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Lama Zopa Rinpoche during His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teaching, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, February 8, 2021. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama offered a teaching on February 8, 2021, at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the FPMT organization on Changkya Rölpai Dorjé’s Recognizing My Mother: An Experiential Song of the View (tagur ama ngodzin).
At the beginning and conclusion of the teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche read an introduction and dedication that he had composed for the teaching in Tibetan and made mandala offerings to His Holiness. The following is an English translation of Rinpoche’s introduction and dedication.
Introduction
The great compassion of all the ten-direction, three-time buddhas manifested in human form,
Chenrezig, Supreme Being, Compassionate-Eye-Looking One, the karmic deity of the Snow Land of Tibet,
The sole object of refuge of us transmigratory beings—human beings, devas, asuras, hell beings, pretas, and animals—every single one,
Your Eminence, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for world peace and happiness,
The guide of devas and human beings, the refuge-savior, wish-granting jewel who is always extremely busy enacting holy activities,
Out of your great compassion, thank you for your kindness in granting us, the students of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, the teaching of the holy Dharma of Recognizing My Mother: An Experiential Song of the View. For that, I, a humble disciple, Thubten Zopa, on behalf of the FPMT, wish to express the compassion of your incalculable kindness.
[A mandala offering is made.]
By the sound of the great drum of Dharma,
May you set suffering sentient beings free.
Please teach us the Dharma and live
For inconceivable tens of millions of eons.
Like Bodhisattva Always Crying One followed Cho Phag,
Without being distracted by all—our body, life, and possessions,
May we please our holy virtuous friend well
And never displease you even for a second.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Vens. Topgye and Tendar watching His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teaching, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, February 8, 2021. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Conclusion and Dedication
[A short thanksgiving mandala is offered.]
The wish-granting, wish-fulfilling jewel,
Source of every single benefit and happiness in this world,
The incomparably kind, supreme Tenzin Gyatso,
May your life be long and all your holy wishes be spontaneously fulfilled.
Today our refuge-savior, the omniscient one, has kindly granted us Recognizing My Mother: An Experiential Song of the View. Even if we FPMT students were to fill the whole sky with wish-granting jewels and offer them to you, our refuge-savior, the omniscient one, and even if we were to achieve full enlightenment, how could we ever repay your kindness? There is no way for us to ever repay it.
That in this world Buddhism is considered by scientists and scholars to be so precious and valuable, and that each year Tibetans are held in good regard by more and more people, as human beings who are sincere in nature with good thoughts to benefit others, is totally and solely due to your kindness, precious refuge-savior.
But I, an ignorant one, have explained this. If there are people who can’t accept it, then the Seventh Dalai Lama, Kelzang Gyatso, said:
“In the view of the mind stirred up by delusions and spirit possession,
Even though we feel it is right, it is like the dancing act of a crazy one.
However many multitudes of vices looked down upon by the holy beings have been done,
From the depths of the heart, confess them individually with fervent regret.”
It is like that, but the difference is that, in the view of the mind stirred up by delusion or by spirit possession, feeling that the Pure One is bad is like the dancing act of a crazy one. Whatever collection of vices have been done that are looked down upon by the holy beings, from the heart, with strong regretfulness, individually confess them.
In the Madhyamika philosophy: “A container full of that which is wet and moist appears as water to human beings. But for those of greater fortune, the devas, it appears as nectar, while for those who lack merit, the pretas, it appears as pus and blood. It is helpful to think in that way.”
The Seventh Dalai Lama also said:
“The old mother sentient beings who have guided us with kindness again and again
Have fallen into the midst of a blazing fire of suffering.
Since we don’t have the ability to save them now,
Please bless us to quickly achieve enlightenment.”
Precious refuge-savior, whatever holy actions you do with your body, speech, and mind, even breathing in and out, they are all only a method for us transmigratory beings to quickly achieve the state of buddhahood.
The sublime, precious refuge-savior is like the eye looking at and the heart inside the body of this southern world and, in particular, the Snow Land of Tibet. Please remain until our samsara ends.
In the past Your Holiness visited many FPMT centers and granted us your holy teachings, guiding us with great compassion. We thank you for your peerless kindness.
I one-pointedly request that you continue to guide Tibetans in general and the students of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition in all our lives, without separation.
Screenshot of Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Vens. Topgye and Tendar. Rinpoche is listening to His Holiness the Dalai Lama talk to him, February 8, 2021
His Holiness’s Response
After the dedication, His Holiness declared, “Zopa Rinpoche and I have known each other a long time. We are trusted friends. You and your teacher Lama Thubten Yeshe founded many centers around the world to help others. Rinpoche, you have done your best, thank you. Please be determined to keep up your efforts. What you have achieved cannot be overlooked. Thank you and Tashi Delek.”
Watch the teaching and find links to resources
Students can watch a recording of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teaching “Recognizing My Mother: An Experiential Song on the View” on DalaiLama.com.
Download the PDF of the English translation of Changkya Rölpai Dorjé’s Recognizing My Mother: An Experiential Song of the View (tagur ama ngodzin).
You can read a detailed summary of His Holiness’s teaching and question and answer session on DalaiLama.com.
Find explanatory notes of Recognizing My Mother: An Experiential Song of the View by Geshe Kelsang Wongmo on the FPMT “Prayers and Practices Free Downloads” page.
Find translations of the text on DalaiLama.com in:
For more live teachings and video recordings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, visit DalaiLama.com.
Read our earlier story on this event: “FPMT Community Rejoices for Teaching with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”
Currently, Lama Zopa Rinpoche is taking a break from offering his video series Teachings on Thought Transformation during the Time of COVID-19. Find links to the ninety published videos in this series as well as transcripts, MP3s, additional practice advice, and more:
https://fpmt.org/fpmt/announcements/resources-for-coronavirus-pandemic/advice-from-lama-zopa-rinpoche-for-coronavirus/
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