4 Reasons for Seeking a Good Knowing Adviser

​One of the first lessons that I learned from my late teacher, Great Master Xuan Hua, was to constantly look and draw near Good Knowing Advisers (GKA).
​
After practicing Mahayana for 20 years, I am beginning to understand its importance. 

---

I can think of four reasons why it is advantageous to study under a GKA:
​

1. Superior GKAs teach superior transcendental methods of practice that ordinary people do not know. They do not hold back and will teach you how quickly certify to the fruitions. Therefore drawing near great GKAs wills save us time and energy.
2. GKAs point out things about yourself that you cannot see. We ordinary people are like standing on the mountain and cannot see it. In particular, great GKAs help us discover our flaws instead of praising our strengths.
3. GKAs secretly provide protection and guidance. Just like secular society needs the police and armed forces to keep all of us safe, GKAs quietly help us in more ways that we can possibly fathom. This is what they do and therefore we should have faith that they all have our best interests at heart.
4. GKAs pave the way for you to continue making progress. They have a roadmap because they have already went through it. Therefore they all pave the way for our continued progress. 

If you do not already have a GKA, you should pray to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for guidance so that they can direct you to one. When you have enough blessings, you will.