Khenpo Sodargye
Actually, the habit of praying to the Guru is very important. If you can pray to the Guru frequently, at a certain point, many experiential states will arise, whichever deity you practice will not have any problems. If you do not open this door (to blessings), then no matter what other practice you do, it is not so easy. This is the pith instruction given by all the Vidyadhara Gurus. HH Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche also gave many teachings related to this point on many occasions.
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I have always considered HH Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche as Manjushri in person. I have followed him as if he was exactly and actually Manjushri himself. I viewed every word he said and his every act with pure vision. When praying or practicing Guru Yoga, I regarded the Guru as Manjushri himself. Due to this, even a person as laden with heavy karma as me has received the actual blessings, wisdom, and uncommon loving kindness and compassion of Manjushri.
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Interesting anecdote of Khenpo Sodargye
During a Dzogchen teaching given in the very early days to about a hundred disciples, Khenpo Sodargye said, “Since young, I have been given many titles of being such-and-such a Tulku and so forth, but I have never been attached to it or bothered much. Later, through following HH Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, I attained realisation. In 1987, when I followed HH Jigme Phuntsok to Mount Wutai to pay respects to Manjushri Bodhisattva, HH revealed the terma of Manjushri Dzogchen at Mount Wutai. Later when HH gave teachings (on it) at Serthar Buddhist Institute, I attained realisation a second time. Therefore, not to mention all of you, even many great Khenpos and great Tulkus in the Buddhist Institute cannot be compared to me. Teaching Dzogchen to you is not something an ordinary person can do.”
(Note: Khenpo Sodargye is the emanation of Dorje Dechen Lingpa. This is one of the extremely rare occasions when Khenpo proclaimed his own qualities. It was necessary for Khenpo to affirm the qualities of the Dzogchen teacher as faith in the teacher is very important for progress on the path.)
