Category Archives: Compassion and Bodhicitta

Fulfilling Life’s Purpose

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Dharma in Daily Life, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Perfect Human Rebirth

If we take care of others, work for their happiness, we are automatically taking care of ourselves. Trying to make others happy is the best way of loving ourselves.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Listen to this profound teaching by Lama Zopa Rinpoche on transforming everyday actions into the cause of enlightenment. Given during a four-day course at FPMT’s Tilopa Center in Decatur, Illinois, August, 1997, these teachings detail practical methods for developing compassion and wisdom in our everyday lives. The teachings in this podcast were ultimately published as Chapter 1 in Virtue and Reality bit.ly/Fulfilling-Lifes-Purpose

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The Benefits of Bodhicitta

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Dharma in Daily Life, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Three Principal Aspects of the Path

The benefits of bodhicitta can never be finished explaining it is said in the teachings by Buddha, like limitless sky.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave these lamrim teachings on the immeasurable benefits of bodhicitta at the 29th Kopan Meditation Course held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 1996. You can also read along with the transcript by navigating to https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/benefits-bodhicitta 

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The Benefits of the Enemy

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lamrim (Path to Enlightenment)

“So this time maybe mention little bit about reincarnation, going back from where it started, back to the beginning of the life…” Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives these lam-rim teachings at the 29th Kopan Meditation Course held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 1996. This excerpt includes teachings on patience, bodhicitta, and reincarnation, and a question and answer session. You can also read along with the transcript by navigating to http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/benefits-enemy

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The Nature of the Mind on the Path

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Nature of the Mind, Refuge

Taking refuge, now, becomes a very serious matter or serious practice, very fundamental, like the earth is used for many things, roads, houses, to grow food, crops, plants and so forth; the earth is used for so many things, for happiness.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

These teachings on the nature of the mind and the stages of the path, including extensive teachings on refuge, were given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the Twenty-Eighth Kopan Meditation Course in November, 1995. You can read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-nine-nature-mind

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Buddha’s Compassion Never Gives Up

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Oral Transmission, Refuge, Sutras, Mantras and Root Texts

The Buddha of Compassion is the embodiment of all the buddhas’ great compassion that embraces and never lets go, never gives up on sentient beings even for one second.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

These teachings on the benefits of reciting the Compassion Buddha’s mantra were given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the Twenty-Eighth Kopan Meditation Course in November, 1995. After reciting Om Mani Padme Hum, Rinpoche also reassures us that no matter how low we may go, we can trust that the Buddha’s compassion will never give up on us. You can read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-one-compassion 

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The Urgent Need for Bodhicitta

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Emptiness, Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Excerpted from a series of teachings given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Sydney, Australia in 1993. Listen to the rest of the series and follow along with the unedited transcript here.

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The Power of Cherishing Others

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Dharma in Daily Life, Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Even if we feel we are only capable of doing small things to help others right now, don’t feel hopeless or depressed. Instead rejoice because even the smallest attempt to help others should fill our hearts with happiness and joy.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche encourages us to examine whether our attempts to help others are in fact motivated by cherishing ourselves. Rinpoche assures us that even if our capacity to cherish others is small right now, even our smallest attempts to cherish others should fill our hearts with joy. Rinpoche then illustrates the power of cherishing others by telling the story of Asanga and Maitreya. These teachings given by Rinpoche in Sydney, Australia, 1993. You can read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/cherishing-others-asangas-teachings

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The Source of All Happiness

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Practice Commentary

May the good heart, altruism, source of all the happiness, may it be generated within my mind, in the mind of the family, all sentient beings; those who have this altruism, bodhicitta, thought of full enlightenment to benefit others, to be developed due to all these merits, positive actions that one did in the past, in the present, future.
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche

In this month’s podcast, Lama Zopa Rinpoche describes how the altruistic mind of enlightenment works and explains the great benefits from cultivating such a powerfully clear and pervasive mind. Rinpoche then explains in great detail how thought transformation practices are the very best way to deal with the inevitable stresses of modern life and the associated obstacles that repeatedly arise like waves as we move towards the mind of enlightenment for the sake of all beings. These teachings were given by Rinpoche in Bendigo, Australia, August, 1991. You can read the transcript of the teachings on our website at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/developing-altruism

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Lama Yeshe Rides the Radio Waves

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Dharma in Daily Life, Introductory, Lama Yeshe, Nature of the Mind

We hope you enjoy listening to a radio interview with Lama Yeshe on the “What’s Cooking?” radio show with Judy O. This wide-ranging interview took place in Boulder Creek, California on July 22, 1983, just before Lama offered public talks at UC Santa Cruz on the subject of “Anxiety in the Nuclear Age.”

Please also watch video of Lama giving these public talks on the LYWA Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeGpGqjz7TIXF3ghd2nHD5bDDg40bx3NE and experience a multimedia presentation of the teachings, edited by Nick Ribush and created by Megan Evart at https://multimedia.lamayeshe.com/2017/12/27/switch-your-mind-from-emotion-to-peace.

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The Long-Life Mantra of White Tara

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Oral Transmission, Practice Commentary, Sutras, Mantras and Root Texts

Those sentient beings who accumulate merit, especially the sentient beings who know how to accumulate merit, if they have long life you see, then the longer they live then they are able to make their life more meaningful. They are able to create more cause of happiness, so there is sense in living long.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

This month on the LYWA podcast, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives the oral transmission of the mantra of White Tara and then leads us an extended recitation of this precious mantra. Rinpoche dedicates the recitation by refreshing the visualization and by pointing out that the purpose of living a long life is even more important for those who are accumulating merit in this life for the sake of others. May all beings receive the undying realization!

These teachings given by Rinpoche at the Fourteenth Kopan Meditation Course in 1981. You can read the transcript on the LYWA website at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-1-white-tara

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