Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

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Stephen18
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Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Stephen18 »

I am posting this thread in order to learn more about the greatest teachers in the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions and their teachings. Who are the most reputable? Who do you think are the greatest or the best? Not necessarily monks or nuns but you can also list great lay teachers along with monks or nuns. They should be currently alive, though. You can post your Top 10 for example, or less or more -- it doesn't matter too much. It would be very interesting for all of us, I'm sure, to know which teachers to follow. We can investigate further after reading your suggestions. We can then start reading some of their books or listen to their talks.
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DNS
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by DNS »

14th Dalai Lama
Thich Nhat Hanh
Pema Chodron
Mirror
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Mirror »

Garchen Rinpoche
Memento mori
Remember that you die
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Ayu
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Ayu »

:thinking: I would never devide good teachers and decent rinpoches into 'better and best".
Therefore I just like to introduce three very important persons for me:


In Germany, Gelug tradition:
- Alexander Berzin (Berlin), who runs the fabulous berzinarchives https://www.studybuddhism.com

- Dagyab Kyabgön Rinpoche, who teaches in the tibet-haus in Frankfurt/M. https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loden_Sherab_Dagyab

- Khen Rinpoche Geshe Pema Samten http://www.pema-samten.de
who lives in Hamburg, teaches in several German cities and takes care of two monasteries and a school in Tibet. https://www.tashi-dargye.de
Nicholas Weeks
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Stephen18 wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:32 pm I am posting this thread in order to learn more about the greatest teachers in the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions and their teachings. Who are the most reputable? Who do you think are the greatest or the best? Not necessarily monks or nuns but you can also list great lay teachers along with monks or nuns. They should be currently alive, though. You can post your Top 10 for example, or less or more -- it doesn't matter too much. It would be very interesting for all of us, I'm sure, to know which teachers to follow. We can investigate further after reading your suggestions. We can then start reading some of their books or listen to their talks.
We ordinary folk do not need the very best Gurus - too greedy. As long as there is a karmic affinity and we checked them out over time & found they have at least 3 or so of the ten qualities that Maitreya mentions, then we will be helped by them.

More practical would be a list of pseudo-gurus, but only those that we personally know are bad, not based on rumors about them.
May all seek, find & follow the Path of Buddhas.
Schrödinger’s Yidam
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

I like HH Karmapa (O.T.) and Situ R., however I have not had enough contact with either to be able to speak from personal experience.

I haven’t had contact with HHDL either, but he has proven himself over and over again.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
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Sādhaka
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Sādhaka »

DNS wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:57 pm 14th Dalai Lama
Mirror wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2019 6:41 pm Garchen Rinpoche

And the Yongdzin Rinpoche, Lopon Tenzin Namdak.
dude
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by dude »

Reach out and see what you find.
Finding a teacher is just as much a matter of your teacher finding you.
It's not just in this lifetime.
Simon E.
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Simon E. »

The greatest teacher alive is one that is part of a bona fide lineage and with whom you have a karmic connection.
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to me.
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Tsongkhapafan
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Tsongkhapafan »

Simon E. wrote: Mon Jul 22, 2019 7:33 am The greatest teacher alive is one that is part of a bona fide lineage and with whom you have a karmic connection.
I totally agree. Each and everyone one of us has different karma and different dispositions and therefore the greatest teacher is the one who helps us along the spiritual path in the manner best suited to us. There is no objectively 'great' Buddhist Teacher. Even at the time of Buddha Shakyamuni there were many who found fault with him and saw him as a limited being. Even a living Buddha wasn't good enough for them.
AlexanderS
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by AlexanderS »

I don't know who the greatest are. Like someone the greatest is your authentic root guru who can actually directly guide you on the path.

Personally I think Erik Pema Kunsang is both an inspirational teacher and practioner. As far as western teachers go, he's the one I hold in the highest regard.

Chökyi Nyima, Chockling, Tsoknyi and Phachock Rinpoche are also teacher I consider of the highest caliber. As far as females, it's probably Khandro Rinpoche, but I havn't met that many females.
tatpurusa
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by tatpurusa »

You in the future.
If distant or near depends on the circumstances.
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Josef
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Josef »

Stephen18 wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:32 pm I am posting this thread in order to learn more about the greatest teachers in the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions and their teachings. Who are the most reputable? Who do you think are the greatest or the best? Not necessarily monks or nuns but you can also list great lay teachers along with monks or nuns. They should be currently alive, though. You can post your Top 10 for example, or less or more -- it doesn't matter too much. It would be very interesting for all of us, I'm sure, to know which teachers to follow. We can investigate further after reading your suggestions. We can then start reading some of their books or listen to their talks.
Dodrupchen
"All phenomena of samsara depend on the mind, so when the essence of mind is purified, samsara is purified. Since the phenomena of nirvana depend on the pristine consciousness of vidyā, because one remains in the immediacy of vidyā, buddhahood arises on its own. All critical points are summarized with those two." - Longchenpa
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KeithA
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by KeithA »

Shunryu Suzuki reportedly remarked:
There are, strictly speaking, no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity.
:thumbsup:
When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking,
being silent, moving, being still.
At all times, in all places, without interruption - what is this?
One mind is infinite kalpas.

New Haven Zen Center
Simon E.
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Simon E. »

KeithA wrote: Tue Jul 23, 2019 1:11 am Shunryu Suzuki reportedly remarked:
There are, strictly speaking, no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity.
:thumbsup:

Which clearly is meaningful in a Zen context judging from the frequency with which it is quoted..and that is fair enough.
But from a Vajrayana perspective it poses more questions than it answers.

Just sayin’.
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to me.
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Matt J
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Re: Greatest Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers alive

Post by Matt J »

As others have said, I think there is no such thing as the best teacher, only the best teacher for you at a given time. In that light, the living teachers I currently find to be the most helpful are:

Mingyur Rinpoche
tergar.org

Tsoknyi Rinpoche
tsoknyirinpoche.org

Both of these teachers have good reputations and are both sons of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. In addition, they have online programs and actively reach out to teach busy Westerners.
"The world is made of stories, not atoms."
--- Muriel Rukeyser
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