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Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explaining the benefits of mantras during a thought transformation teaching at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore, August 13, 2022.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche continued his video teachings on thought transformation from Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore in August. Here is a summary of the teaching offered on August 13, 2022:
To live life as a couple, you need wisdom and compassion, Rinpoche teaches us. If we don’t have this, life together is so much suffering, so many problems. This is due to thinking in the wrong way—with the self-cherishing thought and ignorance, which are the opposite of compassion and wisdom. Depending on how much compassion and wisdom a couple has developed is the degree to which they will be happy or suffer. Each person has to have compassion for the other, and also they must each have the wisdom to see which actions in relation to the other are right or wrong. Otherwise, the relationship is total hallucination.
When we generate compassion, which is the root of holy Dharma, we make others so happy. When we practice loving-kindness toward others, this creates so much good karma, and as a result, others become more compassionate toward us. This goes on from life to life, eons and eons, all the way to enlightenment.
The more you learn Buddhadharma, the more wisdom you develop. To try and help each other, encourage each other to abandon negative karma as much as possible and inspire each other to create good karma. To do this, you can engage in compassionate activities together, helping others.
By training the mind to look at miserable conditions as positive, as happiness, our mental continuum becomes soft rather than violent and concrete. We can become a hero in this way, by training our mind to be soft and gentle. Life stops being so heavy, it becomes very light and healthy—you become a hero of compassion, a hero of bodhicitta. Miserable conditions become auspicious, we can take responsibility and help others, we have no obstacles to our Dharma practice, and our mind is always satisfied and peaceful.
In these degenerative times, we desperately need lojong—thought transformation—where we transform suffering into happiness.
We invite you to go deeper into the topics presented here, plus many others, by watching Rinpoche’s video and read the full transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching.
Watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching “The Purpose of Living Life as a Couple”:
- Read the transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching
- Find Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation translated into various languages.
- Dedication verses
Summary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching by Carina Rumrill based on the transcript by Ven. Joan Nicell with editorial input and additions by Justin Jenkins. This summary is meant to highlight key topics presented by Rinpoche in the recorded video and is not intended to serve as a full representation of Rinpoche’s teaching, which is best received through watching the video and/or reading the full transcript.
Watch more from the video series Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation 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/
You can listen to this teaching on our full-length-teachings podcast as well:
https://fpmt.org/media/podcasts/
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 Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore, August 10, 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche continued his video teachings on thought transformation from Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore in August. Here is a summary of the teaching offered on August 10, 2022:
The real meaning of life is to benefit others, Rinpoche urges us. And this means everyone—numberless sentient beings, hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, sura beings, asura beings, and intermediate state beings— we must stop harming them and instead free them from the oceans of samsaric sufferings. When you generate bodhicitta, no one is left out and whatever you do is for others. Bodhicitta is the best practice.
Samsaric happiness doesn’t last because it is in the nature of suffering. Samara is like a prison—the continuity of rebirth of contaminated aggregates, caused by delusion and karma. This is cyclic existence.
It is very important to understand how anger destroys your happiness. By getting angry at a bodhisattva, our merits are destroyed, we will be reborn in hell, and realizations will be delayed. And by getting angry at a buddha, even more merit is destroyed. Since we cannot tell who is a bodhisattva and who is a buddha, we have to be very, very careful of anger and put so much effort into practicing patience. We can train our mind to practice patience, it gets easier the more we practice. Since anger is the cause of hell suffering, we should stop it. Therefore, motivate every morning to practice patience. Otherwise, anger suddenly arises. You have to prepare yourself with determination to stop it.
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 “Anger Destroys Your Happiness”:
- Read the transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching.
- Find Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation translated into various languages.
- Dedication verses
Summary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching by Carina Rumrill based on the transcript by Ven. Joan Nicell with editorial input and additions by Justin Jenkins. This summary is meant to highlight key topics presented by Rinpoche in the recorded video and is not intended to serve as a full representation of Rinpoche’s teaching, which is best received through watching the video and/or reading the full transcript.
Watch more from the video series Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation 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/
You can listen to this teaching on our full-length-teachings podcast as well:
https://fpmt.org/media/podcasts/
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.
Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche).
When the world is in trouble, it can feel very powerless and overwhelming to not know what we can do to actually help. IMI Sangha recently asked Lama Zopa Rinpoche for advice on prayers and practices they could do at this time. We are happy to share this valuable advice with you as well:
- Sampa Lhundrupma
- Recitation of Guru Rinpoche mantra
- Heart Sutra recitation
- Prayer to stop war: Prayer in Accordance with the Times
- Most Secret Hayagriva sadhana (for those who have received the initiation and can do the practice)
- Download compilation: Prayers to Stop War – Prayers 1–3
- Download Prayer in Accordance with the Three Times – Prayer 4.
For those who can do, or sponsor at a monastery, please also do:
- Drugchuma
- Most Secret Hayagriva Tsog Kong*
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for how to motivate and think when doing these prayers and practices:
At the beginning generate strong bodhicitta, then do these prayers and practices to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine. The main purpose is to stop the war immediately. Then also to prevent famine, disease, and all the dangers of earth, water, fire, and wind, for all these dangers to be pacified immediately. To fill the whole world with perfect peace and happiness, including enlightenment, and to generate loving kindness, compassion and bodhicitta in the heart of all sentient beings, especially in that of the President of Russia.
Think that from Guru Padmasambhava’s heart, beams radiate and totally purify all the six realms’ sentient beings, totally purify all the delusions and negative karmas collected from beginningless rebirths, especially anger, attachment, and ignorance; think that these are totally purified. Then recite Sampa Lhundrupma, followed by the Padmasambhava mantra (one or two malas).
With strong faith in Guru Padmasambhava and total reliance, Guru Padmasambhava will definitely help because his compassion embraces all sentient beings.
Then another way to think is, with strong faith in His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the aspect or Guru Padmasambhava, nectar beams are emitted to the Russian President and enter his body, and totally purify all his negative karma and obscurations; all the dissatisfied mind, desire, ignorance, anger, and selfish mind are totally purified; he generates bodhicitta especially, and then the whole path to enlightenment. Do that very strongly, making strong prayers to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Then nectar beams are also emitted to all the Russian and Ukrainian armies, and these purify all the anger and self-cherishing thought on both sides, but mainly President Putin’s. They generate bodhicitta, and stop giving harm to even one sentient being and only benefit sentient beings, up to enlightenment.
Then recite the Heart Sutra and the prayer to stop wars.
For those who can do the Most Secret Hayagriva sadhana, do this at the beginning of the practice. When reciting the mantra, you can do the same visualizations as above, and think President Putin’s mind is totally changed and he generates bodhicitta.
* Please note that a Most Secret Hayagriva Puja, led by Lama Zopa Rinpoche will be held at Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) on September 4, 2022. All are welcome to join this puja online, details can be found on ABC’s Facebook page. One can also help sponsor this puja, in accordance with Rinpoche’s advice above.
Valuable and timely advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche can be found on Rinpoche’s advice 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 teaching at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, August 2022.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been offering very precious teachings from Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC), Singapore since the beginning of August. We are delighted to share the news that these teachings will continue starting on September 3-14. The teachings are a continuation of the thought transformation teachings and Rinpoche has also been giving valuable advice on how to live in a relationship as a couple in the most beneficial way. These are timeless and applicable teachings that all can use to navigate daily life.
Those in the area are welcome to join the teachings onsite at ABC, and the sessions will also be livestreamed on Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT’s Facebook pages and FPMT’s YouTube channel (with transcript and without transcript).
We will also be offering the full-length videos, transcripts, and summaries of these teachings following the live events as they become available.
You can learn more about how to join these teachings by referring to ABC’s Facebook page for the latest updates, including information on how to access Zoom for translations that should be available in Russian, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.
Please also join onsite at ABC in Singapore or online for a special long life puja being offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on September 11. Our prayers have tremendous power and if you cannot join this puja online, we invite you to join in by rejoicing in the puja being offered and generating your own prayers for Rinpoche’s health and long life.
Please subscribe to the FPMT YouTube channel to get notified when the stream starts.
- Learn how to GET NOTIFIED when a stream starts.
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 Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, August 2022.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered this teaching on August 7, 2022 to elders who attend Chinese-language Sunday morning talks with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore. This is excellent universal advice for students young and old! Here’s a summary of Rinpoche’s teaching. You can find the video of the teaching and a link to the transcript below.
With this human rebirth, we can be happy day and night and bring others to the different levels of happiness as well, Rinpoche reminds us. Every morning, afternoon, and every evening, we should rejoice in our human rebirth. We are so fortunate, there’s no place in the mind for depression.
Many of us worry, as death approaches, that we will be separated from our family when we die. Because of our strong connection, we will meet with family members again in future lives, so there is actually nothing to worry about. Everything you think you will miss in this life is much better in a pure land and there is no suffering at all! We cause suffering to ourselves by grasping like this to our family, our possessions, our body, so let go. We free ourselves from attachment clinging to the family.
Especially when we know we are dying, we must not cling to enjoyments of this life, to our possessions, property, and family. If we cling, then there is worry and fear. Instead, rely on Chenrezig, the buddha of compassion. Chrenrezig has the power to guide you to peerless happiness and has compassion for every sentient being.
Rinpoche offers the oral transmissions of several mantras (39:16 in the video): The Holy Name and Mantra of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Mantra, Medicine Buddha Mantra, Tara Mantra, Manjushri Mantra, Long and Short Mantras of Thousand-Armed Chenrezig, Long and Short Mantras of Vajrasattva.
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 “With This Human Rebirth, You Can Be Happy Day and Night”:
Read the transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching.
This summary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching is by Carina Rumrill, based on the live transcript by Ven. Joan Nicell and checked by Laura Haughey, with editorial input and additions by Justin Jenkins. This summary is meant to highlight key topics presented by Rinpoche in the recorded video and is not intended to serve as a full representation of Rinpoche’s teaching, which is best received through watching the video and/or reading the full transcript.
You can find PDF and audio files of mantras through the Foundation Store.
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 giving thought transformation teachings at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, August 6, 2022.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche continues his video teachings on thought transformation from Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore at the request of Telo Tulku Rinpoche, Ganden Tendar Ling FPMT Buddhist Center, Aryadeva FPMT Study Group, and the Save Tibet Foundation in Russia. Here is a summary of his August 6, 2022 teaching:
Most of the world is suffering, Rinpoche reminds us. Whether rich or poor, there is suffering from disease; dangers of the elements such as earthquakes, floods, or fires; violence—the suffering of samsara is constant. Even science cannot stop these dangers. Dharma is the only way to be free from all of these sufferings by purifying the mind which is the cause. Our happiness and suffering depend on how we think, and Dharma is medicine for the mind.
The definition of Dharma, according to the Kadampa geshes, is any action of body, speech, or mind that becomes an antidote to delusions. Dharma is anything that benefits, that brings happiness beyond this life up to enlightenment. Until we are free from samsara, we need happiness in all future lives.
Practicing patience and compassion are antidotes to suffering. Giving without an expectation of a reward or recognition is pure Dharma. The bodhisattva attitude is to serve others—always having the wish to be useful to sentient beings for their happiness. If we want happiness for ourselves, we should be good human beings, and to be good human beings, we must become Dharma. If the purpose of our life is to cause happiness to others, the result is we will be happy ourselves. Treating others with loving-kindness and compassion brings them happiness. Giving up our own happiness so that others can have happiness enables us to experience success from life to life.
Rinpoche explains three reasons to practice Dharma:
- Practice Dharma for yourself to not be reborn in the lower realms
- Practice Dharma to achieve the blissful state of peace for yourself
- Practice Dharma to achieve the great nirvana
The real practice is the ultimate good heart, bodhicitta. This is what the whole lamrim is about. This is what sutra and tantra are about. Whether one has memorized hundreds of volumes of scripture, or knows one mantra, the real practice is bodhicitta.
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 “Dharma Is Any Action That Becomes an Antidote to Delusion”:
- Read the transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching
- Find Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation translated into various languages.
- Dedication verses
Summary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching by Carina Rumrill based on the transcript by Ven. Joan Nicell with editorial input and additions by Justin Jenkins. This summary is meant to highlight key topics presented by Rinpoche in the recorded video and is not intended to serve as a full representation of Rinpoche’s teaching, which is best received through watching the video and/or reading the full transcript.
Watch more from the video series Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation 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/
You can listen to this teaching on our full-length-teachings podcast as well:
https://fpmt.org/media/podcasts/
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 Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, August 10, 2022. Photo courtesy of ABC.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche will begin offering a Five-Deity Heruka Initiation on August 19 and will continue through August 23 at Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) in Singapore. The initiation is strictly for on-site participation by approved registrants only, and attendance at all sessions is required. However, Rinpoche’s motivation prior to the initiation will be livestreamed on Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT’s Facebook pages and FPMT’s YouTube channel (with transcript and without transcript). The teachings are being translated in Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Italian. Some sessions will also be translated also to Indonesian, French, and Portuguese. For those needing translation, you can join via Zoom details which are on the Amitabha Buddhist Centre’s Facebook page. If you wish to listen to the teachings in English please listen on YouTube, as the Zoom session is limited to 1,000 viewers and we would like to ensure that all students who need translation will be able to get a seat.
We will also be offering the full-length videos, transcripts, and summaries of these teachings following the live events.
The schedule is as follows:
- August 19 (Fri) 7.30 p.m.
- August 20 (Sat) 4 p.m.
- Aug 21 (Sun) 4 p.m.
- Aug 22 (Mon) 7.30 p.m.
- Aug 23 (Tues) 7.30 p.m.
Please note that these online streams can be for any of the five sessions, starting with the session on August 19, and can be of any duration. Please keep a lookout for livestreaming around the time of the start of each session. Streaming will stop the moment Rinpoche goes into restricted parts of the initiation.If you are in Singapore and wish to participate in the Five-Deity Initiation onsite at ABC, please refer to the prerequisites and lifetime practice commitments.
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 leading a Guru Puja in celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday, July 6, 2022, in Singapore. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
A few hours after his discharge from a hospital in Singapore for a medical procedure, Lama Zopa Rinpoche joined the Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC) community in Singapore for their special celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 87th birthday on July 6, 2022. Rinpoche offered incredibly powerful and precious words about His Holiness’s qualities, guru devotion, and impermanence.
“Definitely in your heart, rely on His Holiness and often do requests,” Rinpoche advises us. “Request the success of realizations and to grant blessings in your heart and to bless your heart to transform it into the path to enlightenment. As His Holiness often emphasizes, bodhicitta and emptiness. Often when he talks, every time, that is kind of the basis, the foundation. So you practice like that from your heart. From your side, you rely on him, you request and rely on His Holiness, then definitely from His Holiness’s side, definitely he will all the time guide you from life to life, up to enlightenment.”
“You might think His Holiness is not there,” Rinpoche explained, “But in reality, His Holiness is there. You have to know that. His Holiness sees you all the time. His Holiness sees you day and night. Whatever you are doing, His Holiness sees you all the time. Because the past numberless buddhas, present numberless buddhas, and future numberless buddhas see you all the time, without break even for a second, never distracted away from that, even for a second.”
We invite you to watch and hear the full message Rinpoche offered on His Holiness’s birthday. You may also read a full transcript of Rinpoche’s words.
We have many practices related to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, compiled recently for celebrations of His Holiness around the world:
fpmt.org/edu-news/practice-resources-for-celebrating-his-holiness-the-dalai-lamas-birthday
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 Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, August 2022. Photo courtesy of ABC Facebook page.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been offering very precious teachings on thought transformation and lamrim from Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC), Singapore. Teachings started on August 1 and will continue for the whole month. The teachings on thought transformation have been given to students in Russia and are a continuation of the teachings given from Kopan Monastery on June 25 and June 26 and also are part of the ongoing thought transformation series of teachings which Rinpoche began in 2020.
All are welcome to join live online from anywhere in the world. These teachings are being livestreamed on Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT’s Facebook pages and FPMT’s YouTube channel (with transcript and without transcript).
The teachings are being translated in Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Italian. Some sessions will also be translated also to Indonesian, French, and Portuguese. For those needing translation, you can join via Zoom details which are on the ABC Facebook page.
If you wish to listen to the teachings in English please listen on YouTube, as the Zoom session is limited to 1,000 viewers and we would like to ensure that all students who need translation will be able to get a seat.
We will also be offering the full-length videos, transcripts, and summaries of these teachings following the live events.
- Learn how to GET NOTIFIED when a stream starts.
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 at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, May 2022. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche begins this short video, which was recorded in December 2017, by emphasizing that the most important thing in our life should be to generate and increase our bodhicitta. This is how we can best help ourselves and all sentient beings. This is how to achieve happiness.
All the buddhas have looked into how to best help sentient beings and found that it is by generating bodhicitta, Rinpoche explains. It is only through them that you can generate compassion in your mind and from that develop great compassion, which is the basis for becoming a bodhisattva and eventually reaching enlightenment. So the buddhas are most important for us, and on top of that they are numberless, while you are only one. This is why we generate bodhicitta motivation before every practice, from taking refuge to eating, to meditating, and so on.
Watch the video “Live Your Life to Generate Bodhicitta”:
The above video is extracted from a teaching given on December 10, 2017, at Kopan Monastery, Nepal. You can find more blogs with short video clips from Rinpoche’s teaching as well as the complete collection of these “Essential Extracts” videos on FPMT.org.
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’s August Program
August 6-16, 2022: Teachings on thought transformation, lamrim, and Lama Chöpa commentary. These teachings, including the initial sessions of the Lama Chöpa commentary, will be open to all without any prerequisites, and will also be streamed live on FPMT Facebook and YouTube.
August 19-23: Five-Deity Heruka Initiation. Available onsite at ABC only.
August 26-28: Heruka Body Mandala Initiation. Available onsite at ABC only.
Information about registration, prerequisites, practice commitments, and other information can be found on ABC’s recent newsletter. Specific times of teachings are listed on the flyer above, and please do note that the times are listed according to local time in Singapore.
Watching the Livestream of the August 6-16 Teachings:
Please subscribe to the FPMT YouTube channel to get notified when the stream starts.
- Read how to GET NOTIFIED when a stream starts.
- Pour savoir comment recevoir une notification quand le live commence, cliquez ici.
- Para saber como recibir una notificación cuando comienza la transmisón, pulsa aquí.
- Leggi come ESSERE INFORMATO quando comincia la diretta streaming.
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 offering Thought Transformation teachings to Russian students via Zoom from Kopan Monastery, Nepal, June 26, 2022.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche continues his video teachings on thought transformation. Here is a summary of a teaching given on June 26 from Kopan Monastery, Nepal, at the request of Telo Tulku Rinpoche, Ganden Tendar Ling FPMT Buddhist Center, Aryadeva FPMT Study Group, and the Save Tibet Foundation in Russia.
The first kindness of sentient beings is that they are the source of all past, present, and future happiness including enlightenment, Lama Zopa Rinpoche reminds us. They are from whom we receive Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and in whom we take refuge. A buddha comes from a bodhisattva. A bodhisattva comes from bodhichitta, and bodhichitta comes from great compassion. Great compassion comes from all those sentient beings whose minds are obscured and suffering including every hell being, every hungry ghost, every animal, every human being, every sura, and every asura being.
Before you practice thought transformation, you have to understand that sentient beings are so precious and we must stop harming others. If we remember the kindness of sentient beings, naturally we will respect them and the mind will be less depressed.
Rinpoche discusses “the second kindness,” the kindness of sentient beings when they were our human mother (55:30). Rinpoche offers commentary on several points related to this, including: All sentient beings have been your mother; your mother gave you a human body; your mother protected you from hundreds of dangers every day; your mother bore hardships for you; your mother educated you in the ways of the world; and your mother created much negative karma for you.
The “third kindness” is that our shelter, food, and clothing came from the kindness of sentient beings (1:13:47).
Sentient beings are like a guru, Rinpoche explains. They are wish-granting jewels more precious than gold, diamonds, or sapphires. Cherishing even one sentient being brings us to enlightenment. In fact, the happiness of all sentient beings is in our hands.
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.
- Read the transcript of Rinpoche’s teaching
- Find Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation translated into various languages.
- Dedication verses
Summary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching by Carina Rumrill based on the transcript by Ven. Joan Nicell with editorial input and additions by Justin Jenkins. This summary is meant to highlight key topics presented by Rinpoche in the recorded video and is not intended to serve as a full representation of Rinpoche’s teaching, which is best received through watching the video and/or reading the full transcript.
Watch more from the video series Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Teachings on Thought Transformation 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/
You can listen to this teaching on our full-length-teachings podcast as well:
https://fpmt.org/media/podcasts/
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.