Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 30-minute talk, Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches practitioners to transform criticism and hardship through recognizing them as gifts from self-cherishing thought—the inner enemy. Rather than resisting, use problems as a weapon to destroy it. This reframe opens the heart toward the person who caused harm; they become a precious teacher. Rinpoche then expands through tong-len (sending and taking) practice: take on all beings’ suffering as you face your own difficulties, turning them into purification and infinite merit-gathering more powerful than formal retreat. He illustrates this through Asaṇga’s story of sacrificing his flesh for a wounded dog. Suited for practitioners with Buddhist background.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 04 1991 08 07 LC.mp3
UUID: 5a96de67-419f-4c64-90a9-940a948d4249
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Love and Compassion (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 1991-08-07
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 30.0 minutes
Words: ~2,747
Where there’s no suffering. And then, you see, it depends on the that it depends on the level of level of mind level of the mind, the meditator, the one who does the, you see, power, the the clairvoyance. See, it depends on connections and the level of the level of mind of that. So therefore, see, it is not easy. So therefore so therefore, best thing is then to be able to help or then to not do, you see, to protect the mind.
You see? Dis distract the mind. You see? However, distract the mind. Transform the mind into positive.
Know? Let the person to think of positive and a positive object. And then, you see, that way distracts the mind arising attachment. So even you don’t even one doesn’t even that person doesn’t fit to explain, you know, to not cling to this and that. Since the since the person never heard or or is not used to hearing or to practice.
However, So that’s the same reason as so there are different ways. This is just an example. So according to according to one’s own understanding, capacity of the other person. Then, you see, the main the main point is the the main point is then to as much as possible to try that person’s that person die well. What do you see?
By letting the person to think positive object, you know, you see, that which transforms the person’s mind into the positive attitude or, as you add devotion, add compassion, kindness, love, and tenderness. You see? That explaining that there’s no such you see, solid I that is here, that the I depends on arising. So just even that or the mind, however, then, see, then there’s nothing to there’s nothing something real one to cling on. There’s nothing real one, you see, to cling on, real one from the society to cling on.
So the matter is then meditation on the dependent arising, how that is dependent arising. So that becomes an antidote to the concept of true existence, which is to not have to not have strong that that thought. So that, you know, and also that during that time, the delusion doesn’t rise. So therefore, you see, that protects us from the lower rebirths. However, So total total transformation, you see, that is extremely beneficial.
Particularly particularly, when there’s when there’s criticism or when there’s a failure when there’s a criticism or when there’s a failure, you see, in the, as a in business or in the world, whatever you see, to failure, you know, even one lost million dollars, or you see, or whatever happens, is it a fellow in the in the France or is it they said the, you know, say, what lost, you see, once, say, friend, you see, the, say, beloved friend, person. However, you see, whatever this thing happens, then that immediately to remember this this problem is given to me. This problem, you see, came from the self-cherishing thought. You see, this problem is given by the self-cherishing thought. What how?
How? Because in the past, you see, out of self-cherishing thought, I created karma. I I did I did I did this act I did this you see? And this I did the actions, and actions become negative negative, you know, actions become impure because of because of the self-cherishing thought. The the actions were done the actions were, you see, become impure.
You see, because of the self-cherishing thought, they become non virtue. And, you see, similar to the negative actions, harms I did for other sentient beings in the past. You see? So therefore, now I’m experiencing the result. So therefore, the these problems are given you know, these problems are, you see, given to me?
You know, this problem, this given to me, say, by the self-cherishing thought. By the self-cherishing thought. You see, this came from the self-cherishing thought. So immediately recognize that these are shortcomings of my self-cherishing thought. That is that is within within my heart, you know, within immediately recognize these things and see its shortcomings as a self-cherishing thought.
Then so the immediately immediately when one recognizes this, when one recognizes, you see, just by recognize just by just by, you see, recognizing that is the shortcomings of the self-cherishing thought in this problem, see, from where came. You see, who gave me this problem is by the self-cherishing thought. And so, you see, just by thinking the just recognizing the shortcoming of the self-cherishing thought, immediately, immediately feel better, you see, Less emotion. That is how say you see? The upsetness, the sadness, depression, whatever, it goes down.
Then and then after that after that, then, you see, rather, you see, you see, there’s there’s no point there’s no point, you see, there’s no point, you see, why I here, why I should accept this problem that is given by self you know, that why I should take it off of me that this problem given by self-cherishing thought. So I, you know, I give it back to I to return back, I give it back to the self-cherishing thought. So let let, you know, let him have it. You see? There’s no reason why I should take it up myself.
Let him have it. So in so in your mind, you see, you give back the problem rather rather thinking rather thinking this is my problem. I have this problem. This is my problem. Rather rather thinking this is my problem.
So so you see, you give it in the mind, you see. You give it, you know, give it to the self-cherishing thought that you see. You You you you use it as you use it as a weapon you use it as a weapon to destroy the self-cherishing thought. The you see? So the this way, by by giving back by give but by giving back right on top of this, you see, on the self-cherishing thought.
And then, you see, it is used as a weapon. It is used, you see, as a bomb or as a as a weapon to destroy the the, you see, the demon, you see, the demon that’s living in our heart, the self-cherishing thought, which has been harming from the beginning of this rebirth until now. And the you see? So the which is is going to commit the harm as one follows that. So then, you see, by giving the problem back to self-cherishing thought, you destroy.
You see? You see? You the self-cherishing thought. And that is that which brings all these problems. So this way, you see, you are destroying the cause of the problems.
So this way so when you return so when you when you give the problem, you see, before you are thinking before you are thinking, you see, one who experience problem is you. You see, one is oneself. But now here now here, that is the one. It to the the the self-cherishing thought. So you see?
So that is so one one does this. One one does this. One one does this. So that so immediately, there’s a release. Immediately, there’s a release in the in the heart, you see, to your mind and body.
There is no tension. There is a release. You see? Immediately, you become you should become free from the problems because you’re not taking the problem on yourself. Like, you see, given the, you see, giving the problem back.
So, you see, it’s immediately you’re you’re free from you see, free, you’re released from, and the depression or from upsetness, those emotional things, or, you see, anger, or, you see, all these things. And so this is one this is one extremely. So so with this so with this so with this, you have no problem. There’s no problem between you and the other person. Other the other person who criticizes, who who criticize or who give trouble, who you battle to.
So you and the other person that that between you and other person, there’s no problem. Only besides, there’s no problem. Besides, there’s no wall between you. You see, it opens heart towards the other person. It opens your heart towards the other person. You only see that person you only see that person is extremely kind extremely kind and rather that person rather is in that what the that person who doesn’t love you or the person who, you see, badly treats you or, you see, disrespect whatever.
That person, as you become before before one one follow the self-cherishing thought, that person becomes an enemy. But now here, when you when you when you when you give the problem to the self-cherishing thought to, you see, to destroy the inner enemy. You see, the creator of all the problems, the self-cherishing thought. You see, this person becomes needed. This person who has such who has such attitude and who does such action become needed, become needed for your own development of the mind.
Become need. You see? You see, to to eliminate the self-cherishing thought. This person become extremely important, you know, in need. So precious and so kind.
Like that. Then then other thing then the other thing is a. So this way that so this way also helps for communication with open heart. The other the the third thing is that third thing is that then, you see so there are many other there are many other sentient beings who have similar problems, who have much more problems than mine, numberless sentient beings. So, you see, I am is no matter how much I am happy, you know, one person, even I achieve high, even I achieve achieve the ultimate happiness, free from whole saṃsāra, you know, whole true suffering causes, nothing to be excited to.
It’s just one person. But other sentient beings who are suffering, who are suffering, who want happiness, who do not want suffering. This is numberless. So therefore, myself myself, even I’m born even I’m born in hell, it’s one person. Nothing so much.
Nothing that much to be depressed. But she is number the number of sentient beings suffering, you know, who are suffering, you see, have these problems, you know, who have a much more suffering than this. How how wonderful how wonderful it is that wonderful it is that if I, the one person, you see, receive all their suffering, anywhere anywhere I have to go anywhere I have to go through it, anywhere I have to go through this problem. So therefore, why don’t I so therefore, why don’t I make it? Why don’t I make it, you see, worthwhile, beneficial?
Anyway, I have to anyway, since I’m going through this, So beneficial for you see, especially beneficial, you see, for all sentient beings. So so, you see, how wonderful that if, you know, know, if I receive all these suffering causes in all the obstacles on me and I I and I experience on behalf of them and let them to be free from all these, you know, all these obstacles, all these suffering causes. You know, how wonderful how wonderful it is. And then, you see, so then with this, you see, this, you see, by generating compassion, like this, by generating the compassion by generating the great compassion, you see, to freedom from all the sufferings and causes by one’s self. By generating this great compassion, then one can do the meditation.
You see, they’re taking other suffering causes, the being’s problems, and then also the the place the undesirable place, you know, that place which had problems, the undesirable place, and then patience, you see, all the the sufferings, the obscuration. However, then one can do the meditation. You know, they’re taking others their sufferings, causes, and even the undesirable places. The if it’s a if it’s a, you see, dessert if it’s a desert place where there’s a lot of drought or a lot of heat, you see, whatever there is. So all those melt, all those, you see, become they all those become light.
You know? All those become like a sort of smoke, pollution, you see, know, black smoke, however However, see, then, you see, you know, absorb on the one’s own self-cherishing thought. Let’s say one can relate with breathing as one breath in them, You see? Mhmm. How about take all that and then, you know, I can use that weapon to destroy the self-cherishing thought.
So how about so there’s meditation taken giving giving one’s own happiness, you know, body merits to other sentient beings. However, then the the rest of the time rest of the time, one then to most one very important thing is to think about. I’m experiencing this. I’m experiencing this problem on behalf of all sentient beings. So in the rest of the day, while one while one is working while one is working while one is working or you see?
Then to think to think, you see, I have the time to think. Rather, rather, you see, remembering the problem and being rather remembering the problem and making the problem to disturb oneself is depression or upsetness, whatever. All these things, angry. However, rather using that way, then you I’m experiencing the problem I’m experiencing the problem I’m experiencing the problem on behalf of on behalf of I’m experiencing this problem on behalf of all sentient beings. So most of the time, most of time, one should one should think this whatever the problem is, relationship problem, whatever.
As well as a cancer or whatever. You see, whatever problem is, then, you see, not not finding, not having job or whatever. Then so most of the time, the thinking is it it’s time to talk a problem comes, then to think this way, that I’m experiencing this on behalf of all sentient beings. Mhmm. Mhmm.
So this so this way this way, then the ex experiencing the con conclusion is that conclusion is the experience the experience of the disease. If it’s a disease, you know, experiencing the disease itself itself became, you see, purification. Itself became the purification. You see, experiencing the disease, experiencing the problem, relationship problem, whatever, itself become purification. It’s gonna become the path.
It’s not become the path. Whether one has arthritis or a lifetime disease, whatever. So it’s gonna become the path. Experience the problem itself become the path to enlightenment. It’s gonna become the purification.
It’s gonna become the very powerful, very powerful method of purification. And it’s become the very, say, powerful is become a method of accumulating in infinite merit, infinite infinite merit. Because you experience the problem on behalf of all sentient beings, numberless sentient beings, so infinite merit. So this way this way, it become even more powerful than Vajrasattva retreat. When doing meditation, doing experiencing the problem, experiencing the problem, whether it’s age or cancer or whatever it with this this meditation, it’s experiencing on behalf of all sentient beings.
Then this there is a completely is a completely very completely renounced oneself for other sentient beings. Completely, you see, offered oneself for other, you see, for other sentient beings. You see? You see? This is here Here, there is cherishing of other sentient beings.
So therefore, for this problem, how many month, years how many month, years it last? So it’s a must it become much more it become much more powerful purification powerful purification. Then you see doing Vajrasattva. But doing Vajrasattva retreat, you see that I think particularly with the self-cherishing thought. I’m doing Vajrasattva, doing many doing many doing many years of Vajrasattva retreat, doing many years of practicing with the self-cherishing thought.
So there so there happened so there happened so many stories that you see. See. Asaṇga. By cutting his flesh from the leg, you know, you see, for the wounded dog, to take the worms out from the dog body, put it on his tongue to lick. So, you see, even though meditated for twelve years, did not see Maitreya Buddha. Asaṇga tried to achieve Maitreya Buddha.
Tried to achieve Maitreya Buddha, but didn’t achieve. But after seeing the wounded dog then by sacrificing himself to, you see, for that dog. And then cutting the flesh from the leg, and then they say, to