rinpoche on “the essence of the lama””

  1. Mary Anne Fields says:

    Great quote. Thanks for the inspiration.

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