Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during public talk at Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 20, 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

More than 600 people came to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion on Saturday, September 20, to attend Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s public teaching. In additional to attendees of the CPMT 2014 meeting, many people traveled from Melbourne and other parts of Australia to see Rinpoche at the Great Stupa, which is near Bendigo, Victoria.

Videos of the talk are available for streaming. Rinpoche taught in two sessions on the “Bodhisattva Attitude.”

Rinpoche took audience questions at the beginning of the second section. One question was: “What is the relationship between study and practice? Can the two occur simultaneously?”

Rinpoche replied, “When you are receiving teachings on Buddhist philosophy, such as studying the Basic Program or Masters Program, the programs that the FPMT centers have, the extensive subjects, Buddha’s teachings and the extensive commentaries by Indian pandits, Nagarjuna, Chandrakirti, Asanga, and so forth, and the enlightened beings of Tibet such as Lama Tsongkhapa and so forth, what they taught and what they experienced, even you are studying a very big subject, but you integrate it into lam-rim. When you are practicing lam-rim — correctly devoting to the virtuous friend, renunciation, bodhichitta, right view — when you practice those, the essence of those great philosophy teachings is practiced. If you don’t practice lam-rim, then your life is like [an empty] supermarket — building is there, but there is no food at all there to sell, no fruits, no vegetables, no cheese, no meat. Everything is empty; there is nothing to buy. It is like that, like an empty can or an empty purse — no money in the purse — or an empty stomach. …

“So therefore I think study lam-rim, essence of Dharma, first. Then either with that or after that, study philosophy. Then you know how to listen to teachings and make them effective for your mind. Otherwise if you don’t understand lam-rim, it doesn’t become that. The teachings that you listen to you don’t know how to make useful for your mind. Even reading Dharma texts becomes difficult to make useful for your mind without knowing lam-rim.” 

Copies of Rinpoche’s book Bodhisattva Attitude: How to Dedicate Your Life to Others were offered to all in attendance by the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

After a brief interlude, Lama Zopa Rinpoche will be leading the month-long Bodhicaryavatara and Rinjung Gyatsa retreat, September 25-October 23, at the Great Stupa. Rinpoche’s teachings will be webcast live on the retreat Livestream page.

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 arriving at the long life puja at Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 19, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

To close the CPMT 2014 meeting, a long life puja with the five dakinis was offered to FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche on Friday, September 19, in the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion. A video recording of the puja is available on the CPMT livestream page.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche during long life puja with Geshe Doga, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 19, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

Four FPMT resident geshes were present for the puja: Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi, abbot of Kopan Monastery and resident geshe at Amitabha Buddhist Centre; Geshe Lobsang Doga, Tara Institute; Geshe Ngawang Samten, Vajrayana Institute; and Geshe Phuntsok Tsultrem, Chenrezig Institute. In addition, more than 40 Sangha members and 130 lay students attended.

Geshe Ngawang Samten, Geshe Phuntsok Tsultrem, Vens. Roger Kunsang, Gyatso and Michael Yeshe during long life puja, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

Ven. Tenzin Tsapel, resident teacher of the Golden Light Sutra Center in Mongolia, beautifully led the chanting in her role as umze. The five dakinis made a dramatic entrance into the gompa, performing the traditional dance. Praises to Lama Zopa Rinpoche from FPMT centers around the world were read by Helen Patrin, coordinator of FPMT Australia; Drolkar McCallum, FPMT North America regional coordinator; and Tara Melwani, FPMT South East Asia regional coordinator.

Five dakini dancers entering the gompa, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 19, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

Drolkar McCallum reading the praises for Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Tara Melwani and Helen Patrin (not pictured), Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 19, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche did an extensive dedication at the end of the puja, including all the people working within the FPMT mandala and all FPMT centers, projects and services. After the puja, a lunch was served for all present.

Steve Lin from FPMT Taiwan offering the eight royal emblems during long life puja, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 19, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

For more on the CPMT 2014 meeting, including photos and daily summaries, visit Mandala‘s blog.

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

Lama Zopa Rinpoche giving the preliminary teaching before the long life initiation during the CPMT 2014 meeting, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 17, 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave an exhilarating teaching on the merely labeled ‘I’ and emptiness during the preliminary teachings for the Amitayus long life initiation given during the CPMT 2014 meeting in Australia. A recording of the teaching is now available on the CPMT livestream page.

Rinpoche will be webcast live giving the concluding talk and dedication of the CPMT 2014 meeting on Thursday, September 18, at 4 p.m. AEST (UTC+10). 

Here’s an excerpt from a long letter Rinpoche dictated to Ven. Holly Ansett in 2008, published on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, with extensive advice on emptiness and the merely imputed ‘I’.  Rinpoche advised:

“… The I, or the self, action and object are dependent arisings. The I exists being imputed in dependence upon its base, the aggregates. Here aggregates refers to form, feeling, recognition, compounded aggregates and consciousness. The I exists in dependence upon the aggregates; the I is merely imputed to the base, the aggregates, which exist in mere name. So, the I is empty of existing from its own side, empty of existing by its nature; it does not exist inherently.

“It is the same with any action. How an action actually exists is as a dependent arising. It is not independent, but a dependent arising. ‘Action’ is labeled on what the body, speech or mind does. It exists, but dependently. Any action, no matter what name it is given, is merely imputed by the mind. It is not independent, but a dependent arising. Action does not exist from its own side; it does not exist by its nature; it does not exist inherently, or truly.

“It is the same with any object. In dependence upon the base and the thought, something is labeled ‘object.’ The object came from the mind, not from the base. You could say that it exists from the side of the mind, or in dependence upon the mind, which imputes, or designates, it. But it also exists in relation to its base. So, it is the same with an object: it does not exist from its own side.

“Therefore, I, action and object are all totally empty. They are not nonexistent, which is nihilism, but they do not exist from their own side. They do exist from the side of the mind in relation to the base, but they do not exist from their own side. Therefore, they are totally empty from their own side. This is the same with all the rest of phenomena. Nothing exists from its own side. While they exist, all phenomena are totally empty of existing from their own side. They exist in mere name and function in mere name, but that doesn’t mean that they are nonexistent.

“This is a very subtle explanation of how the I, action, object and all other phenomena exist. It can be explained in a gross way, but here this is an extremely subtle explanation. Phenomena exist in mere name, being merely imputed by the mind. Here one needs to study and one needs to analyze, which means really check how things exist. …”

The complete advice “The Merely Imputed I” is part of “Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book” on the website of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Mandala will be covering the CPMT meeting with daily updates and new photos. 

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

Lama Zopa Rinpoche leaving the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion after the morning motivation, Victoria, Australia, September 16, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

The video of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s morning motivation for Day 4 of CPMT 2014 meeting, September 16, is now available to watch online. Rinpoche has been attending many of the session of the CPMT 2014 meeting currently taking place at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo, Australia.

On Day 5, September 17, Rinpoche’s teaching before the long life initiation will be webcast live at 9 a.m. local time (AEST, UTC+10, click here for time zone conversions). 

On Day 6, September 18, Rinpoche’s closing remarks for the CPMT 2014 meeting will also be webcast live at 4 p.m. local time (AEST, UTC+10, click here for time zone conversions). 

On Day 7, September 19, Rinpoche’s teaching for the long life puja will be webcast live at 9 a.m. local time (AEST, UTC+10, click here for time zone conversions). All these sessions will be made available after the webcast as recorded video at the same link.

CPMT 2014 participant listening as Lama Zopa Rinpoche offers the morning meditation.

Then on September 20, Rinpoche’s public talk at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion will be webcast live and available afterwards as video for streaming. Following that, the Bodhicaryavatara and Rinjung Gyatsa retreat, September 25-October 23, will also have Rinpoche’s teachings webcast live.

Mandala will be covering the CPMT meeting with daily updates and new photos. 

Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche listening to a question during CPMT 2014, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrived at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion during the morning tea break on the second day (September 14) of the CPMT 2014 meeting, currently being held at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Australia. After tea, Rinpoche joined a small group discussion on the proposed idea for an international FPMT Advisory Council. After lunch Rinpoche attended the presentation on FPMT Education Programs and participated in a small group discussion on the topic. Rinpoche then had an open question and answer session with participants.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche following the path from the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion to Thubten Shedrup Ling, Victoria, Australia, September 14, 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

For more on CPMT 2014, visit Mandala’s blog.

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 turning the prayer wheels outside the Great Stupa at dusk, Australia, September 12, 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrived at Thubten Shedrup Ling, next to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, on Thursday night, September 11. Rinpoche is attending the five-day CPMT meeting and leading the month-long Bodhicaryavatara and Rinjung Gyatsa retreat, September 25-October 23, at the Great Stupa.

Rinpoche’s opening talk at the CPMT meeting on Saturday, September 13, at 10:15 a.m. AEST will be streamed live. (Click here for time zone conversions). For up-to-date information on CPMT webcasts of Rinpoche, visit the CPMT Livestream page.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche circumambulating the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 12, 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

On Friday, September 12, Rinpoche circumambulated the Great Stupa and turned the newly installed prayer wheels on the outside of the building. Rinpoche then gave an impromptu teaching on the proper visualization one should do while spinning the wheels. 

For more on the CPMT meeting, including updates and photos, visit Mandala‘s blog.

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, Washington, US, April 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

“If we generate compassion, we become a friend to everybody and everyone becomes our friend. With this positive attitude, compassion, toward everyone, others also become friendly toward us so we receive no harm from them, only benefit, only help. This way, there’s success in our life. …

“… Each of us here is completely responsible for everybody’s happiness, for every sentient being’s happiness. Not only human beings, not only that, but for all the rest of the sentient beings. Each insect we see on the road, each fly, each bird, each dog, each worm we see on the ground, we are responsible. Each of us here is responsible for the happiness of every single sentient being that we see around us in everyday life, starting from that to all the rest of the sentient beings. So, if we don’t practice compassion, if we only follow the ego, the self-cherishing thought, there is danger to others, starting from the family, starting from the people nearest us to all the rest of the sentient beings. They receive harm from us, directly or indirectly, from life to life.”

Excerpted from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings at the 24th Kopan lam-rim course in Nepal, 1991. These teachings are included in the ebook Practicing the Unmistaken Path: Lam-rim Teachings from Kopan 1991, due out in November from Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

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 giving teachings to Sangha and lay students at Chenrezig Institute, Eudlo, Australia, September 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has given much advice to Sangha, which you can find in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book. Here’s an excerpt of Rinpoche’s advice on living as a monk, given several years ago in Bodhgaya:

“Morality is the road to liberation from samsara. With morality, it’s easy. Without morality, life creates obstacles for realizations, and then it creates sufferings. It destroys realizations and causes rebirths in lower realms.

“People are looking for happiness, but the method is important. Hunting and killing animals is creating suffering. Other people commit suicide; they kill themselves while they are looking for happiness. The aim for everyone is reaching happiness.

“Maybe it’s not possible to do it every day, but at least once a week or every two or four days we should go over the sutra looking at the benefits of the vows. This is fuel and gives us energy. It is very important. It makes the mind strong, directs the mind to be strong, and strengthens the mind of renunciation. …”

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 the children of Chenrezig Institute releasing butterflies during the 40th anniversary celebration, Eudlo, Queensland, Australia, September 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche celebrated Chenrezig Institute’s 40th anniversary on Saturday, September 6, 2014. Rinpoche has been staying at the FPMT center in Eudlo, Queensland, Australia, where he gave a public talk in conjunction with the celebration. 

Chenrezig Institute shared on their Facebook page: “Wow, wow, wow! Amazing, amazing, amazing! Unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable! What a great day we all had at the 40th anniversary of Chenrezig Institute. Lama Zopa Rinpoche visited the Garden of Enlightenment and led a group of kids in prayers and in releasing a group of happy butterflies (I assume they were happy…), then he spontaneously broke into a long talk about the benefits of stupas and to top it up he gave a four-hour teaching at the gompa. …”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Geshe Jamyang and Geshe Phuntsok (resident geshe at Chenrezig Institute) next to a poster of Lama Yeshe during Chenrezig Institute’s 40th anniversary celebration, Australia, September 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

September 7-9, Rinpoche gave a Great Chenrezig initiation at Chenrezig Institute. Rinpoche travels next to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Atisha Centre and Thubten Shedrup Ling, all located outside of Bendigo, Victoria. Rinpoche will be there for the CPMT meeting, September 13-19, which is followed by a public talk on September 20 and the month-long Bodhicaryavatara and Rinjung Gyatsa retreat, September 25-October 23.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s opening and closing talks at CPMT 2014 will be live streamed as well as his public talk on September 20 and the retreat at the Great Stupa. 

Visit Mandala‘s blog for news and updates from the CPMT meeting.

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 the 100 Million Mani Retreat in Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, August 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

“Lama Zopa: If you are wise, practice rejoicing in others’ and one’s own good karma. Feel a sense of joy in others’ good deeds and actions.”

– From Ven. Roger Kunsang’s Twitter page, posted on August 30, 2014

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, Washington, US, August 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrived in Australia this week. Rinpoche is at Chenrezig Institute in Queensland, giving a public teaching on September 6 and offering a Great Chenrezig initiation on September 7-9.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche arriving at Chenrezig Institute, Eudlo, Queensland, Australia, September 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

Rinpoche travels to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo, Victoria, for the CPMT meeting, September 13-19. Afterwards, Rinpoche remains at the Great Stupa for a public talk on September 20 and the month-long Bodhicaryavatara and Rinjung Gyatsa retreat, September 25-October 23.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s opening and closing talks at CPMT 2014 will be live streamed as well as his public talk on September 20 and the retreat at the Great Stupa. 

Visit Mandala‘s blog for news and updates from the CPMT meeting.

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

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, UK, July 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

 “People use the word ‘happy’ a lot, but what they think is happiness is not real happiness, it is suffering. Therefore, I mentioned that the best happy life, living with compassion, has great meaning. With compassion you can really have a happy life. Happiness can be on different levels. If sentient beings have compassion then they are able to achieve enlightenment and liberate sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings.”

— Lama Zopa Rinpoche, from the page “Compassion Quotes” on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

Learn more about FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his beneficial activities by visiting Rinpoche’s webpage, where you will find links to Rinpoche’s schedule, new advice, recent video, photos and more.