"The source for the Tibetan word ‘lama’ seems to be the Sanskrit word 'guru'.   There are many different explanations we can give of the word ‘guru’, one that we often say is 'heaviness'. Heavy normally means, a heavy thing/object, here it means someone who is 'heavy' with great qualities. That is what guru should mean.… Continue reading THE ‘HEAVY’ GURU FULL OF WEIGHTY QUALITIES: Meaning of the word ‘guru’ and introduction to the editions, translations and commentaries on the crucial Vajrayāna text on how to correctly follow a guru, ‘Fifty Verses of the Guru’ (17th Karmapa, Day 1)