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Lama Zopa Rinpoche News and Advice
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching in Australia, June 2006.
We recently shared news that four sessions of Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching on the Eight Verses of Mind Training in 2006 from Langri Tangpa Center, Brisbane, Australia are now available on our RAN page. In these teachings Rinpoche covered a wide range of topics, including:
- The nature of emptiness and dependent arising
- How to recognize and refute the false view of inherent existence
- The importance of guru devotion on the spiritual path
- Developing bodhichitta, the altruistic intention to benefit all beings
- Practical advice on transforming daily activities into meaningful spiritual practice
Today we are sharing the second video of these teachings, “Emptiness, Dependent Arising, and Guru Devotion.”
In this session, held on June 16, 2006, Rinpoche starts by explaining on how buddhas guide sentient beings during degenerate times. He explains how the mind is the creator of moment-to-moment happiness and peace as well as the problems in day-to-day life, including depression and loneliness.
Rinpoche teaches on the differences between samsaric pleasure—which is in the nature of suffering as it doesn’t increase and doesn’t last—and lasting Dharma happiness. Rinpoche describes how renunciation, bodhicitta, emptiness, and the tantric path can lead us to ultimate happiness—enlightenment.
In conclusion, Rinpoche teaches on how to make offerings and dedicate merits.
Watch “Emptiness, Dependent Arising, and Guru Devotion”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtGyDh4588w
As a reminder, all of these sessions are now available for students to explore as they wish.
Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.
We are so pleased to share that Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s newest volume from Wisdom Publications, The Power of Meditation: A Complete Guide to Transforming Your Mind is now available!
From Wisdom Publications about this new release:
What is meditation, and how do we practice it?
In The Power of Meditation, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, beloved teacher and co-founder of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, offers clear explanations and instructions for the life-changing practice of meditation.
From preparatory procedures, such as selecting a space and adopting the proper motivation, to the details of posture and how to focus the mind, Rinpoche offers step-by-step instruction that serves as both a starting point for beginners and a new vantage on familiar techniques for more experienced sitters. In his own direct and plain-spoken style, Rinpoche offers concise explanations for different kinds of meditation, such as shamatha, or calm abiding meditation, and vipashyana, or insight meditation, delineating their specific techniques and applications. And finally, Rinpoche presents tips for bringing our newfound clarity off of the cushion and into our daily lives, making each moment meaningful.
The Wisdom Culture Series, published under the guidance of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, features translations of key works by masters of the Geluk tradition.
We are so happy to share that Wisdom has offered a coupon for 20% off to the FPMT community by using code: 20POWER at the time of checkout. This is good for both the physical and ebook versions until August 24. You can get your copy from the Wisdom website.
Learn more about this new release from Wisdom Publications and order your copy today:
wisdomexperience.org/product/the-power-of-meditation
Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was 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 Langri Tangpa Center, Australia, April 2006.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered a series of teachings at Langri Tangpa Center, Brisbane, Australia from June 16-18, 2006. These four sessions of profound teachings are on the Eight Verses of Mind Training, a classic Tibetan Buddhist text by Kadampa Geshe Langri Tangpa, and offer deep insights into Buddhist philosophy and practice. Rinpoche covers a wide range of topics, including:
- The nature of emptiness and dependent arising
- How to recognize and refute the false view of inherent existence
- The importance of guru devotion on the spiritual path
- Developing bodhichitta, the altruistic intention to benefit all beings
- Practical advice on transforming daily activities into meaningful spiritual practice
We are pleased to share that all four videos from this event are now available on our RAN page.
With his characteristic blend of profound wisdom, personal anecdotes, and occasional humor, Lama Zopa Rinpoche makes these complex teachings accessible to both beginners and experienced practitioners. These sessions offer invaluable guidance for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of Buddhist philosophy and integrate its principles into their lives.
Today, we are sharing the first video of these teachings, “Guru Devotion, Compassion, and Personal Stories.”
In this first session held on June 16, 2006, Rinpoche begins teaching on the Eight Verses of Mind Training. He emphasizes the importance of guru devotion and explains how all buddhas come from the guru. Rinpoche shares stories about Asanga and Maitreya Buddha to illustrate the power of compassion and perseverance in spiritual practice. He also touches on his own childhood experiences in Nepal, highlighting the hardships and spiritual devotion of the Sherpa people.
Watch “Guru Devotion, Compassion, and Personal Stories”
As a reminder, all of these sessions are now available for students to explore as they wish.
Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is 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 on the balcony at Institut Vajra Yogini, France, April 28, 2003. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Earlier this year we shared the addition to our Rinpoche Available Now page of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s 2003 twenty-three part teachings from a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat offered at Institut Vajra Yogini, France. The retreat focused on the four Kadampa deities, however, Rinpoche taught on a broad range of lamrim topics.
Today we want to bring to your attention video #1 in this series, “The Minute You Cherish Others, There is Freedom”
Without Lamrim, Rinpoche explained in this teaching, life is seen as problematic, creating suffering and lacking real happiness. Therefore, lamrim practice is more crucial than material wealth, as inner peace and happiness stem from the mind’s development. All forms of happiness, whether mundane or supramundane, ultimately originate from Dharma.
Having a strong mind, imbued with compassion, wisdom, and an understanding of Dharma, helps diminish the impact of life’s difficulties and we can effectively cope with challenges, experiencing more happiness and peace, Rinpoche advised. Universal responsibility is the key to cultivating compassion, preventing harm to others, and bringing peace and happiness. There’s incredible, great urgency to change our own mind, to develop the mind, the good heart.
From waking up to going to sleep, we should approach every action with the intention of serving sentient beings, promoting their happiness, and living a meaningful life rather than the unhealthy mindset of self-cherishing. Happiness arises when one thinks of others rather than focusing solely on oneself. Whenever we cherish the I, the minute we cherish the I, the nature of that thought is not a happy mind, it’s not a relaxed mind, Rinpoche warned. Changing this attitude leads to a sense of freedom and relaxation in the mind.
Scientific evidence has shown a connection between a disturbed mind and physical health issues. Individuals with impatience and a bad temper are more prone to heart attacks. There is a correlation between a self-centered mindset and the ease of experiencing anger and negative emotions.
Watch “The Minute You Cherish Others, There is Freedom”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RST9v-t3PE
This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18-May 11, 2003. All of the teachings from this event are available for students to engage with as they are able.
Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive published a blog on this retreat as well, where you can read a lightly edited transcript for each of these teachings as well.
Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is 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 in Vienna, Austria, September 2017. Photo by Oliver Petermann.
Last month we shared with you ten videos of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings on emptiness which were shown during the 2024 Heart Sutra Retreat at Kopan Monastery. We hope that students have taken time to explore these teachings, which contain so much wisdom on a variety of topics related to dependent arising.
Today we share the fourth video in this collection of teachings, “How Red and Green Traffic Lights Exist” which is excerpted from a teaching given at Panchen Losang Chogyen Gelug-Zentrum in Vienna, Austria in September 2017.
In this 18 minute extract, Rinpoche uses the example of traffic lights to show how our perception is formed through labeling. He extends this to all phenomena, explaining that everything is merely labeled by the mind but appears inherently existent. Believing in inherent existence is a hallucination, while understanding mere labeling is the essence of the teaching.
Please watch this full video, and feel very free to view the others in this collection as you wish.
Watch “How Red and Green Traffic Lights Exist”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkwEjCIx938&t=1s
We continue to add videos of teaching events with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as well as other collections of teachings, that were previously unavailable to our Rinpoche Available Now page. Please take full advantage of this resource and explore the hundreds of hours of teachings Rinpoche left for our benefit.
Please also explore more teachings and videos of Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching on emptiness.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was 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.
Rending of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Stupa of Complete Victory being built at Kopan Monastery.
We are very happy to share this short update on recent progress that has been made on the Stupa of Complete Victory that is being built at Kopan Monastery for the swift return of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and actualization of all his wishes. We have three new videos we hope give a glimpse into the incredible work happening to finish this stupa.
The building under the stupa started in January 2024, and it has now reached the second story. Now the actual foundation for the Stupa has begun.
Building site of the second story and foundations of the Stupa of Complete Victory.
Please enjoy these short videos that show the recent progress:
- In this video you can see that the foundation for the stupa has begun on the second floor of the building. You can also see around the poles for the 32 smaller stupas that will surround the main stupa.
- This short video shows the area that will be the gompa beneath the stupa. This is on the second story.
- The Kopan monks regularly help with the building. In this video you can see them joyfully carrying the soil on their backs for the building.
Kopan monks helping with the building of the Stupa of Complete Victory.
Thank you to everyone who is helping to actualize this precious holy object come into existence, all the donors, those working on the stupa, and everyone concerned.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has mentioned many times the benefits of holy objects:
“Every day, when sentient beings see stupas and statues, this plants the seed of enlightenment. It is said that even dreaming of a stupa plants the seed of enlightenment. This is mainly due to the power of the holy object. …
“Just by seeing holy objects one’s karma is purified. Holy objects purify the mind and plant seeds for the path to liberation. That’s how stupas and other holy objects liberate [sentient beings] each day. Every day, holy objects bring sentient beings to enlightenment.”
Padmasambhava explained the benefits of building stupas to King Trisong Detsen:
“Listen, Great King. Generate intense devotion. Since all the three time buddhas and bodhisattvas have actually absorbed into the holy object of the mind1 and are abiding in it, any request or prayer done to this great stupa will spontaneously and effortlessly succeed, for it is like a precious wish-granting jewel. The benefits received by any transmigratory being with a pure special attitude who does prostration or circumambulation or makes offerings are incalculable and cannot be expressed even by all the past, present, and future buddhas.
“All those who put clay on the stupa will become thousand wheelturning kings who reign over as many thousands of world-systems equal to the number of particles of clay.
“All those who brought earth and stones for the stupa will have all obstacles to a long life and dangers to their life pacified; they will have a long life, free of disease, and a good holy body.
“All those who put effort with their body, speech, and mind for the stupa will have every single blessing of the holy body, speech, and mind of the buddhas enter their body, speech, and mind.
“All those who rejoice in the stupa will generate every single quality of a buddha in their mental continuum.”
Kopan monks carrying soil for the building of the Stupa of Complete Victory.
To learn more about this stupa project and to offer support: https://fpmt.org/projects/fpmt/lzr-complete-victory-stupa/
Please read more about the holy objects supported through the Holy Objects Fund.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching during the Mahamudra Retreat in Buddha House, Australia, May 2004.
From April 10 to May 10, 2004 Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat in Buddha House, Australia. The retreat was on Mahamudra, however, Rinpoche teaches on a broad range of lamrim topics. We are pleased to share that all 51 videos from this retreat are now available on our RAN page.
Today, we are sharing video #24 from this retreat, “Everything Comes from the Mind.”
Rinpoche begins this session with an analysis of how the mind labels phenomena using the example of the letter “M.” He shows how M came from the mind because it’s imputed by the mind, explaining that there is no outside creator; the creator is the mind.
Until the mind labels a problem, there is no appearance of a problem. The problem only comes into existence after the mind labels it. To illustrate, Rinpoche uses the example of patience. If we label someone who harms us as a teacher of patience, there’s no problem. We would only see them as beneficial and kind. However, if we lack patience and put a negative label on the person who is harming us, anger arises. We would see that person as totally bad, whereas with patience, we see them as the most precious one in our life.
Rinpoche invites a discussion on this topic by posing the question: “Is the M in the mind or outside?” This stimulates a discussion on whether the base and the label are inside or outside the mind. Rinpoche also asks: “When you go shopping, is the department store in your mind or not?” Rinpoche ends by highlighting that just as the M is in the mind, it’s the same thing when you go shopping. The shopkeepers, the department store, the whole building, all the billions of things you encounter come from your mind. Everything comes from the mind.
Watch “Everything Comes from the Mind.”
As a reminder, this entire retreat is now available for students to explore as they wish.
Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is 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 in Nepal, March 27, 2023. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
We are inviting all students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche to participate in a worldwide, 24/7 prayer circle to amplify the causes for Rinpoche’s quick return! Find a convenient time slot that works for your schedule and other commitments to recite the prayers recommended for this purpose. You can sign up on the IMI website.
This initiative was launched by The International Mahayana Institute (IMI) on Lhabab Duchen in 2023, for the global FPMT family to come together to generate a continuous wave of merit needed for Rinpoche to swiftly return.
Joining your effort today would help fulfil His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s most recent advice, which is to continue to recite “Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri” as much as possible. In the same May 2024 advice, His Holiness also recommended Rinpoche’s students to invoke the support of the Dharma protectors Six-Armed Mahakala, Kalarupa and Palden Lhamo.
Accordingly, the relevant practices have been collated in this convenient booklet A Collection of Prayers for the Swift Return of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche with advice from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Just download it to take part in this mass collective effort happening around the world.
What to do:
- Simply sign up for a time slot you find convenient and start your recitation at that time.
- On Saturdays, there is opportunity to power up the practice by doing your recitation on Zoom where others can join. (The Zoom login information is on the sign-up sheet). If you prefer to do your recitations in solitude, you can still pick a Saturday slot—just type “offline” next to your name.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche often advised about the power of prayer, particularly when done collectively with devotion to the same guru. We can take this advice to heart and sincerely and collectively fulfill His Holiness’s recent requests so that we can find Rinpoche’s unmistaken reincarnation very soon.
As you dedicate for Rinpoche’s swift return, and consider all of the advice for prayers offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, please recall the advice we have received that the new incarnation to be “bright” (His Eminence Ling Rinpoche), “have healthy genetics,” (His Eminence Jhado Rinpoche to a student), and to be unmistaken (Khandro Tseringma Rinpoche) and quickly recognized. As Rinpoche’s relative Ven. Pemba in Hong Kong requested: “We need to pray for the incarnation to have all the qualities necessary to complete all the studies as soon as possible and resume carrying out the legacy of Rinpoche’s past life and therefore be of the most benefit to sentient beings.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was 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 a very sick patient of Shakyamuni Health Clinic;, Bodhgaya, India, April 2017. Photo by Ven. Holly Ansett.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche received thousands of requests every year from people seeking guidance on a variety of issues familiar to us all. The below is advice Rinpoche offered to a student requesting pujas in support of taking treatment for fourth stage cancer and finding suitable care. You are also welcome to download a formatted PDF of this advice.
The best puja is done by your mind
I did prayers for you: whatever is best for sentient beings, which means for every sentient being—whether it is best for sentient beings to die, to be sick, or to not die or not get sick, whatever it is— may that happen. This is the best puja, and it is done by your mind,
by yourself.
One can do so many pujas but never actually practice, and then at death-time there’s so much worry and fear, for oneself and for those surrounding, for family and friends. Instead of rejoicing, there’s so much worry and fear. With the first option, one can die happily; one can have a happy death.
Taking care of others is what pleases the buddhas and bodhisattvas the most
By helping and serving a dying person, you are taking care of numberless buddhas—Shakyamuni Buddha, Tara, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Vajrapani—as well as all the bodhisattvas. Why? Because they all cherish sentient beings the most, just like a mother cherishes her daughter or son more than herself. Serving her daughter or son, cleaning their urine and excrement, makes the mother so happy, even happier than if someone were taking care of her. Why? Because she cares for her son or daughter even more than her own life.
Having this wish to make others so happy while serving is the best; and it’s the best offering to the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Also, think about how your past, present, and future happiness comes from the one you serve. Also, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha completely come from this person, from having generated compassion and bodhichitta. I hope you can understand this.
Generating compassion and bodhicitta purifies unbelievable amounts of negative karma
Asanga went into retreat for twelve years to achieve Maitreya Buddha, but during that time nothing happened. After coming out of his retreat, he met a dog with so much suffering in the lower part of its body, full of wounds infested with maggots. Seeing this, Asanga generated unbelievable compassion and was willing to sacrifice his own life. He cut his own flesh to spread out for the maggots to eat, picking up the maggots with his tongue, not wanting to touch them with his fingers, because by pressing them too much they might die. When he opened his eyes, it was only then that he saw it was not a dog—it was Maitreya Buddha. His unbelievable negative karmas and obscurations were purified by having generated unbelievable compassion.
Asanga then asked Maitreya why he hadn’t come to him during his retreat. Maitreya Buddha answered, “I was always there,” and
showed him all the marks on his own robes of Asanga’s spit from the years in the cave! Then Asanga requested teachings and was taken by Maitreya Buddha to the pure land Yiga Chodzin, where, during a time span of fifty human years, Maitreya gave Asanga the five sets or divisions of Maitreya’s teachings for human beings. Then Asanga came back down to earth and transcribed those teachings, on the basis of which so many beings have already become enlightened.
Please, please enjoy this.
Transcribed by Ven. Tenzin Namdrol at Kopan Monastery, June 2022. Edited by Laura Haughey and Ven. Robina Courtin, December 2023. FPMT Education Services.
We have collected Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s essential advice on death and dying, please explore all that is available:
fpmt.org/death
More advice Rinpoche offered to students on a variety of topics can be found on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive’s Online Advice Book: www.lamayeshe.com/advice/lama-zopa-rinpoches-online-advice-book
Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was 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 during Light of the Path retreat, hosted by Kadampa Center, Raleigh, North Carolina on 22th August 2017.
Following the commemoration activities at Kopan Monastery honoring the one-year anniversary of Lama Zopa Rinpoche showing the aspect of passing away, a Heart Sutra Retreat was held from April 15-20, 2024 with commentary by His Eminence the 104th Ganden Tripa, meditations led by Ven. Steve Carlier, and evening sessions with short extracted videos of Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching a topic related to emptiness.
We are so pleased to share the ten videos of Rinpoche’s teachings on emptiness which were shown during the 2024 Heart Sutra Retreat. These videos, from 2017 and 2019, all contain subtitles, to make it easier to follow along while watching.
Please enjoy the first video in this series, “How the False I Comes Into Existence” and feel very free to view the others in this collection as you wish.
Watch “How the False I Comes Into Existence”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJJz6UZ_9lg
We continue to add videos of teaching events with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as well as other collections of teachings, that were previously unavailable to our Rinpoche Available Now page. Please take full advantage of this resource and explore the hundreds of hours of teachings Rinpoche left for our benefit.
A booklet with instructions by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for doing a retreat related to the Heart Sutra can be found here:
https://shop.fpmt.org/Heart-Sutra-Practices-and-Instructions-for-Retreat-PDF_p_1775.html
Additionally, please explore more Heart Sutra materials and resources below:
- The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra – MP3 Download
- The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra – eBook & PDF
- Watch the teaching in which Rinpoche gives the oral transmission of the Heart Sutra on video. (The oral transmission begins at 42:58.)
- FPMT Basic Program Online: Heart Sutra
- Essence Of The Heart Sutra by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, eBook & PDF
- Audio: Emptiness Explained – MP3 Download
Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was 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, April 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Today, May 23, 2024, is the day we observe the merit-making day of Saka Dawa which commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana when karmic results are multiplied by 300 million times as it commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha’s three major life events. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained, “Because Saka Dawa combines these three special days, the possibility to create merit is unbelievable. Due to this, it is very important for one to use this opportunity to do everything the best!”
We wish to remind you of recent advice and news we have shared, to help enrich your personal practice on this special day:
- Recommended Practices for Saka Dawa
- Opportunity to Join in the Merit of 10,000 Sangha Praying for All Beings
- New Advice from His Holiness the Dalai Lama Concerning Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Swift Return
Lama Zopa Rinpoche also advised that, “It is so important also to understand that if one collects non-virtue on merit multiplying days, then that will also increase by that many number of times. One has to be careful to not increase non-virtuous actions during the merit multiplying days.”
In 2020, Rinpoche offered “Advice for Saka Dawa” from Kopan Monastery. (Rinpoche’s teaching starts at 22:51 in this video). You can also read the transcript of this advice.
Watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teaching “Advice for Saka Dawa”:
https://youtu.be/xYWCFIwZgTk
Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.
Ven. Roger Kunsang meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, May 17, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
We are happy to announce that we have received new precious advice from His Holiness the Dalai Lama regarding practices for creating the causes for the Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s swift return. Venerable Roger Kunsang met with His Holiness during his recent visit to Dharamsala, India. His Holiness explained that it is important to continue with practices as previously advised as well as protector prayers and practices outlined below.
All of these practices listed below (except for the Retreat Prayer book) are available as one-click downloads without the need to log into a Foundation Store account. Simply select the “one-click download” link located above the description of each practice.
As Previously Advised:
- To recite Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri as much as possible.
New Advice!
- Perform rituals invoking the four activities of the Dharma protectors Mahakala, Kalarupa (i.e. Dharmaraja), and Shri Devi (i.e. Palden Lhamo)
Do the Palden Lhamo kangso and Mahakala kangso if you are able to and have received an appropriate highest yoga tantra initiation, preferably Yamantaka. Kangso is a “fulfillment and amendment” ritual. Copies of the relevant texts, based on self-generation as Yamantaka, are available on request.
As these elaborate rituals may be more difficult to perform, students can recite the following prayers to the three protectors:
- Praise to Six-Armed Protector Mahakala
- Praise to Achieve the Inner Kalarupa (Dharmaraja)
- Torma Offering to Palden Lhamo
- Praise to Palden Lhamo: Requesting the Four Activities
These prayers can be found in the following booklets:
-
- Protector Prayers booklet arranged by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, pages 5–17
- Retreat Prayer Book, English, pages 284–295 | Italian | Spanish | Vietnamese
Additional Kalarupa ritual:
- Drugchuma, Offering of Sixty-Four Parts to Kalarupa (Yamantaka initiation as requirement)
Additional prayers to Palden Lhamo:
- All-Pervasive Sphere of Great Bliss, Free of Elaboration: Requesting Activities of Palden Lhamo by HH Dalai Lama
- A Daily Practice of Pälden Lhamo which contains praises as well as torma and libation offerings (serkyem) English | Spanish (highest yoga tantra initiation as requirement)
As a reminder, Saka Dawa falls on Thursday, May 23 this year, and this is a wonderful opportunity to practice according to His Holiness’s recent advice since karmic results are multiplied by 300 million times as it commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha’s three major life events, as taught in the vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.
May all of these collective heartfelt prayers and practices be the cause for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s swift return and continued guidance.
Ven. Roger Kunsang meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on May 17, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche (1945-2023) was 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.