Category Archives: Compassion and Bodhicitta

The Path of Universal Responsibility

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

Just by lecturing that we need compassion, that alone cannot generate compassion in the hearts of the people in this world. We need to learn how to develop compassion. Compassion, like rain falling, doesn’t just happen.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

These teachings were given by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche at the 36th Kopan Meditation Course, held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 2003. In this first lecture, Rinpoche begins by describing universal responsibility and illustrates this practice by telling the story of the four harmonious brothers. Rinpoche explains how living in harmony is the cause of inner and outer peace and powerful beauty. Rinpoche also gives commentary on the eight Mahayana precepts and ends with a guided meditation on universal responsibility. You can read along with a lightly edited transcript on our website at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-1-universal-responsibility

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The Enemy is the Kindest Person

Compassion and Bodhicitta, Dharma in Daily Life, Karma, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lamrim (Path to Enlightenment)

By developing the mind in patience, whatever happens to you, whatever harm others give you, you will never get angry.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the power of the mind of patience to bring happiness to all beings we encounter on the path to enlightenment. The most powerful way for us to develop stable patience is to practice when confronted by the anger of others. Thus the angry person is the most kind to us, kinder than the friends that love us and the strangers we ignore.

Rinpoche gave these teachings at the Thirty-third Kopan Meditation Course held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 2000. Read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/day-4-practicing-patience-enemy-kindest-person

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The Importance of Compassion in Daily Life

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

If you have compassion for others, then that gives meaning to everything, all the expenses that we do, all the hard works that we do, including studying, doing job, many hours of job—it gives meaning to everything.

Listen to a talk given by Kyabje Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche on the beneficial results of practicing compassion for others during all our actions. This talk was given during a three-day series of teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New York, in August 1999. Follow along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/talk-guru-devotion-audio-and-unedited-transcripts

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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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Practicing the Good Heart

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

You have to develop perfect power, so that you can reveal to all sentient beings the appropriate methods according to their level of mind.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains why practicing the good heart is so extremely important, the basis of all action. Recognizing the workaday world reality in which most of his students live, Rinpoche shows us how to think and act so that every moment of our lives will be of maximum benefit to both ourselves and others. This excerpt is from a four-day course given at an American FPMT center, Tilopa Center, Decatur, Illinois, in August, 1997. These teachings were published by LYWA as Virtue & Reality. You can read along with the edited transcript here.

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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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