Caveat Emptor

some lamas are great but not good
some lamas are good but not great
some lamas do very many bad things
some are blameless but practically impotent
some have big egos and big bank accounts
some have small egos and are almost invisible
some have fame and no attitude
some have attitude but no fame
some are really worth the trouble to know,
but cause almost as much trouble as they're worth
some are as good as gold so they are always in hiding
some are like silver, bronze, or even platinum
they are snatched up by groupies, businessmen and sponsors
used up for the benefit of inner retinues
only a few ever have universal benefit like Shakyamuni
the rest are subject to conflicting PR campaigns
some dabble in dark arts and political extremism
some are racist in private and smiling in public
some hate women, children and animals
some really are bodhisattvas in spite of worldliness
some are bodhisattvas in spite of their terrible addictions
but still, they are addicts
of power sex money fame
prisoners of ego
pawns of sponsoring magnates
pussywhipped unless they whip hard enough back
to be free of samsara who needs to drive
with a driver whose vehicle needs gas every ten miles
who can't bear to do the job without constant entertainment
who only says yes to brown-nosing sycophants
the best lama is the one two valleys away
that way you can't speculate on how much their shit stinks
some are like stately trees with vast trunks
supporting the fruit of a thousand siddhas
you can live in their shade and the shade of their descendants
you don't have to chop the tree or steal fruit
there's enough to go around