00:00:00 Preliminary prayers by students.

00:15:25 As realizations of the three principal aspects of the path are dependent on the root, the realization of the guru devotion, the guru yoga, Rinpoche will teach on Calling the Guru from Afar before going over the commentary to the Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga.

00:28:48 Rinpoche mentions how important it is to correctly devote oneself to the guru and refers to the eight advantages of correctly devoting to the virtuous friend and eight shortcomings of having made mistakes in the relationship with the virtuous friend outlined in the Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand.

00:34:40 Rinpoche teaches on the preciousness of perfect human rebirth. When people face unbearable problems, they may wish to be animals like dogs or butterflies, thinking those lives are free of suffering. But if their body actually started transforming into an animal, they would panic, unable to handle the loss of human abilities like communication and freedom.

00:51:29 Rinpoche tells about his first teachers in Solu Khumbu.

01:06:48 Rinpoche tells about his experiences in Buxa and how he met Lama Yeshe. The Lam Rim Chenmo says that the definition of a disciple is the one who is devoting to the guru and the definition of a guru is the object to whom one is devoting. Rinpoche adds that according to Choden Rinpoche, from the teacher’s side there also has to be the recognition that this is a disciple.

01:08:20 Rinpoche tells about His Holiness Serkong Dorje Chang.

01:16:26 Dedications prayers.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

00:00:36 Rinpoche emphasizes the urgent need to receive funding to complete the Maitreya Project statue and benefit sentient beings.

00:02:24 Rinpoche discusses the importance of supporting Sangha in various monasteries around the world by providing facilities, education, and food.

00:03:19 Building holy objects in different parts of the world is as an easy way to help sentient beings purify negative karma, collect merit, and achieve realizations on the path to enlightenment.

00:04:04 Rinpoche expresses the wish to establish more beneficial hospitals and social services for the elderly, similar to successful projects already underway in Australia.

00:07:01 The importance of Universal Education is discussed, especially in countries with a lot of violence. Rinpoche praises an existing project in India that has been very beneficial in developing students' minds.

00:10:38 Urgent social service needs in Mongolia are highlighted, such as providing food and shelter for the homeless. Establishing good monastic education with qualified teachers is also a priority to help revive Buddhism in Mongolia.

00:15:37 In conclusion, Rinpoche emphasizes that the real aim is to bring temporary and ultimate happiness to all sentient beings. He encourages everyone to pray and dedicate their practice for the success of these vast projects to illuminate the minds of all beings.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

00:00:54 Lama Zopa Rinpoche introduces Calling the Guru from Afar, a profound text by Phabongka Rinpoche that contains lamrim and tantric path.

00:02:53 Without a guru, one cannot achieve realizations and enlightenment, even if one knows many texts by heart. Devotion to the guru is the cause of receiving blessings and attaining realizations.

00:11:51 When devotion is lost, it becomes difficult to benefit the mind and have realizations, even from hearing Lamrim teachings. Devotion needs to be stable and established by reasoning.

00:19:09 The objective of one's life is not just happiness for oneself, but to achieve enlightenment in order to enlighten all sentient beings. This is the greatest profit and success.

00:27:46 Lama Zopa explains the yoga of eating - making offerings with each bite of food and meditating that oneself and the food are empty. This becomes a means of collecting extensive merit.

00:40:57 In reality, despite the diversity of phenomena, everything is empty. Things function while being empty. Our basic meditation should be on emptiness.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

00:01:57 It is extremely important to practice Guru Yoga, which involves developing compassion, power, and wisdom. This enables one to do perfect work for all sentient beings.

00:27:23 By doing Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga practice, one establishes the root of all goodness and collections of merit in this and future lives up to enlightenment. It makes one's listening, reflecting and meditation practice very effective.

00:48:45 The Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga practice helps one retreat from negative actions of body, speech, and mind. Keeping the mind in renunciation, bodhicitta, and right view also helps retreat from negativities.

01:05:05 In Tantra, one practices the path that harmonizes with the four purified results - purified place, body, enjoyments, and deeds. By visualizing these now, one collects unimaginable merit and quickly progresses on the path.

01:28:28 In Tantra, one's mind simultaneously focuses on the deity's holy body (method) while understanding its emptiness (wisdom). This unified practice of method and wisdom is extremely powerful for quickly achieving enlightenment.

01:42:33 The four classes of Tantra - Kriya, Charya, Yoga and Anuttarayoga, were taught by the Buddha to utilize attachment in the path to enlightenment according to the practitioner's capacity. The highest class, Anuttarayoga, enables achieving enlightenment most quickly.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

00:00:00 Rinpoche leads the motivation and protector prayers.

00:26:00 Rinpoche gives a commentary on a quote from Lama Tsongkhapa about giving up the essenceless activities, like casting the husk, and practicing Dharma.

00:51:00 Rinpoche explains the meaning dag nyen - all sentient beings being one's kin.

00:57:35 From beginningless rebirths, every sentient being has cherished us more than themselves, especially when being our mother, suffering numberless times for our well-being, happiness, and even our education, creating so much negative karma due to not having Dharma wisdom. Even those who abuse us in this life have done this numberless times, and they continuously suffer in the lower realms without even one second of freedom from samsaric suffering, so we must generate compassion and loving kindness towards them.

01:36:15 All the Buddhas and bodhisattvas whom I pray to, follow, who inspire me, all the rest of the Mahayana path realizations come from suffering sentient beings.

01:50:50 Rinpoche leads the analytical meditation on taking responsibility to free suffering sentient beings and generating bodhicitta.

01:54:10 Rinpoche explains the importance of Highest Yoga Tantra in achieving enlightenment.

02:19:50 According to Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, integrating Chakrasamvara, Guhyasamaja and Yamantaka makes it possible to achieve enlightenment quicker.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

00:04:23 Lama Zopa Rinpoche thanks the organization and Lama Tsongkhapa Institute for providing the facilities and course.

00:08:46 To achieve enlightenment, we need to engage in both study and retreat. Dromtonpa explained, “While I am listening, I am reflecting. While I am reflecting, I meditate.” Listening, reflecting, and meditating should be practiced without separation.

00:16:15 Without learning and explanation, there is nothing to meditate on, except delusions. The more we practice, the more powerful our actions become to benefit others.

00:22:48 Even with intellectual understanding we can benefit so much, but especially if we have realizations, we are able to offer very deep benefit to others.

00:24:54 The meaning of "transmigratory beings": all those sentient beings who are transmigrating to one of the six realms under the control of karma and delusion.

00:42:43 If it was only up to the compassion and power of the Buddhas, there would not be a single suffering sentient being left. Sentient beings need to make effort from their side to change their karma.

00:59:14 The best way to benefit sentient beings is by learning and practicing Dharma - stopping non-virtuous actions and engaging in virtuous ones. This enables us to give others the ultimate benefit.

01:01:45 Even just by educating others in the Four Noble Truths, we can offer incredible benefit and lead them to ultimate happiness. This is the best solution and our contribution to world peace.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Whenever we see a suffering sentient being we can do this, we can  practice tonglen, by sincerely taking on other sentient beings’  suffering and giving our happiness to them in return. Each time we do  tonglen, we collect more merit than the sky and become closer and closer to enlightenment, and more and more distant from samsara. 

The goal is to experience the suffering of sentient beings so that they  become enlightened, free from samsara. While there is pain, death,  relationship problems, etc., we experience it for all sentient beings,  for them to be free from suffering and achieve enlightenment.

Fame and reputation also do not fulfil the purpose of human life. Despite achieving fame, many individuals experience unhappiness and even resort to suicide. This shows that fame alone does not bring inner peace and happiness. The lack of spiritual practice and inner development can leave our hearts empty and unfulfilled, leading to a sad and empty life.

Even if one possesses extensive knowledge of Buddhist scriptures and commentaries, it is meaningless without a genuine intention to benefit others. Education alone does not bring about inner transformation or positive change. Without practice and a compassionate heart, life remains empty, and the mind remains unchanged or even worse than before.

On the other hand, someone with a good heart, even if they have limited intellectual understanding, can experience peace, happiness, and love for others. With a good heart, all external wealth, power, and education can be used to benefit sentient beings and bring them happiness. Fame and reputation can be used as a means to inspire and encourage others on the path of spiritual practice and benefit.

Blocked by negative karma and defilements, one cannot experience the teachings as they are meant to be understood. Without continuous purification and a genuine connection between the teachings and one's heart, intellectual understanding alone does not lead to experiential transformation.

Dedication is also essential as it safeguards the merits we have accumulated through our practice. It is important to meditate and deeply contemplate while reciting dedications, rather than merely reciting words. We should dedicate the merits to spreading the Dharma throughout the world and within our own hearts.

If the mind is unhappy and depressed, it can lead to physical deterioration and a shorter life. By viewing one's own suffering as representative of the suffering of all sentient beings and voluntarily taking it upon oneself, one can cultivate the mindset of a bodhisattva. The main aim of life is to benefit sentient beings, rather than seeking personal comfort, health, praise, or reputation.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Taking vows, specifically the bodhisattva vow and tantric vows, helps eliminate obstacles and create conducive conditions for spiritual progress. While many people recite prayers and perform various practices, it is crucial to target the root of suffering, which is the delusions and, especially, the self-cherishing thought. All practices should aim to overcome these obstacles in the mind.

We should engage in meditation during prayers to prevent them from becoming mere rituals. Such meditation transforms prayers into a meaningful and transformative practice, preparing the mind for enlightenment and benefiting all sentient beings.

We should also generate gratitude and awe for our precious human life and the incredible opportunities it presents for Dharma practice. The chance to practice the Dharma, particularly the lam-rim teachings, is a great fortune, especially when compared to those who lack access to such teachings and live with ignorance. Even though we may have access to extensive teachings, understanding how to integrate them into a path to enlightenment can be challenging without lam-rim guidance.

Rinpoche provides commentary on "Calling the Guru from Afar," a profound guru yoga text composed by Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo. The practice combines guru yoga, guru devotion, lam-rim, and highest tantra, making it an effective and profound meditation.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche discusses the impermanence of life and the significance of remembering the guru at the time of death. No matter how much one wishes to stay with loved ones or cling to life, there is no choice but to face death. Fear and distress can accompany the moment of death, even for those who may not believe in reincarnation or karma. This fear arises from the intuitive understanding of something terrible happening after death.

In order to break free from samsara, we must learn, meditate, and make progress on the path to liberation. We need to take advantage of this precious human life and the opportunities it offers for spiritual growth. Understanding the guru in our hearts will lead to the realization of the dharmakaya, one of the three kayas (bodies) in Mahayana Buddhism.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the power and benefits of various mantras, their ability to purify negative karma and lead beings towards enlightenment and the power of holy objects like statues and stupas, even without mantras, in bringing positive results to those who interact with them. The merit accumulated through making offerings to arhats equaling the number of sand grains in the Atlantic Ocean for countless eons is immense. However, merely seeing a statue of Buddha or a picture of Buddha can result in even greater merit.

Achieving a human rebirth is incredibly rare and requires the practice of pure morality. Confession and purification are crucial daily practices to protect ourselves from negative karma and maintain pure morality. The practice of confession should be done continuously to ensure a good rebirth and the basis for spiritual realizations.

Rinpoche discusses negative karma's suffering results, including health problems and rebirth in unhappy realms and stresses the importance of accumulating positive karma through virtuous actions, mantras, and blessing the environment and all sentient beings in it, even if they are unaware of the benefits. This way, we can create a virtuous atmosphere and purify negative karma for ourselves and others.

Negative karmas, like killing, can perpetuate endless suffering unless we engage in purification practices and alter our behaviour. Contemplating the frequency of our negative actions in this life and acknowledging their cumulative impact across countless past lives is essential. The transformative power of dedicated practice and adopting moral behavior to prevent further negative actions, not only brings inner peace and happiness but also benefits other sentient beings by averting harm.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Khunu Lama Rinpoche's teachings became widely known, with people seeking blessings from him. His teachings for the monks at Kopan Monastery emphasized the need to tame their minds and the importance of lam-rim teachings in this process.

All teachings in Buddhism are meant to help us actualize wisdom, and the main teaching for this purpose is the Perfection of Wisdom, which is the revelation of the truth. Buddha liberates sentient beings by revealing this truth.

Bodhisattva Chenrezig requested teachings from Buddha Shakyamuni on the Perfection of Wisdom. Reciting the name of Chenrezig, his mantra, or extensively explaining, writing down, or making offerings related to Chenrezig leads sentient beings to attain enlightenment in the future.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains how our feelings and mental states are intimately tied to how we label or interpret situations and objects as positive or negative. These labels are conceptual in nature and influence our emotional responses. Even seemingly external circumstances, such as other people's behaviour, are deeply intertwined with our own interpretations and labels.

When we do not remember or apply the basic philosophy of Buddhism, we may carry resentment in our hearts for a long time, causing immense pain. Such prolonged suffering is a result of our own concepts and negative interpretations. These issues are often connected to societal beliefs, cultural norms, and concepts of what is considered "good" or "bad."

It is important to accept situations and understand that they are a result of karma. By recognizing that we have harmed others in the past, we can come to terms with the harm we receive in the present and develop patience and understanding.

Rinpoche provides commentary on the Four Immeasurables, to cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity towards all sentient beings. He also discusses meditating on emptiness to analyze the concept of "I" and to recognize that the self is merely a mental construct, not an inherently existing entity. The "I" we grasp onto is a hallucination, and by meditating on its non-existence, we can gain insight into the emptiness of all phenomena.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Integrating Lam Rim meditation with deity meditation and mantra recitation can make the practice more powerful. Chanting serves as a form of meditation, giving us time to reflect and meditate on the teachings and carries blessings from enlightened beings and supports the arising of devotion, renunciation, compassion, and bodhicitta.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the three causes of refuge (recognition of suffering and delusion, compassion for sentient beings, and devotion to the Three Jewels) and the distinction between causal and resultant refuge in the path towards enlightenment.

Generating bodhicitta by reciting, "I must achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, therefore I'm going to generate bodhicitta" accumulates far greater merit than making offerings to the Buddhas for eons equal to the number of sand grains in the Pacific Ocean, or even the Atlantic Ocean. The act of generating bodhicitta is so powerful that it surpasses unimaginable offerings in terms of merit.

When making offerings to Guru Chenrezig, visualize the essence of the offering as generating infinite bliss in his holy mind. Offerings we make during our practice are not just visualizations but are real offerings.

Rinpoche guides us through a visualization of Chenrezig, focusing on the deity's form, attributes, and the symbolism of each aspect. Chenrezig's pure body contains countless pure realms of Buddhas within each pore, signifying the power and qualities of the Buddhas.

The commentary continues with the recitation of Chenrezig's mantra and the development of great compassion, where we can engage in practices such as Tonglen (taking and giving) to alleviate the suffering of sentient beings and purify our own negativities.

We can make requests to Chenrezig using a prayer that includes various requests and aspirations. These requests encompass a wide range of situations and challenges that we may encounter in our lives. We seek Chenrezig's guidance and blessings to overcome them.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Sentient beings have never experienced even a moment of true happiness in samsara because even samsaric pleasures are suffering. The overwhelming suffering experienced in samsara is due to misconceptions about the self and the attachment to impermanent and contaminated phenomena. These misconceptions perpetuate suffering in the realms of samsara, stretching back into beginningless time.

We urgently need to break free from these wrong concepts, as they lead to endless suffering. The opportunity to have a human body with the potential for spiritual practice arises from the kindness of sentient beings. Every single sentient being has contributed to this opportunity through their kindness. Achieving liberation, enlightenment, and all levels of happiness depends entirely on the kindness and existence of sentient beings.

We need to cherish and work for sentient beings, pledging to free them from suffering and bring them to enlightenment. The root of happiness and spiritual growth lies in cherishing others, and this cherishing originates from great compassion, generated in response to the suffering of sentient beings.

By taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts with bodhichitta motivation, the merit accumulated multiplies exponentially, potentially by millions of times. Living in accordance with each precept leads to the accumulation of limitless skies of merit. Each precept serves as an opportunity to collect merit for the benefit of all sentient beings.

By abstaining from even one negative karma, such as killing, we can experience the happiness for hundreds or even thousands of lifetimes. Conversely, if we engage in negative actions without purifying them, the suffering that results from those actions can continue endlessly. By rejoicing in our virtuous actions and merit accumulation, we can enhance the power and effectiveness of our spiritual practice.

Correctly meditating on method and wisdom is crucial and Lama Zopa Rinpoche provides a detailed commentary on the Chenrezig Sadhana, explaining visualization, mantra recitation, compassion, and purification.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

By focusing on wisdom and understanding the ultimate nature of things we can overcome the ignorance that perpetuates delusions and cultivate a more peaceful and compassionate mind. We should consistently cultivate the motivation to benefit others, similar to a loving mother caring for her child. This motivation should be maintained throughout daily activities, not just during formal Dharma practice. Continuously monitoring and adjusting our intention to align with benefiting others helps maintain a genuine altruistic mindset.

By skillfully applying the principles of Dharma, daily actions can become a source of purification and a means to collect extensive merit. We should use the transformative power of intention and mindfulness, even in seemingly ordinary activities like sleeping to integrate Dharma practice into all aspects of our lives, utilizing every opportunity for spiritual growth and benefitting others. Engaging in circumambulation and walking meditation are practical ways to integrate these teachings into daily practice.

Our own mind has the power to shape our experiences and emotions. Labelling and interpretation play a significant role in determining what we perceive as good or bad, friend or enemy. By understanding and controlling our labelling process, we can shift from suffering to happiness, and positively influence our own well-being as well as that of others. This emphasizes the importance of mindful awareness and the potential for personal transformation through mental training.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche uses the twelve links of dependent origination to illustrate the evolution of samsara, the cycle of birth and death, and how our own mind is at the root of this cycle. Not only do the seven results of suffering come from the consciousness and karma, but all appearances in our world, whether positive or negative, stem from our mind's labelling and conceptualization.

We should spend time deeply contemplating the connection between our mind and our experiences. This understanding empowers us to choose our responses and become creators of our own happiness and well-being. By recognizing the role of our consciousness, karma, and ignorance in shaping our experiences, we can take control of our reactions, create happiness, and break the cycle of suffering.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

By not harming others, we are creating the cause for peace in the future, Rinpoche explains. If we fight those who harm us in this life, it creates the cause to fight them again in future lives. This can go on for eons with no peace. Those who win create the cause to lose in the future, and those who lose create the case to win in the future. This is repeated on and on endlessly, a cycle of negative karma and no harmony. If we follow the path of not harming, not fighting, this is the way to create peace in the future. 

Rinpoche leads a tonglen meditation starting at 2:35:27 in the teaching.

Rinpoche also offered the Refuge ceremony and some advice regarding taking refuge, starting at 49:56 in the teaching.   

During Rinpoche's September 3 teaching (#134: In Your Life as a Couple, Practice Good Heart), Rinpoche offered the oral transmission for Lama Tsongkhapa's Utilizing Suffering in the Path to Enlightenment. Rinpoche began giving commentary on this important thought transformation text in the September 7 teaching (#135: The Great Difference Between Taking and Not Taking Vows).

In this latest teaching from September 10, Rinpoche continues the commentary on Utilizing Suffering in the Path to Enlightenment starting at 40:06.

During this commentary, Rinpoche discusses the benefits of experiencing suffering, including:

1. When You Experience Suffering, You Develop Renunciation of Samsara
2. When You Experience Suffering, You Develop Trust in the Objects of Refuge
3. When You Experience Suffering, It Dispels Arrogance
4. When You Experience Suffering, You Become Careful of Negative Karma
5. When You Experience Suffering, You Enjoy Virtue
6. When You Experience Suffering, You Develop Compassion for Sentient Beings

The most important Dharma, Rinpoche teaches us, is compassion. If you are becoming kinder and more compassionate, this means you are practicing Dharma.

Rinpoche discusses the importance of taking vows. Our virtue is much more extensive after having taken vows than if we have not taken any. This is also true for the non-virtues: it is heavier negative karma for someone ordained to commit a trivial misdeed than for a lay person to indulge in the ten non-virtues. This is why it is so heavy when people who hold bodhisattva vows, and even more so, tantric vows, commit misdeeds. We should take and receive vows to receive a human rebirth again because there is no cause for a higher rebirth other than practicing ethics. We create great merit even by keeping even one precept. By taking vows, one's virtue increases continuously—even while sleeping, and by not having vows and committing non-virtue, one's negative karma increases continuously. Because of this, we need to purify our negative karma to stop it from increasing every day.

Rinpoche offers the lung of the Vajrasattva long and short mantras (1:31:17), to help us with our practice or purification.

During Rinpoche's September 3 teaching (#134 In Your Life as a Couple, Practice Good Heart), Rinpoche offered the lung for Lama Tsongkhapa's Utilizing Suffering in the Path to Enlightenment.  In this teaching, Rinpoche began translating and offering commentary on this important thought transformation teaching by Lama Tsongkhapa at 1:40:14. 

Rinpoche offers the oral transmission of Lama Tsongkhapa’s thought transformation teaching, Utilizing Suffering in the Path to Enlightenment at 1:13:44 in the video.

At the end of this teaching, Rinpoche also shared some advice offered to a geshe in Singapore who contracted Covid-19. Rinpoche requested that copies of this advice be made available so that those who receive it will, “enjoy the most and be most happy.” This full advice is available to all here: https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/how-to-think-about-obstacles-and-look-at-everything-as-positive/

Rinpoche offers some of the history of how he began teaching courses at Kopan Monastery in Nepal and how the FPMT organization began (starting at 28:12).

Real happiness comes from a good heart, Rinpoche reminds us, not come from the outside. Using the example of Milarepa, who externally had nothing but had incredible realizations and inner peace and happiness, we can see that happiness comes from the mind, not from what we have. Believing that happiness comes from outside, including how much wealth we accumulate, causes great suffering and dissatisfaction, as well as so much worry and fear.

For those of us living as lay couples, Rinpoche advises that we practice the ten virtues together and Rinpoche also suggests practicing the ten Dharma conducts.

To live life as a couple, you need wisdom and compassion, Rinpoche teaches us. If we don't have this, life together is so much suffering, so many problems. This is due to thinking in the wrong way—with the self-cherishing thought and ignorance, which are the opposite of compassion and wisdom. Depending on how much compassion and wisdom a couple has developed is the degree to which they will be happy or suffer. Each person has to have compassion for the other, and also they must each have the wisdom to see which actions in relation to the other are right or wrong. Otherwise, the relationship is total hallucination.

The more you learn Buddhadharma, the more wisdom you develop. To try and help each other, encourage each other to abandon negative karma as much as possible and inspire each other to create good karma. To do this, you can engage in compassionate activities together, helping others.

In these degenerative times, we desperately need lojong—thought transformation—where we transform suffering into happiness.

transformation from Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore in August.

Here is a summary of the teaching offered on August 10, 2022:

It is very important to understand how anger destroys your happiness. By

getting angry at a bodhisattva, our merits are destroyed, we will be

reborn in hell, and realizations will be delayed. And by getting angry

at a buddha, even more merit is destroyed. Since we cannot tell who is a

bodhisattva and who is a buddha, we have to be very, very careful of

anger and put so much effort into practicing patience. We can train our

mind to practice patience, it gets easier the more we practice. Since

anger is the cause of hell suffering, we should stop it. Therefore,

motivate every morning to practice patience. Otherwise, anger suddenly

arises. You have to prepare yourself with determination to stop it.

Most of the world is suffering, Rinpoche reminds us. Whether rich or poor, there is suffering from disease; dangers of the elements such as earthquakes, floods, or fires; violence - the suffering of samsara is constant. Even science cannot stop these dangers. Dharma is the only way to be free from all of these sufferings by purifying the mind which is the cause. Our happiness and suffering depend on how we think, and Dharma is medicine for the mind.

The definition of Dharma, according to the Kadampa geshes, is any action of body, speech, or mind that becomes an antidote to delusions. Dharma is anything that benefits, that brings happiness beyond this life up to enlightenment. Until we are free from samsara, we need happiness in all future lives.

The first kindness of sentient beings is that they are the source of all past, present, and future happiness including enlightenment, Lama Zopa Rinpoche reminds us. They are from whom we receive Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and in whom we take refuge. A buddha comes from a bodhisattva. A bodhisattva comes from bodhichitta, and bodhichitta comes from great compassion. Great compassion comes from all those sentient beings whose minds are obscured and suffering including every hell being, every hungry ghost, every animal, every human being, every sura, and every asura being.

Before you practice thought transformation, you have to understand that sentient beings are so precious and we must stop harming others. If we remember the kindness of sentient beings, naturally we will respect them and the mind will be less depressed.

Rinpoche discusses “the second kindness,” the kindness of sentient being when they were our human mother (55:30), offering commentary on several points related to this.

The “third kindness” is that our shelter, food, and clothing came from the kindness of sentient beings (1:13:47).

Sentient beings are like a guru, Rinpoche explains. They are wish-granting jewels more precious than gold, diamonds, or sapphires. Cherishing even one sentient being brings us to enlightenment. In fact, the happiness of all sentient beings is in our hands.

transformation. Here is a summary of a teaching given on June 25 from

Kopan Monastery, Nepal, at the request of Telo Tulku Rinpoche, Ganden

Tendar Ling FPMT Buddhist Center, Aryadeva FPMT Study Group, and the

Save Tibet Foundation in Russia.

The foundation of thought transformation is to stop harming others,

Rinpoche explains. When anything undesirable happens to us, we believe

it came from outside, we never relate it to our own mind. If we didn’t

harm others in the past, nobody could harm us in the present time. If we

are harmed by people or animals, anger arises and we want to harm them

back, we view them as an enemy. If we really want to stop experiencing

harm, we have to learn and understand karma, we have to stop harming

others.

When we practice Dharma, we take care of the world. If we think in a

positive way, there is peace for oneself and peace for others - we can

bring peace to the world and in our family by practicing Dharma.

Practicing Dharma means taking care of the mind and benefiting others.

Happiness follows a good heart and suffering follows a bad heart. With a

good heart, when we speak to someone or undertake any activity - it

becomes virtue, the result is only happiness. This is why it is very

important, in any action of body, speech, and mind in daily life, before

we start, generate a good heart, a Dharma mind. Then every action

becomes Dharma.

transformation from Kopan Monastery in Nepal, offered to students from

China and Malaysia via Zoom on June 13.

All of the 84,000 teachings of Buddha are included in the advice to not

harm sentient beings and to benefit them, Rinpoche explains. If we harm

sentient beings, we can’t benefit them. All of the suffering we

experience ourselves, as well as the suffering we cause others to

experience, is caused by our self-cherishing thought. Our worst enemy is

our self-cherishing thought. From Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara (v.

8.120):

If you want to quickly guide

Yourself and others,

Secretly practice

Exchanging yourself and others.

The conclusion, Rinpoche explains, is that the solution to our problems

is bodhichitta. Our main practice in life should be bodhichitta,

cherishing others. Without giving up the I, we cannot abandon suffering.

The less self-cherishing and the more we cultivate the good heart, the

less problems we have.

Rinpoche discusses the kindness of mother sentient beings, and also the

kindness of those who are not your mother starting at (1:07:28) in the

video.

In preparation for offering the refuge ceremony, Rinpoche discusses four

of the five lay vows which one can take in addition to refuge. One can

take refuge alone or any/all of the following vows in addition: the vow

to abandon killing (1:16:57), the vow to abandon sexual misconduct

(1:19:43), the vow to abandon stealing (1:20:27), the vow to abandon

lying (Rinpoche did not discuss this vow in this teaching), the vow to

abandon alcohol (1:21:37).

Rinpoche offers the refuge ceremony at (1:24:48).

By taking refuge in the Dharma, we should stop harming sentient beings, Rinpoche reminds us. And more than that, we should benefit them. In fact, the real refuge practice is cherishing sentient beings. If we take care of them the most, if we cherish them the most, that is the best offering to all the Buddhas, Dharma, and Sangha. To show respect for everyone is the best practice.

Sentient beings are so precious because the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha came from them. Even those who we call enemy, who get angry with us, who harm us with their body, speech, and mind. These people are unbelievably precious because Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha come from them as well. The more we realize the kindness of sentient beings, the more we will dedicate our life to them.

Throughout this teaching, Rinpoche also continues to discuss what to abandon and what to practice after having taken refuge in the Sangha.

Numberless buddhas of the past, present, and future can see our suffering and that we need happiness, Rinpoche explains. They want to help, they want to guide us. However, from our side, if we don’t rely on them by going for refuge, all of their power together cannot guard us, cannot save us, cannot keep us from the lower realms. Therefore, take refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha so we don’t cheat ourselves. The reason why we have been suffering in samsara from beginningless rebirths is because we haven’t followed the Guru, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

Rinpoche discusses what to abandon and what to practice after having taken refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/having-taken-refuge-what-to-abandon-and-what-to-practice/

Rinpoche emphasizes that the more you think about other religions, the more you become devoted to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; and if you have two refuges, you lose your refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Rinpoche discusses the disadvantages of the Bön religion in detail and warns that “taking refuge is not only reciting words.” Read more about his teaching here.

We must also understand the three types of suffering--the suffering of pain, the suffering of change, and pervasive compounded suffering--and how we are bound to samsara. Since beginningless rebirths we have been reborn countless times in the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm. “We need to be free from this,” Rinpoche says.

Read more about his teaching in our blog here.

Rinpoche also offers commentary on verses from Liberation Upon Hearing: The History of the Great Jarung Kashar Stupa by Padmasambhava on the benefits of making offerings to Boudha Stupa. Read more about his teaching here.

It is important to understand your own samsaric suffering. If you don't, you can’t generate compassion for all sentient beings. You must view being in samsara as being in the center of a fire. You have to feel all of your suffering as unbearable, not as pleasure. From that, great compassion for every sentient being comes. From that, bodhichitta arises—the thought to free all beings from oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them to enlightenment. For that, we need omniscience and enlightenment for ourselves. No one achieves enlightenment without saying goodbye to samsara.

This life is amazing, but it can stop at any time. Right now there are numberless beings dying in the mother’s womb, as babies, as children, in middle age, in old age; one's breathing can stop at any time. It is like a bubble in water or lightning in the sky.

Rinpoche then discusses the power of holy objects and the benefits of building statues, stupas, and temples. Often building statues and temples doesn’t make sense to Westerners. They think it is too expensive and a waste of money, Rinpoche explains, because they don’t understand the benefits.

Rinpoche quotes from and gives commentary on Sutra Requested by King Prasenajit.

Referring to the teachings of Pandita Nagkyi Rinchen, Rinpoche says that even the creatures killed under the feet of people building a temple will not fall into the lower realms.

According to the White Lotus Sutra, even looking at a drawing of a buddha when you are angry causes you to gradually see ten million buddhas.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that the real stupa is the realizations of the path to enlightenment within you. You need to dedicate yourself to actualizing the lamrim. No matter how much practice, prostrations, and mantras you do, the main path is listening, reflecting, and meditating on the lamrim.

You cannot receive the blessings of the buddhas without a guru. The guru is the channel through which the ten-direction buddhas guide you and speak to you. You should serve the guru with the mindfulness that the guru is the channel for all the buddhas. The guru is not just someone who gives you a Dharma education. That is a very ordinary view. Without strong guru devotion, heresy and anger arise in relation to the guru, and you create the heaviest negative karma among the negative karmas. Because the essence is pleasing the guru, you need to concentrate on that in everyday life. By pleasing the guru, negative karmas get burned in one second!

Some people spend their whole lives meditating without an object because they don’t have a correct guru. After some time, your mind becomes dull. In this world it is very difficult to meet a perfect guru. For those that do not have the merit to meet a perfect guru and receive perfect teachings, and who have so much suffering and are going on the wrong path, you can develop compassion for them.

You also cannot achieve enlightenment without bodhichitta. As much as possible, do everything with bodhichitta. Even if you don’t have a realization of bodhichitta, but have a bodhichitta motivation, everything you do becomes a cause for enlightenment. By making requests to your guru with firm devotion, you develop realizations.

In order to achieve enlightenment in a brief lifetime, you need to practice highest yoga tantra because otherwise you lose the opportunity. Then, to be able to develop compassion, to be able to develop the graduated path to enlightenment, you need to purify the obstacles, obscurations, and negative karma, and collect the necessary conditions and merit.

The essence of the practice is persevering in the higher training of morality. You should take the individual liberation vow as your heart practice. Morality is the heart practice. You cannot practice Dharma separately from keeping your promised morality. You should keep the three vows that you have taken: the individual liberation vow, the bodhisattva vows, and the tantric vows.

Where you go in your future life depends on your present actions. You can tell what types of actions you did in the past by looking at your current life, and where you will go next life depends on today.

Click here to read the original blog and for links to the transcripts, video and more.

Therefore, the real purpose of life is not just to achieve liberation from samsara for ourselves alone, but to never harm and only benefit all sentient beings by freeing them from the oceans of samsara, the total cessation of the gross and subtle obscurations and the completion of realizations. That means every single one, including every ant and fly, and even those you can’t see with your eyes. As a human, this should be the purpose of life. This should be our attitude all day and night, even if we are enjoying ourselves in a five-star hotel, even if we are in the process of dying—we can enjoy for sentient beings, we can die for sentient beings! To bring every sentient being to enlightenment by oneself alone is the purpose of life, therefore we must achieve a state of omniscience as quickly as possible. Therefore, I’m going to listen to the teachings.

Rinpoche shares that the current incarnation of Domo Geshe Rinpoche is going to be an incredible benefit to the world by helping the teachings spread and last a long time. Rinpoche currently offers help for this young lamas’ yearly expenses.

Rinpoche also shared some stories of Sera Je Khen Rinpoche Lobsang Delek’s life in the Buxa Duar, the camp in India where refugee Tibetan monks lived in the 1960s.

Rinpoche reminds us that these teachings are specifically for the ordained Sangha, to remind them that it is most important to live a life in ordination and that this is not just some hippie trip. However, anyone is welcome to listen and benefit from this advice.

Rinpoche then discusses sections from Garland of Jewel Light by Geshe Tsewang Samdrub. He begins by offering commentary on the four doors for receiving downfalls from breaking vows:

1. A lack of conscientiousness.

2. A lack of respect.

3. Not knowing the vows.

4. Having many delusions.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has emphasized the need to live an ethical life, to be a good human being, Rinpoche says. To do this, you need discipline to practice patience, tolerance, compassion, loving-kindness, and forgiveness for those who harm you, and to immediately apologize when you harm others.

Rinpoche explains the four ways to prevent downfalls, citing Garland of Jewel Light:

1. Continuously possessing conscientiousness.

2. Having great respect for the vows of morality.

3. Knowing the vows.

4. Striving in the remedy to the delusions.

When you do these, the doors to making mistakes and downfalls are closed.

Rinpoche then goes over the benefits of protecting morality, again from Garland of Jewel Light:

1. All your collections of goodness will increase and develop.

2. You will be praised by the buddhas.

3. You will be praised by the devas.

4. You will be praised by your friends.

5. You will be worthy of being praised by even yourself.

6. You will be worthy of being naturally praised.

7. Your reputation will cover all the directions.

8. You will listen to the holy Dharma.

9. You will not forget the holy Dharma you listened to.

10. Your realizations of the paths and bhumis will increase.

11. When you die you will be happy and you will go to a happy transmigration.

12. Day and night you will be happy.

13. You will be protected by the devas.

14. You will be happy in front of holy beings.

15. You won’t be able to be harmed by human beings and non-human beings.

16. You will receive whatever enjoyments you need without effort.

17. Whatever prayers you do will succeed.

The results of living in pure vows are very powerful. "You become Dzambhala!" Rinpoche says. "When other people make offerings to you and respect you, they collect much merits. And then, if you pray for them, your prayers are so powerful that there is success for them. Like that, your pujas and your prayers are very powerful."

--

We invite you to go deeper into the topics presented here, plus many others, by watching Rinpoche’s video and reading the full transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching. Links to the transcript, translations, and more:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/being-sangha-is-not-a-trip/

Last night many people went to bed, thinking they had another day to live, but their body became a corpse instead. However, you were able to wake up. Every day you are able to wake up is a real birthday. If you can recognize impermanence and death, it is like skies of happiness! You didn’t die! You aren’t in hell! You weren’t reborn as a hungry ghost or an animal! You can still use your perfect human rebirth to collect merit and purify negative karma. Even reciting OM MANI PADME HUM without a bodhichitta motivation, you collect more merits than drops of water in the ocean, more than blades of grass growing on the hills.

When your breathing stops it will be difficult for your mind to be happy. Rinpoche quotes a verse from Gungthang Tenpai Dronme’s Verses of Advice for Meditating on Impermanence.

Rinpoche then reminds us of the motivation for listening to these teachings. At this time, while we are still breathing, it is not enough to achieve liberation from samsara for oneself. That alone would be a meaningful life, but it is not sufficient. The main purpose of life is to benefit sentient beings, not harming a single one, and more than that to free them from oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them to enlightenment by oneself alone. To do that, we must achieve full enlightenment. Therefore, with a motivation to accomplish this, we listen to the teachings.

Rinpoche offers advice to the gelongs about what brings happiness according to several verses of the Sutra of Individual Liberation (from sojong). You can hear Rinpoche discuss these verses and his commentary on each starting at 11:50 in the video.

Without morality, Rinpoche stresses, we cannot accomplish our own work, let alone successfully work for others. "Therefore," as noted in the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva by Thogme Sangpo (verse 26cd), "to protect morality without wishing for samsara is a practice of a bodhisattva."

For a bodhisattva, those who offer harm are like a precious treasure (Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, verse 27ab).

Therefore, cherish evil beings like a precious treasure, as advised in Eight Verses for Training the Mind by Langri Tangpa.

Rinpoche stresses that it is important to understand what this means. People who create harm for others create so much negative karma and have so much suffering. When you see that it is like you have found a precious treasure, a diamond, gold, a sapphire, a wish-granting jewel in the garbage. They are so precious and rare that you must cherish them, like how some cherish money so much! Why? Because by cherishing them you generate strong renunciation of your own samsara and sooo much compassion for them. From that, you generate strong bodhichitta, and from that, quick enlightenment. And with that you can liberate the numberless sentient beings from oceans of samsaric suffering. A jewel or money doesn’t do that, but this type of person can! So cherish them.

Another verse Rinpoche emphasizes in this teaching and suggests we write down in our prayer books is verse 28 from Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva:

Since even the hearer-listeners and solitary realizers, who achieve only the works for self,

Are seen to make effort, like putting out a fire on the head,

It is a practice of a bodhisattva to make effort to receive all qualities

For the sake of all transmigratory beings.

Write the above verse down so you can learn it, Rinpoche says. Otherwise, your motivation will always be controlled by the self-cherishing thought. “Today I don’t feel like it. I don’t want to recite my prayers or OM MANI PADME HUM. I feel too depressed.” Reading this verse helps you remember that you are doing it for all transmigratory beings, not just for yourself.

Rinpoche also suggests writing down verse 5.12 from Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara.

The one enemy you have is inside you—your mind, your anger. How you destroy this enemy is by practicing patience. By controlling the mind, everything else is controlled and you have no fear. The most important practice is to control your mind. Subduing one’s own mind is the teaching of Buddha, the essence of everything.

--

For links to the transcript, translations, and more:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/the-most-important-practice-is-to-control-your-mind/

The pandemic and all of the disasters of the world are happening because of ignorance. This all comes from the mind. Therefore, you have to take care of the mind: don’t let it go berserk. If you don’t want to suffer, if you don’t want bad things in the world, if you don’t want problems with the environment, if you want to make a happy world, then take care of the mind.

Rinpoche shares several stories about how great bodhisattvas are able to manipulate the elements or perform actions that look like miracles. They are able to do this due to their minds. Whether you make the world more peaceful or not depends on your mind. Rinpoche also shares the story of how the young incarnation of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama said, “I’m the one who works for all beings” to the lama Keutsang Rinpoche when he came to check whether the four-year-old child recognized him. Rinpoche expressed being moved to tears when he heard that His Holiness had said that as a young child.

Rinpoche then discusses verses 5.4-5.5 of Bodhicharyavatara:

Tigers, lions, elephants, bears,

Snakes, and all enemies,

The guardians of hell beings,

Evil spirits, and likewise cannibals,

Are all fastened

By fastening only this mind.

They are all subdued

By subduing only this mind.

Rinpoche urges us to write these verses down in our prayer books so we will see them every day. Especially when we are angry or selfish, or when we have so much attachment. When we subdue our minds, everything is subdued. When we have control over our minds, we are free from fear. By controlling our minds and making them free from attachment and anger, from the self-cherishing thought, and from the ignorance holding the I as real when it’s not, then, all those who would otherwise harm us are subdued.

We produce all the suffering we experience with our mind, so the solution for problems, harm, enemies, and fear is to pacify the mind.

Verse 5.12cd of Bodhicharyavatara says:

If you subdue the mind of anger alone,

It is like you have subdued all your enemies.

And as Nagarjuna said:

If you kill your anger,

You kill all your enemies.

We have to learn this if we want to bring peace and happiness to the world. Otherwise, you just talk, talk, talk. Everything depends on whether you control your mind or not. Rinpoche translates verse 5.3 of Bodhicharyavatara as:

If you fasten the elephant of your mind

With the rope of remembrance all the time,

All fears will become nonexistent

And all virtues will come into your hands.

By subduing the mind, which is like a crazy elephant, you can achieve anything you want. Whether or not you experience samsara or nirvana, hell or enlightenment—this all depends on whether or not you control your mind.

Verse 5.17 of Bodhicharyavatara says:

If someone doesn’t know the supreme principal of the Dharma,

The secrecy of the mind,

Even if they wish to achieve happiness and destroy suffering,

They will wander in samsara without meaning.

and verse 5.18cd:

Except for conduct protecting the mind

What is the use of so many conducts?

Rinpoche explains that all the capacities of the mind are based on keeping the higher training of morality. He shares the story of how Lama Yeshe stopped a fire with his mind. He also shares a story about how Geshe Lama Konchog saved a child, who all the doctors said was going to die, by the power of his mind through doing puja. The West needs to learn that world peace comes from the mind, not from outside influence.

Discussing verses by Chen Nga Lodro Gyaltshen, Rinpoche says that when you don’t keep and protect your vows and your practice of morality, you will be criticized by all the buddhas, and your friends will scold you. You will even criticize yourself! But if you keep pure morality, all the buddhas will praise you and all of your prayers will succeed.

During the dedications, Rinpoche shares the story about a young buffalo he recently liberated and named Bodhichitta.

--

For links to the transcript, translations, and other resources:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/dont-let-your-mind-go-berserk/

Rinpoche then reminds us of the motivation for listening to the teachings. A perfect human rebirth—qualified by the eight freedoms and ten richnesses—is extremely rare, Rinpoche explains. It is not enough for ourselves to be free from the oceans of samsaric sufferings. The real purpose of life is to not harm others and on the basis of that to benefit the numberless sentient beings and free them from the oceans of samsaric sufferings by oneself alone. We listen to the teachings to achieve this.

As Rinpoche explained in his recent teachings, by engaging in nonvirtue, you become habituated to it and do it again. By doing this, you make your future lives sooo difficult. You know that it’s bad, but you can’t stop doing it due to past habituation. In fact, much of your behavior is due to habituation with negative karma, and due to that habituation, it becomes more and more difficult to separate from negative karma. You think only of today’s happiness, not about future lives. Your wrong concept is cheating you, causing you to drown in an ocean of attachment and anger.

The coronavirus manifests in different ways according to one’s karma. Some people have some pain and sickness, some have no symptoms, and some die. Rinpoche discusses some of the different ways the virus has manifested in people he knows, and also the possibility that he had the virus himself just with very mild symptoms. When we meet with suffering, we don’t remember karma. We can even believe killing ourselves is the solution to the pain we are experiencing. When one is having emotional problems, spirits can also harm you. Rinpoche shares some examples of people who have been harmed by spirits.

Rinpoche then reads and gives commentary on the Sutra on Having Perfect Morality. (This starts at 50:19 in the video.)

Referencing Nagarjuna in Letter to a Friend, Rinpoche reminds us again that even great pain in the human realm is nothing compared to a small suffering in the hell realm, and the suffering has to be experienced until the negative karma finishes.

Rinpoche concludes by saying that Sangha are given unbelievable freedom by being able to purify twice a month with sojong, which is the monastics’ confession day. You should think that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is reciting sojong for you. Because we can’t see Buddha in that aspect, he recites in the form of the abbot. You see the abbot reciting it, but you should know that it is actually Buddha reciting for the Sangha. Buddha is so kind. Unbelievable, most incredible.

For links to the transcript, translations, and more resources:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/by-the-force-of-habituation-you-uncontrollably-engage-in-nonvirtue-again/

All happiness and suffering come from the mind, not from the outside, Rinpoche reminds us. Since we want happiness and don't want suffering, the vast subject of the mind should be of utmost importance for us to investigate. To become healthy—both physically and mentally—we practice meditation, study the Dharma, and learn about the mind in order to clean it up. A negative and unhealthy mind brings sickness and suffering in so many forms. By continuing with effort to clean up the mind, going deeper and deeper through meditation and analysis, you can completely cease delusions and karma and remove the cause of suffering.

By realizing the ultimate nature of the mind—the ultimate nature of I—then we can develop wisdom and realize emptiness. This is ultimate Dharma. The real refuge is ultimate Dharma. This is like taking medicine; it ceases the cause of suffering, delusions, and karma. Since Buddha revealed the path, in the analogy of medicine, Buddha is the doctor. You take refuge in the Buddha when you take refuge in the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha. And the Sangha are those who help you actualize the absolute Dharma and understand conventional Dharma through the scriptures. So this is why we take refuge in the Sangha.

Anger makes us very frightening and ugly, and causes us to want to harm others. So much negative karma of the body, speech, and mind are created when we view others as the enemy. This is why the benefits of practicing patience are unbelievable. By completing the perfection of patience, it is impossible for anger to arise. All the gross and subtle obscurations are ceased, purified. Then the mind becomes an enlightened mind. When the mind becomes enlightened, we can liberate the numberless sentient beings from suffering. This is the ultimate benefit to oneself and others, unlike anger which only harms self and others. When you practice patience, there is no enemy. In this way, the person who gives you an opportunity to practice patience is the most precious one in your life! 

We invite you to go deeper into the topics presented here, plus many others, by watching Rinpoche’s video and reading the full transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching. Find links to the transcript and more:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/the-real-refuge-is-your-wisdom-realizing-the-ultimate-nature/

If you want to know the truth of the world, the truth of yourself, and if you want to be free from the oceans of samsaric suffering, then you have to know the root cause of suffering, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains. You need to meet the correct teachings and that depends on merit. And you have to have faith and make correction prayers and dedications. Otherwise, it’s difficult. You could meet Buddhism but fall into eternalism or nihilism.

Rinpoche offers the retreatants a brief history of how the first month-long Kopan Course began (14:37 in the video). There have been fifty-two courses since this first course in 1971.

Generating bodhicitta when listening to the teachings is unbelievable. So we listen to the teachings for all sentient beings—not only to free them from samsara and bring them to nirvana—but for ultimate happiness, the total cessation of obscurations and the completion of realizations.

Rinpoche leads the group in offering coffee and cake, including the Clouds of Offering Mantra (48:08 in the video).

Rinpoche continues the teaching, saying that it is so important to understand what the I is. All problems go away when we understand this, Rinpoche assures us. But when we believe in the hallucinated appearance of the I, so many problems arise. Abandoning nonvirtue is the source of happiness for us.

Rinpoche explains the four parts of completing the action of killing (1:17:12 in the video), discusses the purification practice utilizing the four powers (1:43:19 in the video), and offers some stories of those who have committed the heavy negative karma of killing and how they purified these mistakes.

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We invite you to go deeper into the topics presented here, plus many others, by watching Rinpoche’s video. Find links to more resources, including the transcript:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/abandoning-nonvirtue-is-a-source-of-happiness-for-you

In this teaching, Rinpoche discusses how our ignorance leads to attachment and anger, which make us miserable. By attending courses, studying, and meditating, we can come to understand how our our minds hallucinate. The more we understand about emptiness and how things truly exist, the happier we become. In addition, developing our compassion and living in service to others gives us the greatest happiness.

Rinpoche offers three ways to meditate on emptiness and provides commentary for each (starting at 1:38:40 in the video):

1. Meditate that everything is a hallucination.

2. Meditate that everything is merely imputed.

3. Meditate that everything is empty.

We invite you to go deeper into the topics presented here, plus many others, by watching Rinpoche’s videos. Find links to more resources, including the transcript:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/by-doing-vajrasattva-you-are-doing-exactly-what-you-need-to-do/

Speaking to students attending the three-month Vajrasattva retreat at Kopan Monastery in Nepal, Rinpoche says we must use the wisdom of Buddha’s teachings to see the truth, to recognize all the hallucinations we are wrapped up in. The world has so much suffering due to this ignorance. So it is very important to understand how we hallucinate, Rinpoche explains. The teachings of the Buddha show us this, and that is why they are so important.

At the end of the teaching, Rinpoche offers the oral transmission of the Vajrasattva mantra (1:30:05) and the oral transmission of Dorje Khadro fire puja practice (1:42:50) to the students in attendance.

Find links to resources for this teaching:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/why-buddhism-is-so-important/

If you haven’t spent your life with a good heart and a positive mind, Rinpoche warns, and instead spend your life trying this and that until life finishes, then you will go to the lower realms. There are many wrong views available to you in this life. You have to check the quality of these views carefully, the same way you check the quality of clothing or food before you purchase it.

Rinpoche then recounts several stories, including about the building of Lama Yeshe's stupa at Tushita Meditation Centre, Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche, and Serkong Dorje Chang.

Rinpoche reminds us of the motivation for listening to the teachings—to free the numberless sentient beings from oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to enlightenment by oneself alone. Therefore, you think of how you must achieve the state of omniscience to do that. Therefore, you are listening to the teachings.

Being attached to sex has not freed you from the oceans of samsaric suffering, Rinpoche observes. Since beginningless times, every sentient being has been one’s own husband, wife, children, and so forth. You have cheated yourself by thinking that the pleasures of this life that you experience are new. You believe you are meeting someone for the first time.

By learning Dharma, you can recognize right and wrong concepts. Usually in the world, any suffering is attributed to outside influences: animals, insects, other people. Rinpoche explains that this is from not knowing Dharma. Learning about Dharma is learning about your life, your mind, and your concepts. It is learning what is the right mind and what is the wrong mind, so you can stop having the wrong mind. Then you can have a healthy, beneficial, harmless, and right life, and have all the good things right up to perfect enlightenment.

You have been totally deceived by your attachment and wrong concepts since beginningless rebirths. Therefore, there is nothing to be attached to. It’s all a hallucination! Since there is nothing to be attached to, you should renounce samsara. Samsaric happiness is only suffering; this is the heart of Buddhism.

You experience suffering until your negative karma finishes, Rinpoche explains. Even great pain in the human realm is nothing compared to a small suffering in the hell realm.

Rinpoche then shares the four suffering results of sexual misconduct:

1. The Ripened-Aspect Result of Sexual Misconduct: This means a rebirth in the lower realms.

2. The Possessed Result of Sexual Misconduct: You are born as a human being but the environment is muddy, dirty, unhealthy, and has contagious diseases and viruses. Even if we just spend five minutes in a place like this, that is the result of past sexual misconduct.

3. Experiencing the Result Similar to the Cause of Sexual Misconduct: However you harmed others, you experience others doing this type of harm to you.

4. Creating the Cause Similar to the Result: This is done due to habituation with the past negative karma of sexual misconduct. Even if you think an action is bad, you do it uncontrollably. By engaging in nonvirtue, you become habituated to it, and do it again and again. This is the same for stealing, telling lies, killing—any negative behavior you're engaged in.

Even in lay life you can abandon sexual misconduct. There are five lay vows one can take to help abstain from negative actions such as sexual misconduct. In this teaching we are discussing the purpose to become Sangha.

Rinpoche then recites the Phagpa Chulung Rolpai Do Mantra: OṂ HANU PHASHA BHARA HE YE SVĀHĀ. He explains that each time you see this mantra, it purifies your negative karma, one hundred thousand eons!

Rinpoche also holds up the Buddha's Teachings on Our Lives card and explains that this is so important to have in a room in one’s home, even in the bathroom.

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We invite you to go deeper into the topics presented here, plus many others, by watching Rinpoche’s video and reading the full transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching.

Find links to the transcript, translations, and materials mentioned in this video:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/being-attached-to-sex-has-not-freed-you-from-the-oceans-of-samsaric-sufferings/

All sufferings come from desiring happiness for oneself.

Full enlightenment comes from the thought of benefitting others.

Therefore, exchanging one’s own happiness for the suffering of others

Is the practice of bodhisattvas.

Rinpoche gives commentary on this passage and explains that all undesirable things, all the sufferings we experience, come from desiring happiness for oneself. Therefore, exchanging one’s own happiness for the suffering of others is the practice of bodhisattvas.

When pleasure and problems happen, you can see whether or not you are practicing Dharma. When a problem comes, it is like you are completely drowned in the ocean. Instead of thinking of Dharma to solve and overcome your problem, you are "under" the problem, not having control over it. When pleasure comes, you are totally distracted by it, you are under the control of worldly concern and attachment, again—like you are drowning in the ocean. This is when you can see if you are practicing Dharma or not.

Because you are a human being, and not a stone or wood, you can benefit others. Even the ants or mosquitoes—you can make sure not to step on them, you can take them around holy objects, you can do what you can to benefit them. Reciting OM MANI PADME HUM three times and blowing on any sentient being purifies so much negative karma. If you aren’t living to benefit others, you are living a very dry, uninteresting, boring life! Using your life to achieve enlightenment is not boring at all.

Rinpoche then reviews the motivation for receiving oral transmissions and teachings. He also discusses the great yogi Thangtong Gyalpo in preparation for the oral transmissions he gives later in the teaching.

Before the oral transmissions, Rinpoche explains that the benefits of reciting and hearing OM MANI PADME HUM are extensive. Rinpoche lists many of these benefits and provides commentary on each:

• Reciting it one time purifies the four defeats of a fully ordained monk

• Reciting it purifies the five heavy negative karmas without a break

• Reciting it seven times purifies the negative karma of one hundred lifetimes

• Reciting it twenty-one times purifies the negative karma of 1,000 eons

• Reciting it 108 times purifies the negative karma of 40,000 eons

• Anyone who hears it gets a higher rebirth

• When you recite it, your mind is free from expectations and therefore pure

In short, Rinpoche stresses to us that we must recite OM MANI PADME HUM while we still have a perfect human rebirth.

Rinpoche then offers, “a million, zillion, trillion” thanks to all the one hundred Sangha who join together on Saturdays for twenty-four hours to recite OM MANI PADME HUM for the COVID-19 pandemic. He also thanks everybody at Chenrezig Institute who arranged all the technical aspects that allow for this to happen online.

Rinpoche ends this video by offering commentary on and the oral transmissions in Tibetan of three prayers of Thangtong Gyalpo: “Liberating Sakya from Disease” (starting at 37:45 in the video), “Words of Truth Pacifying the Danger of Weapons” (39:45), and “A Request to Pacify the Fear of Famine” (42:57). Rinpoche also offers the oral transmission of King of Prayers (1:01:21), Homage to Tathagata Amitabha and Buddha Amitayus, A Brief Prayer to Be Reborn in Sukhavati (1:11:04), and The Array of Sukhavati Pure Land (1:13:15).

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Find links to the transcript, texts for the oral transmissions, translations, and more:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/a-zillion-thanks-to-the-sangha-for-reciting-manis-during-the-pandemic/

The total cessation of obscurations, is nirvana, ultimate happiness. It is forever, not like you are going on vacation, which is only temporary and is actually suffering, and not pleasure as your hallucinated mind believes. Because nirvana is everlasting happiness, it is worthwhile to bear hardships in order to practice Dharma. As an example, Rinpoche shares that Milarepa bore hardships such as living on nettles for many years and building a nine-story building three times alone, and then achieved enlightenment in a brief lifetime of degenerate times. This was due to all the hardships Milarepa experienced, not in spite of them. As another example, Rinpoche explains that the bodhisattva Always Crying One sacrificed himself to follow his guru and collected two great eons of merit in seven years’ time.

Right now you see samsara as a beautiful park in the same way that dogs see kaka as nectar. If you analyze it, you can see clearly that there is no pleasure existing from its own side. You label pleasure, but the mind is merely imputing this. The label came from the negative imprint left on the continuation of your consciousness since beginningless rebirths. Your entire life needs to be analyzed, then you recognize the truth. You discriminate “good” and “bad,” then attachment and anger arise. From there you create all the negative karma. This is why it is so important to learn Dharma! Everything is embodied in the lamrim, the three principal aspects of the path.

Samsaric pleasures cheat us, like honey on a knife. It is not only a hallucination, but it is what creates negative karma—not only suffering in this life but causes the lower realms. Being pierced by three hundred spears is nothing compared to a small suffering in hell. If you understood the suffering of hell, you would faint.

Grasping at samsaric pleasures is like a fish seeing a worm and getting caught on the hook. The fish sees the worm and thinks, “Oh! There’s something to eat!” They see pleasure and immediately jump toward it but then become hooked there and death follows. There are many examples like this—there is so much clinging to pleasure only to be cheated and destroyed by it.

Even beauty can’t be found when you analyze it. Someone you think of as so beautiful, visualize them without their skin. Then see them as a pile of skin, flesh, and bones—where is the beauty? Then using the example of blood: when the body is cut, one bleeds. This is frightening to see. Even the skin itself, if you looked at it with a magnifying glass, you can see all of the bumps. There’s no beauty to be attached to if you examine the body; it exists because you labeled it as beautiful, but this came from your mind. Your negative imprints project good and bad, you differentiate between beautiful and ugly, causing attachment and anger to arise. Without analyzing it looks like beauty comes from the outside, but that’s a total hallucination. This is why practicing mindfulness every day is necessary. It solves the wrong concept.

You can counteract attachment to someone’s body by thinking about what’s inside it—muscles, nerves, blood, flesh, skeleton. You can also counteract attachment to someone’s body by thinking it has a dirty smell when it isn’t washed and perfumed, or when it is dead.

Even insects project beauty onto other insects of the opposite sex and wish to have sex with them. The same is true for human beings; negative imprints cause us to see particular body parts as beautiful. From the side of the body, there is no beauty at all. It is difficult to take the lay vow to abstain from sexual misconduct because attachment overcomes the mind and defeats you. Then, celibacy for a monk or nun is very difficult. In reality, there is not one sentient being with whom you haven’t had a relationship. When you have so much attachment toward someone arise, you think this is the first time you are seeing them. But this person has been your wife and husband countless times; you have been their wife and husband countless times. There is not even one ant or insect you haven’t had a relationship with.

Until you have a stable mind, you should stay in a monastery, nunnery, cave, or hermitage. If your mind is weak, you should stay away from objects of desire. In this way, you are able to practice morality and keep your ordination.

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For links to the transcript, translations, practice materials, and more:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/

The two basic practices in your life should be the two bodhichittas: absolute bodhichitta and conventional bodhichitta. Bodhichitta is the two wishes; one is the wish to benefit sentient beings, and one is the wish to achieve enlightenment. The real purpose of life is to benefit numberless sentient beings, to free them from suffering and bring them to enlightenment by yourself. Therefore, you need to achieve enlightenment. This is the motivation for listening to the teachings.

It is so important to know that samsaric pleasures are actually the suffering of change. Most students meditate on the suffering of pain, but they don’t meditate on how samsaric pleasures are in the nature of suffering, or on pervasive compounding suffering. This third type of suffering, the pervasive compounding suffering, is the most important to meditate on; it is the suffering of samsara. When you are free of this type of suffering, you become free from the other two sufferings, the suffering of pain and the suffering of change.

As Rinpoche mentioned yesterday, quoting from Lama Chopa verses 87cd-88ab, you have to renounce the thought of seeing samsara as a beautiful park:

"Please bless me to generate a strong wish to be liberated

From the endless and terrifying great ocean of samsara."

"Having renounced the thought seeing samsara,

Which is difficult to bear like being in prison, as a beautiful park,"

You have to abandon this thought of the hallucinated mind.

If there were no negative imprints left on the mental continuum by ignorance, there would be no projection of a real I. Rinpoche explains how the thought focuses on the aggregates—form, feeling, cognition, compositional factors, and consciousness—and that is the phenomenon or base that is merely labeled "I." When that happens, it is extremely fine, so subtle, Rinpoche emphasizes. It is not that the I doesn’t exist. The I exists, but it is like it doesn’t exist. The negative imprints left by ignorance on the continuation of our consciousness decorate the I that just now was merely imputed, projecting true existence, existing from its own side. So we think, “This is real. This is true!” Believing, holding onto that—that is ignorance. As you are creating ignorance, you are creating the root of samsara, the root of all suffering. This is from ignorance holding the I as truly existent.

Your hallucinated mind also makes up pleasure. If you check up on samsaric pleasure, you can see it is the basis of all suffering. Your mind labels it as pleasure. In reality, it is a hallucination, made up by the mind according to the different things an individual wants. Traveling, drugs, sex, going into the mountains—these various things are labeled pleasure according to the individual, but in reality there is nothing there at all. You have to recognize the hallucination as a hallucination. If you don’t look at the dream as a dream, you believe it is real. Then all of the problems of anger, ignorance, and attachment, all the delusions, arise.

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For links to this teaching's transcript, translations, and practice resources:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/renounce-the-thought-seeing-samsara-as-a-beautiful-park/

Having renounced the thought seeing samsara,

Which is difficult to bear like being in prison, as a beautiful park,

Please bless me to hold the three higher trainings, the treasure of the exalted beings’ wealth,

And then to uphold the victory banner of liberation.

In this way, the motivation is to renounce the thought of seeing samsara as a beautiful park. You don’t want to think like this even for a second.

People in the East look at life in the West as pleasurable, Rinpoche explains, but soon find out that the lifestyle is very expensive! Many Tibetans work hard all year to save money in order to make offerings to the monasteries. This is their way of collecting merit by doing something good each year. This is very different than the customs in the West, where people work hard just to support an expensive lifestyle. Rinpoche cautions that if your mind is not holy Dharma, your actions become nonvirtue. So even if you give all of your money to the monastery, your motivation is what determines whether this is worldly dharma, resulting in future suffering, or holy Dharma, which is the cause of happiness.

Rinpoche then discussed going on pilgrimage to Gyalwa Dromtonpa’s monastery in Tibet. Dromtonpa said that practicing holy Dharma means you renounce this life. Renouncing this life means giving up attachment clinging to this life. All the sufferings, all the problems, all nonvirtue—all of this comes from the root, which is the eight worldly concerns, clinging to the pleasures of this life. So renouncing means giving this up. There is more and more dissatisfaction the more wealth you have. It is the worst suffering. Even though you have everything materially, the mind suffers unbelievably. Rich people look at poor people and think they are happier than them, but having that much wealth causes so many mental problems and so much suffering. Being in samsara is like being in the center of a fire, like sitting on top of a needle, like being in prison.

The essential path to become free from samsara is the practice of the three higher trainings: morality, concentration, and wisdom.

Rinpoche then discusses why it is so important to be Sangha. Lama Tsongkhapa explained in Lamrim Chenmo that being ordained makes it easy to practice the higher training of morality—which is the base of all realizations. Generally, Sangha have more time to practice Dharma than lay people. This is because many lay people get caught in family life and there is no time to practice and actualizing the path becomes very difficult. Due to having more freedom to practice, Sangha can develop renunciation and then compassion. This is why it is very important to have the motivation to request the guru for blessings to be able to uphold the three higher trainings and receive liberation.

Your view depends on how pure or impure your mind is. What you see on the outside is all according to your mind. The more impure your mind is, the more impure things appear outside. If your mind is more pure, you will see things outside as pure also. To a Buddha, whatever appears is only a pure appearance—negative imprints are totally removed, and there is no dualistic view.

Attachment and anger arise only after you discriminate “good” or “bad.” Lama Tsongkhapa mentioned this in Lamrim Chenmo:

Ignorance, which is in the nature of exaggeration, exaggerates the differentiation into

good and bad. Then attachment and anger arise. Therefore, the way of holding [objects]

by these [wrong concepts] can also be gotten rid of by logic.

Real pleasure is a hallucination. You must recognize the nature of suffering in samsara. The renunciation of samsara is so important because you are constantly suffering until you are free from it. The more you enjoy samsaric pleasures, the more dissatisfied you become. Drinking alcohol, taking drugs, relationships, sex—all of this leads to more dissatisfaction. It all makes your life so difficult and after death then your new home is in the lower realms. This whole mistake is due to ignorance.

By thinking of others’ suffering you can't relax! You have to practice Dharma; you have to at least recite OM MANI PADME HUM to purify them, free them from samsara, and bring them to enlightenment. Even if you don’t know anything or don’t accept Dharma, if you have a good heart you can help people and protect them from suffering.

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For link to transcript & more:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/practicing-morality-is-easy-when-you-know-real-pleasure-is-a-hallucination/

First, Rinpoche discussed the three-story Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) statue being built in Maratika, Nepal, to pacify war, famine, and disease—and, of course, for all the six-realm sentient beings, who have been suffering from beginningless rebirths, to be free from samsara and achieve enlightenment.

Then, Rinpoche discusses the Maitreya Buddha statue being built in Bodhgaya, India, on the land offered to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This statue is also being built to pacify war, famine, and disease.

Rinpoche explains that one can never know what is going to happen. There are earthquakes, landslides, flooding, and other disasters of the elements. There can also be viruses, famine, war—all kinds of things can happen in samsara. Even in places like Germany, no one expected flash floods there, but they occurred. These dangers actually come from people’s minds, from their karma. So even in an area where a certain disaster wouldn’t be expected, it can happen. Most people don’t have the merit to understand karma, so they believe in the wrong things and attribute causes to the wrong things.

Because Buddhism explains the mind, studying it is important, Rinpoche says, even if you don’t believe it! Even if you are not practicing or believing, you are developing wisdom by studying the Dharma.

Due to practicing Dharma, karma can ripen as suffering in this life rather than in the hell realm. This is due to purification from practicing virtue. Instead of having to experience the heaviest suffering for eons, the karma ripens as some catastrophe in this life, and then there will be happiness in the future.

Rinpoche illustrates this point, quoting Kadampa Geshe Kharag Gomchung from Mind Training: The Seventy-Two Exhortations:

Even this small present suffering

Finishes past heavy negative karma,

And then in the future there will be happiness.

Therefore, feel happy with your suffering.

Rinpoche then discusses verses 85–87 from Lama Chopa:

Realizing how this perfect human body of freedoms and richnesses

Is found only one time, is difficult to find again, and easily perishes,

Please bless me to make it meaningful and take its essence,

Without being distracted by the meaningless activities of this life.

Being afraid of the blazing suffering of the lower realms,

Please bless me to voluntarily persevere in

Going for refuge from my heart to the Three Rare Sublime Ones,

Abandoning negative karma, and practicing all the collections of virtue.

Violently tossed by the waves of afflicted actions and disturbing thoughts,

Harmed by the many water lions of the three types of suffering,

Please bless me to generate a strong wish to be liberated

From the endless and terrifying great ocean of samsara.

The first verse means we must make this perfect human rebirth truly meaningful. Then, we request the guru for blessings to go for refuge, abandon negative karma, and practice virtue. Rinpoche uses Milarepa as an example of how to practice this. Milarepa took on hardships purposefully. Many thought he was very poor and had nothing—but he achieved the whole path to enlightenment. Many people might think, “I have a job, I have money, I have an education.” They achieved whatever they needed to achieve, but they are still suffering in samsara because they don’t know Dharma.

Rinpoche emphasizes that it is so important to request the guru for blessings to generate a strong wish to be liberated from the great ocean of samsara. We should request this single-pointedly, making the strongest request.

This is the motivation we should have for listening to the teachings.

Rinpoche reminds us that our personal suffering in samsara is nothing compared to that of numberless sentient beings, who have suffered since beginningless rebirths. Practicing the higher training of morality is the foundation for helping all the numberless sentient beings. We are solely responsible for freeing them from oceans of samsaric suffering and bringing them to full enlightenment.

In order to do this, we need to achieve enlightenment so that we can do perfect work for others. To do this we need to be free from samsara. And to do that we must actualize the three higher trainings of morality, concentration, and wisdom. Rinpoche explains that the higher training of morality is the very foundation, and so it is most important to practice morality. "So therefore, now SANGHA—for yourself to end samsara as quickly as possible and achieve enlightenment to help numberless sentient beings, so then it is better to be a monk or nun," Rinpoche concludes.

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For links to the transcript and more:

https://fpmt.org/lama-zopa-rinpoche-news-and-advice/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche/the-higher-training-of-morality-is-the-foundation-for-helping-sentient-beings/

Rinpoche describes how to start the day with a bodhicitta motivation and a meditation on impermanence-death. We should think how wonderful it is to wake up alive again as a human being. Every second of our life is more precious than the whole sky filled with wish-granting jewels. By reflecting on impermanence and the precious human rebirth, we should determine to practice the three levels of teachings based on correctly devoting ourselves to the virtuous friend.

After that, Rinpoche advises to think, ‘I’m going to die today.’ By thinking like this, you’ll engage in practice, and you’ll be prepared for death. Then, the question arises, ‘What should I do?’ The answer is to cherish other sentient beings. By thinking of the shortcomings of self-cherishing and the benefits of cherishing others, we then engage in tong-len practice. From this, we conclude to never separate from bodhicitta. In this way, all our activities become the cause of enlightenment.

Rinpoche completes the oral transmission of the Arya Sanghata Sutra and talks about the benefits of this sutra. He says that even hearing one word of it brings unimaginable purification.

Rinpoche says that for all attendees who undertook hardships to complete the retreat, there’s some benefit. However, he emphasizes that intellectual understanding is one thing, but what he is really looking for is practice and to have some effect, some change in the heart.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche goes into detail about incense offerings and describes how they can become a means for healing illnesses. He says that most sicknesses are related to spirits. He explains how reciting Hayagriva and Vajrapani mantras can cure cancer because Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda protects sentient beings from nagas’ harms. He also relates a story about how Guru Padmasambhava did an incense puja to protect Songtsen Gampo and his wife from sickness due to pollution. After the puja, they were completely healed.

Rinpoche describes the visualization for offering the bell. He says that after offering the bell to the guru, when you ring it again, all the hell beings hear the sound and realize emptiness. Again, as you ring the bell, all the pretas, animals, human beings, sura, asura, and intermediate stage beings hear it and realize emptiness.

Rinpoche describes the offering mandala with the golden earth, golden base, four continents, and Mount Meru. He says that it becomes a pure land, and you should visualize it as whichever pure land you want to be reborn in. Then, you think that sentient beings are born there, receive teachings from the buddha of that pure land, and become enlightened. Rinpoche emphasizes that the minute you visualize the mandala offering, you must offer it immediately.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that to build the Maitreya Buddha statue as quickly as possible, many sangha and students have been reciting this sutra. Rinpoche explains that this project requires a lot of merit due to the inconceivable benefit that it will bring to sentient beings.

Rinpoche describes how thousands of pilgrims will come to see the Maitreya statue every day. Due to the power of the holy object, they will be liberated from samsara. Rinpoche emphasizes that the existence of these holy objects makes it unbelievably easy for us ordinary sentient beings, who don’t have special realizations, to create the cause for enlightenment. Every time we offer one stick of incense, a flower, or anything else to the holy object, we create the cause for enlightenment.

Rinpoche says that Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche explained that having received the oral transmission of the Arya Sanghata Sutra makes a huge difference when you read it. After receiving the transmission, the power of the merit of reading it once is equivalent to reading it one hundred times. Thus, Rinpoche begins the oral transmission of the Arya Sanghata Sutra and completes the first section.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche emphasizes that everything must be neat with the filling of different mantras in different parts of the stupa. The mantras should not be upside down as this can cause obstacles. The print should be perfectly clear without any smudges. Additionally, the person filling the stupa should be a devoted practitioner.

Rinpoche recites the Requesting Prayer to the Lineage Lamas and clarifies some of the translations. In particular, he queries the use of ‘as’ in the phrase, ‘to see the guru as Buddha’.

Rinpoche explains that when ringing the bell at the end of mantra recitation, the meaning is to bring our awareness into emptiness. The bell signifies the wisdom of emptiness. At all other times, the meaning is an offering. Thus, when we use the bell, we shouldn’t just play it, rather we should make an offering.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that one time he went to Chenrezig Institute and noticed that the atmosphere had changed. It had become very peaceful and calm. Then, he realized it was because of the new prayer wheel. This was one of the first prayer wheels in the FPMT organization. Rinpoche says that the prayer wheel inspiration came from Geshe Lama Konchog, who told him where he could find a text that refers to the incredible benefits of prayer wheels. Rinpoche read this text, put it on his head, and declared that he would spread this practice all over the world.

Rinpoche talks about Geshe Lama Konchog, who left five-colored relics. He says that these relics are very unusual; they indicate someone who has attained Buddha’s five wisdoms. Rinpoche praises the way Geshe Lama Konchog lived austerely and practiced Dharma.

Rinpoche also discusses Zina’s life story and the emergence of the FPMT organization. He talks about how they first met in Darjeeling and how she passed away while doing a long retreat in Nepal. Rinpoche says that he checked with two lamas, and both asserted that she had gone to a pure realm.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche then recites the increasing effect mantra, the mala blessing mantra, and the mantra for blessing the feet. He describes the benefits of these mantras.

Next, he gives the oral transmission and a detailed commentary of the blessing the speech practice. He says that if you do this practice, it perfects the power of speech, increases whatever recitation you do by ten million times, and prevents the power of mantra being destroyed by black foods. He describes the visualizations, mantras, and prayers of this practice.

To conclude, Rinpoche asserts that everyone should recite Chenrezig and Medicine Buddha mantras. The Chenrezig mantra is needed to develop compassion, achieve bodhicitta, and fulfill the wishes of all beings. The Medicine Buddha mantra is needed for success as it pacifies obstacles. Rinpoche says that as long as you are still breathing, even if you don’t do other prayers, you should at least recite these two mantras.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that all happiness comes from bodhicitta. Whatever way we can benefit others, we must do it. To illustrate, he gives the example of a van that Roger bought, and they covered with mantras, images of deities, and Dharma messages. In this way, whoever sees, touches, remembers, or dreams of this van purifies all their sufferings and achieves enlightenment.

Rinpoche says that there’s nobody to work for except other sentient beings. To free them from all suffering and bring them to enlightenment, you first need to achieve the omniscient mind and then full enlightenment. To do that, you need to actualize the steps of the path to enlightenment. Rinpoche explains that this means not just meditating on what you like and leaving aside what you don’t like, such as the lower realm sufferings or impermanence and death. Without renunciation of samsara, you cannot realize compassion and bodhicitta. Thus, you cannot enter the Mahayana path.

Having the realization of bodhicitta is not enough, one must also realize emptiness through dependent arising. Rinpoche says that the borderline of existing and not existing is extremely subtle. Phenomena exist in mere name, merely imputed by mind. He says that the analysis of emptiness is completed when one realizes the unification of emptiness and dependent arising. If it comes to this point of realizing the subtle dependent arising, then your realization of emptiness is correct. If it doesn’t lead to this point—if it leads to either nihilism or externalism—that is not realizing the Middle Way view.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that it’s important to know the benefits of making holy objects and how they offer extensive benefits to sentient beings. He outlines the ten benefits of building a stupa according to Puten Rinpoche. He also talks about the eighteen benefits of building a stupa mentioned in the Sutra Clarifying the Aspects of Karma (which are similar to the ten benefits mentioned by Puten Rinpoche).

Next, Rinpoche explains the mantra to recite before building a stupa and the mantras to place inside the life-tree of the stupa. He outlines the enormous benefits of these mantras. He also talks about the mala blessing mantras, which multiply the number of mantras and the merit. He says that this is a way to take the greatest benefit in your life.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche continues reading the Mahamudra lineage prayer and explains how to meditate on the points. He says that by knowing the life stories of the lineage lamas, so much faith is generated. For example, by knowing Lama Tsongkhapa’s life story, it’s easier to develop devotion. Rinpoche also explains how to see each lineage lama and your own guru as one. He says that when we say ‘Lama Tsongkhapa’, it’s not that. ‘Lama’ means your own root guru, so you are looking at it as one. In this way, the Mahamudra lineage prayer is combined with guru yoga.

Rinpoche cites a lama who said, ‘I have no other meditation except the guru’. By this, he meant there’s no deity you visualize that is not the guru.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche reads the bodhicitta motivation aimed toward freeing hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, sura beings, asura beings, and intermediate state beings. He continues with the tsog offering and Praise in Eight Lines. He says that it’s important to make strong requests to actualize the three principals of the path in this very lifetime without delay.

Rinpoche concludes with dedications and the Medicine Buddha practice. He explains how to visualize and pray to each of the seven Medicine Buddhas, while dedicating it to those who are sick as well as those who have passed away.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche reads the bodhicitta motivation aimed toward freeing hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, sura beings, asura beings, and intermediate state beings. He continues with the tsog offering and Praise in Eight Lines. He says that it’s important to make strong requests to actualize the three principals of the path in this very lifetime without delay.

Rinpoche concludes with dedications and the Medicine Buddha practice. He explains how to visualize and pray to each of the seven Medicine Buddhas, while dedicating it to those who are sick as well as those who have passed away.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org//

Rinpoche mentions that watching TV can waste time and life. Like many activities, if it’s following the evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas, then so much life is wasted. However, he says that if you watch with the idea of lamrim and think about how samsara is in the nature of suffering, it becomes inspiration to seek liberation. You can see how people are totally living in hallucination.

Rinpoche talks about the correct motivation to have when raising a child. He suggests viewing them with compassion as one of the numberless sentient beings, not as an object of attachment and self-cherishing. He also elaborates on the proper attitude to have when offering charity to a beggar and helping in a Dharma center. He says that it’s very important to have the proper motivation to make your activities beneficial. This makes life meaningful.

Rinpoche discusses universal education. He says that education about how to live life inwardly is more important than external aspects, but this is lacking in schools, colleges, and universities. If people aren’t educated about the good heart, then whatever they do only becomes a cause of samsara. Thus, people need education about the good heart; they need to learn the psychology of how attachment destroys life. They also need to learn tolerance, patience, rejoicing, and forgiveness. Rinpoche says these qualities are essential for living a happy and meaningful life.

Rinpoche concludes by talking about prostrations. He says that this is another extremely important daily practice to make life meaningful. He outlines the ten benefits of prostrations and describes how to do them properly. Rinpoche says that how much purification and merit you attain mainly depends on the quality of your prostrations not the quantity.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that he wants to speak out on behalf of all the millipedes, worms, and other insects. He says that it’s important to help insects circumambulate holy objects. He mentions several stories about insects that collected merit in this way and then later attained a higher rebirth. In the same way, we can bring countless benefits to insects and animals by taking them around relics, statues, stupas, and scriptures. It directs their life towards enlightenment, it’s only going up.

Rinpoche states that the essence of Buddhism is compassion. Buddha was inspired by compassion to achieve enlightenment, complete the two types of merit, and show us the whole path to enlightenment. Thus, holy objects have so much power because they came from Buddha’s compassion.

Rinpoche talks about the realization of remembering the kindness of each insect by recognizing that it has been our mother numberless times. We should feel like that with every sentient being—whether it’s a person or an insect—anyone you see, then immediately you feel that they are so kind, precious, and close to your heart.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Next, Rinpoche discusses how the first realization of lamrim is to switch from thinking about the happiness of this life to thinking about future lives. This transformation is achieved by training the mind in the eight freedoms, ten richnesses, impermanence, the sufferings of the lower realms, refuge, and karma. In this way, the happiness of this life becomes unimportant because there’s no attachment to the four desirable objects (pleasure, material gain, praise, and good reputation). When there’s attachment to these objects, there’s no inner peace and happiness because you never get satisfaction by following desire. While the mind is totally overwhelmed by attachment, there’s no space for loving kindness and compassion. At that time, the mind is not thinking about impermanence and death. Moreover, it obscures one from seeing the ultimate nature of the I, the aggregates, and phenomena.

Rinpoche says that until we have the realization of renunciation of samsara, we have to meditate on true suffering and the cause of suffering. This becomes the preliminary. Afterwards, the thought to free others from samsara arises, which makes it easy to generate compassion. From this, great compassion arises, and this leads to bodhicitta. However, if renunciation to one’s own samsara is not felt strongly, then you won’t have much thought of becoming free from this. Then, there’s no real feeling of deep compassion; it becomes just words. Then, bodhicitta—the thought to achieve enlightenment for them—also becomes just words.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche advises that before death comes, we must ensure that we have a good rebirth. This is not the ultimate achievement of this life; however, if we’re unable to achieve enlightenment in this life, we need a good rebirth (either in a pure land or the perfect human rebirth) to complete the path to enlightenment.

Rinpoche highlights how all the suffering in this life is the result of self-cherishing. Conversely, all happiness and realizations of the path to enlightenment are the result of bodhicitta. Bodhicitta comes from the root, compassion. Compassion is generated by depending on the kindness of every single sentient being. Therefore, all our present, past, and future happiness—including enlightenment—is received by the kindness of every sentient being. Rinpoche encourages us to meditate on the kindness we’ve received from every hell being, preta being, hungry ghost, animal, human being, sura being, asura being, and intermediate stage being. Rinpoche concludes by stating that there’s nobody to cherish other than sentient beings. Therefore, we must free them from all suffering and its causes and lead them to enlightenment. With this motivation, we take the oral transmissions and recite the mantras.

Rinpoche bestows the oral transmissions of the Mitukpa, Kunrig, Namgyalma (short version), and Stainless Pinnacle mantras. He also bestows the Milarepa mantra, which he received from His Holiness Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche, who is the incarnation of Marpa’s son, Dharma Dode. Lama Zopa says that the Milarepa mantra is also a powerful purification for a dying person. Reciting it causes you to be born in the pure land of Milarepa, and then you receive teachings from Milarepa.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche advises that when the chants are done nicely, it brings several benefits. It moves the minds of sentient beings and helps transform their minds into Dharma. When the chants are done slowly, they help by giving one time to think about the deep meaning of the meditation. The tunes can also persuade the holy minds of the protectors. Thus, the chanting can both benefit sentient beings and be an offering to the merit field.

Rinpoche demonstrates the chants and suggests recording, practicing, and writing down the rhythms. He gives detailed instructions of the chants and shows the differences between the slow and fast chants.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Next, Rinpoche analyses the existence of the letter M. He distinguishes between the base and the label of the letter M. He says that the minute you see M on the base, it’s mistaken. When you see a real M, in the sense of independent and existing from its own side, this is a hallucination. If you search for the M in any of the lines or in the collection of all these lines together, you can’t find it.

Rinpoche highlights the difference between the Prasangika and Svatantrika schools. He says that in the Svatantrika view, the I is findable on the aggregates; it is findable on the base. However, in the Prasangika school, it is unfindable.

Rinpoche says that the first thing we have to realize is that the real I as it appears to us—in the sense of independent, truly existent from its own side—is totally empty. He explains that everything is merely imputed by the mind—the label, the base, everything. Everything exists in mere name and is totally empty of existing from its own side.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that it’s a very good meditation to continuously practice mindfulness by looking at life as like a dream. Similarly, when we recite the Heart Sutra, we use the word “no” on the merely labeled aggregates, form, feeling, cognition, consciousness. We use the word “no” like an atomic bomb thrown over the object of ignorance, which is the I appearing as a real one existing from its own side.

Rinpoche explains how Lama Atisha used the word “AH” instead of “no” when reciting the Heart Sutra. He would say “AH form, AH sound” instead of “no form, no sound”. The reason is because AH is one syllable of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, which encompasses the heart of the 84,000 teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. “AH” is a negative word, the same as “no”; it negates the hallucination of true existence.

Rinpoche states that Buddha liberates us by revealing the truth, and it’s only the wisdom realizing emptiness that can directly remove our delusions. So, it’s important to be continually mindful of looking at the hallucination as a hallucination. Rinpoche says that we should use the dream in the place of no or AH and put the dream over the hallucination. When you practice mindfulness of this continuously, it brings you to the point of realizing emptiness (or at least reducing anger and attachment).

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche advises that we should put effort into lamrim, guru devotion, and the three principals of the path every day. Next, we should put effort into tantra because life is short, and it can end at any time. Even if we can’t attain tantric realizations, we should at least leave an imprint for future lives.

Rinpoche warns that if you’re interested in tantra and spend the whole time on the sadhana, but leave out the lamrim, you can’t accomplish much. If you don’t have lamrim realizations, you can’t succeed in tantra.

Rinpoche says that there are two prayers that are essential to read every day: a lamrim prayer (such as The Foundation of Good Qualities or Hymns of the Experience of the Path) and another prayer of the graduate path of tantra of your deity. These prayers plant the seeds for the whole lamrim path and the whole tantric stages of the path of your deity. Each time you do this, it plants the seeds for the complete path to enlightenment. In this way, you make your life closer to enlightenment.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

‘A star, a mirage, the flame of a lamp,

An illusion, a drop of dew, or a bubble,

A dream, a flash of lightning, a cloud—

See conditioned things as such!’

Rinpoche explains that the transitory nature of phenomena encompasses gross, subtle, and extremely subtle impermanence. Gross impermanence can be seen in how a flower wilts throughout the day or the ageing of our bodies over time. The changes that occur minute-by-minute and second-by-second are more subtle. Then, the changes within a second are extremely subtle.

In reality, these changes are occurring minute-by-minute, second-by-second and even within the second, but we have a hallucination of permanence. We believe the concept of permanence. According to our projection, this beautiful body or this beautiful flower will always be like this.

Rinpoche highlights that there’s a huge difference between following the thought of impermanence as opposed to permanence. If you practice mindfulness of this stanza, immediately you find peace in your heart. The minute you reflect on impermanence, desire is stopped. All your problems cease because you have no reason to cling to objects or get angry. In this way, you’re giving yourself freedom to achieve liberation. Conversely, when you follow the concept of permanence, you’re putting yourself in the prison of samsara. Thus, meditating on this stanza is unbelievably important.

Rinpoche details how phenomena don’t exist as they appear. It’s like an illusion. They exist in mere name, merely imputed by the mind. They do not exist from their own side.

Rinpoche talks about the extremely subtle borderline between whether the I exists or doesn’t exist. It’s not completely nonexistent, but it’s like nonexistent. He says it’s easy to think it doesn’t exist and fall into nihilism. Many famous meditators in the past either fell into nihilism or eternalism because they were unable to see the middle way. Rinpoche praises Lama Tsongkhapa for making the clearest explanation of the right view and clarifying the extremely subtle point of dependent arising. He says that this is one of the special qualities of Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching.

Rinpoche urges us to practice recognizing the hallucination as hallucination. He says that if you hold onto things as true, then that becomes the basis for all the other delusions and the cause of samsara.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Lama Zopa Rinpoche shares his personal experience of supporting an ex-monk while he was dying. He says that the line in the text—“When I become as rigid as earth and stone”—was exactly how the man’s body felt. He also explains how the ex-monk knew how to transfer his consciousness but couldn’t accomplish this because of his attachment to shak (the butter that rises at the top of butter tea). His guru knew this, so he sent someone to tell him that there was better butter in the Tushita pure land. Rinpoche says that we can also help a dying person by telling them that whatever they are attached to (friends, cats, etc.) is better and more abundant in the pure realm.

Rinpoche advises that it’s important to mention the name of a pure land (Amitabha pure land or Tushita pure land), as it gives the person something to hold onto. Rinpoche says that Amitabha pure land is the easiest one for ordinary sentient beings to be born in because the bodhisattva, Rim of the Spoke made so many prayers in the presence of the Buddha, Tathagata Essence of Jewel for sentient beings. In the case of Tushita, you need very pure morality to be born there.

Rinpoche invites a discussion by asking whether it’s virtue if you generate a motivation of bodhicitta, but when you do the actual meditation, you’re spaced out. He concludes the discussion by clarifying that there’s no wisdom there. It’s ignorance. It doesn’t lead to liberation; it only becomes an obstacle for liberation.

In continuing the oral transmission, Rinpoche discusses holy substances and relics that are placed in the mouth at the time of death. He says that these substances are very powerful in preventing rebirth in the lower realms. He also talks about three types of holy grass.

Rinpoche concludes by explaining the preparations for sutra mahamudra and tantric mahamudra. He highlights that guru devotion is the root of path. Strong devotion, in turn, depends on strong purification and extensive merit.

Rinpoche explains that having studied the whole Madhyamika subject and knowing it by heart, if there’s no strong guru devotion, extensive merit, and powerful purification, then it cannot click in your mind. It’s there, but you can’t recognize it. However, with intensive devotion, powerful purification, blessings, and imprints from past lives, you can realize emptiness just by hearing two or three words. At that moment, when all the causes and conditions are there, everything clicks, and you can realize emptiness.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche explains that rebirth in the deva realm makes it much harder to generate renunciation compared to the human realm. He likens this difference to the monks in Lhasa who came from wealthy families living nearby. They had a lot of distractions and often couldn’t complete their studies. In contrast, many of those from remote regions became great scholars. They lived a real ascetic life in the monastery; their whole attention was focused on study. He gives the example of Geshe Rabten Rinpoche, who was not just a great scholar but also a great yogi.

Rinpoche says that real Dharma practice is letting go of the evil thought of attachment to the eight worldly dharmas. Due to self-cherishing, clinging to this life arises. When our actions are stained by clinging to this life, they become non-virtuous. Thus, the self-cherishing thought is so harmful, it makes our precious human life totally empty.

Rinpoche completes the last section of Pabongkapa Dechen Nyingpo’s discourse: “Part eight: How to combine the elements of taking refuge and reflecting on the suffering of the lower states in order to meditate on them jointly”. He explains that the main point is that if you have the right doctor and the right prescription, you need to follow them. Your goal is to achieve liberation from samsara; therefore, you need to realize true suffering, the true cause of suffering, and then actualize the true path. So, you start with the renunciation of samsara by relying on the one who reveals the path, the Sangha.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche continues by reading “Part Seven: Training yourself in the practice of taking refuge.” Rinpoche says that we collect enormous merit each time we take refuge. He then invites a discussion by asking whether a person who abstains from negative actions but hasn’t taken refuge is a Buddhist or not? After some discussion, Rinpoche clarifies that for your action to become Buddhist, it has to be done by relying on Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

Rinpoche elaborates that refuge may not necessarily mean reciting the prayer. Rather, it is the mental factor of having refuge in your heart by understanding that samsara is in the nature of suffering and that the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha have the qualities to liberate you from this suffering. Additionally, for Mahayana refuge, there’s the extra cause of compassion for other sentient beings. Rinpoche emphasizes that these three aspects are the main components; however, reciting the refuge prayer also helps by making your refuge stronger.

Rinpoche concludes by stating that refuge is the basis of all the vows. It is the door of the Buddhadharma. Without refuge, you haven’t entered Buddhadharma; you are an outsider. By having refuge in your mind, in your heart, then you’re an insider.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche advises that if you really understand the mind and practice awareness, you’ll realize that there’s no inherently existent harm coming from sentient beings’ side. It’s your own negative mind (past karma) that has caused sentient beings to harm you back. If we analyze situations in this way, we see that the person who’s harming us is only an object of compassion.

Rinpoche reminds us to practice mindfulness of guru devotion. We should think about how the aspect of the guru, which is showing an ordinary aspect, is unbelievably important for us. Due to our impure minds, we can only receive guidance through this aspect. Thus, all the buddhas guide us through this ordinary aspect. When we obtain advice, we should think that this advice is all the buddhas’ advice.

Rinpoche continues the oral transmission of How to Meditate on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (from Pabongkapa Dechen Nyingpo’s Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand). He reads parts 3, 4, and 5, which refer to an extraordinary meditation technique that will bring great progress, realizations related to leisure and fortune, and impermanence. Regarding impermanence, Rinpoche advises us to think seriously about our own death so that we pursue Dharma practice without any delay. Also, when other people die, it reminds us to pay attention to our own life and practice seriously. Rinpoche concludes by sharing some remarkable stories about the sudden death of one of the Kopan geshes, Geshe Losang Jamyang. He says that it was a great loss as he was a very humble and learned monk.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche continues bestowing the oral transmission of The Confession of Downfalls to the Thirty-Five Buddhas, beginning with Infinite Splendor. He outlines how each Buddha purifies negative karma.

Rinpoche says that reciting the names of the thirty-five Buddhas purifies negative karma because in the past, when they were bodhisattvas, they made strong prayers to benefit us. In the same way, Rinpoche advises that we should pray that we will be able to help sentient beings in the future when we become enlightened. He says we should follow the example of the Medicine Buddha and the thirty-five Buddhas.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche revises the discussion from the previous evening about not seeing faults in the guru. He urges us to transform the poison into nectar by using the perceived mistake to strengthen our guru devotion. He says that it’s important to always have the idea that the guru is showing us an ordinary aspect. The reason is that without showing this ordinary aspect—which, by definition, has mistakes—we would be lost without a guide. It would be like a baby left in a hot desert.

Rinpoche also emphasizes the idea of the primordial unified savior or the all-pervasive Vajradhara. If we keep this idea of the real meaning of the guru, we can see all our past-life gurus as just one being, the primordial dharmakaya. From that, we can appreciate the guru’s kindness. We can see that the eight freedoms and ten richnesses are all due to the guru’s kindness. For example, having a human body came from pure morality in the past, which is the guru’s kindness of teaching us about karma.

Rinpoche says that the heart practice is to reflect only on the qualities (not the mistakes) of the valid guru, who is the originator of all the realizations you attain up to enlightenment. So, in any circumstances, keep this as the heart practice and maintain this commitment. Rinpoche reminds us that to receive the realizations depends on receiving the blessing of the guru, and the blessing of the guru comes from guru devotion.

Rinpoche concludes this session by discussing two mantras: the mantra of the bodhisattva Eliminating the Defilements, which purifies the karmic torture at the time of death, and the mantra to purify the pollution of consuming offerings. He then begins the oral transmission of The Confession of Downfalls to the Thirty-Five Buddhas by outlining the benefits of reciting each buddha’s name. He covers the names from Guru Shakyamuni to the Tathagata Infinite Splendor.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that all the purification practices are encompassed within guru devotion. For example, when Milarepa was building the tower and being scolded by Marpa, this contained many hundred thousand prostrations. Each time Marpa scolded him, it purified so much negative karma.

Rinpoche advises us to take a long-term view and plan to study the lamrim over many lifetimes. He cites His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who often tells Westerners not to expect realizations instantly.

Rinpoche shares some past stories about Zina and the establishment of the Kopan courses and FPMT centres. He explains how he first received Kachen Yeshe Gyaltsen’s lamrim text, The Great Commentary on Thought Transformation, from a Sherpa man who’d met the Lawudo Lama. Rinpoche brought the text with him when he went to Solu Khumbu to build the monastery there, and he based his first Kopan course on it. Thus, he says that all the Kopan courses and starting the centers basically came from the lamrim teachings of Kachen Yeshe Gyaltsen. Rinpoche adds that, of course, without Lama Yeshe nothing would have happened, even reading this teaching wouldn’t have happened.

Rinpoche explains how guru devotion and the good heart help each other. Guru devotion makes you practice the good heart, and the good heart then causes you to correctly devote to the virtuous friend to be able to benefit sentient beings.

Rinpoche illustrates how to train the mind in guru devotion. He says that one buddha is all the gurus, and one guru is all the buddhas. The key for guru devotion is to understand how objects appear according to our karma. If the mind is not purified, you can’t see the aspect of a buddha. Therefore, the only option is for buddhas to manifest in ordinary form.

Rinpoche says that guru devotion is the most important subject in mahamudra because without the strong purification that comes from deep devotion that can receive the blessing of the guru, you can’t realize emptiness. Rinpoche emphasizes that to realize emptiness, to realize mahamudra, you need so much merit.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that until your mind labels a problem, there is no appearance of a problem. The problem only comes into existence after your mind labels it. To illustrate, Rinpoche uses the example of patience. If we label someone who harms us as a teacher of patience, there’s no problem. We would only see them as beneficial and kind. However, if we lack patience and put a negative label on the person who is harming us, anger arises. We would see that person as totally bad, whereas with patience, we see them as the most precious one in our life.

Rinpoche invites a discussion on this topic by posing the question: “Is the M in the mind or outside?” This stimulates a discussion on whether the base and the label are inside or outside the mind. Rinpoche also asks: “When you go shopping, is the department store in your mind or not?”

Rinpoche ends by highlighting that just as the M is in the mind, then it’s the same thing when you go shopping. The shopkeepers, the department store, the whole building, all the billions of things would be in your mind. Everything comes from the mind.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

In preparation for death, Rinpoche advises those who have taken Highest Tantra initiation and done the enabling retreat to do self-initiation. He says this is best done daily. He also mentions how he read the Heruka middle version self-initiation to Lama Yeshe while he was passing away.

Rinpoche discusses the powerful purification of reciting the names of the Thirty-five Buddhas and combining this with prostrations. He says this purifies many eons of negative karma, so you don’t have to experience the four suffering results. In the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, this is a very important daily practice. Rinpoche gives specific details about how to do the practice. He also describes how to do the Vajrasattva purification meditation by combining it with circumambulation. Rinpoche says that you collect unbelievable merit by circumambulating.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche talks about the importance of Sangha as role models. He says learning the words is incredible, but without practice, it’s like a tape-recorder. When someone has meditated on lamrim, they can teach with experience.

Rinpoche introduces the main topic of discussion about caring for aged Sangha by suggesting that there should be several places organized in different countries rather than only one place. He then invites people to express their ideas. Eecie Hursthouse (director of Amitabha Hospice Service) discusses the three different needs of elderly Sangha (spiritual, physical, and social needs). Mary, a district nurse, talks about her experiences and the aged care support services available in Australia. Ven. Roger Kunsang talks about his preference to die alone. Ven. Tardo expresses her agreement with Ven. Roger. Ven. Yeshe Khadro gives some examples of people who have died and their experiences. Ven. Chonyi talks about the enormous variation in what people want when they’re dying and the need for financial support. Ven. Lhundrup agrees with Ven. Roger and talks about the building facilities that older Sangha may require. Ven. Pende discusses the building facilities at Nalanda Monastery for the purpose of supporting aged Sangha. Several other speakers contribute to the discussion by sharing their personal experiences and suggestions.

Following this, Rinpoche gives a presentation about how to have a peaceful death. He illustrates the importance of Dharma practice for a peaceful death by sharing several personal stories, including stories about Gen Jampa Wangdu and his realizations. Rinpoche says that protecting our karma during our lifetime is what makes death peaceful and fearless. Protecting our karma means not harming other sentient beings. Thus, the best preparation for death is to practice the good heart in everyday life.

Rinpoche concludes by reminding students to meditate on how everything comes from the mind. This understanding will then lead to knowledge of what is a false view and what is a correct view. Rinpoche emphasizes that this is an extremely important meditation for both old and new students.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche highlights the preciousness of this perfect human body. He says that it is more precious than the whole sky filled with wish-granting jewels. So, if we don’t get to practice Dharma for even a second, this would be a great loss. Thus, we must bear hardships to practice Dharma. If you don’t bear the hardships, you cannot practice Dharma, and then you will become lazy and waste your precious human body.

Rinpoche reminds us that we experience hardships because we are in samsara. Our body and mind came from karma and delusion, so they are in the nature of suffering. If we don’t practice Dharma because of the hardships, then we’ll be in samsara forever. We’ll never get free from the oceans of samsaric suffering.

The duration of this perfect human rebirth is very short, and it can stop at any moment. Therefore, we need to develop our mind in the stages of the path to enlightenment.

Rinpoche gives a clear description of how to meditate on the lamrim through daily meditations of the lower capable being. He stresses that it’s important to meditate on several points (guru devotion, perfect human rebirth, impermanence-death, renunciation), as if you only meditate on one aspect throughout your life, you may not achieve even that realization. He also stresses that bodhicitta can only be attained after realizing renunciation.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche highlights that the purpose of our life is to free all sentient beings from suffering and cause them happiness. He says that working for others accomplishes two purposes: others’ happiness and our own happiness. Thus, working for others’ happiness has limitless skies of benefit. To illustrate this, Rinpoche gives an example from the Avatamsaka Sutra, which describes how one person with bodhicitta offering a tiny flower to the Buddha collects far greater merit than if all sentient beings living in the great three thousand universes built stupas made of jewels that covered the entire universe. From this example, you can understand how bodhicitta is the treasure of merit.

Rinpoche says that all the infinite qualities of Buddha’s holy body, speech, and mind came from bodhicitta. The Buddha came from a bodhisattva, and bodhisattvas come from bodhicitta. Thus, all one’s past, present, and future happiness come from bodhicitta.

Rinpoche also explains how the development of bodhicitta depends on suffering sentient beings. He says that bodhicitta came from great compassion and great compassion is generated by depending on the existence of suffering beings. Therefore, these sentient beings are unbelievably precious.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche emphasizes that the meditations for the graduate path of the lower capable being (the eight freedoms and ten richnesses, the great meaning and difficulty to find again, impermanence and death, the lower realm sufferings, karma) are very important for the success of actualizing the whole path. Without these foundations, you can’t have the next realizations, renunciation and bodhicitta. Without bodhicitta, you have no door to enter the Mahayana path to enlightenment, so you can’t complete the tantric path. Therefore, these meditations are the foundation for all those other paths.

Rinpoche describes the eight freedoms and ten richnesses. He urges us to reflect on these points. By doing so, we will realize that we must practice Dharma immediately. Rinpoche says that these meditations will give us hope and courage to defeat the eight worldly dharmas.

Rinpoche bestows the lung of the mahamudra root text and ends the session with an extensive dedication prayer and multiplying mantras.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche gives instructions on how to meditate on this view. He explains the meaning of “form is empty” and “emptiness is form.” He shows how these lines present the Middle Way view: “form is empty” eliminates the extreme of eternalism; “emptiness is form” eliminates the extreme of nihilism.

Rinpoche also describes how to remove obstacles by meditating on emptiness. Whatever problems you have—sickness, relationship problems, business difficulties—look at them as empty. He mentions Kunkyen Jamyang Shepa, who wrote a text about removing obstacles to travel by understanding how these obstacles are dependently arisen. Meditating on the emptiness of the obstacles dispels them, as it purifies the cause of the problem. Thus, meditating on emptiness is very powerful; it is the best protection.

For those who missed the morning session, Rinpoche gives the lung of Lama Chöpa. He also gives the oral transmissions of the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, the Maitreya Buddha mantra, the auspicious prayer, and his name mantra.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that he received the transmission from a few lamas—His Holiness, of course, and also Trijang Rinpoche and Ling Rinpoche.

Rinpoche explains the many benefits of having received the transmission. It makes our recitations and explanations to others more powerful and beneficial to the mind. Rinpoche gives an example of the Arya Sanghata Sutra. Reciting this sutra just once after having received the lung has the same benefits as reciting it a hundred times without the lung. Also, when we reach a certain level on the path to enlightenment, there’s a point at which you remember all the teachings for which you received the oral transmissions. All these teachings come to your heart instantly. Thus, there are huge differences between having received the lung and not having received the lung. For any prayer we recite, receiving the lung has a great effect.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that keeping the mind in the motivation of bodhicitta is like the sun shining in our life. It makes our life beneficial, satisfying, and fulfilling.

He urges us to practice Dharma as much as possible with our body, speech, and mind. He gives examples of how to do this by reciting mantras while travelling and playing the Arya Sanghata Sutra CD.

Rinpoche says that the first freedom (not being born in the hells) is so precious; similarly, all the rest and each of the richnesses are so precious, so we should not waste our life.

He then talks about the second freedom: the freedom to practice Dharma by not being born as a preta. He describes the sufferings of the preta realm and how impossible it is to practice Dharma in this realm. With this freedom, we can achieve the happiness of future lives. Therefore, this second freedom (like the first one) is more precious than mountains of gold.

Following this, Rinpoche describes the third freedom: the freedom to practice Dharma by not being born as an animal. He describes how animals cannot understand Dharma even if we tried to explain it to them. In comparison, for us as humans, it is so easy to communicate and understand Dharma. This makes our human life incredibly precious, and we must not waste even a second of it. We must learn and practice Dharma.

This session ends with a discussion of the five lay vows and the bestowing of the refuge ceremony.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Regarding the Buddha’s past bodhisattva life stories, Lama Zopa Rinpoche suggests that they need good chanting. In that way, it would appear in the public’s view like singing a song and become even more inspiring. Rinpoche also suggests reading The King of Prayers and The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation for those occasions (birthdays, weddings, etc.). It’s also good to set up extensive offerings, with many light offerings.

Rinpoche briefly discusses the six preparatory practices and then gives a detailed description of the preciousness of this human life, with eight freedoms and ten richnesses. He states that this perfect human rebirth is more precious than mountains of gold.

The first of these eight freedoms—the very beginning of the path to enlightenment—is freedom to practice Dharma by not being born in the hells. He explains the sufferings in each of the hell realms and highlights that freedom from these realms relies on two solutions: purifying past negative karma and vowing not to commit negative karma again. If you only practice purification without taking vows, then the purification practice becomes endless. With these two solutions, you can avoid the suffering of the lower realms and solve the difficulties of this life.

Rinpoche advises that right now, with this freedom to practice Dharma by not being born in a hell realm, you can achieve any happiness you want. If you wish to achieve liberation from samsara and full enlightenment for sentient beings, you can obtain that. Rinpoche says this freedom is more precious than mountains of gold because it allows you to achieve the happiness of future lives. However, it doesn’t last long; it can stop at any time; so, there’s no time for meaningless activities —there’s only time to practice Dharma.

Rinpoche explains that there are many ways to practice Dharma. However, what makes life most meaningful is bodhicitta, which depends on guru devotion. Continuously practicing bodhicitta transforms your life, like transforming iron into gold.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche also recommends reciting the Buddha’s past bodhisattva life stories after doing the Guru Shakyamuni Buddha mantra and meditation. Rinpoche then elaborates on how these life stories can be recited at birthdays, weddings, and New Year celebrations. He says that it can be very inspiring for others, including non-Buddhists. There’s no contradiction for Christians or those of other faiths, as the stories are basically about compassion, benefiting others, and sacrificing your life for others. This is in harmony with Christianity; it’s not an opposing philosophy. So, everyone can recite it together, in the family or in a public place where there are all kinds of different faiths. In this way, people can hear the heart of Mahayana Buddhism.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche reminds us that this doesn’t happen without causes and conditions. It depends on actualizing the path, which removes the gross and subtle defilements. He further illustrates that this path must be a complete path, from beginning to end. We cannot achieve enlightenment by only meditating on some part of the path. We have to learn and practice the whole path to enlightenment, which needs to be actualized step by step. Therefore, we need to follow the steps on the path to enlightenment as Lama Atisha presented. This lamrim teaching contains all the essence of the 84,000 teachings of the Buddha without anything missing. It is set up for graduated practice for one person to achieve enlightenment.

Rinpoche goes through the lamrim outlines and explains how correctly relying on the virtuous friend and the actual training are of equal value. He cites Kyabje Choden Rinpoche who said it is like the two saddle bags you put on a horse; the weight needs to be equal. Lama Zopa Rinpoche says that people normally mistakenly think that the second outline (training the mind) is more important than the first outline (devoting to the virtuous friend), but they are equally important.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche also explains that if a family member has passed away (or is in the process of dying), it’s very good to make offerings on their behalf. He describes how Tibetans commonly do so many things when a family member dies, including making extensive light offerings in holy places. However, more education is needed in the West about the many things that can be done when somebody dies. It’s also very important for the centers to do whatever they can when a family member or student passes away by doing pujas, making extensive offerings, chanting the Chenrezig mantra together, and doing the Thirty-Five Buddha practice. He emphasizes that there are so many good things that can be done.

Rinpoche discusses why the chanting should be done in Tibetan rather than English. One benefit is that it keeps the secrecy of the Guru Puja practice when it’s done in public. If others don’t understand the meaning, there’s no danger of bad thoughts arising. Another benefit is that when chanted slowly, it gives you time to meditate. Also, the chanting came from enlightened beings, so it carries a blessing. Moreover, if the chanting is done well, it moves the mind; it helps to transform the mind more easily. However, Rinpoche adds that for sections of the prayer where there are no verses, where it’s not chantable, it is not necessary to read in Tibetan.

The session concludes with the bodhisattva and tantric vows, Samayavajra visualization, and food offerings. Rinpoche explains the benefits of taking vows, which he describes as the most powerful, most important, fundamental practice.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche instructs that the way to generate regret is by reflecting on the resultant four types of suffering (the result of the complete negative karma, the possessed result to do with the place, the result similar to the cause, and creating the result similar to the cause). By understanding karma, you will feel that any negative karma—even a small one—is unbearable.

Rinpoche goes on to explain each of the negative actions. He cites those related to our parents as very heavy negative karma due to the power of the object. Because it’s so heavy, you start to experience the result in this life. He also mentions that disrespect towards your abbot or vajra master is the heaviest one, because the object is more powerful than the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Similarly, disrespect towards spiritual friends and vajra kin is very heavy.

Rinpoche leads the confession and purification of these and other misdeeds by focusing on regret and emptiness. He advises that whenever we do a purification practice, we should end by meditating on emptiness.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Then, by dedicating our merit to achieving enlightenment for all sentient beings, it becomes the cause to achieve this. Otherwise, it would only become the cause of happiness in our future lives and liberation from samsara.

Rinpoche emphasizes that this merit must be collected yourself; it doesn’t come from outside. It depends on your own positive mental attitude. Rinpoche explains that ordinary people believe happiness and suffering come from outside, but this is totally mistaken. Even though there are external conditions, these are not the main cause. The main cause of happiness and suffering is our own mind.

In explaining the concept of merit making, Rinpoche delves into a side story about the Maitreya Buddha project in Kushinagar. He describes how His Holiness the Dalai Lama did a divination to determine the place and type of statue. He also details his trip to the holy mountain of Sipri in Tibet, where he accepted the task of reviving the hermitages and building another Maitreya statue.

Rinpoche contrasts the happiness of people in remote villages in Tibet to the sorrow of millionaires in the West. He explains that the villagers have a rich inner life and experience so much peace and happiness in their minds, whereas many millionaires have no satisfaction. To get satisfaction, one must let go of the chronic disease of the mind: the painful mind of grasping to this life. Rinpoche reminds us that this life is very short and has very small pleasures compared to the happiness of all future lives. So, by practicing Dharma and letting go of clinging to this life, you have peace in your heart. Like the sun shining happiness in your life, you have freedom from the prison of attachment.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche says that each offering has ten benefits, but depending on which offering is made, the result is slightly different. He gives the example of incense, which has the particular result of pure morality.

Rinpoche highlights that the purpose of offering is for the benefit of all beings. When making offerings to the Guru Puja merit field, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and all the holy objects of the ten directions, we should meditate that their essence is the root virtuous friend. Even though there are so many deities in the merit field, the essence is the guru, the root virtuous friend. Rinpoche goes into detail about the holy objects of Tibet, including the Shakyamuni Buddha statue in Lhasa, the Hayagriva statue in Sera Monastery, the Maitreya Buddha statue in Drepung Monastery, and the Sangdu Jampel Dorje statue in Reting. He also elaborates on the holy places of Nepal: Swayambhunath and Baudhanath stupas.

To conclude the offering, Rinpoche advises us to offer the oceans of nectar food to every hell being, hungry ghost, animal, human being, sura being, asura being, and intermediate stage being. They fully enjoy the offerings, become liberated from all sufferings and its causes, and become enlightened.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche explains how to make The Four Immeasurable Thoughts more powerful by relating them to tong-len and generating each one within oneself and all sentient beings. He also notes that when we recite the word “happiness”, we should think of “enlightenment”, not just ordinary pleasure.

Rinpoche describes how to generate special bodhicitta by first thinking of the suffering of one hell being and then extending this to realize that there are numberless hell beings. Therefore, we generate the thought to free them from the unbearable sufferings of the hell realm and general suffering and bring them to enlightenment. In the same way, we think of a preta being, animal, human being, sura being, asura being, and intermediate stage being. Rinpoche urges us to use this reasoning to feel the sentient beings in our heart and think of them like a mother who has a beloved child. This becomes our motivation for actualizing the profound path, the yoga of the guru-deity.

Rinpoche goes on to explain the visualization of the refuge merit field and how to make offerings. He mentions that there are three aspects of offering: making the offering, the yoga of eating, and charity to sentient beings. He describes how the Mahayana way of eating is by making charity to the sentient beings living in your body. He further explores the Vajrayana method of making tsog offerings. By practicing the yoga of eating, we make an unbelievable purification, and each mouthful becomes a quick path to achieve enlightenment.

Rinpoche concludes the session with a reminder to dedicate the merit while recalling emptiness. This makes the merit inexhaustible and protects it from being destroyed by heresy or anger.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche urges us to put the teachings on emptiness that we’ve heard into our daily life view, our view of the sense of the eye, ear, nose, tongue. In this way, it becomes a meditation for twenty-four hours. The point is not only meditating during the sitting meditation but also connecting it to our daily life. Rinpoche says that extensive studies and meditation on emptiness are insufficient; we need something to transform the rest of our daily life, so we need to meditate on emptiness while working during our busy life.

The minute you allow your mind to believe that the objects around you are true, it becomes the basis for attachment, anger, and all other delusions to arise. This creates the cause of samsara. The minute you practice mindfulness that these are hallucinations, you liberate yourself from the oceans of samsaric suffering, delusion, and karma.

Rinpoche advises that practicing mindfulness of emptiness is essential, especially during this retreat. He likens the retreat to army training, except here you are training to defeat your delusions, which have been harming, controlling, and torturing you from time without beginning. So, if we practice mindfulness of emptiness during the session, break time, going out, in the room, outside, walking, eating, then that becomes a real retreat, a very powerful retreat.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Rinpoche highlights that all stages of the path to enlightenment rely on the root of the path: correctly devoting to the virtuous friend. This means to see the teacher as the Buddha. Rinpoche admits that it can be difficult to talk about guru devotion when giving a Dharma teaching; however, it needs to be done out of compassion to prevent people from making grave mistakes. If people are left completely ignorant about this subject, then they would make so many mistakes, all the way through, no matter how much Dharma they learn.

To show that correctly devoting to the guru depends on the disciple’s side, Rinpoche gives an example from the Buddha’s life story. The Buddha’s attendant could only perceive faults in the Buddha. When he heard the Buddha tell a woman that she would become enlightened due to the karma of offering him a handful of grain, the attendant thought the Buddha was just flattering the woman. He failed to see any of Buddha’s qualities because he hadn’t trained his mind. Conversely, Milarepa had unshakeable devotion. Even when his teacher gave him a hard time for many years, all he saw was the Buddha.

Rinpoche sums up how all the teachings of sutra and tantra support each other without contradiction. All the teachings of the Buddha are for one person to achieve enlightenment. Rinpoche says that having received the initiation, like the continuous flow of the river, we should continuously practice the profound yoga of the two stages based on keeping the samaya vows.

Rinpoche concludes the session by emphasizing that taking this time to do the Gyalwa Gyatso initiation has become a very important preparation for death. It will give freedom to use death as a path to achieve enlightenment. He reminds us that this retreat is not just for quietening the mind, it’s also for learning various ways to benefit sentient beings because we have to help them in many different ways.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

He reminds us of how precious it is to be born human and to hear the teachings. Yet, even once we hear them, there are still a lot of hardships. To understand and have faith depends on how much merit we’ve collected. For some, it’s very easy to attain realizations. For others, it doesn’t happen even over many lifetimes. It’s a question of how much your mind is purified.

It’s the same with realizing that the guru is the Buddha. For some people, the minute they hear guru devotion, realization happens. For others, it’s difficult to change. If the mind is purified, everything happens. It’s like a mirror covered by dust; the more you clean away, the clearer the reflection. If we don’t continuously collect merit, even if we have faith, we may lose it.

Rinpoche advises us to follow Buddha’s instruction on guru devotion and generate pure vision. He warns that even one small criticism or sign of disrespect towards the guru becomes very heavy negative karma, which will make it difficult to achieve realizations. Conversely, having unchangeable, indestructible devotion brings limitless skies of benefit. By looking at our guru as Manjushri or Maitreya Buddha, we create the cause to meet a guru exactly like Manjushri or Maitreya Buddha in the next life. Even for a person who has no intelligence, if they have the most important thing in life—unchangeable, indestructible devotion—this brings all success and fortunate intelligence.

Rinpoche explains that without devotion, realizations don’t happen. Like the seed that is burned, the sprout cannot arise. If devotion to the guru is lost, no matter how much you try to meditate, the mind remains very dry. It’s like a stone under the ocean; the water doesn’t go inside. Any experience that you had up to that point vanishes instantly. Having devotion protects and increases all the qualities. Thus, devotion is the sublime treasure. By having devotion, you can achieve any realization or happiness of future rebirths, liberation, and enlightenment. Like the hand collects grains, devotion collects extensive merits.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

We are lucky to have a precious human rebirth and to have met with the correct teachings on emptiness. We have the good fortune to meet the teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa, His Holiness, and many other great teachers. The root of samsara is ignorance; we become liberated from the oceans of samsaric suffering by eliminating this ignorance.

Lama Tsongkhapa explained that this body that has eight freedoms and ten richnesses is more special than a wish-fulfilling jewel. However, it doesn’t last, and it is extremely difficult to receive such a perfect human body again. All worldly activities are like the husks of grains floating in the wind; they have no essence. We should take the essence all day and night.

Lama Zopa explains how to take the essence twenty-four hours a day by being mindful of how everything is empty. In this way, everything we do becomes the antidote to the root of samsara. Also, by living twenty-four hours a day with the thought of benefiting others, bodhicitta, whatever we do becomes the cause to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings. This is the highest essence you can take from this human life.

In taking the initiation, Lama Zopa urges us to look at the I who is taking the initiation. How does it appear to you? If it appears as not merely labelled by the mind, this is the false I. This is the object to be refuted; it is a hallucination.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Lama Zopa says it is a very profound practice that will lead you to achieve enlightenment more quickly. Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo advised that this practice is like one key opening hundreds of doors of the Buddha’s teaching.

The main meaning of puja is pleasing the guru. It is only by doing so that you can achieve realizations and enlightenment.

Lama Zopa urges us to make this important practice heartfelt; it shouldn’t become mere words. He details the practice of generating strong bodhicitta, generating the deity, making offerings, blessing the offerings, taking vows, and dedicating the merit.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

There are an inconceivable number of sentient beings who have connection to you and they don’t become enlightened until you actualize the path and reveal them Dharma. Therefore, you must achieve enlightenment as quick as possible. You need to achieve full enlightenment to be able to do perfect works for sentient beings.

The ultimate goal of life is just one, not many, just one. So it’s just very clear direction, the purpose of our being alive each day, is to benefit other sentient beings. So this is the goal of life, this is the purpose of life. By practicing the Mahayana path, only then one can achieve full enlightenment and do perfect work for sentient beings, liberating them from the oceans of samsaric suffering and bringing them to enlightenment.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Unable to see the I which exists and believing in the I which doesn’t exist, is the root of all our sufferings. You do not see the I which exists and its nature: experiences happiness, experiences suffering, creates the cause of happiness, creates the cause of suffering; but you believe in the I which doesn’t exist, which is not there, believing it exists. We are constantly tortured by that ignorance, from the time without beginning, from beginningless samsaric rebirth we are tortured by ignorance.

Normally people either do not know karma, do not have full knowledge, which includes karma and reincarnation, or have studied, do have an idea of karma, but in daily life don’t think about that, it’s left in the text. They don’t relate what Buddha said or what the lamrim says in their real life. Some people always practice, day and night, even sleeping becomes yoga; yoga of washing, yoga of eating. That person can practice pure Dharma. Then every day they’ll feel the courage to protect themself from delusion naturally, without difficulties.

The root of samsara is ignorance, this is the great enemy in your life and whenever you practice Dharma, whenever your mind becomes Dharma, from that you achieve only happiness, no suffering. As much as possible, strong practice of purification, collecting extensive merit and guru yoga to receive blessings can bring our gross mind closer to realising emptiness. Lama Zopa Rinpoche shares the story of Milarepa’s life to show us that by strong devotion and mind development in the path we can free ourselves from all sufferings.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

A good way of benefiting oneself is to practice bodhichitta. Rinpoche uses the example of a wish-granting jewel, which can fulfill all material needs but cannot stop reincarnation in lower realms, achieve a higher rebirth, or lead to enlightenment. But by practicing morality for the sake of sentient beings, one can achieve liberation from all sufferings and experience everlasting happiness. Therefore, one should regard every sentient being as precious and practice bodhichitta in daily life.

Rinpoche shares inspiring stories of his personal journey and encounters with great practitioners, and talks about the courage required to practice the Dharma. He also explains the qualities and abilities of bodhisattvas at different stages of realization, and their immense capacity to benefit sentient beings.

Meditating on the path and cultivating the three principles of renunciation, bodhichitta, and right view is extremely important. By studying and practicing the Dharma, one can develop higher realizations and have the ability to benefit sentient beings on an unimaginable scale. We need to train our minds in virtue and follow the path diligently. With this precious human rebirth we have the good fortune of possessing the eight freedoms and ten richnesses, which grant us the perfect conditions to engage in spiritual practice and attain liberation from the cycle of suffering.

Rinpoche discusses the incomparable worth of the Four Noble Truths, the Mahayana teachings and the tremendous loss incurred by not practicing them. He reminds us of the preciousness of our human body and the opportunities it presents, urging us not to waste time and to fully comprehend the immeasurable benefits that can be attained. We need to truly comprehend the preciousness of our existence and the extraordinary good we can accomplish for ourselves and all sentient beings.

These teachings were given in Tara Institute, Melbourne in 2006. Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche at https://fpmt.org

A good way of benefiting oneself is to practice bodhichitta. Rinpoche uses the example of a wish-granting jewel, which can fulfill all material needs but cannot stop reincarnation in lower realms, achieve a higher rebirth, or lead to enlightenment. But by practicing morality for the sake of sentient beings, one can achieve liberation from all sufferings and experience everlasting happiness. Therefore, one should regard every sentient being as precious and practice bodhichitta in daily life.

Rinpoche shares inspiring stories of his personal journey and encounters with great practitioners, and talks about the courage required to practice the Dharma. He also explains the qualities and abilities of bodhisattvas at different stages of realization, and their immense capacity to benefit sentient beings.

Meditating on the path and cultivating the three principles of renunciation, bodhichitta, and right view is extremely important. By studying and practicing the Dharma, one can develop higher realizations and have the ability to benefit sentient beings on an unimaginable scale. We need to train our minds in virtue and follow the path diligently. With this precious human rebirth we have the good fortune of possessing the eight freedoms and ten richnesses, which grant us the perfect conditions to engage in spiritual practice and attain liberation from the cycle of suffering.

Rinpoche discusses the incomparable worth of the Four Noble Truths, the Mahayana teachings and the tremendous loss incurred by not practicing them. He reminds us of the preciousness of our human body and the opportunities it presents, urging us not to waste time and to fully comprehend the immeasurable benefits that can be attained. We need to truly comprehend the preciousness of our existence and the extraordinary good we can accomplish for ourselves and all sentient beings.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche delivered these teachings at Tara Institute in Melbourne on June 2 and 3, 2006, as part of a broader tour across Australia, which also included a month-long retreat in Adelaide.

These teachings were given in Tara Institute, Melbourne in 2006. Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche at https://fpmt.org

A good way of benefiting oneself is to practice bodhichitta. Rinpoche uses the example of a wish-granting jewel, which can fulfill all material needs but cannot stop reincarnation in lower realms, achieve a higher rebirth, or lead to enlightenment. But by practicing morality for the sake of sentient beings, one can achieve liberation from all sufferings and experience everlasting happiness. Therefore, one should regard every sentient being as precious and practice bodhichitta in daily life.

Rinpoche shares inspiring stories of his personal journey and encounters with great practitioners, and talks about the courage required to practice the Dharma. He also explains the qualities and abilities of bodhisattvas at different stages of realization, and their immense capacity to benefit sentient beings.

Meditating on the path and cultivating the three principles of renunciation, bodhichitta, and right view is extremely important. By studying and practicing the Dharma, one can develop higher realizations and have the ability to benefit sentient beings on an unimaginable scale. We need to train our minds in virtue and follow the path diligently. With this precious human rebirth we have the good fortune of possessing the eight freedoms and ten richnesses, which grant us the perfect conditions to engage in spiritual practice and attain liberation from the cycle of suffering.

Rinpoche discusses the incomparable worth of the Four Noble Truths, the Mahayana teachings and the tremendous loss incurred by not practicing them. He reminds us of the preciousness of our human body and the opportunities it presents, urging us not to waste time and to fully comprehend the immeasurable benefits that can be attained. We need to truly comprehend the preciousness of our existence and the extraordinary good we can accomplish for ourselves and all sentient beings.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche delivered these teachings at Tara Institute in Melbourne on June 2 and 3, 2006, as part of a broader tour across Australia, which also included a month-long retreat in Adelaide.

These teachings were given in Tara Institute, Melbourne in 2006. Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche at https://fpmt.org

You can see all the teachings from this event here: https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/lama-zopa-rinpoche-teachings-in-tara-institute-2006/

Rinpoche emphasizes that the meditations for the graduate path of the lower capable being (the eight freedoms and ten richnesses, the great meaning and difficulty to find again, impermanence and death, the lower realm sufferings, karma) are very important for the success of actualizing the whole path. Without these foundations, you can’t have the next realizations, renunciation and bodhicitta. Without bodhicitta, you have no door to enter the Mahayana path to enlightenment, so you can’t complete the tantric path. Therefore, these meditations are the foundation for all those other paths.

Rinpoche describes the eight freedoms and ten richnesses. He urges us to reflect on these points. By doing so, we will realize that we must practice Dharma immediately. Rinpoche says that these meditations will give us hope and courage to defeat the eight worldly dharmas.

Rinpoche bestows the lung of the mahamudra root text and ends the session with an extensive dedication prayer and multiplying mantras.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

You can see all the teachings from this event here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/lama-zopa-rinpoche-teachings-in-tara-institute-2006/

You can see all the teachings from this event here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/lama-zopa-rinpoche-teachings-in-tara-institute-2006/

You can see all the teachings from this event here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/lama-zopa-rinpoche-teachings-in-tara-institute-2006/

The Western perception of regret as negative arises from a lack of understanding of Dharma. In reality, regretting negative actions is a positive practice that contributes to achieving happiness and enlightenment. Rinpoche further discusses how our own mind serves as the root cause of both happiness and suffering. Negative thoughts and delusions generate negative karma and lead to suffering, while positive thoughts and actions create positive karma and bring happiness. Even external pleasures depend on one's mind and karma. By cultivating positive and healthy thoughts through Buddhism and meditation, we can attain peace and happiness for ourselves and others. Applying mindfulness and meditation throughout daily life is crucial to overcoming negative emotions and engaging in positive actions, leading to immediate effects on our well-being.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche shares a story about how he threw stones at a bush that people believed was inhabited by a naga, and how shortly after, he developed a pimple on his face that turned into a spreading infection. This experience strengthened his faith in the existence of nagas and their ability to harm those who harm them.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche tells another story about a mother who asked her son to bring her Buddha's relics but he forgot and picked up a dog bone on his way back. The mother believed it was a relic and her devotion caused the actual relic to manifest. Similarly, if someone recites Rinpoche's name mantra with pure thought and faith, even if Rinpoche himself has no qualities, that person will receive benefits. The mantra should be recited with guru devotion and the understanding that the disciple's mind and the guru's mind are one. By reciting the mantra with this attitude, one can receive blessings and benefit from it.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Bodhichitta is like a treasure trove of merit, as Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo beautifully explained. It holds limitless skies of merit within your reach! Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains that when reciting mantras with bodhichitta, each mantra becomes a powerhouse of merit, benefiting every sentient being—including the smallest insects, the tigers, snakes, and even our enemies. There's no discrimination—it covers all races and all living beings. Bodhichitta encompasses countless insects, animals, and all living beings in forests, fields, and skies who endure immense suffering.

By generating bodhichitta, we are planting seeds that bring us closer to its realization. Every action we undertake with the motivation of bodhichitta benefits countless sentient beings, supporting their happiness and well-being. Its scope is vast, embracing all beings in all universes, from the tiniest to the largest, providing hope and relief to even those who have committed unspeakable acts of cruelty.

We should reflect on the immense power of bodhichitta, a force capable of transforming the world and alleviating the suffering of countless beings. Through cultivating compassion, wisdom, and realization, we can offer increasingly profound benefits to others and ultimately guide them from happiness to enlightenment.

Bodhichitta is the door to the Mahayana path of enlightenment, and by embracing it, we can unlock the qualities admired by all Buddhas. With bodhichitta, we embark on the journey of becoming buddhas ourselves, bringing happiness and freedom from suffering to every single sentient being. By taking universal responsibility for their well-being, we can actualize the highest potential within ourselves.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Recognizing the interdependence of those involved in end-of-life situations is essential. Communication within families is vital to address responsibilities and roles that may change as a loved one nears the end. Respect for the beliefs and values of the dying person is crucial, focusing on their truth, courage, and positive aspects.

Reminiscing can be helpful, setting positive propensities for future lives. Physical touch, when appropriate, conveys comfort and love, even when speech is no longer possible. Three common issues arise when facing illness and death: reflecting on harm caused, love given, and letting go. Supporting and validating the dying person is essential, helping them release regrets and remember the love they've given and received.

Following a person's death, we should avoid harm, generate love and compassion, perform kind actions, and dedicate positive energy to their mind, aiding their journey and comforting grieving families. The state of mind at death impacts the experience; meditating on qualities like loving-kindness can guide the consciousness positively.

When a loved one passes, Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises against dwelling in sadness and encourages beneficial actions honoring the deceased's memory, such as acts of kindness or charity. Making offerings and dedications can help the deceased beyond death. Constructing holy objects like stupas, temples, and statues can purify negative karma and plant seeds of enlightenment for those who encounter them.

Happiness arises from the mind; purifying and accumulating merit leads to happiness and peace. Virtuous thoughts and actions are essential for positive results, benefiting both this life and future lives. Reciting mantras and prayers for healing and purification benefits others, especially those in pain. Lojong, the practice of taking on others' suffering, develops the mind, accumulates vast merit, and leads to the cessation of suffering.

Rinpoche shares stories of miraculous healings through external blessings. Not all sicknesses can be miraculously cured, as some are related to karmic imprints that need to be experienced. However, it is important to practice compassion and offer blessings to those who are suffering, as these actions accumulate merit and create positive energy in the world.

Rinpoche explains the existence of white and black devas and their influence on individuals' lives. Strong faith in Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, and good samaya vows can protect against harm by spirits. He shares an anecdote about spirits disrupting a retreatant's meditation, highlighting the importance of faith in protection.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Rinpoche emphasizes the importance of Dharma wisdom in guiding one's life and the lives of others. Lack of this wisdom can lead to wrong decisions and non-virtuous actions, causing suffering and confusion. Rinpoche suggests introducing special education sessions in schools to cultivate a good heart, tolerance, and awakened minds, promoting positive relationships, happiness, and friendship.

He proposes the establishment of "Loving Kindness Peaceful Youth," an organization focused on universal education to guide young people by incorporating ethical and moral values in schools. Universal education, such as the Maitreya Project's universal education school in Bodhgaya, emphasizes teaching respect and kindness through behavior, speech, and actions. By practicing respect towards others, especially parents and holy beings, one accumulates powerful positive karma and experiences happiness in this life and future lives.

Wisdom is important in discerning between right and wrong and pursuing practices that lead to liberation and happiness. By eliminating ignorance and developing wisdom, individuals can achieve liberation from suffering and attain enlightenment. By cultivating wisdom, individuals will always be in the light, even while in samsara, and will experience great wealth and favorable rebirths.

We should take every opportunity in everyday life to collect merit. By remembering the impermanence of life and the certainty of death, we learn to abandon negative actions and practice virtue. Even in daily conversations, one should speak with the intention of benefiting others. Making offerings before eating and drinking, with bodhichitta, allows one to accumulate limitless merit.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche also discusses various aspects related to death, signs indicating the departure of consciousness from the body and the importance of correctly determining whether consciousness has left the body. He recommends reading books on death and dying as a valuable practice.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Dharma protects us from suffering by preventing the creation of negative thoughts and actions. Rinpoche emphasizes the significance of guru devotion as a safeguard against harmful emotions and obstacles on the path to enlightenment. By contemplating impermanence and death, negative emotions are curtailed, bravery is instilled, and our actions can transform into virtuous ones.

Recognizing impermanence and death awakens the need for a path that leads to the cessation of suffering and its causes. Rinpoche describes this contemplation as Buddha's psychology, a means to understand our lives, overcome suffering, and actualize the path to enlightenment. Realizing impermanence and death is a means of freeing ourselves from negative emotions and suffering. Practising Dharma protects us from impure appearances and concepts, cultivates a pure mind, and prepares the mind for the realization of the three kayas and the achievement of merit.

Buddhism aims to achieve freedom from suffering in its entirety and emphasizes the need to develop renunciation for the entire scope of samsara. Rinpoche discusses the connection between calm abiding meditation, total renunciation, emptiness, and bodhichitta on the path to liberation and enlightenment.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche underscores the uncertainty and impermanence of life and advises against delaying the practice of Dharma. He encourages us to integrate Dharma practice into all aspects of our lives and transform every moment into an opportunity for progress on the path.

Rinpoche discusses the three principal paths of renunciation, bodhichitta, and right view, as well as the importance of guru devotion. He explains that the ultimate aim of these teachings is to make life meaningful and benefit oneself and all sentient beings.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche also reviews the mantras of the Twenty-one Taras. They each have their own activities for the benefit of sentient beings. Choose whichever Tara suits your needs and chant her mantra accordingly. The Twenty-one Taras are here to help us overcome obstacles and fulfil our wishes.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

A lam-rim text serves as protection as it embodies the wisdom of Manjushri and encompasses all the teachings of Buddha. Any teaching of Lama Tsongkhapa is considered Manjushri's teaching and having the Lam Rim Chenmo text next to a person during their death eliminates the need for powa, a practice of transferring consciousness. Keeping the text in one's room, using it for daily practice, or placing it on the altar can also be beneficial in the moment of death.

Rinpoche suggests avoiding having enemies or individuals to whom one is strongly attached to be present at the time of death, as their presence can disturb the dying person's mind. Maintaining a peaceful and virtuous state of mind during the dying process is important, as it determines the quality of one's next rebirth.

It is the responsibility of those around the dying person to create a supportive environment and help generate virtuous thoughts. It is important to die with virtuous thoughts, compassion and concern for others who are also facing death. Cultivating a wish to free all sentient beings from the suffering of death can help make the process of dying meaningful and beneficial for oneself and others.

We need to adapt the teachings according to the person's understanding and background. Individuals who have different religious beliefs or are non-believers can focus on developing compassion, loving-kindness, or devotion to a higher power such as God, while imbuing the qualities of the Buddha within that concept.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/"

Delusion, such as attachment, obscures our perception of reality and prevents us from recognizing the empty nature of phenomena. When we look at our own body with attachment, it obscures our ability to see its impurities. Similarly, attachment obscures our understanding of impermanence and prevents us from recognizing the empty nature of phenomena. Ignorance obscures our minds from seeing the truth, and delusions prevent us from recognizing the impermanent and unsatisfactory nature of things.

Fear of death can be overcome by letting go of attachments and purifying negative karma. A happy death depends on everyday life and our ability to practice patience and control anger. By living in vows and precepts, we create less negative karma and protect ourselves from ongoing suffering.

The most important aspect of preparing for death is cultivating a good heart and the sincere intention to benefit others. When this motivation is present, purification happens naturally, and the fear of death diminishes.

Meditating on emptiness does not mean simply observing space or ordinary emptiness. Meditation should go beyond the conventional truth and focus on the emptiness of inherent or true existence. When one realizes emptiness, it can be similar to the appearance of nihilism, where there is a sense of losing oneself and fear may arise.

Fear arises because of our strong belief in a truly existent self, which has been ingrained in us since beginningless rebirths. The fear indicates that the meditation is heading in the right direction. Falling into actual nihilism does not generate fear because it does not harm the object of ignorance, the truly existent self. The I does not become nonexistent. The aggregates and consciousness continue to exist, even after realizing emptiness.

From this point, one should develop one-pointed concentration and continue daily sessions to stabilize the concentration in emptiness. This leads to the renunciation of samsara and progress on the path towards wisdom, directly perceiving emptiness, and eventually ceasing the defilements through bodhichitta.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

True poverty lies in the lack of understanding of Dharma and realization, and inner poverty, characterized by a lack of satisfaction and contentment, is even more detrimental. Helping sentient beings, regardless of their external circumstances, offers the most valuable assistance. Buddhas and bodhisattvas cherish sentient beings above all else, regardless of their negative qualities or actions. Therefore, even small acts of kindness, such as offering praise or making someone happy, become offerings to the enlightened beings.

Rinpoche describes the signs of death, including distant signs like recurring dreams related to death, and near signs indicating that death is approaching. There are specific practices to counteract these signs, such as taking long-life initiations, doing long-life retreats, and saving the lives of animals. It is important to create positive causes for enlightenment, accepting death peacefully and preparing the mind for a favourable rebirth.

We should not wait until the time of death to practice renunciation and letting go. Instead, we should practice daily to overcome attachment. By training the mind to let go and develop renunciation, one becomes well-prepared to face death and its challenges. Bodhichitta and the altruistic mind of enlightenment enable us to experience death for the benefit of all sentient beings. With bodhicitta, one can transform the experience of death into a cause for others' happiness and one's enlightenment.

By describing a beautiful and enjoyable place like a pure land, it becomes easier for the dying person to let go of attachments to the present world and transition peacefully. The name of the pure land becomes an important object of refuge, and by generating a strong wish to be born in that pure land, it can direct the person's consciousness toward that destination. Some people may relate the idea of heaven to the deva realm, and by mentioning a specific name and describing the enjoyment it offers, a strong wish can direct the consciousness there.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

There are several essential practices for preparing for death, including devotion to a virtuous friend or guru, purifying mistakes and broken commitments, and cultivating the five powers in daily life, particularly bodhichitta and selflessness. A strong foundation of renunciation and bodhichitta is necessary in order for the tantric method of transferring consciousness to the pure land (powa) to be effective at the time of death. Merely knowing the technique is not enough if these foundational qualities are lacking.

The outcome of one's death depends on factors like guru devotion and spiritual progress. However, even non-religious individuals can achieve a positive and peaceful death through a sincere, ethical life filled with compassion. Rinpoche explains that fear and worry at the time of death are caused by negative states of mind. Cultivating a positive and virtuous mind allows even non-believers to face death peacefully.

The qualities that enable individuals to have profound deaths are not their intellect but their daily practice, unwavering devotion to their gurus, good samaya (pure spiritual commitments), and pure hearts that led to their remarkable transitions.

Rinpoche shares several stories illustrating the results of killing and stealing. The presence of insects and animals eating crops is a result of negative karma related to stealing. By killing them, one may temporarily eliminate the current individuals causing damage, but the underlying karmic cause remains, leading to new beings appearing and continuing the cycle. Therefore, the problem persists unless the negative karma is purified.

In one instance, a lama advised a person to make a party for mice, providing them with plenty of food. After the party, the mice left. By giving to the mice, the person may have settled a karmic debt, causing the mice to no longer disturb their house.

By purifying negative karma and living in moral restraint, one can attain the four results of happiness: a favourable rebirth, enjoyment without danger or sickness, the opportunity to continue practicing morality in future lives, and the accumulation of positive karma leading to happiness throughout lifetimes.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Our labeling and conceptualization of objects, people, and experiences affect our feelings and perceptions. Even our perceptions of important figures, such as political leaders, are influenced by our mind's labeling and conceptualization. Attachment can arise when we label someone or something as desirable, leading to a painful attachment that makes it difficult to separate from the object.

The mind has the tendency to project a sense of inherent existence onto things, even though in reality, everything is empty and exists only as mere imputations by the mind. When we are attached to an object or person, we are attached to something that doesn't truly exist. The object of our attachment is built upon the wrong view of ignorance, which apprehends it as inherently existent and existing from its own side. In reality, the object is empty of inherent existence. Attachment deceives us by making us believe that the object is worth clinging to and possessing when, in fact, it is not.

Anger arises when there is attachment because attachment leads to the idea of possession. When we feel that someone is taking away what we are attached to, anger and resentment arise. This is another form of deception because it is based on a false view of inherent existence.

We should recognize the power of our own minds in shaping our experiences and the need to develop wisdom and discernment to see beyond the superficial appearances created by our own mental labels and conceptualizations. We need to meditate on these points to free ourselves from the cycle of suffering in samsara.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

While these teachings might seem peculiar to those unfamiliar, they are universal truths. Understanding karma reveals that positive actions and virtuous thoughts lead to happiness, while negative actions and thoughts result in suffering. Just as doctors diagnose sickness and its origins, the Dharma identifies the causes of suffering and its remedy, making it universal.

Transforming the mind through wisdom and detachment leads to the cessation of suffering. This transformation involves perceiving the ultimate nature of the self and other phenomena, culminating in the direct realization of emptiness. Lama Zopa Rinpoche asks us to contemplate the impermanent nature of all causative phenomena, including one's life, possessions, surroundings, and sensory enjoyments and how they can cease at any moment.

The negative imprint of past ignorance projects a truly existent appearance onto phenomena, creating the illusion that they inherently exist. The root cause of suffering is our tendency to grasp onto this false appearance and believe it to be true. This mistaken belief has been a source of suffering throughout countless lifetimes. By understanding the illusory nature of phenomena and breaking free from this misconception, one can attain liberation and lasting peace.

By meditating on emptiness and recognizing the illusory nature of the truly existent appearances projected by ignorance, we can begin to understand the emptiness of all phenomena. Even the knowing mind itself is empty, not truly existent. By understanding that all aspects of our practice and experience are empty of inherent existence, we begin to dissolve the grasping and misconceptions that perpetuate suffering.

Meditation on emptiness can serve as a powerful antidote to overwhelming desires. By viewing phenomena as illusory and impermanent, we can weaken the grip of desire and prevent it from taking hold. Just as a powerful bomb can destroy its target completely, the contemplation of emptiness can dismantle desire's hold over the mind.

Samsara and liberation, happiness and suffering, are all created by the mind's conceptualization. Every action, thought, and intention has consequences, and the mind is the ultimate creator of one's experiences. By practicing mindfulness, using the teachings to subdue delusions, and applying them to everyday life, we can transform our minds, create positive karmic imprints, and pave the way towards liberation and enlightenment.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Rinpoche envisions an organization that focuses on youth and promotes universal education, aiming to cultivate good hearts and inspire young individuals to become compassionate and peace-loving beings who positively impact the world. By fostering compassion, wisdom, and good conduct, individuals can bring peace not only to themselves and their families but also to their countries, the world, and all sentient beings.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche illustrates the power of generating compassion towards a single sentient being by sharing the story of Getsul Tsembulwa, a disciple of the great yogi Nakpo Chöpawa, encountering a woman with leprosy who needed help crossing a river. This story shows how compassion towards even one sentient being can lead to enlightenment. The stronger the compassion, the quicker the path to enlightenment becomes. By giving up one's life and sacrificing for the welfare of another, heavy negative karma is purified, allowing one to see the true nature of the deity. Generating compassion towards one sentient being can make that being the most kind and precious person in one's life.

Generating compassion leads to bodhichitta, which is the root of the Mahayana path of enlightenment. By cultivating compassion, one can achieve all the realizations of the path, traverse the five paths and ten bhumis, and attain tantric realizations that expedite the path to enlightenment. Through these realizations, one gains the infinite qualities of a Buddha's holy body, speech, and mind, which are unimaginable and limitless. Even making a small offering, such as a rice grain or a flower, to Buddha or a representation of Buddha, brings inconceivable benefits. The ultimate result of such an offering is full enlightenment. Once enlightened, one can liberate countless sentient beings from samsaric suffering and bring them to enlightenment, thus continuously benefiting others.

It is important to practice holy Dharma throughout life, as death is certain and only holy Dharma can guide one at that crucial moment. Rinpoche advises keeping the mind in the lam-rim, the stages of the path to enlightenment, and engaging in virtuous actions aligned with the teachings. By doing so, every aspect of life becomes meaningful and contributes to one's progress towards liberation and enlightenment.

At the end of Lama Zopa Rinpoche's talk, he delves into meditation on emptiness. Realizing the emptiness of the self, the ultimate nature of the "I," is crucial. One should perceive the self as completely nonexistent, without even the slightest atom of inherent existence. This realization strikes at the root of samsara, ignorance.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

In a blissful realm, a unique lotus was discovered, and the holy child, Chenrezig, was found inside. Chenrezig made a vow to lead all beings to enlightenment and emitted beams from his holy body, liberating beings in the six realms. However, feeling overwhelmed by the suffering of sentient beings, Chenrezig's commitment wavered, causing his holy body to crack. Amitabha Buddha descended, blessed the pieces, and transformed them into eleven faces.

Gelongma Palmo, the daughter of the king of Orgyen, renounced worldly life and became a fully ordained nun. She excelled in the five knowledges and strictly upheld her precepts. Due to past karma, she developed leprosy. In a dream, she was advised to practice Chenrezig, which reduced her pain. However, she eventually grew bored until, in another dream, Manjushri advised her to practice Chenrezig and gave her a pill symbolizing attainment.

After taking the pill, Gelongma Palmo's infections disappeared, and her sickness gradually healed. By reciting the short and long mantra of the Compassion Buddha and performing nyung-nä, she completely healed her sicknesses within a year. Through her loving-kindness and compassion, she gained control over the ten guardians and eight nagas, who became Dharma protectors.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche shares stories of the extraordinary effects of reciting OM MANI PADME HUM, such as the purification of negative karma and the generation of blessings for oneself and others. He also shares stories about the lineage lamas of the Chenrezig practice.

There is a special connection between the Compassion Buddha and the Tibetan people. Historically, Chenrezig has been a special deity for Tibet. Nowadays, Western people also have a close connection with Chenrezig as many of them receive teachings and guidance from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is considered an incarnation of Chenrezig.

Reciting mantras like the Eleven-Face mantra and OM MANI PADME HUM, even once, can purify heavy negative karma, and regular recitation can have immense benefits, including purification and the generation of blessings that can extend to future generations. Reciting the mantra while swimming in water can purify the negative karma of the animals living in the water.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Meditate on the sound's hallucinatory nature and its emptiness, recognizing that the sound is not inherently existent and is merely imputed by the mind. The goal is to differentiate between the hallucinatory appearance of the sound and its ultimate nature, emptiness. Meditation on emptiness helps break the root of samsara, but it is crucial to start the practice with bodhichitta motivation to make one's life most beneficial for sentient beings.

We can meditate intensively on the emptiness and ultimate nature of the sound, using the example of a dream where sounds are believed to be true but are actually empty and non-existent. By understanding the false nature of dream sounds, one can recognize the projection of inherent existence on the sound perceived in waking life.

Rinpoche talks about the importance of mindfulness and awareness in daily life, using the lam-rim (graduated path) as an antidote to delusions and a means to practice awareness. Sound can be used as an object of meditation to cultivate wisdom and bodhichitta, leading to liberation and enlightenment for oneself and all sentient beings.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Rinpoche then explains that in order to be qualified to receive the permission to practice the four Kadampa deities, we need to receive a great initiation. Then we can generate ourselves as a deity and visualize the mandala, which are fundamental tantric practices that are causes to swiftly achieve enlightenment.

Rinpoche guides us in developing a strong motivation of bodhicitta. By recalling the preciousness of this human rebirth, how rare it is, how difficult it is to create its causes, and how valuable it is in benefiting not only ourselves but all sentient beings from whose kindness we receive every past, present and future happiness. We must bring every single sentient being to enlightenment as quickly as possible, and what makes it possible to achieve enlightenment quickly is by practicing tantra. This should be our motivation for receiving the Chenresig initiation. And then the main purpose of reciting the mantra Om Mani Padme Hung is to develop compassion.

Rinpoche shares several stories illustrating the results of killing and stealing. The presence of insects and animals eating crops is a result of negative karma related to stealing. By killing them, one may temporarily eliminate the current individuals causing damage, but the underlying karmic cause remains, leading to new beings appearing and continuing the cycle. Therefore, the problem persists unless the negative karma is purified.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

Universal responsibility is the key to cultivating compassion, preventing harm to others, and bringing peace and happiness. There’s incredible, great urgency, without delaying even a second, there’s the need to change our own mind, to develop the mind, the good heart. From waking up to going to sleep, we should approach every action with the intention of serving sentient beings, promoting their happiness, and living a meaningful life rather than the unhealthy mindset of self-cherishing. Happiness arises when one thinks of others rather than focusing solely on oneself. Whenever we cherish the I, the minute we cherish the I, the nature of that thought is not a happy mind, it’s not a relaxed mind. Changing this attitude leads to a sense of freedom and relaxation in the mind.

Scientific evidence has shown a connection between a disturbed mind and physical health issues, individuals with impatience and a bad temper are more prone to heart attacks. There is a correlation between a self-centred mindset and the ease of experiencing anger and negative emotions.

This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here:

https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/

This was one of Rinpoche’s last recorded teachings in this life and offers timeless advice on benefiting and cherishing others.

Rinpoche begins the White Tara oral transmission at 36:27 of the video

During this puja, Rinpoche spoke about the meaning and benefits of the long life puja and how to visualize all the offerings to make it most beneficial.

Before the refuge ceremony begins (at 13:33), Rinpoche explained the Lesser Vehicle refuge and also Mahayana refuge and shared the motivation for taking refuge.

While guiding those in attendance in prostrations, Rinpoche discussed the significance of holding one’s hands in the mudra of prostration at the crown of the head, throat, and heart, explaining that this purifies the negative karmas collected with body, speech, and mind from beginningless rebirths and creates the cause to achieve Buddha’s holy body, speech, and mind. Rinpoche also discussed what to visualize when doing prostrations and the benefits of this practice.

Rinpoche then offered refuge and lay vows.

Please note, the video recording stops just before Rinpoche begins a jenang ritual of Vajrasattva.

Whatever you are doing, meditate on how the I came into existence. Why? Because all problems come from believing that the I exists from its own side. The more you meditate, the more you realize that what exists from its own side does not exist at all.

This recording is the second teaching from December 23.

This is one of the most important texts for anyone sincerely studying the lamrim or who receives lamrim preliminaries from Rinpoche. All are welcome to take this oral transmission from the videos and receive it. As Rinpoche has explained, even if you don’t understand the words at all, even hearing the sound of Buddha’s teachings becomes a great purification and collection of merit. It is very important not to distract your mind or let it wander.

Anyone with interest may receive this very previous oral transmission from Rinpoche by listening to the two videos as Rinpoche has instructed.

Rinpoche begins offering the oral transmission at 1:33:02.

This recording is the first teaching from December 22.

This is one of the most important texts for anyone sincerely studying the lamrim or who receives lamrim preliminaries from Rinpoche. All are welcome to take this oral transmission from the videos and receive it. As Rinpoche has explained, even if you don’t understand the words at all, even hearing the sound of Buddha’s teachings becomes a great purification and collection of merit. It is very important not to distract your mind or let it wander.

Anyone with interest may receive this very previous oral transmission from Rinpoche by listening to the two videos as Rinpoche has instructed.

Rinpoche begins offering the oral transmission at 1:31:40.

First, we need to equalize ourselves with others, we must cherish others like we cherish ourselves. Secondly, we exchange ourselves with others. Rather than working for ourselves alone which is just one person, we can work for others—eat for others, sleep for others, help for others, be healthy so we can help others, do business for others, shopping and daily life—everything we can do for others.

It is most important to help others. Even a small service like offering your seat to someone who needs it, offering any small benefit to help someone else, this is so important. This is so important. It is great pleasure to serve others, to take care of others. Serving others is what makes life meaningful. This is how to develop bodhicitta—from each service you offer to someone else, you achieve enlightenment.

One of the qualities is how Lama Tsongkhapa clearly explained the lamrim. This makes it possible for us to not make mistakes on the path to enlightenment.

Rinpoche explains that Lama Tsongkhapa received teachings directly from Manjushri, like a guru and disciple in the same room. The essence of what Manjushri taught Lama Tsongkhapa are the three principal aspects of the path to enlightenment.

Another special quality of Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings is his clarification of the Prasangika-Madhyamaka view of emptiness. These teachings were so clear and extensive, “the finest,” Rinpoche explains.

This view is very important—to believe that things truly exist from their own side, or to believe that nothing exists at all—both of these wrong beliefs prevent us from abandoning the root of samsara, the ignorance holding the I as truly existent.

Rather than using this body to obtain things that have no meaning, we can use it and bear all hardships to practice Dharma, for the happiness of future lives. If we postpone our Dharma practice, we have no way of knowing how long we are going to live. Some people think they will practice Dharma only when they are old. But there’s no guarantee we will ever become old.

Rinpoche explains the benefits of receiving lungs (oral transmissions) and the motivation for receiving them. Rinpoche then offers those in attendance the oral transmissions of “Calling the Guru from Afar,” and the Dorje Khadro fire puja (at 1:30:52 in the video).

We can look at problems as positive, as hallucinations like in a dream. When problems are appearing, instead of believing that appearance is real, which causes so much suffering and torture from believing that it is real, analyze how whatever appears is a hallucination. This is the answer to anger, attachment, pride, it helps with everything. It is like an atomic bomb over delusion, it is the bodhisattva practice.

If we think about how the I exits, as a dependent arising, you destroy the delusions. We can be the best psychologist, teacher, doctor, and police — this provides a solution to every problem, when we don’t cling to hallucinated appearances but see them as empty. Ignorance fabricates a truly existent I and cheats us. This is an important mindfulness practice, to look at the hallucination as a hallucination. The I is merely imputed by the mind, action is merely imputed by the mind, the object is merely imputed by the mind, so everything is merely imputed by the mind — that’s what we must think to eliminate problems.

Conversely, if we practice patience and compassion and don’t harm others, the result is benefit—we receive so much support and happiness from others, and this goes on and on. What animals and insects do, and humans who harm those who harm them, this is great ignorance and results in unbelievable suffering.

Rinpoche discusses the various ways we can benefit animals and insects including bringing them around holy objects and blessing their food and water. Rinpoche also shared stories of insects who created extensive merit in relation to holy objects.

In Buddhism, the right view is dependent arising, and the right conduct is not to harm. Everything comes from the mind, we have to meditate on this. Every problem we experience was created by our mind, there’s no one to blame, we have to change our mind to make it happy and in the nature of virtue and health. If the mind is dirty, everything appears as a problem. The negative can appear positive by transforming the mind. We can experience anything negative that happens to us for sentient beings, taking it on for all sentient beings. We can experience it and offer it for all beings to be free from samsara and achieve enlightenment. The more we understand the kindness of sentient beings and how they are so precious, the more we can experience suffering for them.

When we don’t accept that what we experience comes from our own mind, it is very difficult to practice patience and compassion for those who harm us, and we want to harm back. It is important to see our own examples from our own life that everything comes from the mind. Then we are able to subdue our minds, practice compassion, and help many people through our experience. It is so important, rather than believing that everything we experience is true, to think of it as a hallucination.

Anger can’t arise when we recognize any problem as a hallucination—it is empty, it is merely labeled, so like this we need to meditate on dependent arising. This is so important to destroy ignorance, which is the root of all delusion. This is an important daily life meditation, not only studying emptiness philosophically, we need to digest and experience it. Otherwise, if we don’t meditate, we are just collecting information.

Then there are so many things we do to achieve temporary happiness resulting in so many hardships. We risk danger and death to achieve temporary happiness through attaining wealth, becoming famous, or pursuing hobbies such as climbing Mount Everest. Bearing hardships to achieve ultimate happiness—the ceasing of all the delusions and karma—this so much more important.

Rinpoche reminds us that the FPMT organization has everything one needs to prepare for and help at the time of death, including the Liberation Cloth, which contains powerful mantras to benefit those who have passed away, including our pets and animal friends.

Rinpoche discussed the “best preparation for death” which is to practice patience and stop anger. When we get angry we lose our freedom, we lose our own peace and happiness because anger destroys our good karma. Because our mind is obscured, we never know who is a bodhisattva, enlightened being, or even your own guru, so by directing anger at others we risk destroying eons of merit. Anger also postpones our realizations and causes us to be reborn in the lower realms.

Rinpoche also discusses the virtues of practicing contentment and controlling desire. So much of life’s problems come from desire and attachment. When we practice contentment it is a preparation for death and all future lives up to enlightenment.

Practicing patience, not harming others—every time you are able to do this, you are preparing for your death in the best way possible.

We never expect that someone close to our heart could die without warning, but this happens all the time in the world. If there's a strongly grasping mind, we can easily become crazy when this happens, and it can take a long time to recover. In addition, in the West we don’t know how to help the person who died. We live our lives with the expectation that ourselves and everyone in our lives will live forever.

The purpose of being born human is to be more kind, to have a good heart, and to give happiness to everyone we meet. Not only human beings, but also insects—no matter how tiny they are, we must try not to harm and only benefit others as much as possible.

With one single action to benefit others, we achieve two goals: happiness for others and happiness for ourselves. Before becoming buddhas and bodhisattvas, they generated the realization of bodhicitta. This realization comes from great compassion understanding the numberless sufferings of numberless sentient beings. Rinpoche stressed the importance of having loving-kindness and compassion in our lives.

All of the problems in our lives come from the self-cherishing thought and not cherishing others. It is good to always think of serving others. If you live your life this way, you don’t cheat others, you don’t cause suffering, only happiness. Your future lives get better and better. We need to realize what samsara is and the nature of suffering. This is needed to generate compassion, bodhicitta, and to become a bodhisattva and a Buddha.

Achieving happiness depends on how we use our minds. We need to change ourselves. If we don’t want suffering we need to change our mind. We need to realize emptiness, actualize bodhicitta, and achieve enlightenment.

Do everything for sentient beings, Rinpoche advises, with a bodhicitta motivation. We have to cultivate the thought to naturally wish to lead every sentient being we meet to enlightenment, like how a mother feels for her child who fell in a fire. Even one second of her child being in a fire is unbearable to her. This is how it should feel toward sentient beings is samsara.

Rinpoche shared the following quotation from Lama Tsongkhapa's Three Principal Aspects of the Path to Enlightenment:

Without the wisdom realizing ultimate reality,

Even though you have generated renunciation and the mind of enlightenment,

You cannot cut the root cause of circling.

Therefore, attempt the method to realize dependent arising.

To eliminate ignorance, we have to realize the Prasangika school’s view of emptiness. The four schools happened in Buddha’s time in India, but the Prasangika view - this is the one we have to realize.

Rinpoche offers the oral transmission of the Heart Sutra starting at 2:14:33 in the video.

The answer to why we have been suffering since beginningless rebirths is in the lamrim. The effect of meditating on the lamrim is peace and freedom because it leaves so many positive imprints for the mind to become closer to enlightenment. It brings the light of Dharma wisdom within oneself. This is called the gradual path to enlightenment because we can’t just jump to bodhicitta without having the lower realizations, we need the foundation. However, even though we are starting at the beginning, it is important to practice with the motivation of bodhicitta.

Other’s happiness depends on how we act with our body, speech, and mind. Not only within our families, but everywhere we go in the world, anyone we meet, even animals, their happiness is in our hands, so we must be kind and peaceful. We have responsibility for the happiness and suffering of others, not just for our own. And everyone is the source of our own happiness—past, present, and future up to enlightenment. They are the source of numberless Buddhas, Dharma, and Sangha. Starting with our parents, partners, children, and extending outward to everyone—poor, rich, educated, uneducated, we must respect everyone. We should respect everyone just like we respect His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Yeshe.

We must be kind with our body, speech, and mind by doing pleasant actions to others. We can use sweet words, praise, and honorific language to others, this makes them very happy. No one, including animals, likes rude sounds directed at them, this causes others to feel threatened or run away. We can offer a smile from our heart to others, it not only creates the cause to be a very beautiful person in future lives, it also becomes the cause of enlightenment when done with bodhicitta. We can also be kind to others with our mind—how we think about those we meet, cultivating loving-kindness and compassion toward them, this is incredible. By having a good heart benefiting others, everything becomes the cause of enlightenment.

We can’t bring peace and harmony into our lives or our work with a selfish mind. A selfish mind causes others to be unhappy with us and creates so many problems. We have to work for others, at the beginning of anything we do, we can think, “I want to help others, I want to help others.”

Requesting the guru to have a long life purifies negative karma created in relation to the guru, Rinpoche explains. Disturbing the guru’s holy mind, having non-devotional thoughts arise, belittling the guru—these are very heavy negative karmas which are purified by doing the requesting prayer to the guru. Requesting the guru to have a long life also becomes a method for us to have a long life. The long life puja is a "very special party," Rinpoche reminds us. "If you read the prayers, if you pay attention, it leaves a positive imprint on your mind to actualize the path to enlightenment, sutra and tantra, by listening to Lama Chopa. You understand? It is a very incredible teaching."

"We are doing a long-life puja, but it is not there," Rinpoche explains. "A real long life puja is not there. Everything is empty from its own side. Not nihilism, but empty from its own side. So not only this long life puja, but our whole life, from birth to death, from beginningless rebirths up to now and also into the future, there is nothing real appearing from its own side. It's all a hallucination. You have to meditate like that."

“Definitely in your heart, rely on His Holiness and often do requests,” Rinpoche advises us. “Request the success of realizations and to grant blessings in your heart and to bless your heart to transform it into the path to enlightenment. As His Holiness often emphasizes, bodhicitta and emptiness. Often when he talks, every time, that is kind of the basis, the foundation. So you practice like that from your heart. From your side, you rely on him, you request and rely on His Holiness, then definitely from His Holiness’s side, definitely he will all the time guide you from life to life, up to enlightenment.”

“You might think His Holiness is not there,” Rinpoche explained, “But in reality, His Holiness is there. You have to know that. His Holiness sees you all the time. His Holiness sees you day and night. Whatever you are doing, His Holiness sees you all the time. Because the past numberless buddhas, present numberless buddhas, and future numberless buddhas see you all the time, without break even for a second, never distracted away from that, even for a second.”