Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 73-minute session from a Mahāmudrā retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche interweaves teaching on bodhicitta with detailed practice instruction on observing the nature of mind. He opens by establishing a philosophical cornerstone: that self-cherishing is the root of all suffering (more harmful than atomic weapons), while cherishing others gives rise to all happiness and spiritual accomplishment. He then transitions into practical meditation—how to calm the mind and investigate the “I” that appears to us. The central work involves learning to distinguish the merely labeled “I” (what exists by convention) from the truly existent “I” that ignorantly appears to exist independently and must be analytically refuted. He guides students in watching the clear, perceiving nature of mind without grasping or loosening. For practitioners with prior meditation experience.
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File: 115 2004 05 02 MR.mp3
UUID: 49d41179-6e5a-41d5-90a6-93c2d0500e87
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-05-02
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 73.8 minutes
Words: ~3,227
So I don’t expect Rinpoche to come to our dinner. But he is said to do the same as we have been doing. He said to do the six-session guru yoga with the Mahāmudrā. And then he said to complete the Lama Chopa. So we’ll do that.
Starting with the six session. And the Mahāmudrā and then finishing the And then we’ll have a break. And then we’ll come back and finish the Lama Chopa and then have another break and wait for Rinpoche to come. The the idea is that today would be the final teaching which means that this evening we’re planning to offer the final body speech and mind mandala and following that if people wish to make an offering to Rinpoche then if you want to think about that and prepare something and if you don’t have anything prepared and you’re not ready then there’s opportunity tomorrow general life puja So I’m just letting people know. Is there an I’m not it’s not clear there’s an initiation on Tuesday.
There’s a picnic. If you want to know, it’s good there’s a picnic planned for Tuesday and following the picnic sometime Rinpoche is planning to give the oral transmission for the Sūtra of Golden Light. So I’m not sure that there is going to be initiation. Yeah, so what I’m just letting you know in advance is that we’re hoping there’s an opportunity tonight after the last body speech and mind mandala. Some people had asked if they could make an offering.
So I think that should be possible to make an offering tonight. And if you’re not ready to do that, then there’s an opportunity tomorrow. So either way, tonight or tomorrow. Okay. So for now, we do the six-session guru yoga, beginning by sitting in the correct position, and then checking the mind, clearing out the thought attachment to this life, evil thoughts, and then doing the nine round breathing.
The self-cherishing thought is much more harmful than all the atomic bombs and weapons that exist in this world. Because even if all these bombs exploded, that alone could not send me to the lower realms. But my self-cherishing thought obliges me to create negative karma and goes to the lower realms again and again. This self-cherishing thought is more harmful than all the poison that exists. Poison can only separate the mind from the body.
And if I practice good heart and bodhicitta, I’ll go to a pure land. But self-cherishing only leads to the lower realms. What prevents me from getting realizations even though I study so much and work so hard is my self-cherishing thought. All my depression, unhappiness, failure in Dharma practice, and failure in worldly things is due to my ego and self-cherishing thought. When you analyze, it’s all connected to the ego.
Therefore, one sentient being, I, is to be let go of forever. All my past, present, and future happiness came from bodhicitta. If I cherish others, all my wishes for happiness and all the limitless skies of qualities in Buddha’s holy body, speech, and mind are achieved. If I cherish others, I can cause every happiness to numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, suras and asuras, both temporary and ultimate happiness. Therefore, I must cherish others forever.
Whatever happens in my life, even at the time of death, whatever the circumstances, always, this is what I must practice. All my past, present and future happiness, I receive from good karma. Good karma is the action of Buddha. There are two actions of Buddha. One is working within me and one is possessed only by Buddha.
All my happiness came from virtue. Virtue came from Buddha. Buddha came from bodhicitta. bodhicitta came from great compassion. Great compassion came by depending on every single suffering obscured sentient being.
Therefore, each sentient being is the most precious in my life. More precious than Buddha because Buddha came from sentient beings. So everyone is most dear including the enemy. Everyone is wish fulfilling to be cherished forever. Why?
We think money is very precious because the benefit we get from it. But the whole sky filled with billions and billions of dollars is nothing compared to the value you receive from one sentient being. What sentient beings want is happiness. What they don’t want is suffering. Therefore, I must free them from suffering and lead them to enlightenment by myself alone.
Taking full responsibility to make this happen. No matter how much hardship I have to bear for just one sentient being, it’s so worthwhile, so satisfying. Great joy filling the empty heart. Therefore, I must attain enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to do this mahamudra meditation.
And go for refuge until I’m enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. In the virtuous merit that I collect by practicing giving and other perfections, may I attain state of a Buddha to be able to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I’m enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, the highest assembly. From the virtuous merit that I collect by practicing giving and other perfections, may I attain state of the Buddha to be able to benefit all sentient beings? And go for refuge until I’m enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the highest assembly.
From the virtuous merit that I collect by practicing giving and other perfections, may I attain the state of a Buddha to be able to benefit all sentient beings. May all sentient beings be parted from aversion and clinging, feeling close to some and distant from others. May they find a state especially sublime. May they find release in the ocean of unbearable sorrow. And may they never be parted from freedom’s true joy.
From this moment on until I’m a Buddha, may I never give up, though my life be at stake, the attitude wishing to gain full enlightenment in order to free from fears of saṃsāra and nirvana’s complacency, all sentient beings. All Buddhas, and Gurus, please listen to what I now say from the depths of my heart. Just as all Buddhas, the past, have developed the thought of enlightenment, true bodhicitta. Then practice the stages of greater development following the trainings of all Buddha’s children. So may I too, for the sake of all beings, develop bodhicitta and follow the trainings exactly as all bodhisattvas have done.
All buddhas, bodhisattvas and gurus, please listen to what I now say from the depths of my heart. Just as all Buddhas of past have developed the thought of enlightenment through bodhicitta, then practice this stage of greater development, find the trainings for all Buddha’s children. So may I too, for the sake of all beings, develop bodhicitta and follow the trainings exactly as all bodhisattvas have done. All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Gurus, please listen to what I now say from depths of my heart. Just as all Buddhas of the past have developed the thought of enlightenment, true bodhicitta, then practice the stage of greater development, following the trainings for all Buddha’s children.
So may I too, for the sake of all beings, develop bodhicitta and follow the trainings, exactly as all bodhisattvas have done. At this moment, my life has become truly fruitful. For having attained an endowed human body, today I have developed the true Buddha essence, bodhicitta, and thus have become Buddha’s child. Applying now any skilled means whatsoever, may I always accord what I do as this essence and follow the actions of all Buddhist children. May I never confuse with this pure faultless essence any teachings that lack this enlightening thought.
In the sky before me, on a breathtaking throne of jewels, on a mandala seed of a lotus sun and full moon, sits my root guru or pervading vajradhara, with a blue colored body, one face, and two arms, holding vajra and bell and embracing the mother similar to himself. He shines resplendent with all the marks from Buddha, adored with many dazzling jewel ornaments, draped with fine garments of enchanting heavenly silks. Even the mere remembrance of him dispels all my torment. With a nature encompassing every supreme refuge, he sits cross legged in the vajra position. The three spots of his body marked with three letters.
Light beams forth from the Kum of his heart and invokes Guru Vajradhāra of his actual abode. Dzosum mama ho, merged to become non-dual. I bow at your lotus feet on my jewel like guru, vajradhara. Your kindness holds in instantaneous dawn of bliss and emptiness. Om to you who wear a tiger skin cloth.
Om you whose great smoke colored body ends all obstructions. Om to you whose wrathful body even Vishnu and Brahma cannot escape. Om to you, terrifying, drive the demons and thus can vanquish all other forces.
Om, you triumph over all the conceited, the ill-tempered, the deluded, and the stupefied? Om. Om. To Vajra Varahi, the consort who overpowers all. Om. All the things I possess and what is not mine, what is actually placed here and what I mentally create, I present you in ocean like cloud these various offerings outer, inner, and secret. The bodies feature mind and myself and others.
A wealth as well as their virtues amassed in the past, present, and future. An excellent jewel, Mandala, together with a mass of Samantabhādra offerings. I envision these all and present them to you, my Guru, my Yidam, and the three precious gems. Accepting these in your compassion bestow your blessings. Idam Guru Ratna Mandala Kam Niryatayami.
I humbly beseech you, my precious guru, just as the Buddha’s the three times and ten directions of to tame sentient beings, you too enact the Buddha’s deeds in countless realms, taking the form of a saffron robed monk. I humbly beseech you, my precious guru, esteemed by vajradhara for those meager of mind, there’s a field of merit more holy than the mandala circles of infinite Buddhas. Every supreme and mundane attainment follows from pure devotion to you, my protector. Seeing this, I forsake my body and even my life. Bless me to practice what will only please you.
Requested in this way, my supreme guru comes the crown of my head. Think. Myself and all sentient beings have been suffering in saṃsāra time without beginning due to not having realized Mahāmudrā. Think of all the six realms sentient beings who are the source of all your past, present, and future happiness. Think, I must free these sentient beings from all sufferings it has causes and lead them to enlightenment.
Offer the Mandala. Then do the meditation on the guru, as Rinpoche explained. Then recite the request. May I be blessed to completely sever the continuum that’s clinging and self grasping, to generate loving kindness, compassion, and a pure mind of enlightenment, and to quickly attain the path of unification, the highest state of Mahāmudrā. Once more, he gladly merges with me. We become one taste.
Now watch the mind. Keeping it loose, not intense. Mind shouldn’t be kept tight. Should be strong inside, but loose, free. Focusing single pointedly on the nature of mind, clear, perceiving.
By placing the mind in the clear perceiving nature of mind, depending on remembering it and awareness to keep it focused. After a while, the nature of the mind becomes clear and calm. Just as if you don’t disturb water but leave it for a while, it becomes very clear. Then either allowing it naturally to arise or through effort, watch the I, the thought of I. With a part of the mind, very carefully watching to see how the I is appearing, how the self is appearing.
And the rest of the mind checking to see that one keeps on the object of concentration without distraction. Try to get a clear picture of the object of ignorance, the truly existent I, which is the object to be refuted, the real I that appears to exist independently from its own side. By depending on the base, the aggregates, the mind just made up the label I. That’s it. There’s nothing the slightest more than that, which is I.
By depending on the valid base of the aggregate, the mind simply made up the label I. But the very next moment, that eye appears to us not merely labeled by the mind, but real, truly existent, existing from there. And we let our mind believe that appearance of real. That real I is the object to be refuted. That is what doesn’t exist at all.
The negative imprint left by past ignorance on our mental continuum projected truly existent I on the merely labeled I. Decorated true existence on the merely labeled I. The minute we let ourselves believe that appearance of an I on the I as real, we’re creating saṃsāra. Sometimes it’s easy to recognize the object of refutation on an outside object, such as a book or a table or a ceiling or a carpet or your hand. When we look in the book, we don’t see book.
We see a base, a valid base. And on that base, we put the label book. The very next moment, the continuation of that same thought, The book appears back to us not merely labeled, but real book existing out there, truly existing book. And we believe that appearance. For our minds, the base and the label are mixed.
Try to see the real book on the book. Try to recognize the object to be refuted, the real book existing from its own side. And if some understanding comes, switch back to the I. With the awareness, it’s the same thing. On the I, there is a truly existing I, which is the object to be refuted.
Everything we look at is like this. The thangkas, the lights, the ceiling, the bright brocade, the colors, everything appears to us existing from its own side. This is the object to be refuted. On the merely labeled book, there is a truly existing book. On the merely labeled eye, there is a truly existing I.
This is how it appears to us, and we believe this appearance. This is the hallucination. Focus on the I that appears truly existent with the awareness that this one is what does not exist at all. Anything slightest more than what is merely labeled by mind on the valid base of the aggregates is what does not exist. Just like the person seen on the scarecrow.
It doesn’t disintegrate or go anywhere. It just stops. It has never been there. Try to touch the point where the fear rises even if it seems you’re going more towards nihilism. Don’t try to hold on to the fact that things exist because for our minds, that means they must be truly existent.
Just trying to get some understanding. Of how these things do not exist at all truly the way they’re appearing. While all phenomena are empty, not space, but empty like space, they exist by being merely labeled by mind. When the appearance and emptiness come together. There is the correct understanding.
Then we do verse three. From this moment on, without any sense of loss, I send forth my body and likewise my wealth and my virtues, most throughout the three times in order to help all beings my mothers. I shall never transgress even in my dreams. The most minor rule of the pure moral training. In the pratimoksha, bodhicitta, vajrayana vows, I shall practice according to Buddha’s words.
As Buddha intended, I shall hold complete sacred Dharma of inside scriptures. As gathered together in the three types of vehicle and four tantric classes, I shall liberate all beings by whichever means suited to each. Through the force of white merit from this virtuous act, and by the compassionate power of vajradhara, throughout all my lives, my never transgressed any vows I’ve taken. May I complete the stages of the twofold path. In brief, may I be born in Shambhala, the great true treasury, and complete there the stages of the Peerless path, in as quick a time as the amount of white merit I’ve gathered from this virtuous practice.
Throughout all my lives, may I never be parted from perfect gurus. By making good use of the glorious Dharma, fulfill the good features and stages and paths, may I quickly achieve this vajradhara’s enlightenment. Bless me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, all other sentient beings. May bodhicitta, cherishing others, letting go oneself, letting go the I, which is the source of all the suffering and all success, myself and all other sentient beings. Be generated within my own mind and the minds all sentient beings without even a second’s delay.
May that which has already been generated increase. Bless me the three times, Buddhas, bodhisattvas and all other sentient beings. May all the father, mother, sentient beings have happiness. May the three lower realms be empty forever. May all bodhisattvas prayers succeed immediately, and may I be able to cause all this to happen by myself alone.
Chose me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Buddha’s, bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings. May His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, Buddha of compassion, all other holy beings, all our righteous friends, have stable lives, and may all the holy wishes succeed immediately. Bless me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings. May I be able to offer skies of benefit to all sentient beings as Lama Tsongkhapa does by having within me the same qualities Lama Tsongkhapa has from now on in all my future lifetimes. Bless me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings, who are totally nonexistent from their own side.
May the I, which is also totally non existent from its own side. achieve Guru Śākyamūni Buddha’s enlightenment, is also totally nonexistent from its own side. And lead all sentient beings, who are totally nonexistent from their own side, to that enlightenment which is totally nonexistent from its own side, by myself alone, who is also totally nonexistent from my own side.
I dedicate all my merits in a way greatly admired by Buddha’s and Bodhisattvas of three times and realized by Samantabhādra and Mañjuśrī. May I be able to completely actualize Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching which unifies Sūtra and Tantra within my mind and spread these teachings to minds all sentient beings. Thus, may LamaTsongkhapa teachings flourish forever. Bless me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and all sentient beings. May I, Buddhas, bodhisattvas and all sentient beings.
May I, the members of my family or students and benefits of this organization, and all the rest of sentient beings, meet only perfectly qualified Mahāyāna Gurus in all our future lifetimes. From our side, may we see them only as enlightened beings. May we do only actions most pleasing to the holy minds, virtuous friends. May we be able to fulfill the holy wishes immediately. So I will have half hour break.
I think it’s three forty now. So come back at four forty five. That’s wrong, isn’t it? It might be accurate, but it’s wrong. Four fifteen.
Yeah. I’ll come back at four fifteen. There’s an announcement asking child volunteers to meet now outside the compound.