Category Archives: Practice Commentary

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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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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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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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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The Benefits of Thought Transformation

Dharma in Daily Life, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Practice Commentary

All the hindrances of life, all the hindrances of meditation, of practicing Dharma, by practicing Mahayana thought training, all those hindrances of meditation, of Dharma practice, all those become helpers, beneficial conditions to practice Dharma.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

When we face so many obstacles and challenges to our practice, it can be helpful to listen to this excerpt from teachings on Geshe Langri Tangpa’s Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Manjushri Institute, Cumbria, England, August 16-24, 1979. These teachings were given by Rinpoche while Lama Yeshe was still alive. You can follow along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/benefits-thought-transformation.

You can also read the history surrounding these teachings in Big Love: The Life and Teachings of Lama Yeshe in Volume 2, Chapter 17: Even Your Enemy Who Tries to Kill You is Your Best Friend. Big Love is available at https://www.LamaYeshe.com/BigLove

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Developing Equilibrium

Lama Yeshe, Practice Commentary

This talk is the basis for the seventh chapter of the book Ego, Attachment and Liberation which contains teachings from a five-day meditation retreat Lama led near Melbourne, Australia, 1975.

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Every Problem on Earth Comes from Attachment

Emptiness, Lama Yeshe, Practice Commentary

This is the sixth chapter of the book Ego, Attachment and Liberation which contains talks given by Lama Yeshe during a five-day retreat Lama led near Melbourne, Australia in 1975.  Read the transcripts here.

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