Lama Zopa Rinpoche News

Lama Zopa Rinpoche writing out the Tibetan alphabet, Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Rather than staying worried, recite mani mantras to purify past negative karma, then there’s no need to worry. Everything dies – everything grows and dies, comes and goes – so our main aim should be enlightenment. All other things are not important.

A Kadampa geshe said, “The suffering we are experiencing now is our past negative karma ripening, so we should be happy it is finishing.”

Take blessed water several times a day, thinking that it has purified our negative karma from past lives, and visualize very strongly these four things being purified: spirit harm, negative karma, sickness and obscurations.

– Lama Zopa Rinpoche, from the “Fears” page on “Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book”

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 with Ven. Sangpo visiting a park in Bendigo, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

From Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s “Compassion Is of the Upmost Need”:

A Kadampa geshe said, “Holy beings of the land of Dzambu (this world) respond to harm with good actions.” 

When ordinary people are harmed they retaliate with harm. Holy beings repay harm with positive actions. Whoever sees the enemy as the virtuous friend is happy wherever that person is. 

The great Indian scholar bodhisattva Shantideva said in the first chapter of his Bodhicaryavatara: 

“I bow down to the body of him in whom the sacred precious mind is born. 
I seek refuge in that source of joy, who brings to happiness even those who harm him.” 

A free PDF download of “Compassion Is of the Upmost Need,” Rinpoche’s 10 quotes on compassion, is available from the Foundation Store in letter and A4 formats.

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 visiting the relics in the exhibition center at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion’s, Bendigo, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

“The terms ‘renouncing this life’ or ‘renouncing suffering’ both mean renouncing the mind that is the cause of the problems, the thought of the eight worldly dharmas. Therefore ‘Dharma’ includes even pragmatic, transient techniques to stop attachment from arising. This is the actual Dharma, the method that immediately solves our confusion and mental illness. Bringing clarity and lack of confusion to our mind is the best way of bringing happiness to our life. Renouncing suffering doesn’t mean we’ll never have stomach or knee pain, a headache or a cold. It doesn’t mean wishing to be free of all pain but wishing to be free from the very cause of all suffering,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches in How to Practice Dharma: Teachings on the Eight Worldly Dharmas, published by the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. 

“It has been the experience of these great yogis that we don’t have to wait until our future lives to experience this happiness. As soon as we stop the dissatisfied mind, immediately – immediately – there’s the result, happiness.

“At first we might be nervous about letting go of desire because we normally equate desire with happiness. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. As soon as we let go of desire we achieve inner peace, satisfaction and happiness; we become independent. Before, we were dictated to and controlled by desire but now we have achieved real freedom.

“We can see in the biographies of the great yogis Tilopa, Marpa, Milarepa, Lama Tsongkhapa and many of those other highly realized beings whose holy minds passed into enlightenment how, even without material possessions, they generated great tranquility and peace and through that were able to realize the great achievements of the path. They didn’t have even the scent of the eight worldly dharmas about them but by completely renouncing desire for this life, they received everything – the best reputation, perfect surroundings and sufficient material comfort.

“In Milarepa’s Hundred Thousand Songs he often says how renouncing this life’s worldly activities automatically stops all the thousands of problems associated with the worldly life and brings great bliss. Without any possessions at all, he led an ascetic life in solitary places. Although he lived like an animal, he spent his life in great happiness, his mind always peaceful, without confusion or problems. He didn’t have even one sack of tsampa but lived on nettles alone. Living without food, clothing or reputation didn’t cause him any problems because of his Dharma practice. He achieved all the high realizations and then enlightenment in that one lifetime, all due to the power of his pure Dharma practice of renouncing suffering, renouncing this life. His mind was incomparably happier than that of the king who has great power and many bodyguards, soldiers and weapons.

“Therefore, it’s completely wrong to think that Dharma only brings happiness in future lifetimes but not in this one. We experience peace and happiness the very moment we begin to practice and live in the Dharma. We feel its effects immediately.”

From How to Practice Dharma: Teachings on the Eight Worldly Dharmas, pp. 144-5, edited by Gordon Gordon McDougall and published by 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.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Oz, Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Bendigo, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently showed off his Ozzie side. Taking time to pose for photos, Rinpoche wore his iconic, new Akubra hat, offered to him during the long life puja at the conclusion of the Australia retreat, and stood next to a newly offered and painted kangaroo statue.

Rinpoche painted a mantra on the kangaroo, known as “Enjoyment of the Great Water.” According to Rinpoche, just seeing this mantra purifies 100,000 eons of negative karma. Before Rinpoche painted the mantra, Lynn Miller Coleman painted the rest of the kangaroo and joey. The statue will reside in the bush near the monastery.

Lama Zopa Rinpoch visits with Lynn Miller Coleman as she paints the kangaroo statue, Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

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.

Elephant making offerings to Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang. While staying at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave instructions for the large elephant statues in the bush near the monastery and Great Stupa to have offerings.

“… All those who make flower offerings to the stupa will achieve a perfect human rebirth, having freedom and richness. …”

–From Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s translation of “Padmasambhava’s Instruction on Offerings to Stupas,” which details the benefits of prostrating to, circumambulating, making offerings to, and offering service to stupas. 

Elephant with friends and offerings near the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

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 viewing relics of Buddhist masters displayed in the newly remodeled relic room in the exhibition center at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

“Impermanence and death don’t wait for us –
Every moment, we are so close to death.

“Every moment of this life is to prepare for death.
Every moment of this life is to free ourselves from suffering.
Every moment of this life is to achieve peerless happiness.
Every moment of this life is to make the greatest purification.
Every moment of this life is to accumulate extensive merit,
with the thought of impermanence and bodhicitta,
and with the practice of guru yoga,
seeing our own mind as one with the holy mind of the guru
and the deity,
which is the wisdom of non-dual bliss and voidness.

“This is crazy Zopa’s advice for
students and friends,
forever,
until enlightenment is achieved.”

–Lama Zopa Rinpoche, from the page on “Impermanence and Death” in “Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book,” part of 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.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Ian Green discussing the art and decorations for the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Bendigo, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered this advice to students on the benefits of building a stupa:

“By building a stupa, without words we are continually liberating so many sentient beings. Every day, the stupa plants the seed of enlightenment and purifies anybody who sees, touches, remembers, talks or dreams about the stupa. This includes insects that touch the stupa. The stupa is meaningful to behold, and it liberates many sentient beings, insects and humans, every day.

“When the wind touches a stupa—especially if it has the four dharmakaya relics inside—the wind becomes blessed. Then, wherever the wind goes and whoever it touches, it liberates them from the lower realms, by purifying their negative karma. When rain falls on the stupa, that water liberates any being it touches—all the worms in the ground etc, are liberated from the lower realms. It is similar with dust.

“We can build stupas to inspire people without even teaching Dharma. However many hundreds and billions of years the holy object lasts, it continues to liberate many sentient beings every day, freeing them from the lower realms, causing them to actualize the path, liberating them from samsara and bringing them to enlightenment. After we die, even if we are in another universe, in the hell realms or a pure land, wherever we are, the stupa that we built or helped to build, is continually benefiting sentient beings. It is incredible how we can continually benefit sentient beings by building a stupa.

“From the Flower Garland Sutra:

Whatever one offers [to a stupa], whether it is tiny or big, it causes happiness from beginningless rebirth up to now.

“This refers to temporary happiness and on top of that the cause of ultimate happiness—liberation from suffering and causes of suffering, and full enlightenment, for the sake of all sentient beings. Then we are able to liberate numberless sentient beings from suffering and bring them to enlightenment, so of course this includes achieving worldly people’s small happiness; it is all contained here.

“These are some of the benefits we get by helping to build this stupa.”

From the page on “Stupas” in “Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book,” part of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. 

Light offerings projected on to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

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 with his animal art, Thubten Shedrup Ling, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

During his stay at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Lama Zopa Rinpoche decorated two elephant statues and dictated signs to be made that will go next to them when they are placed outside. Rinpoche has been staying at the monastery for the past six weeks for the CPMT 2014 meeting and the Australia retreat, which just ended.

Rinpoche glued four small plush toy animals onto the back of the larger elephant. Its sign will say:

“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.”

The smaller elephant is saying:

“I’m the very small elephant, but looking 100 years old.

From beginningless rebirth I have been totally dipped in the oceans of samsaric sufferings

but even though I am still an animal but now I am taking the opportunity

As the enlightened stupa happened here, to enlighten all sentient beings.”

There are many other examples of Rinpoche’s artistic animal creations, including examples in the “Animal Art” photo album and the floating animals in boats Rinpoche created for Atisha Centre.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in his room at Thubten Shedrup Ling, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

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 at long life puja held during the CPMT meeting, September 19, 2014. Photo by Kunchok Gyaltsen.

The Australia retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion concluded on October 23 with a long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche. You can watch video recordings of the long life puja and Rinpoche’s teachings from the month-long retreat as well as videos of Rinpoche’s teachings during the CPMT 2014 meeting and other teaching events and retreats on FPMT’s Livestream page.

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.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

“The benefit that we have been able to offer to sentient beings and the teachings of the Buddha, particularly to spread the teachings of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism in this world, this is due to the kindness of our Gurus. That we have been able to offer service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama who is the sole object of refuge of all of us sentient beings and the originator of all our peace and happiness; to the Tibetan people — particularly the monasteries; and all the extensive service that we have been able to offer sentient beings — not only with Dharma but also with the various social services — all of this is due to His Holiness the Dalai Lama the Buddha of Compassion’s kindness. And particularly it is due to the Lama whose holy name is very difficult to express and who is kinder than all the three times Buddhas — Lama Yeshe’s kindness. It is due to his brave heart, his big heart, as well as the idea of building a very large Maitreya Buddha statue that blows away many living beings’ minds and hearts,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche said during a long life puja at Land of Medicine Buddha in California in 2001, also acknowledge Ribur Rinpoche, who was in attendance as well as “other Gurus who pray every day for the success of the activities, the projects.” 

Photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Yeshe on the throne above Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the retreat in Australia, October 2014. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang.

“It is because of this that we can have some success. There is a lot to do. What has been done so far is very little. What is going to happen is more. All of this is completely due to the kindness of the Gurus,” Rinpoche continued. “Then, next, I am not going to mention the names of all the students because I wouldn’t remember them and even if I could it would take many days, but there is [Ven.] Roger [Kunsang] who for many years has been my attendant, and many students whose nature is compassionate and faithful. The most important thing is harmony, unity in the organization. That is what has brought success so far — unity. There are many students who are like gold, like diamonds. The most important quality is to have the nature of compassion towards others, to be kind-hearted, next is to be intelligent, understanding the Dharma, and then to be responsible. It is particularly due to the harmony, the unity, that there has been success and that we have been able to offer this much service.

“So there is a lot of potential to be able to offer much much more extensive benefit than this. The Maitreya project didn’t happen yet. It did not get actualized yet. Because it has such immense benefit, skies of benefit to sentient beings, of course it has a lot of obstacles, it takes time. But it’s just a question of time. When the merit is more and more increased, then there will be less obstacles. So I would like to thank very much all the members of the FPMT organization, all the students at the centres in the different countries for all their prayers, not only for my long life but for all the other things and particularly for the Maitreya project. The benefit that we are able to offer, that I am able to offer, is due to the kindness of so many students who are compassionate to sentient beings, faithful, and responsible. And it is due to unity, harmony in the organization. So we can offer much more, many more times extensive benefit to the teachings of the Buddha and more and more service to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So I want to thank very very much.”

From “The Most Important Thing in the FPMT”  on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

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 blessing the dogs Nyingdu and Chonyi outside of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, October 2014. Photo by Drolkar McCallum.

“It’s not enough that you look after animals and they give you comfort. You must do something of practical benefit for them. This is what you can do every day,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche instructed:

• “Circumambulate with them around holy objects, chanting mantras.
• “Recite prayers in their ears to plant the seed of all the realizations of the path to enlightenment. This makes a huge difference. It has incredible results, enabling them to have a good rebirth in their next life, to be born as a human being, and meet the Dharma.

“There is a story about when the Buddha gave teachings to 500 swans in a field and in their next lives they were born as humans, became monks, and all became arya beings, able to achieve the cessation of suffering and the true path. So, the result was incredible, just from hearing Dharma words. Also, Vasubhandu (Lo.pon Yig.nyen) used to recite a text called the Abhidharmakosa, and a pigeon on the roof heard this every day. One day the pigeon died and Lo.pon Yig.nyen checked to see where it had been reborn. It was born to a family who lived down below in the valley. He went down and visited the child and asked if he could look after him, and the family let the child go with him. The child became a monk named Lo.pon Lo.den and became an expert on the text that he had heard when he was a pigeon. He wrote four commentaries on that text. Therefore, it’s extremely important to recite lam-rim prayers and mantras—at least mantras—to animals. …”

On October 16 during the retreat in Australia, Rinpoche offered a teaching on benefiting animals by not eating meet, which can be watched as a video online.

Read more of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s instructions “How to Benefit Animals” on “Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book,” which is part of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

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 created various inspirational signs on the path which connects Thubten Shedrup Ling, Atisha Centre and the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Australia, September 2014. Photo by Laura Miller.

On September 28, Ven. Roger Kunsang shared on his Twitter page that “Rinpoche [has been] creating Dharma messages along the path to the monastery [Thubten Shedrup Ling] for all to see, accompanied by cool little animals.” 

In this photo, a stuffed sheep and kiwi celebrate the benefits of living near Thubten Shedrup Ling, Atisha Centre and the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo, Australia:

Hello, I am a sheep and I am a kiwi from New Zealand, boo hoo

But, by good luck, we are now at the Monastery, Atisha Centre and Great Stupa, an unbelievable place for enlightenment. We can: circumambulate the stupa, purify all negative karmas collected from beginningless rebirths, collect all the merits and achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. This is the inner-most greatest happiness.

Ha Ha Ha

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.