There is something magical about the practice of Guru Yoga.  For those who do not know the history of this practice, it was taught by the great master Padmasambhava directly to his consort-heart student Yeshe Tsogyal just before he went to the land of the Copper-Colored Mountain, and left her behind in Tibet overwhelmed by grief and longing.

Following Yeshe Tsogyal’s example, we train in the Lama as an indivisible expression of Padmasambhava in order to receive his blessings, train in unfaltering faith and devotion, and train in one-pointedness that is an expression of profound shamatha, imbibed with glimpses of the uncontrived view.

Padmakara did an exquisite translation of Yeshe Tsogyal’s biography:

http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Lotus-Born-Enlightenment-Yeshe-Tsogyal/dp/1570625441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276573664&sr=8-1

Guru Yoga is taught as part of the ngondro, but we are instructed to take up this practice daily for as long as we live.  In other words, it is the only of the series of 100,000 that we never complete.  Anyen Rinpoche emphasizes Guru Yoga as a daily practice, as do many other Nyingma masters.  Once, Gyatrul Rinpoche offered me this advice: If you are not taking up Guru Yoga on a daily basis, you are not engaging in an authentic practice of the Secret Mantrayana path.  I believe, through experience, that this is fundamentally true.

Indeed Guru Yoga is so effective, so magical, that if you do it on a daily basis you can feel the difference when you skip even one day.  There is a tangible lack of spiritual connection, a difficulty in touching one’s faith or generating bodhichitta.   For that reason, it has always been my favorite practice for many years now; a good one to focus on at any and every time, and helps us to face any obstacle or difficulty.  What a joy to practice!

We are so looking forward to the nyungne retreat and look forward to seeing you there!

Allison