A special Dharma talk by Siddhartha’s Intent instructor Chris Jay on the practice of scolding in the Vajrayāna context. Drawing on Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s Words of a Young Sage and a self-admonition prayer from the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro, Chris explored what separates a sharp word that energizes practice from one that produces only guilt—and shared personal stories of scoldings received from his own teachers, including Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.

A central thread of the talk was the distinction between the guru’s scolding as a skillful tool for cutting through ego and spiritual materialism, and the very different dynamic of practitioners scolding one another within the sangha. Chris also addressed how to relate wisely to feelings of being overlooked or left out by one’s teacher—pointing toward Guru Yoga and a cheerful, confident attitude as the appropriate response. The session closed with a wide-ranging Q&A touching on trauma, self-criticism, and the essential role of humor in practice.

Organised by Khyentse Vision Project.