Category Archives: Compassion and Bodhicitta

The Living Heart of Compassion



 

Compassion should be at the heart of our life, at the center of all our relationships and in all our practices.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives the transmission of the mantra and dharani of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion and explains why reciting these mantra helps us to develop compassion from the center of our heart for all beings and especially for those we see as the enemy. Rinpoche illuminates how the path to enlightenment depends first on developing immeasurable compassion for each and every being. These teachings were given by Rinpoche during a Maitreya puja at Shakyamuni Center in Taichung, Taiwan, in March 2007. You can follow along with the transcript on our website.


My Life as a Tulku



On August 11th, 2019, Tenzin Ösel Hita participated in the ongoing series “Taste of Buddhism” offered by FPMT center Tse Chen Ling in San Francisco. Tse Chen Ling describes Ösel as “a radical free-thinker, former monk, filmmaker, and musician who is highly gifted at sharing the essence of the Dharma and how it can be infused in modern daily life.” In this frank and open talk, Ösel shares his thoughts on the role of Dharma in the modern age and his experience navigating life as the recognized tulku of Lama Yeshe. This podcast is an edited excerpt; you can watch the entire unedited talk here: https://www.facebook.com/TseChenLingCenter/videos/2458303330927855/?t=801


Taking Care of the Mind



Sometimes uncontrollable anger arises and uncontrollable self-cherishing thought arises, self-concern, anger, pride also, but then sometimes it makes you aware there’s choice. There’s choice. You can choose.

Listen to a public talk by Lama Zopa Rinpoche on how to bring peace and happiness to oneself and others, given at Conway Hall, London, England on July 10, 2014. Read along with the transcript and more at http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/taking-care-mind-audio-and-transcript


Imagine the Power of Bodhicitta



The incredible, unbelievable, most unbelievable, no words, how most important to generate bodhicitta, can you imagine?

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche celebrates the power of bodhicitta during teachings given by Rinpoche at the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive home office in October 2012. Rinpoche was in town to attend the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to FPMT’s Kurukulla Center in Boston, Massachusetts. You can read along with the transcript here.


This Precious Human Rebirth



It is amazing how even within a minute, even in each second, eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, wow, what you can do with this precious human body by understanding and practicing the Dharma.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche celebrates our perfect human rebirth and encourages us to bring every single moment in our life into the path to enlightenment. Rinpoche gave these teachings prior to a chöd initiation at Maitripa College, Portland, Oregon, in June 2009. You can read along with the transcript on our website.


Compassion Creates the Cause for Success



Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this Dharma talk in Madrid, Spain on June 10, 2009 and explains how compassion is our best and most reliable friend and will never cheat us, that compassion is the most powerful purification we can practice and that compassion should be our practice in every moment of our everyday life.  Read along with the transcript of this talk at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/compassion-creates-cause-success


Compassion is the Real Answer



Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this talk in Madrid, Spain on June 10, 2009. The teaching includes a commentary on the visualization of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), the Buddha of Compassion, and group chanting of OM MANI PADME HUM mantra. Rinpoche also explained the benefits of compassion and the laws of karma. Read along with the transcript at http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/compassion-real-answer-audio-and-unedited-transcripts


Dharma in Daily Life



When you look at people, when you relate with them, if you look at their mind and how their life is motivated, you can see how much they’re suffering and you feel unbearable.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Please enjoy another extract from a series of teachings prior to a chöd initiation given by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maitripa College, Portland, Oregon, in June 2009.

In this extract, Rinpoche shows us how to examine each of our regular daily activities and to see whether we are motivated by Dharma or, as is more likely, motivated by worldly goals. We might not like what we find but at least we know enough to look because we have met the Dharma through the kindness of our gurus.

Rinpoche reminds us that the vast majority of people living in the world all around have not met the Dharma like we have. They have no idea that their endless efforts to find happiness are only creating more causes for even more suffering. Contemplating their situation intensifies our practice of compassion for them and our engagement with bodhicitta for their sake.

Here is the transcript for those who like to read along-> https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/dharma-daily-life


The Urgency of Realizing Lamrim



So we’re going to destroy, to totally cease, make it completely non-existent, this enemy, this inner enemy, this delusion, this demon, this self-cherishing thought that harms, that has been harming you, torturing you, and all the time, giving you problem all the time, even this life.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives this introductory teaching during a lamrim retreat at Vajrapani Institute in 2006. In this session Rinpoche impresses upon us the urgent importance of concentrating all our efforts on realizing the stages of the path to enlightenment for ourselves and all sentient beings. Read along with the transcript on our website.


How to Maintain a Harmonious Workplace



A short teaching from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on how we can maintain a harmonious workplace. Excerpted from teachings on the power of compassion given in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 14, 2006 and organized by Kasih Hospice. You can read the edited transcripts of this entire teaching at lamayeshe.com/article/power-compassion.

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