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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 45

A row of Medicine Buddhas in the main temple of Land of The Wish Fulfilling Temple containing many memorials to
Medicine Buddha. deceased friends, relatives, etc.

The stupa with nice rainbow Replica of an almost completed Huge prayer wheel with millions Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, famous
around the top. Bodh Gaya stupa. Art work by of various mantras and sutras or going to hell realms to rescue
resident master craftsman Geleg. in it. sentient beings there.

Who do you consider your first teacher in Not all Buddhist traditions place that much
Buddhism? What inspired you the most in this emphasis on the guru or spiritual teacher as
teacher? Tibetan Buddhism. What could have led to this
deep emphasis on the guru in Tibetan Buddhism

Dieter Kratzer was my first teacher in Buddhism. I owe compared to other traditions?
everything to him. During one of his talks, quite early
on, he talked about not drinking alcohol, and from that I know very little about other Buddhist traditions. But
moment onwards I gave up drinking. I wasn’t much of I think it is true. And I believe this is mainly because
a drinker anyway, to be honest, but it was still quite of the Vajrayāna teachings of the Buddha that spread
something. Then one day he talked about compassion. so widely in Tibet. Even in the Mahāyāna tradition
Compassion means seeing the suffering of others and in general we are advised to search for a person
wanting them to be free of their suffering. Somehow the who is fully qualified to guide us along the path to
way Dieter spoke of compassion was very good, very enlightenment, and having made the guru-disciple
moving, and since then I have never turned away from connection, to relate to that guru as a fully enlightened
this path. Everything good that has happened to me in being---a Buddha. There are many reasons for this.
this life came from that. Amazing, really. Principally it is because in so doing a powerful potential
for personal transformation is created. In short: if you