Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice

Buddha statue at Kachoe Dechen Ling, California, US. Photo by Chris Majors.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered this advice in a letter to a student who offered gold to 1,000 buddha statues at Kopan Monastery in Nepal:

I thought to tell of some benefits.

In the time of Buddha Kashyapa, one person offered gold to a cement elephant and was born having an elephant that was gold and had golden kaka. The king at that time confiscated the elephant, at which time the elephant dissolved into the ground, while for the man, his karma was to get another, similar elephant.

Another benefit of offering gold is to be born with golden colored skin. Like that, unbelievable benefits. Unbelievable like that.

If someone offers a small flower or rice to a Buddha statue, a stupa or scripture, then the benefit extends from then up to enlightenment. Amazing, amazing. It is said in the sutra Piled Flowers, on top of that benefit, you achieve ultimate happiness – liberation from the causes of delusion and karma – and on top of that, full enlightenment – all the realizations and omniscient mind. After this, then you liberate numberless hell beings, pretas, animals, humans, suras and asuras from the ocean of samsaric sufferings and bring them to full enlightenment. When all beings are brought to enlightenment, only then are all the results of offering achieved. So by offering gold, then wow, wow, wow. Can you imagine the result! From only a tiny offering (of a flower or rice) so much benefit is received due to that statue, etc. So really, holy objects are wish-fulfilling gems – so unbelievably precious.

Another story: In ancient times in India, there were four fully ordained monks, fully ordained but not aryas with the direct realization of emptiness. One person offered food to these monks and was later reborn as King Kashika. But now you are offering gold so can you imagine the result. Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!

Another benefit, in order for you to get an idea, comes from the Sutra of the Mudra, Developing the Power of Devotion. In that it says that someone who merely sees the image of a Buddha, great or small, immediately creates numberless merits. The food of the devas is nectar and their cloth is extremely precious – all the wealth of the world is not enough to buy their ornaments. Compared to making an offering of devas’ food and cloth 100 times to solitary realizers equaling the sand grains of the universe for 100 eons, to just look at the statue of Buddha has unimaginably more benefits. Wow! Wow! So imagine now offering gold. And offering has far, far, far more merit than seeing Buddha.

Now you see why we build big statues that people from all over the world come to see. You see how the benefit is there.

Thank you very much for your understanding,

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Scribing, editing and any mistakes made belong to Tenzin Namdrol, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, December 2012.

You can find more advice from FPMT Spiritual Director Lama Zopa Rinpoche on FPMT.org.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Vens. Roger Kunsang and Sangpo, Italy, June 2014. Photo by Matteo Passigato.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave teachings in New Delhi, India on January 23-26. On January 24, Ven. Roger Kunsang shared this on his Twitter page: 

Lama Zopa: happiness or unhappiness come from the mind. If self-cherishing mind, then problems; if mind cherishing others, then happiness.

Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)

More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s homepage. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche via email, sign up to Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.

Kangaroo statue with mantras, Bendigo, Australia, December 2014. Photo by Ven. Tenzin Namgyal.

While Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in the Bendigo-area for the CPMT 2014 meeting and the retreat that followed, he added mantras to statues of an elephant and a kangaroo and wrote text for many signs to be placed next to those statues and others. The sign at right reads:

I am an Australian kangaroo, I am not sure which part I come from maybe Kangaroo Island.

This is the first time I have seen the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion that is being built for the first time in Australia.

I am a most fortunate kangaroo I am able to see the stupa by just one luck [look]. 

I prostrate to the stupa to fully enlighten sentient beings.

ON MY LEFT SIDE IS THE MANTRA OF COMPASSIONATE BUDDHA KUAN YIN

GENERATE COMPASSION TO ALL SENTIENT BEINGS FREE THE NUMBERLESS SENTIENT BEINGS FROM OCEANS OF SAMSARIC SUFFERING AND BRING THEM TO ULTIMATE HAPPINESS, GREAT LIBERATION & GREAT BLISS.

ON MY RIGHT SIDE IS A MANTRA BUDDHA MENTIONED IN SUTRA CHU LONG BAI DO ANYONE JUST MERELY SEEING THIS, 100,000 AEONS OF NEGATIVE KARMA WILL BE PURIFIED.

So therefore I am the most happy sentient being. I want, and I can, enlighten not only Bendigo but Australia, the whole world and all numberless six realm sentient beings.

Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), and Rinpoche’s vision for a better world. Sign up to receive news and updates.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Yangsi Rinpoche, Portland, Oregon, US, April 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche taught in January 9-15 at Choe Khor Sum Ling in Bangalore, India. On January 13, Ven. Roger Kunsang shared on his Twitter page: 

Lama Zopa: We have had an ordinary view from beginningless time. Even [if] Buddha appeared to us, we wouldn’t recognize. [We’d] just see [him] as ordinary.

Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s assistant and CEO of FPMT Inc., shares Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s recent pith sayings on Ven. Roger’s Twitter page. (You can also read them on Ven. Roger’s Facebook page.)

More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s homepage. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche via email, sign up to Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, July 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

“Having a positive attitude, such as the altruistic thought to help other sentient beings and not harm them, is the cause of success in life,” said Lama Zopa Rinpoche in a 1991 teaching in Adelaide, Australia now available through the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

“Even though some people might not have much education, they have no difficulties in life; they are wealthy and have harmonious relationships, and whatever they wish for happens. The reason for this is the cause created in the past. This is the actual evolution; this is where their happiness comes from. But when we do not analyze, when we are not aware, it looks as if success came from outside and does not depend on their mind.

“It’s the opposite for people who are experiencing difficulties in their life. Their actions are motivated by ill will, jealousy, selfishness, dissatisfaction, desire, ignorance, anger and so forth, and their problems and difficulties result from that. Even though this is the actual evolution, when we do not understand or are not aware of karma, of action and result, it appears as if success and difficulties come from outside. We may have heard of karma and sometimes talk about it or meditate on it, but we are not aware of it in our everyday life.”

Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), and Rinpoche’s vision for a better world. Sign up to receive news and updates.

Elephant statue with mantras offering to Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, December 2014. Photo by Ven. Tenzin Namgyal.

While Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in the Bendigo-area for the CPMT 2014 meeting and the retreat that followed, he added mantras to statues of an elephant and a kangaroo and wrote text for many signs to be placed next to those statues and others. The sign next to the elephant statue and his plush companions at right reads:

The purpose of my life is to free the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to the peerless state of OMNISCIENCE. Therefore I MUST ACHIEVE THE STATE OF OMNISCIENCE FOR THEM:

Anywhere with whomever I accompany
I look at myself lowest of all
And cherish others as supreme
Whether you like it or not this is my practice, sorry.

Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), and Rinpoche’s vision for a better world. Sign up to receive news and updates.

Kadampa stupa at Kachoe Dechen Ling, Aptos, California, US, July 2014. Photo by Chris Majors.

“When we give a party, we usually do it with attachment clinging to this life, to our own happiness and good reputation. That attitude is one of worldly concern, or worldly desire. When we give a party with that attitude, since our motivation is non-virtuous, all our actions become non-virtuous,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche said during a series of talks given in New York City in 1990. These teachings are captured in How Things Exist: Teachings on Emptiness, a free publication from Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. 

“How do we transform the action of giving a party into something positive? How do we make it a true cause of happiness? Again, by remembering universal responsibility: ‘I’m responsible for pacifying the sufferings of all sentient beings and bringing them happiness. For that reason, I need to develop my mind in the path, especially in compassion and altruism. To develop my mind for the benefit of sentient beings, I need to create the necessary condition of merit, or good karma. Therefore, I’m going to make charity of this food and drink to my kind mother sentient beings, from whom I receive all my past, present, and future happiness.’ Giving a party in this way becomes Dharma.

“With an attitude of universal responsibility, from morning to night our actions become Dharma. They are virtuous, or positive, the unmistaken causes of happiness. Since everything – happiness and suffering – comes from our own mind, we have great freedom to stop suffering and to find happiness.”

Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), and Rinpoche’s vision for a better world. Sign up to receive news and updates.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the retreat in Australia, where he gave the oral transmission of Sutra of Golden Light, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

In early January, Thubten Gyatso (Adrian Feldmann), a monk and the director of Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery (TSL) near Bendigo, Australia, wrote Lama Zopa Rinpoche a brief note explaining the success the monastery had with reciting the Sutra of Golden Light to help bring much needed rain to the region. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has taught that reading the sutra protects beings from experiencing natural disasters:

” … [I]n view of the severe drought that has been affecting our region, last week the TSL monks recited the Sutra of Golden Light with the the thought to help the farmers, birds, animals, and my flowers (mostly dead). Yesterday, we had a torrential downpour of 115 mm [4.5 inches] of rain. The large dam is completely full, and it’s going to continue raining for the next five days. Maybe we might have to recite the sutra again to stop the rain?

“We received 115 mm [4.5 inches] of rain but Bendigo airport, only 14 km [8.5 miles] away, received just 38 mm [1.5 inches].”

The regular recitation of the Sutra of Golden Light for world peace is part of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions, a collection of advice and commentary that sets forth Rinpoche’s “general plan for FPMT.” FPMT Education Services has created a resource page to help you learn more about and start reciting the Sutra of Golden Light. You can receive the oral transmission of the sutra, download the sutra in 12 languages, report completed recitations, share your experiences, and ask questions about the text itself.

The path leading to Thubten Shedrup Ling from the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, September 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), and Rinpoche’s vision for a better world. Sign up to receive news and updates.

Elephant statue with mantras offering to Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, December 2014. Photo by Ven. Tenzin Namgyal.

While Lama Zopa Rinpoche was in the Bendigo-area for the CPMT 2014 meeting and the retreat that followed, he added mantras to statues of an elephant and a kangaroo and wrote text for many signs to be placed next to those statues and others. Ani Wy helped Rinpoche with the mantras on the elephant that is shared above.

The sign next to the large elephant offering flowers to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion says:

If the merit of taking Refuge has form
even these three realms (desire, form, formless)
become a small container
The treasure of the water of the great ocean cannot be
counted by the handful

Even though I am an animal Elephant,
This is my most exciting happiest life in the world

In numberless eons this is the one opportunity
to make offerings and prostrations to the holy stupa
and all the numberless
Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, stupas and scriptures.

You human beings have a better form (body)
So you really have an amazing opportunity to
Benefit sentient beings.

Learn more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), and Rinpoche’s vision for a better world. Sign up to receive news and updates.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche decorated artwork, Bendigo, Australia, November 2014. Photo by Ven. Tenzin Namgyal.

After Lama Zopa Rinpoche manifested a stroke in 2011, he stayed in a hospital in Bendigo, Australia. While there Rinpoche bought a painting that was part of a fundraiser for the hospital. Rinpoche returned to Bendigo in September 2014 for the CPMT 2014 meeting and the retreat that followed. He stayed at Thubten Shedrup Ling through November 2014 and while there added mantras to the painting so it is of more benefit when people see it. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, Italy, June 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

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Lama Zopa Rinpoche blesses rabbits at Osel Labrang, Bylakuppe, India, December 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

“It’s very important not only to have human rights, caring for and supporting humans, but also to be helping animals.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche, “Animal Welfare,” Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

Read more “Advice for Non-harming” from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

More information, photos and updates about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s homepage. If you’d like to receive news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche via email, sign up to Lama Zopa Rinpoche News.