Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 44.5-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains how disease arises primarily from ignorance, desire, and anger—internal conditions—rather than external causes alone. He illustrates this through striking case studies: a woman who recovered from terminal cancer by liberating thousands of animals and practicing ethical precepts; an artist healed through Namgyalma mantra recitation; a Chinese healer in Singapore who cured his own terminal stomach cancer and his son’s severe heart disease through Tārā practice and just four minutes of tonglen meditation infused with overwhelming compassion. Throughout, Lama Zopa emphasizes that compassion is the most powerful purifier of the negative karmic imprints underlying disease, making it the deepest source of healing.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 01 1996 10 09 HW.mp3
UUID: c4e755cd-23ad-4860-a32a-eef0bd52cccf
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Healing Workshop (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 1996-10-09
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.5 minutes
Words: ~3,866
Explained about this in the teaching or in the Tibetan explanation, the evolution of how the disease come. There’s conditions, you know, how the cancer happens, more explanations, and not just not just that external climate or what is the sun or what is the food or whatever, you you see. It’s like that there are more explanations. So anyway, now, this mantra is this enlightened being is opponent to the naga, different living beings who harm other living beings and cause the disease. Not the main cause but the condition for the disease.
The Nagas and such cause leprosy disease and the cancer so forth. Those epidemic disease, the contagious disease, many different ones. Then there are beings called spiritual beings called they who also have been conditioned for paralysis in the and then called kings, spirit kings who cause the epileptic. So there are different things, you know, who harm condition for this disease. But these are still not the main cause of the disease.
So therefore this fully enlightened being is the opponent manifested in this aspect to the main aim to pacify the main cause of the disease, ignorance, ignorance, not knowing the ultimate nature of the I, not knowing what is the self, the I, not knowing. So this ignorance, the ignorance is not knowing what’s what is right or what is wrong, and and then desire the then anger. So, the main aim is to pacify these three disturbing emotional mind, the three poisonous mind that which are within us, even being that to say, to our mental continuity from this which are the root of all the problems and all the disease, all the diseases. So including the cycle of death and rebirth, old age, you know, all these things. So to cause ultimate happiness, the ultimate everlasting happiness, the liberation which is free forever from the whole entire sufferings, all the problems.
That which makes it impossible to experience suffering again. And then to bring us to the highest happiness, full enlightenment. Then also this being manifesting in this aspect is a remedy against these other beings who harm others, who harm us, sentient beings, know, the condition for this disease. So that you see, to protect us, sentient beings, from all these various disease, various disease, cancer and so forth, to give us peace, so much peace and happiness like that. So that’s why therefore how this is a mantra and how it worked to cure cancer is because they have that.
One condition is Naga who causes and so this is the opponent to that. Then Then other thing, you see, other power that she’s able to have long life. So you see, she caused many other living beings to have long life by buying from the restaurant or from the, say, where the animals are sold to be killed. She bought from those places and then liberated, you know, in the water, in forest or in the ground. She caused long life to others.
You see, so because of that, by causing long life to other living beings, you see, this happiness to others, you know, then that has a that has a power to affect to you, to be yourself to have long life. Yourself to have long life. That can also that can also that also help, you know, for health, you see, to be healthy. Because being unhealthy, unhealthy is a result — one of the main causes of being unhealthy is the killing that became non-virtue, you know, killing which became non virtue, killing you know, taking of others life, you see, which become I say which became non virtue Means it means the killing which results all the suffering, all the problems. So you see, so the killing, past action killing become non virtue because that killing was done with what method action of killing become non virtue is by ego and then due to ego then also there could be anger, there could be desire, you see those are the are negative emotional mind.
So this makes the action of killing negative non virtue. For them, the effect only comes back to oneself — that is, one is unhealthy. Short life, unhealthy disease coming, you know. Say, unable to digest. Even one has a even one get even one get food, what one like, you know.
Even one has food if one has food, what do if one has food, whatever one like, but cannot digest. So these these things are result of killing result of our past karma. The killing which became killing which became virtue, which was made non-virtue by the negative, you know, attitude, the ego and the other, you know, the negative emotional mind. So therefore, now, you know what I’m saying here? So causing Generally, if one wish to have long life, what one should do is that see, you need to be healthy and long life, then now in the future, now in the future lives, then you see abstain from killing, living in that ethics or morality, abstaining from killing.
That’s the real cause for health. And are other things that, know, there are people who are sick giving medicine and taking care of sick people, those who are starving, those who have no food, eating food or something, know. All these things help for health. So it affects your life, not only physical health and long life. So she did a thousands of she did quite a few top.
She saved the life of a few thousands of animals. So many chickens she bought, then she put in the farm, somebody to take care, get food like that. Then one of the easiest one is the most cheap, Easiest one is buy worms. Buy worms, no? Then She bought many worms then she put outside of her house in the ground and the worm goes the worm goes right in through right goes down right through the earth.
Mean, that means right to the earth, bottom, just goes through, you know, the ground, you see. So I think that’s In my view, that since one Especially especially one doesn’t have much money to do these things and you have life danger and so forth, or you want to help somebody but you don’t have much money to liberate, to save many thousands, thousands, you know, many thousands of other lives. The cheapest one, the easiest one is the worms. Because there’s many other animals, those fish like that, even they’re put in the water, back to the water, in the ocean, they’re full of enemies who eat them, you know. There are many other full of enemies.
Some of the other animal there, know, same, they come to eat them. So not sure how long they can last in the water, you see. And also, so I think, anyway, for the I thought, my guess is that these worms go into the ground and maybe they don’t have much enemy in the ground to eat come to eat them. That’s my guess. I’m not sure.
So therefore, they may last longer. So anyway, happened was after two, three months she was completely recovered and then she went she had x-ray, you know, say the doctors they did x-ray and first what happened was she told the doctors that she had to do all these things and the doctors advised her she shouldn’t go outside, she should stay in the hospital. And then she said she’s going to do these things. Then she did and then the next one she went to check and they did not find any cancer. So the doctors were completely shocked.
They were very surprised. But this the first time, you know, where you see without, say, yeah, you know, the cancer can be recovered, you you see, that see, to meditation, the first time for them to hear, you see. So the doctors, they thought the doctors, they told her that we want to write a book about your, you know, story. Then she told her, no, I want to write, you know, say, it’s not your business. It’s not it’s not your business.
I will write the book. So she came to Nepal to thank to me that saying that the rest of her life was gift given to her by me. She’s saying. So then I think after I think then I wait then some time I watch to you know to whether the cancer was coming back or not. So I think for six years nothing happened.
Then there was I don’t know whether it was canceled or whether it some virus, something starts, you know. She said, then again she put her life into order. Again she began to practice saving many lives of animals and then she began again to practice taking the Mahāyāna precepts, eight precepts, and abstaining from eight actions which harm others, making vow to not do today, which is for one day. So she began to practice that. So again, the virus, something that starts, something went away.
So she said because her life become disorder, you know, disorder, disorder become out of become out of control, become a mess, you know, life become a mess and out of control, and then something start to happen, the virus. She put her life again in the practice and so then think that thing went away. Far this is what happened with her. So she’s still okay. Then also from Canada, one artist who had cancer, this person gave him Namgyalma mantra to recite.
This one very powerful enlightened being for long life and very powerful purification. That anybody who hear the mantra, this sacred mantra, see, from now on, normal and bad report in hell realm or hunger for animals, normal bad report since the person hears this mantra or recites this. So he did this meditation and also some pujas like that. After some time, got a letter from him, and then he got better. Then he invited his lip I think it’s quite a known artist.
He invited in France. He invited me for his for his exhibition of his art in France. And then also one also one couple, one old couple — one old man in Tahiti, when I was in Tahiti some years ago. This — Tahiti is like a Pure Land, this pure land of the west, the west of the west. So when I was there, so there was this old man, so he had cancer, then I gave him some practice, I don’t remember which practice, gave some meditation practice and then after some time when I was in New Zealand, sometimes we then see the patient recovered from cancer.
Then there’s another Austrian lady, many years ago, one young girl from Melbourne, she had cancer and so I suggested to Nyungne, you know this Tibetan Buddhist practice, the two days very intensive, very powerful retreat. So one of our oldest students, one Australian monk who was also a doctor, Doctor Adrian. So he helped her to do the retreat in in India in Bodh Gaya, Bodh Gaya’s place where Buddha become enlightened where one thousand Buddha descends in there. So most holy is a precious place.
From the one thousand soul, four descended, you know, then the rest will descend there, you know, show show the same holy show the they will show the same holy deeds, you know, becoming enlightened there. So, yeah. So doctor doctor Adrian, the one old monk among among the student monks, western monks. So he helped her to do this retreat, which is for two days, did a few times and then after that, after she came in Melbourne then she continued chanting this mantra and the eleven-faced Compassion Buddha’s mantra is little bit longer one. The six syllable or one but little bit longer one.
So she recited this and blow over the water and she drink. She felt full of it like this. I recited many malas there then blow water and drink. So she’s there and she was then very healthy next to when I met I met in London. I met her also.
I met her I think in Melbourne or during the Kālacakra in Sydney. This girl, I didn’t meet her for many years. Now she’s still very healthy. This time she said to the convention for this practice, the mental and then she was her cancer was recovered. And then one Chinese man in Singapore, so she came.
When I was when I was one time when I was Singapore, you know, passing through from that and going to other countries. So one time when I was giving teaching there, usually there are many sick people come during the break time of the teaching or end of the teaching there are many sick people come to ask for blessings or things like that, to ask for help. That time I remember this person was brought by his wife, very, you know, quite skinny and, you know, uneasy to work. So then and then I think I’ve forgotten what I told him, but he reminded me later. So I think I because I told him to recite the Tārā, you know, one of the last mantra that I gave, chanted just before.
So Tārā, I told him that to recite Tārā praises as many as possible every day and so to pray very strongly to the Tārā, this female enlightened being. Who is the embodiment of all the enlightened beings in action to help us us to us all living beings, you know, to free from all the problems and cause of the problems and to bring all the happiness. It’s very quick to see how. So so he immediately did the practice, as I mentioned. Then he then he he first the first lady and this one, many of these cancer, the artist, all this is all this is the terminal cancer — they were told by the doctor they would live only two to three months.
So he was told that he would live for very short time. So anyway, his stomach terminal cancer was completely cured. None of that remained. Then you see that his his son had a very bad heart disease.
Very bad heart disease. So so he he was praying very strongly to Tārā and he was able to he said that he was able to see Tārā, you know, have have vision of Tārā. So, yes, he was praying very strongly then will come out of Tārā’s heart, turned at his son’s heart. Then his son’s the very serious heart problem was recovered. And so that’s the so that is the is the start.
That is the first the first patient that he healed by trying to recover. Then after that then more and more patients came so every time when they come back to his home after coming back from the office, then you see, there was his house was full of patience waiting for him to help. So he healed. Then after that, he became famous healer. After that after that he healed so many people in Singapore and those Taiwan, many people invited him in Taiwan and he become he become a great healer, able to help not only can not only say many disease, many disease that hospital cannot help, cannot handle or cannot the doctor say that they can’t do anything better now what to do.
He was able to able to heal. So he’s still doing that. He himself is very strict in the yes. In the practice with this and, you know, the yeah. We’re living the life in ethics and pure pure ethics and say he’s very strong into that.
So I think that gives a lot of power to, you know, I think a lot of power to heal, to be able to help others to heal people who are possessed by spirits and we see people who are troubled by by magics or spirits and so forth. We see that able to subdue, they able to protect them and so a lot of he has a lot of yeah. With the with his with his unbelievable faith in Tārā and his own purity, you see them together. So so there are some people who possess who are possessed by spirits, you see. One so he gave an example.
One lady, she was hiding in the always in the corner of the house. You see, not coming out, hiding in the corner of the house. Then, possessed by spirit, and grinning, showing strange faces like that. Such terrible faces. So then he was invited there and he he used to keep the jar of water in front of Tārā, just Tārā picture.
Then what he did is he sprinkled all the over the over the woman, possessed by spirit. As he sprinkled the water, then this woman is here, this gradually become more more more peaceful. It become more and more calm and the spirit is left. Then another of course, another boy was doing the same thing. Then also, that family called him and he had sprinkled the water that he keeps in the form of Tārā.
The painting. So then, again, that boy also he was putting the water, he was spilling the water, gradually become more and more peaceful and released from the spirit harm. Also here, many stories like this. So There are also some other people but I don’t remember, recollect, who was cancer, was recovered, that I sent advice to do some practice and meditation. Also, there happened one Chinese person who has AIDS, who had AIDS in Singapore and who had AIDS.
So he reported to his guru in Dharamsala. He reported to his guru in Dharamsala, this one very high lama, who had passed away. I think even though he was in the aspect of some sickness — I think maybe this is Parkinson’s, you know, this Parkinson’s has some symptoms. Parkinson’s has some symptoms. This shaking.
Anyway, the you know, even though he was under the aspect of some sickness, but he dictated one western lady student to her. His guru sent the meditation, this most powerful meditation, the developing compassion and bodhicitta. Taking other sentient beings’ sufferings, you know, other sentient beings’ sufferings and all that, yes, and all those all the cause of those, you know, within oneself and then absorb everything — you give it all onto the ego. Ego gives you all the problems, all the obstacles, all the yeah. That will cause us all the relationship problems and disharmony, all the problems in the life, the ego which brings, which causes.
You give all this to the ego and the ego is completely destroyed — the main enemy, the the worst enemy. Then you take on the suffering of others by generating compassion for others. Then after that you generate loving kindness and you give all your merit and all the result happen is temporary ultimate after enlightenment. Everything what comes from the merit and including your body in the form of wish-fulfilling jewel by giving to others, all other living beings, then it fulfills all their wishes, they get everything what they want.
So there’s meditation like this and whatever, all the belongings, everything so forth, and give to naturally to all other living beings. Anyway, there’s a meditation practice like this called taking and giving. So the lama’s advice was to do it with light. I think in the sending the form of light, but basically the same. He got this meditation.
Got this meditation and he practiced. So he practiced only four days but not many hours. I thought he did many hours but anyway, what happened was after four days, he went to the hospital and then the doctors could not find AIDS. Before there was AIDS but after four days, the doctors could not find AIDS. So then I asked how long did you do the meditation?
He said it was only a few minutes. So I was very surprised. I was I was was very shocked. And then only a few minutes sitting. He says four minutes.
Sometimes he said, you know. But but you see that he he did the meditation only four minutes. But you see the meditation whenever during the meditation, he developed compassion, unbelievable compassion towards others. People who have AIDS and other, you see those who have AIDS and other sentient beings. He felt unbelievable compassion, incredible compassion.
But every time he does it, every time when he does this meditation, incredible tears come. Know, so you couldn’t stop. Much tears come. The minute he does this meditation, this you know, developing the loving kindness compassion towards the bodhicitta, altruistic mind cherishing others and things. You see that how much you spend time is in it.
That’s not a you see in some of the point that is it the what met recover, the AIDS, the AIDS to go away. Think the the meditation was done in such short time, but compassion, the compassion, what was risen in his mind, know, what was risen in his mind was that so powerful, so strong, but that is the one — that is it. That is the power, that is the one that healed the AIDS. Even if such could sit for minutes, but so powerful compassion towards others. So that positive mind, that is this great, you know, positive mind for that field.
So now how the compassion is that person’s compassion, how it’s able to heal the disease? You have to understand that this is very scientific, biological. The AIDS, including AIDS, you know, all the disease, all the life problems, the cause of this is not outside. The main cause of this is in the mind or is the person’s mind. In the mind means imprint, seed.
It’s left on the mental continuum. The negative imprint, not positive imprint but negative imprint, left on the mental continuum by the past negative action, non virtuous action. Done with the ego or attachment, anger, ignorance, so forth like that. So the main cause of this life problems is including sicknesses is in the mind and also the mind, the negative thoughts, those negative thoughts as I mentioned. So now therefore, the compassion is the to purify the mind, the compassion is compassion is the most powerful one. There’s one most powerful one to purify the mind.
Affects your mind to purify all this negativity. The imprint, left by the past negative action. negative karma. So compassion is the the most powerful one to purify this, to purify the to purify the obscuration, the obscuration, negative karma. There are many stories.
There are many stories. You see, one who generates compassion towards somebody, you know, even just once — that being, you know, then as you do that, has seen Buddha, immediately seen Buddha.