Category Archives: Lamrim (Path to Enlightenment)

The Benefits of Purification

Karma, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Practice Commentary

There’s no other way to do this perfect work for others, so therefore one must actualize the steps of the path to enlightenment; to do that one must purify the obstacles, the negative karmas, obscurations, so therefore then one must do Vajrasattva practice which is the most powerful one by which any negative karma can be purified.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave these profound teachings before a Vajrasattva initiation at Jinsiu Farlin Center in Taiwan in 1994. In these teachings Rinpoche explains the suffering realms of samsara and the benefits of immediately ending all our non-virtuous activities and working quickly to purify all past negative karma so that we may avoid the suffering realms while we practice the path and attain enlightenment for the sake of all. You can also read along with the transcript on our website-https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/benefits-purification-practice-audio-and-unedited-transcript

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Karma: Intentions and Results

Karma, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lamrim (Path to Enlightenment), Practice Commentary

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

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The Power and Potential of the Mind

Guru Devotion, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Nature of the Mind

Our meeting the spiritual friend, the spiritual master, who reveals the right path, is like the stick that meets the gong.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

In this talk Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains how the nature of our mind is the source of our freedom. It is simply a matter of gathering the causes and conditions to remove the temporary obscurations and reveal our mind of clear light. Like a stick hitting a gong, meeting a qualified teacher is essential to activate this potential for enlightenment. These teachings were given Singapore in January 1993. You can read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/nature-mind-meeting-guru

 

 

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The Dharma Will Protect Us

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

How to live the life? First your attitude becomes Dharma. Then with that attitude one lives the life, one does the works, one does the activities.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche observes that we think we can rely on purification practices to deal with our negative karma. Rinpoche warns us against relying too much on purification because it must be done perfectly to be effective. Rinpoche then directs our attention to the suffering realms around us and explains that in order to resist our karmic tendency to accumulate such causes of suffering, our main effort should be focused on living our lives according to the Dharma. These teachings were given by Rinpoche in Sydney, Australia in 1993. Follow along with the transcript on our website at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/purification-karma

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The Eight Benefits of Practicing Refuge

Introductory, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Practice Commentary, Refuge

So this time I must receive full enlightenment, that which is free forever from samsara, for the sake of the sentient beings.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

From teachings given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche prior to a refuge ceremony at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, November 6, 1992. In this session, Rinpoche explains the eight benefits of practicing refuge and leads the students in prostrations. Follow along with the transcript here https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/refuge-practice-precepts

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How to be free of stress by changing the way we think

Dharma in Daily Life, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lamrim (Path to Enlightenment)

In this teaching given in Bendigo, Australia in August, 1991, Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches us how to manage our stress by recognizing that stress is not forced upon us from outside but comes from within our own mind and is dependent upon the way we think. Rinpoche then explains how our own mind creates stress and how our own mind is also what can liberate us from stress. Read along with the transcript by visiting https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/how-i-exists

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Renouncing the Self-cherishing Thought

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

One must understand that by hurting others, you are also creating the cause to be hurt by others. To really solve the problem one has to do something with the cause, which is within your mind.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains how the self-cherishing thought seeking happiness negatively affects our karma. But the study of karma is missing in Western psychology. So we must take special care to understand how  karma works so we will be inspired to practice the methods that will stop and purify our negative karma. These teaching were given during a lamrim course hosted by Maitreya Instituut, Emst, in August, 1990. Follow along with the transcript on our website.

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Contemplate Karmic Appearance

Introductory, Karma, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Practice Commentary

If we don’t create good karma again, we cannot predict what will happen to us after this minute, after this hour, tonight, tomorrow, next year.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

From extensive teachings on karma excerpted from a lamrim course led by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maitreya Instituut, Emst, in August 1990. Read along with the transcript on our website.

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Karma in Everyday Life

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

We are released from confusion while we are aware of the reality of things.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche encourages us to live our life with a mind that is aware of the reality of things so that we avoid the confusion that leads to negative karma. Rinpoche also recites in English the Heart Sutra and Lama Tsongkhapa’s lamrim text The Foundation of All Good Qualities. These teachings were given by Rinpoche during a lamrim course hosted by Maitreya Instituut in August, 1990. You can read along with the transcript on our website.

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The Label Is Not Enough

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

Do not be confused by people who try to disprove the existence of objects of faith like reincarnation or karma by simply labeling them as nonexistent.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche addresses how some people try to disprove the existence of reincarnation and other objects of Buddhist faith by labeling them as false views or heresy. Rinpoche demonstrates how labeling something cannot make the labeled phenomena function according to that label. In a similar way, we should not be confused by people who label our objects of faith as nonexistent. Instead we should rely on our faith and apply our wisdom in meditation to experience their functional phenomenal existence. Rinpoche gave these teachings during a lamrim course at Maitreya Instituut, Emst, in August 1990. You can read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/benefits-understanding-karma

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