To get success, all is up to us

 In order to perfect our wisdom and knowledge, we have to follow highly accomplished teachers, because if we learn from someone who is equal with us in terms of wisdom and knowledge, then we may not progress, or our spiritual qualities may even decrease. However, the degree to which we progress is not entirely up to our Gurus. Our progress also depends on how much we ourselves contribute towards our spiritual journey. We should be aware of the difficulties and hurdles we face in this unforgiving world. It may not turn out how we plan, but our journey shapes up once we embark on this one way trip. There are misconceptions among many believers that Gurus will make things right for us, so we should just relax and do things in our own time. This attitude I consider to be one of the biggest obstacles in our spiritual journey. Gurus do not need us to practice nor do they need our support. We are the ones who should be active in our practice, because we are the ones who have to cross the ocean of pain - not the Gurus. We may see many individuals who change Gurus and practices like a fashion show, but what we really need to change is our bad habits and egoism. If we fail to accept this change, then looking for better days ahead is like children planning to live in a sand castle. To sum up, we must follow Gurus who are compassionate and qualified, and as students we should practice diligently, passionately, and with total trust in our belief. Hong Kong.3/5/13