Category Archives: Lama Zopa Rinpoche

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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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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Why Are There So Many Different Buddhas?

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Practice Commentary

With ignorant mind you cannot approach the omniscient mind. Like without the fuel in the car you cannot reach your destination. Even if you have the car, if you don’t have the fuel then you cannot reach to the desirable place.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

In this talk, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains why we work with so many different aspects of the Buddha during our practice. By taking refuge in these varied aspects of the Buddha’s enlightenment, we open ourselves to their particular attributes, guidance and inspiration. For example, cultivating a relationship with Manjushri creates the conditions to increase our wisdom-knowledge and with White Tara we can increase the span of our perfect human rebirth. Cultivating the appropriate conditions help us overcome our personal karmic obstacles on the path to enlightenment for the benefit of others. Rinpoche gave these teachings at the Fourteenth Kopan Meditation Course in 1981. You can read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-2-manjushri-why-there-are-different-aspects-buddha

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We Are the Cure of Our Own Samsara

Death and Transitions, Karma, Lama Zopa Rinpoche

All our suffering is caused by our belief that even though the I is merely labeled on the aggregates, it exists from its own side. This sickness is the root of all our suffering and our cure is our wisdom.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives a short vivid explanation about how we circle in samsara, why we circle, and whose fault it is that we circle and suffer. This teaching is from the Fourteenth Kopan Course, 1981. Read along with the transcript on our website here.

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The Qualities of the Dharma and Its Teachers

Guru Devotion, Introductory, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Perfect Human Rebirth, Practice Commentary

The particular nature of the Dharma is that the more you study the teachings, the more the Dharma becomes deep and clear. And the holy beings, those who work for sentient beings, those who have accomplished the path, these holy beings are who bring the Dharma teachings to us.

-Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche describes the qualities of the Holy Dharma and of those that teach us the Dharma. This teaching was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the Fourteenth Kopan Meditation Course, Nepal, 1981. Read along with the transcript on our website at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/lecture-1-qualities-dharma-and-teachers

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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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