[The Key that Unlocks the Door to the Noble Path (Lam bzang sgo ...

High peace, with exceeding qualities and effort, who's rich
In scripture, with a deep realization of suchness, a master instructor
Who's the very image of love, and beyond becoming
discouraged.[46]
BLA MA'I MTSAN NYID DE DAG NI SLOB MAS KYANG SHES PAR BYAS TE
DE DANG LDAN PA'I BLA MA BTZAL DGOS, BLA MA YON TAN CHE
CHUNG SOGS JI 'DRA ZHIG YOD KYANG SLOB MA YANG SKAL BA
BZANG ZHAN DE DANG MTHUN PA ZHIG YONG STE, BLA MA MDO
SNGAGS KYI LAM YONGS RDZOGS LA 'KHRID THUB PA ZHIG BSTEN NA
SLOB MA DE YANG LAM YONGS RDZOGS THOS PA DANG , GO BA
CHAGS PA'I SKAL LDAN ZHIG 'BYUNG , LAM YONGS RDZOGS LA GO BA
TZAM CHAGS NA'ANG YON TAN GZHAN DANG GZHAN YOD PA LAS
BSOD NAMS CHE,
The prospective disciple on his part should familiarize himself with these
descriptions of a proper lama's qualifications, and then seek out a lama who
possesses them. Whether the disciple himself turns out to be more or less blessed
with virtues depends on the degree to which his lama possesses high personal
qualities. If the disciple enjoys a relationship with a lama who is capable of
guiding him through the entire range of the open and secret paths, then the
disciple will come to be one blessed, in the sense of having heard about and
gained some understanding of the paths in their entirety. Even just gaining this
general idea of the overall paths represents greater merit that any other good
qualities that the student might possess.
DE LTA BU'I BLA MA RNYED NAS TSUL BZHIN DU BSTEN DGOS, DE LA
SANGS RGYAS KYI GO 'PHANG LA NYE BA SOGS BSTEN PA'I PHAN YON
BRGYAD DANG , DE LAS LDOG PA MA BSTEN PA'I NYES DMIGS BRGYAD
YOD,
Once the disciple does manage to locate a lama with the qualities described
above, he must rely on him in the proper way. Here there are eight great benefits
a person can gain through proper behavior towards his teacher, beginning with
being "close to Buddhahood."[47] There are also eight different dangers of
improper behavior towards one's lama—these are the opposites of the benefits
just mentioned.
RJE TZONG KHA PA CHEN POS KYANG ,
,DE NAS 'DI PHYI'I LEGS TSOGS JI SNYED PA'I,