receive our newsletters
join Friends of FPMT
Lama Zopa Rinpoche giving an online teaching, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, March 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche continues offering the oral transmission of the Sutra of Great Liberation in the latest video teachings on thought transformation from Kopan Monastery in Nepal. Here is a summary of the most recent teaching:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche begins this teaching advising that if we are scared of death, the Sutra of Great Liberation is exactly what we need. Even just hearing the name of this sutra frees us from the lower realms. There are unbelievable benefits to hearing and reading this powerful sutra. There are so many things in the world to be frightened of. This sutra is exactly what people need to hear, particularly if you are scared of death and dying.
Offering commentary on chapter 1, verse 4 of Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara, Rinpoche explains that if we don’t accomplish benefit with this perfect human rebirth, we won’t receive this opportunity again. Hearing the oral transmission of the Sutra of Great Liberation not only purifies past negative karma, it causes you not to be reborn in the lower realms again.
Taking the oral transmission of this incredible sutra to benefit ourselves is not enough. The real reason we take it is because we are responsible for numberless sentient beings, and the purpose of life is to benefit other sentient beings, even if it’s just one sentient being. We are not only responsible for our friends, or those who please us, but also our enemies. Further, there are numberless universes with numberless sentient beings, and numberless beings are suffering unbelievably in each of the hells. Human beings are suffering with so much ignorance, suffering, and hallucination. Not only that, there are numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals in the numberless universes, and numberless suras, asuras, and intermediate state beings—we are responsible for them too! Therefore, we take the oral transmission of Sutra of Great Liberation because we need to achieve enlightenment to benefit others. You are listening for everyone! You have to think like that. It is not just for your happiness. Rinpoche explains that he received this oral transmission himself from Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche.
Rinpoche continues the oral transmission (of the Sutra of Great Liberation where he previously left off, page 111. You can join in the continuation of the oral transmission (20:22 in this video).
While offering the oral transmission, Rinpoche stops to explain that this lineage came from Buddha. There are actually numberless buddhas, but you think, “I am alone! Nobody loves me!” In fact, there are numberless buddhas and bodhisattvas that love you and cherish you. Even the tiniest insect, every single ant—numberless buddhas and bodhisattvas cherish them the most. Therefore, how can you harm them? How dare you hurt them? When you don’t crush them or kill them, this is a small help to them, and also a great offering to the numberless buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Rinpoche also advises that we think that Shakyamuni Buddha or the numberless buddhas are giving you this oral transmission. Because the numberless buddhas became enlightened to benefit you, they are giving you the oral transmission.
Even reciting the mantra from Sutra of Great Liberation has unbelievable benefits. From the time you recite it up until enlightenment, you never get reborn in the lower realms. Unbelievable. Not only that, there are other most unbelievable benefits.
Mantra from Sutra of Great Liberation
NAMO BUDDHĀYA / NAMO DHARMĀYA / NAMAḤ SAṄGHĀYA / ADANTI DHĀRAṆĪ /
TADYATHĀ / AKAŚHANI VĀVĪNI / SARVA DHARMĀ NI VANĪ / IŚHAMANA / VIPAŚHANA/
VIMALA SUPARI / DHARMA NI KHANA / VARUNI CHAYA TAMALE / CHALE / HULU HULU /
ŚHIVITE / MANTRA MANTRA MANTRAḤ SVĀHĀ
We invite you to go deeper into the topics presented here, plus many others, by watching Rinpoche’s video and reading the full transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching.
Watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching “The Numberless Buddhas Are Giving You the Oral Transmission“:
https://youtu.be/Z3wzyzJNkVI
- Read the transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching
- Find videos with Rinpoche giving the oral transmission of the Sutra of Great Liberatation
- Find Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation translated into Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese, and Russian
- Dedication verses for COVID-19 Crisis Teachings
Watch more from the video series Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation during the Time of COVID-19 and find links to videos in transcripts, MP3s, additional practice advice, and more:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt/announcements/resources-for-coronavirus-pandemic/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche-for-coronavirus/
Practice advice from our teachers, Dharma study-from-home opportunities, and more can be found on the page “Resources for the Coronavirus Pandemic.”
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.