The inner refuge in Lama as a peculiarity of Vajrayana

The Teacher (or Lama) - is an important peculiarity of the Diamond Way of Buddhism. Lama is also called here as «the inner Refuge». Lama in Vajrayana is the key to the deep teachings. Being the part of an uninterrupted line of a continuity of knowledges and a spiritual experience, which goes directly from a historical Buddha Sakyamuni up to now, he is an alive connection with the Enlightenment, transmitting the experience of comprehension and blessing for practice. In the Diamond Way Lama is considered to be not only the one showing the way, but he is seen as Buddha himself. A secret of a fast development in the Diamond Way is a «direct transmission» - an immediate introduction to the nature of mind, the awakening of Buddha’s nature with the help of a method of the identification with the Teacher. The Teacher is the mirrow in which the pupil is looking to see his possibilities. The pupil discovers the qualities in himself through the identification with perfect qualities of the Diamond Way Teacher. The necessity of an exact transmission of the Great Seal experience and practice on Yidams and the nesessity to protect pupils' development explains Lama's responsibility and the utmost importance of his role. Lama presents the whole Refuge and opens the closest access for human beings to their Buddha's nature.