Category Archives: Lamrim (Path to Enlightenment)

Karma and Purification

Karma, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Practice Commentary, Purification

By being aware, by knowing about negative karma and all the suffering results, we are persuaded to practice purification.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

These teachings were given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the 36th Kopan Meditation Course at Kopan Monastery, Nepal in 2003. In this session, Rinpoche reminds us of the many kinds of negative karma we constantly accumulate and why it is so vitally important to practice purification every single day.  Read along with the transcript of these teachings at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-18-how-vajrasattva-practice-purifies-negative-karma 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

Pervasive Compounding Suffering

Introductory, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lamrim (Path to Enlightenment), Renunciation

Letting go of desire is not losing; it is only gaining. It is freeing ourselves from the prison of samsara. We are put in the prison in chains but by letting go of desire we are released; we are free.

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 session, Rinpoche teaches on the shortcomings of desire and how the path to liberation must begin with renunciation. Rinpoche also explains the three scopes of practice and emphasizes that we must practice all three scopes on the graduated path to enlightenment. Read the transcript of these teachings at www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-5-pervasive-compounding-suffering

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

The Shortcomings of Desire

Dharma in Daily Life, Karma, Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Desire will be there all the time, but on top of that there is more anger. So much of the problem is desire; it is really the whole world’s problem.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

These teachings were given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the 36th Kopan Meditation Course, held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 2003. In this session, Rinpoche discusses how we must understand how pervasive compounding suffering permeates everything we experience. Without understanding this, we can never remove our suffering completely and instead will wander mindlessly in ignorant darkness driven by endless desire and dissatisfaction. But with Dharma wisdom, you are a success no matter what happens. Read along with the lighted edited transcript of these teachings at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-4-shortcomings-desire

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

The Useful Fear of Death

Introductory, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Refuge

Once we are free from delusion and karma, there is no cause for fear, so we are free from fear forever.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

These teachings were given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the 36th Kopan Meditation Course, held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 2003. In this session, Rinpoche explains how to use our fear of death as a potent cause of refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Read along with the lightly edited transcript of these teachings at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-6-refuge-and-bodhicitta

 

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

It’s all in your mind

Dharma in Daily Life, Introductory, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lamrim (Path to Enlightenment), Perfect Human Rebirth, Renunciation

You have no enemy when you don’t have anger. Only when you have anger you have enemy in your life. So it’s all to do with your concept. It’s all in your mind.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

These teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the power of our perfect human rebirth are from a commentary Rinpoche gave on the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, an essential mind training text composed by Kadampa Geshe Langri Tangpa. These teachings were hosted by Tse Chen Ling Center, in San Francisco, California, in November 2003. You can also listen along with the transcript on our website.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

The Kindness of the Enemy

Dharma in Daily Life, Introductory, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Purification

The minute our anger arises, we find an enemy in our life. We see a person that we hate or we want to hurt, or a person harms us and we see them as an enemy. But the minute our anger is gone, we don’t see them as an enemy.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

These teachings were given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the 36th Kopan Meditation Course, held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 2003. In this session, Rinpoche discusses how we can only practice patience with those who appear to be our enemy. By resisting our urge to respond to the enemy in anger, we protect our mind and advance our realizations. Because these benefits are dependent upon the practice of patience, Rinpoche urges us to recognize the special kindness of the enemy and to feel a very deep sense of gratitude towards them.

You can also read along with the transcript of this podcast at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-3-kindness-enemy.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

Cultivating the view of impermanence

Emptiness, Karma, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lamrim (Path to Enlightenment)

Lama Zopa Rinpoche helps us understand how the wrong view of permanence is the cause of so much of our negative karma and creates so much fear.  Rinpoche further explores how to realize gross and subtle impermanence which cultivates courage and is an essential part of realizing the Four Noble Truths. Rinpoche also gives profound teachings on how all things are merely imputed by the mind. These teachings were given during the 33rd Kopan Course held in 2000 at Kopan Monastery in Nepal.  Read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/day-5-four-noble-truths-karma

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More

Everything Depends on Your Mind

Dharma in Daily Life, Emptiness, Karma, Lama Zopa Rinpoche

As Buddha said, you are your own enemy or you are your own liberator. You can create a hell realm or you can create enlightenment. Everything depends on what you do with your mind.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

In these 2000 teachings given during the 33rd Kopan Course, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains how everything is merely imputed by the mind and then shows how this wisdom can enable us to transform all karmic appearances into happiness. You can read along with the full transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/day-2-emptiness-everything-comes-mind

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More