■上師相應法：密勒日巴「如命的修持」
金剛乘的精髓就是「上師相應法」。
皈依、發心和上師相應法，可說是三乘佛法的精華：
「皈依」修持的核心，是出離輪迴苦；
「發菩提心」的修持，是為利眾生而誓證佛果；而
「上師相應法」，則是可以幫助行者快速證得佛果。
上師相應法是金剛乘的根本修持，不管是做生起次第或圓滿次第，都要配合上師相應法做修持。
以密勒日巴大師這個藏傳最有名的「即身成就佛果」的例子來說，我們會問：「尊者這樣一生成就佛果，是做了什麼修持呢？」
尊者自己這麼說：「我把上師相應法當作是如命的修持，那洛六法是輔助的修持。」所以尊者一生主要做這三種修持：
一， 上師相應法；
二， 那洛六法；
三， 心性修持。
既然上師相應法這麼重要，首先要認識什麼是「上師」？
真正究竟的上師不在外界，指的就是我們的自心本性。
上師，藏文叫「喇嘛」，就是「無上」的意思，沒有在這之上了，就是一切修持之中最究竟、最無上的，沒有比這更高了，就是自心本性。
自心的勝義諦，自心的實相本質，就是無上的上師。
所以明就仁波切在《道之甘露》裡說：「勝義我亦圓具師體性」，所以就這主題第一件要知道的事是：
真正的上師不在外，究竟的上師就是自己的自心本性，要在自心中看到勝義諦、看到實相，要在自心上修持。
像這樣的「自心本性的上師」，一切眾生本自具有，但我們卻沒有發覺到，因此要做就是：
去悟到自心的實相。
為了證悟自心實相，就要依靠一些輔助，就是「外在的上師」，我們需要一個對境來幫助我們認出自心本性。能幫助我們認出自心本性的「外在上師」，主要有三種：
一， 佛陀言教的上師：就是佛說的各種法。
二， 顯相表徵的上師：指的是一切現象。
三， 人類的上師。
一，佛陀言教的上師：
我們已經見不到佛陀，只能依止他所說的教法為上師。仁波切昨天給各位作心性指引時，說要去看心的顏色形狀，這些方法在佛陀經典中都是有記載的。這種「問自己問題」的方式是很重要的，如果你不透過這種方式，從自身經驗上去看、去找，所謂空性就只是文字、只是概念，你永遠體會不到空性。
因此做心性教法的任何練習，比如去找心，看它有顏色相狀嗎，這可不是好玩而已，可不是在開玩笑，這對你以後認得自心實相是很重要的。所有可以認證心性的方法，在佛陀所說的經典上都可以看到，所以佛陀的教導本身，就是一位偉大的上師。
二，顯相表徵的上師：
這是什麼意思？就是把顯相當作了悟自心的助緣，顯相就是一種表徵的上師。就好像我們修止禪時，就要依靠各種所緣境來安住自己的心。所有色聲香味觸法，所有天空大海，一切萬象、一切顯相都是表徵的上師，幫助我們認出實相。所以教典說：「一切萬象，顯為上師」。
三，人類的上師：
就是那個「指引你心性的人」，告訴你心的真相是什麼的人，就是你人類的上師。
三種上師之中，人類上師最重要，原因是前兩者都是幫助你認出心性的工具，而能實際、直接幫助你認出心性的，是人類的上師。對心性教法來說，沒有人引導的話，除非是遇到千載難逢的巧合，要不然想認出心性是很難的，幾乎不可能，所以要依靠人類的上師。
（2018年明就仁波切「泰國八日禪」第六日9月14日堪布貢噶開示摘要）
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■ Milarepa: Guru yoga is the practice of my life
The essence of Vajrayana is "guru yoga".
Refuge, bodhicitta and guru yoga are considered the essence of the three yanas.
The core practice for refuge is the renunciation of samsara, and we practice bodhicitta with the motivation to attain buddhahood in order to benefit all sentient beings. Yet, it is the practice of guru yoga which enables the practitioner to swiftly attain the fruition of buddhahood.
As such, guru yoga is the essential practice of Vajrayana. Whether you are practicing the developmental stage or the completion stage, you need to practice it together with guru yoga.
Let's take Milerepa as an example. In Tibetan Buddhism, Milarepa is regarded as the most famous yogi who achieved enlightenment in one lifetime. We might ask "What did Milarepa do in order to attain the fruition of buddhahood?"
Actually, Milarepa has said, “The practice of guru yoga is the practice of my life, and the Six Yogas of Naropa is the complementary practice.” So the three main practices that Milarepa did throughout his whole life are:
1 Guru yoga
2 Six Yogas of Naropa
3 Nature of mind
Since guru yoga is paramount, therefore we must first understand the meaning of “guru”:
The ultimate guru does not exist in the external world.
In fact, the ultimate guru is our nature of mind.
In Tibetan language, the word for guru is "lama", meaning the "supreme" that cannot be surpassed.
Along with this meaning, the most ultimate, the most supreme practice is the nature of mind practice.
No other practice is more profound. The absolute reality and the nature of the mind is our supreme guru.
In the Nectar of the Path liturgy, Mingyur Rinpoche said "The ultimate refuge is perfectly complete within me." Therefore the first thing we must bear in mind is the true guru does not exist in the external world. The ultimate guru is our nature of mind, and in order to see the absolute reality and the nature of mind, we need to do the nature of mind practice.
The nature of mind that is our supreme guru is inherent in all sentient beings, yet it remains obscured from us. In order to be able to recognize our ultimate guru, that is our nature of mind, we must practice. As such, we need help from an "external guru" who can support us in recognising our nature of mind.
There are three kinds of guru who can provide such help for us:
1 Buddhadharma, which represents all the teachings of Buddha;
2 Phenomena, meaning all manifestations, and
3 Human guru
1 Buddhadharma as guru. As we can no longer see the Buddha, we can only rely upon his teachings as the guru. Yesterday when Rinpoche gave you the pointing-out teachings for the nature of mind, he asked you to look at the mind, and try to find the shape and colour of the mind. Such methods are documented in the Buddhist sutras. Practicing the analytical method through asking yourself questions is very important. If you don't go through these steps to try and find your mind through personal experience, emptiness will always remain a word or a concept which you can never comprehend.
Any nature of mind practice, such as to look for the mind, to see whether it has shape and colour...etc, is not a game for fun. Nor is it a joke. In fact, this practice is imperative for you to be able to recognize your nature of mind. Since all the nature of mind practices can be found in the sutras, that is why we say Buddhadharma is the great guru.
2 Phenomena as guru. Seeing phenomena as guru means we use all kinds of manifestations as support for us to recognize the nature of mind. Phenomena is the symbolic guru. For example, when we practice shamatha meditation, we need to rely on different objects which our mind can rest upon. All the form, sound, smell, taste, touch, idea; the sky and oceans, all the phenomena and manifestations are the symbolic guru which helps us to recognize the absolute nature of reality. Therefore in the sutras, it says "The guru appears as all phenomena."
3 Human guru. This is the guru in human form who "points out your nature of mind" and introduces to you the absolute reality. Of all the three gurus, the human guru is the most important. While the previous two gurus are tools that can help you, it is the human guru who can provide the practical and direct guidance which lead you to recognize your nature of mind.
According to the nature of mind teachings, if you do not have a human guru to guide you, then unless there is an extremely rare coincidence that may happen once in a billion years, it is nearly impossible for you to recognize the nature of mind by yourself.
Therefore, it is the human guru on whom we must rely.
(Excerpt from Khenpo kunga's teachings on 14 Sep 2018 during Day 6 of Tergar Asia 8-Day Retreat)
https://www.facebook.com/TergarAsia/posts/649775198751279?__tn__=K-R
