At the Vajrayana level the teacher becomes important. Up until the Vajrayana level we may read ourselves up on wisdom in books. At the Vajrayana level it’s important however to get and have a connection to a teacher who may show us the direct and fast way, the Diamondway or the Vajrayana way to enlightenment. We know about the nature of suffering being taught to us at the Hinayana level and we know about the wisdoms important to cultivate at the Mahayana level. And at the Vajrayana level we are taking a speedboat with a lot of other human beings towards enlightenment. The speed is vast and the realizations of the teachings appear direct through the teacher´s wisdom being conveyed. A kind of safety net is needed because of the speed, and therefore the teacher is there to guide, protect and share the necessary wisdom to travel through calm and rough seas.
karina mckenzie 