所謂的法，就是調整自己、讓心轉為善的方法。那誰能幫助我們達到這個目的呢？就是上師，我們要找一位具傳承、具德、擁有無謬口訣的上師。但上師分很多種──

一種是實修的上師，那就是真正的依止處；

一種是知識的老師，也值得在學問上跟隨他多聞思；

另一種是顯相的上師。所謂上師，未必是人類，逆境挫折都可能是我們的上師，連四季的變化都是我們的上師，深刻觀察並思維，會發現四季正以連續性的轉變，教導我們活生生、熱騰騰的「無常的口訣」。佛法不只是你聽聞來的，眼睛看到的，心裡所感受到的，無一不是佛法。

But in order to transform our minds through dharma practice we needed to receive the pith instructions, and we needed to receive them from a genuine lama. This was someone who had realized the Dharma in their lives, someone who was a genuine refuge. There were also people at a lower level of realization with whom it was possible to study. It was said that anything that appears can be a lama – and His Holiness illustrated how the seasons could be our teacher. On a superficial level, winter meant cold weather and warm clothes, but it was also a paradigm for impermanence. If we used our eyes, there was a lot to be learned about the Dharma in life itself.