Q: In your point of view, what makes one to be a good practitioner?
A: The good practitioner is someone who does not believe in perfection. That’s the first step of genuine, walking towards the genuine path. If you want to make everything perfect, then you should be a fashion designer. If you want to be a good spiritual practitioner, abandon the idea to make everything perfect, then your mind is more free. So that’s number one step.
Number two, is that regardless of any sort of a Tantrayana empowerment that a person might have received like such as empowerment and teachings and Mahamudra and Dzogpachenpo … or whatever Dzogchen practice, whatever the practice from the different tradition may be and yet themselves, simplifying their practice, you understand? Like they receive so many practice, so many empowerments, so many teachings, but when it comes to their own core practice, their practice is very simple, one deity, because they understood the meaning of the practice, having a some sort of content.
Third, is somebody who also have the awareness of the body and the mind along with it, like such as practice of the Yoga and the Illusion Yoga, Dream Yoga, Phowa Yoga, Clear Light Yoga, all this practice, such as from the Niguma Yoga and having some sort of understanding. And yet, when he or she meets people, does not see himself as a special being, does not see himself or herself as a super spiritual practitioner being and he or she sees himself as an ordinary being. And there is no idea of “Oh, I have to be humble, I’ve to look great in front of people, I have to look simple, I have to look humble”. None of that because all these are scams, jokes. So none of this pretentious, simply genuine. You know?
So and then, the other point is that, you may have, there’s also a saying that your realization may have, may be the size of the space, but always be sociable. You understand? Always be relatable, sociable. You may have the qualities of your mind as the size of the space, but when it comes to socializing with people, be mindful, be humble, be genuine, be honest. Be less pretentious, and less grasping into any sort of titles, I think that’s important.
Kalu Rinpoche
FB Livestream – 9 January 2022 (24’40”)
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