Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this just-under-five-minute closing session, Geshe Pema Tsering reads the final verses of the Sūtra of Golden Light — a devotional passage in which a goddess pleads to behold the Buddha, expressing her longing through the striking image of being “ablaze with the fire of anxiety” while begging for “the cool water of his appearance.” The verses interweave emptiness teachings — beings likened to dreams, to space, to a moon reflected in water — with intense personal devotion. Geshe Pema then marks the completion of the full sūtra reading with an extended dedication prayer, directing the merit toward Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, Lama Osel Rinpoche’s studies, the Maitreya statue project, and FPMT centers worldwide.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 08 S of GL 2002 04 27.mp3
UUID: a8549cad-a392-4144-93a8-7616ade420ff
Teacher: Geshe Pema Tsering
Collection: Sūtra of Golden Light (Geshe Pema Tsering)
Date: 2002-04-27
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 4.6 minutes
Words: ~691
And the bodies of the śrāvakas are empty. The dwelling places of the best of the two footed are empty. All those things in their nature are empty, and beings are empty. A self is not found at all. Constantly, constantly, I recollect the Buddha, and constantly, I’m anxious for sight of the Buddha.
And always constantly, I make a resolve in order to see the Buddha’s moon. Constantly standing with my knee on the ground, I am consumed with exceeding anxiety to see the Buddha. Weeping pitifully for the sake of the Buddha, I am extremely desirous of seeing him who has attained this. I’m constantly ablaze with the fire of anxiety. Give me the cool water of his appearance.
I’m extremely desirous of seeing your form. Gladden me with the water of compassion. Act for me with the feeling of compassion, Buddha. Grant me your appearance, your placid form, for the world with its gods has been protected by you, and thus are the bodies of the śrāvakas empty, and all beings are by nature a dream, equal to space, having the sky as their nature resembling magic, a mirage, the moon reflected in water. Empty the great ones of you, the Buddha.
The sphere of the Tathāgata is pure like crystal. You enter the city of the supreme nectar of the law, who are able to bring to beings unlimited blessings. The sphere of the Tathāgata is subtle, wonderful, and very profound. Among all beings, none is able to know it. Among seers possessed of the five sorts of supernatural knowledge, among all the Shravakas and all the Pratyekabuddha, none is able to know it.
Now I have no doubt concerning the sphere of the Buddha. May you therefore, out of mercy and compassion, show me your body. Then the Lord rose up from his seat and spoke with a Brahma voice. Bravo, bravo to you, noble goddess. Bravo to you, noble goddess, and again bravo.
This the Lord said, and the Bodhisattvas headed by the noble goddess, Bodhisattva Ruchiraketu, and the great goddess Sarasvati, and the whole assembly headed by gods, humans, asuras, Garudas, Kinnaras, Mahoragas, and the like joyfully acclaimed the lord’s speech. The noble excellent Suvarnaprabhasa, king of sutras, is finished. Now having completed the full reading on the sūtra of golden light, we’ll now make a dedication. Due to these merits, may all the obstacles to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health and long life be instantly removed. May Rinpoche remain and teach us until saṃsāra ends.
May all his and Lama Yeshe’s holy wishes be instantly fulfilled. May Lama Osel Rinpoche have a long and healthy life. May he be able to complete all his studies without hindrances and become a great holder and teacher of Sūtra and Tantra in this life. May he be the greatest benefit to all sentient beings. May all the obstacles to the quick success to the building of Maitreya’s statue be instantly destroyed, and this great statue of Maitreya be accomplished exactly according to the wishes of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
May all the centers and projects of the FPMT be free of obstacles to spread the holy Dharma of Buddha Śākyamūni, in particular the teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and achieve every happiness and the highest state of enlightenment. May all the students and friends who worked so hard for FPMT in the service of the Dharma, to sacrifice their life for Buddhist teachings and to relieve the suffering of sentient beings have a long and healthy life. May they realize the path to enlightenment enlightenment in their own minds as quickly as possible. May all those who rely on and have made specific requests to Ala Mies, Opal, Kasai be free of all obstacles to have to having a long and healthy life.
May they be able to achieve all the realizations of the path in this lifetime. May all the students’ activities please virtuous friends. In all their lives, may they be guided by perfectly qualified Mahāyāna virtuous friends. May all their wishes succeed immediately according to the dharma.