Category Archives: Introductory

Making This Precious Human Rebirth Meaningful



Be very clever. “I should be very skillful with my life from now on. I should be very careful with my life. I must make it, without wasting the precious human body which I have received now, without wasting it, I must make it meaningful, highly meaningful as much as I can.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

This teaching on the great preciousness of our perfect human rebirth was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Manjushri Institute, Cumbria, England, August 16-24, 1979. Read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/making-precious-human-rebirth-meaningful


Compassion and Emptiness Together



One must have the wisdom and method simultaneously developing.

-Lama Yeshe

Lama Yeshe gave a series of introductory talks in Los Angeles in 1975. In this excerpt from these talks Lama describes the difference between Hinayana and Mahayana motivation and impresses upon us the importance of developing our wisdom in order to generate bodhicitta without dualistic emotional obstacles. Read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/compassion-and-emptiness-part-a


Religion: The Path of Inquiry



This talk was given by Lama Yeshe in Brisbane, Australia in April, 1975, and was published in Lama Yeshe’s most popular title Becoming Your Own Therapist. You can read the transcripts here.

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Your Mental Bureaucracy



Understanding, the wisdom makes you happy. Always with you. But all the material, what you consider build up this life, is, when you need, not there. It’s there, it’s not there.

Lama Yeshe explains in his uniquely skillful and powerful way how our mental bureaucracy, the departments of ego and attachment, are working together constantly to confuse us and keep us from finding the door to everlasting peace and happiness. Instead, these departments divert us into thinking that everlasting happiness can be found by clinging to compounded phenomena that are in fact impermanent by nature. This talk was given at a five-day meditation retreat in Australia, March 28-April 1, 1975 and is the basis for Chapter Four in the LYWA free book “Ego, Attachment and Liberation.” You can read along with the unedited transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/your-mental-bureaucracy-audio-and-unedited-transcript


Making Space for Wisdom



An experiential teaching given by Lama Yeshe during a five-day meditation retreat in Australia in 1975. The edited version of this talk has been published as Chapter One in the book Ego, Attachment and Liberation.  You can also follow along with the unedited transcript at www.lamayeshe.com/article/making-space-wisdom-audio-and-unedited-transcript


The Purpose of Meditation



Because uncontrolled, undisciplined mind is opposite of knowledge-wisdom and happy, that nature is dissatisfaction. So your mind put such way, control, with your own wisdom, there is space, you can discover peace and joyful. So your life is becomes joyful, peaceful, no matter the outside world is up and down, up and down.

-Lama Yeshe

In Los Angeles, California in 1975, Lama Yeshe gave this introductory talk on the purpose of meditation followed by an informal question and answer session. Please read along with the transcript on our website here: https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/purpose-meditation-part


Integrating What You Have Heard



I know you people understand something, have discovered something; but many things are only intellectual and not yet realization, therefore, I think you need something more.

Lama Yeshe

In the early 70s, Lama Yeshe used to give Sunday afternoon lectures at the location of Kopan Monastery and people would come from all around to listen. This month’s podcast is the earliest known recording of Lama Yeshe teaching to Westerners. In this talk, Lama emphasizes the importance of actually practicing the teachings, ending with a lively question and answer session with the students. We warmly invite you to read along with the transcript of Lama’s talk on our website: https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/integrating-what-youve-heard-audio-and-unedited-transcript