Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this two-hour teaching at an international Mahāmudrā retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche guides practitioners through an elaborate guru devotion and bodhisattva vow ceremony. He opens with motivation—thinking of beings in all six realms experiencing suffering and dedicating every practice to their benefit—then leads a detailed mandala offering to the merit field, prostrations, and confession of negativities. Rinpoche instructs on rejoicing in merit, walking through how others’ virtues multiply when one joyfully celebrates them, then introduces the bodhisattva and tantric vows taken in the presence of the guru as the merit field. Throughout, he emphasizes that without these vows, enlightenment cannot be achieved, and that taking them quickly with deep bodhicitta is the most urgent path to free all sentient beings. He weaves in practical guidance on alternative prayers for different contexts—weddings, birthdays, self-initiations—and discusses how the eight verses on exchanging self and others can inspire even non-Buddhist practitioners.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 23 2004 04 16 MR.mp3
UUID: e7f4a08d-e808-4f0f-8807-3b64dddca549
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-16
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 134.4 minutes
Words: ~7,996
Page twenty nine. So first of all, I’m recollecting motivation that we had this morning. Thinking a numberless beings in hell realms experiencing unimaginable sufferings. Each and every single prayer, each and every single practice, each and every single merit that I accumulate is for them. There are numberless beings in the hungry ghost realms, each and every single prayer, each and every single practice, each and every single virtuous action that I accumulate in this retreat is for them.
There are numberless beings in the animal realms experiencing unimaginable sufferings right now. Remember all the millipedes that have been squashed, all the bugs and the insects that come in as we do prostrations, as we try to practice, falling into the drink, falling into the toilet bowls. So many creatures dying. Even each hour, so so many many of these small creatures dying. Each and every single prayer, each and every single practice that I do, each and every single virtue accumulates for each one of them.
There are numberless beings in the human realms undergoing unimaginable sufferings. Think especially all those in the war involved with fighting in Iraq, bombing, killing. Those in countries where there are natural disasters or famines. All those who are homeless, jobless, depressed, without hope. Each and every single practice, each and every single virtue accumulated by doing these practices for them.
There are numberless beings in the sura and asura realms. Each and every single practice, each and every single virtue, each and every single prayer that I do is for each one of them. There are numberless beings in intermediate state whose mind is totally overwhelmed, experiencing so much fear. Each and every single practice that I do, each and every single virtue that I accumulate is for them. This retreat is not for me.
This retreat is for all sentient beings. All beings who’ve been kind to me in numberless ways since beginningless times, all sentient beings on whom I depend to be able to develop compassion, to be able to practice, to be able to achieve enlightenment. This retreat is to bring my mind closer to being able to benefit all these beings, closer to the guru’s enlightenment. Then remembering the merit field in front, three prostrations. One’s own direct guru is in front, then the lineage lamas around.
And then deities of the four classes of tantra, all the buddhas, all the bodhisattvas, prateykabuddhas, all dakas and dakinis, protectors, all guardians. Then motivation. At any rate, I must achieve a state of full enlightenment in order to benefit all sentient beings. In order to do this, I need to accumulate extensive merit. As quickly as I’m able to accumulate merit that quickly, I will achieve enlightenment.
Achieving enlightenment depends on generating extensive merit in my mind. Therefore, I’m going to do this practice of making extensive offerings to the merit field. May human and divine offerings actually arranged in mentally created clouds of finest samantabhadra offerings fill the entire space. All the offerings here, all the offerings, all the FPMT centers, the offerings from Khenrinpoche’s house, the student houses, immensely visualizing many more, filling the earth and sky. By the power of truth, the Three Jewels, the blessings of all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, by the power of the great mind, the complete two collections, the completely pure and inconceivable sphere of reality.
May all these offerings become just so. And first of all, making charity. All the offerings, all the offerings set out here, all the offerings of FPMT centers, all the offerings set out in Khenrinpoche’s room above, all the offerings set out all the students houses, making charity, all these offerings to each hell being, each hungry ghost, each animal, each human being, each sura, each asura being, each intermediate state being. Making charity all the offerings and offer on behalf of each of them, remembering what sentient beings need to have happiness is merit. Without merit, can’t do anything.
Next, putting palms together at the heart, prostrating to the gurus, the merit field, inseparable from one’s root guru and all the other gurus, the direct and indirect lamas, with awareness that they are all Buddhas. All Buddhas manifest in this way to guide me from suffering, lead me to enlightenment. So not just prostrating with the hands, but also a deep respect from the heart. Offering all the offerings, set out here and at other places. All these offerings in the nature of infinite bliss.
Think by making these offerings generate greatest bliss in the Guru’s holy mind. So do this over and over again. Prostrate, offer, generate bliss. Guru’s mind prostrating, offering, generating bliss. Prostrating, offering, generating bliss.
Benefits. One of those is enlightenment. So each time we offer, we collect limitless skies of merit, numberless causes of enlightenment. Next, prostrating to all the merit field, Guru, Deity and merit field, meditating their essence as virtuous friend from their own side with the awareness that they’re all Buddha Dharma Sangha, then generating infinite bliss in them. Naturally offerings, infinite bliss, generates greatest bliss in the Guru Buddha merit field, holy mind.
Even each atom of each one of the merit field is all the Buddhas. Prostrating, offering, generating bliss over and over again. So Rinpoche counts this on his mala, if that helps. Each bead is prostrating offering generating infinite bliss. Next, palms together at the heart, mentally prostration, offering to all the ten directions, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.
Meditating that they’re all the virtuous friend on the inside. Think, my guru, inseparable from all the Buddhas, appears in the aspect of all these Buddha, Dharma, Sangha to guide me, prostrating, offering, generating great bliss. Next, offering toward ten directions, statues, stupas, scriptures, relics, prayer wheels, every single holy object. Seeing all of these as skillful manifestation, guru’s holy mind, appearing in these forms out of compassion so that we sentient beings can easily purify and accumulate merit. Prostrating, making all these offerings in the nature of infinite bliss, generating great bliss in the guru’s holy mind over and over.
Prostrating, making all these offerings which are in nature infinite bliss, generating great bliss in mind in the aspect of Thousand Armed Chenrezig, so we can quickly generate great compassion, take full responsibility to liberate sentient beings from suffering, bring them to enlightenment. The eight medicine Buddhas, so all our wishes, all our prayers succeed. Ārya Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, so we can fulfill extensive work for sentient beings, prostrating, offering, generating great bliss. Next, prostrating offering to all the holy objects in India, especially the stupa, Bodhgaya, where Buddha achieved enlightenment, where all the Buddhas of fortune achieved enlightenment. All the other holy objects, all the relics, all the gurus in India, all our gurus who are in India, prostrating, offering, making all the offerings in nature infinite bliss, generating great bliss in Guru’s holy mind.
Prostrating, making all the offerings set out here, all the offerings from Khenrinpoche’s room, the offerings from the FPMT centers, Khenrinpoche’s house and so forth, all of which in the nature of infinite bliss, to all the holy objects in Tibet, especially in Lhasa, the very precious statue of Śākyamūni Buddha, the Jowo, which was blessed and predicted by Śākyamūni Buddha himself, to all the holy objects in Tibet. Prostrating, making all the offerings. All the holy objects in Nepal, especially the precious stupa, Swayambhunath, Dharmakāya relic, and Boudhanath stupa, wish fulfilling all encompassing stupa. Prostrating, offering, generating great bliss, seeing all these holy objects as manifestations, absolute guru appearing in this form for us sentient beings to easily purify and accumulate merit. Then all the remaining holy objects in this world, all the various Buddhist countries such as Burma, where there so many statues of Buddha, Burma, Thailand, Korea, so many Buddhist countries, Sri Lanka.
All the statues, the stupas, all the texts, all the relics, prayer wheels and so on. Prostrating, offering, generating great bliss. Then from all these offerings manifested out numberless more offerings. Numberless forms of sixteen offering goddesses came from one’s heart and make offering to the merit field. Page thirty five.
Refuge, savior, treasures of compassion, eminent supreme merit field. With pure faith, I present to you a billion times over. Mount Meru and the four continents. The seven precious royal emblems. The precious minor symbols, and more.
Perfectly delightful environments and their beings. And the great treasure of all that gods and humans use or desire. By the merit of having offered this mandala to the merit field, may I and all sentient beings be able to meet the pure wisdom teachings of victorious ones, which contain the biographies of those eminent ones who live in pure morality, and the brave attitude to follow extensively the bodhisattvas’ conduct, and practice yoga of two stages, the essence of which is the transcendental wisdom of non dual bliss and voidness. May I and all sentient beings be able to meet this pure complete teaching of Lama Tsongkhapa, the unification of Sūtra and Tantra right this second. Purpose of my life is not just to attain happiness for myself alone, but to free each and every single sentient being from suffering and place them in this state of perfect happiness.
In order to do this, I must generate bodhicitta and all realizations of the path, but even having generated this, still it’s not possible to achieve enlightenment without taking and abiding in the bodhisattva vows. Therefore, I’m going to take the bodhisattva vows in presence of the merit field. I go for refuge to the Three Jewels, I confess individually all my negativities. I rejoice in the merit of all beings. I take hold in my mind, the perfect state of the Buddha.
I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, Supreme Sangha, assembly, and I do so to attain enlightened mind. In order to fulfill the aims of myself and others, I should develop supreme enlightened motive. Toward all sentient beings, my invited guests, I should act with supreme enlightened conduct. May I become a Buddha to benefit all, and go for refuge to the Three Jewels. I confess individually all my negativities.
I rejoice in the merit of all beings. I take hold in my mind perfect state of the Buddha. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, dharma, supreme, Sangha, assembly, and I do so to attain enlightened mind. In order to fulfill the aims of myself and others, I should develop supreme enlightened motive. And toward all sentient beings, my invited guests, I should act with supreme enlightened conduct.
May I become a Buddha to benefit all. And go for refuge to the Three Jewels. Confess individually all my negativities. I rejoice in the merit of all beings. I take hold with my mind, perfect state of a Buddha.
I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, Supreme, Sangha, Assembly, and I do so to attain enlightened mind. In order to fulfill the aims of myself and others, I should develop supreme enlightened motive. Toward all sentient beings, my invited guests, I should act with supreme enlightened conduct. May I become a Buddha to benefit all. Generate very strong faith.
Receive pure bodhisattva vows in the presence of the merit field. What has been degenerated, made pure. What has not been degenerated, increased. Then for those who have taken the tantric vows, going to retake these vows. So think even if I practice bodhisattva paramitayana path but still takes three countless great aeons to achieve enlightenment.
For myself, no matter how long, no matter how difficult, there’s no concern. But for that amount of time, all those sentient beings who have connection with me, who depend upon me, who rely upon me to free them from suffering, bring them happiness, they have to wait. They have to suffer so much. Therefore, the most urgent thing in my life is to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. Therefore, I’m going to take these tantric vows.
All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, please listen to me. I, such and such, from now on until I reach the essence of Buddhahood, shall generate the sacred, peerless bodhicitta, just as all the Buddhas of the three times ensure themselves awakening by generating it. I pledge to uphold the vows of the Buddha family to rely on the Peerless Triple Gem Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and the three disciplines of observing proper behavior, gathering virtuous Dharma and benefiting sentient beings. I pledge to uphold the vajra, bell and mudra of the great vajra family, and to honor my teachers. I pledge to practice the four types of giving six times each day, keeping in mind that the life or commitment of the great Ratna family.
For the great Padma family, I pledge to uphold individually the holy dharmas that arose from the great enlightenment, those of the outer secret and three vehicles. For the great supreme Karma family, I pledge to uphold all vows well and to make as many offerings as possible. I shall generate the vows of peerless bodhicitta for the sake of all and uphold all samayas without exception. I shall deliver those not delivered liberate those not liberated give breath to those unable to breathe and place all beings in state beyond sorrow. All Buddhas and bodhisattvas, please listen to me.
I, such and such, from now on until I reach the essence of Buddhahood, shall generate the sacred peerless, bodhicitta just as all Buddhas of the three times, ensure themselves awakening by generating it. I shall uphold all the general and specific tantric vows and commitments of the five families without exception. I shall deliver those not delivered, liberate those not liberated, give breath to those unable to breathe and place all beings in state beyond sorrow. All Buddhas and bodhisattvas, please listen to me. I, such and such from now until I reach the essence of Buddhahood, shall generate the sacred peerless, bodhicitta, just as all the Buddhas of the three times, ensure themselves awakening by generating it.
I shall uphold all the general and specific tantric vows and commitments of the five families without exception. I shall deliver those not delivered, liberate those not liberated, give breath to those unable to breathe, and place all beings in state beyond sorrow. Remaining in strong faith. Receive pure tantric vows in the presence of merit field, And feeling great joy, understanding what can be achieved by keeping these vows, how quickly you can achieve enlightenment. Oh, the new people in the Gompa.
The new people are all here. The new people. Okay. What caused me to have so many obstacles in my practice even though I work so hard, study so much, why I’m unable to gain any realizations in my mind is because of all the heaviest negative karmas that I’ve accumulated since beginningless lifetimes in relationship with the holy virtuous friend. Therefore, I must purify all these immediately by relying on the guru manifesting as Vajrasattva in my own mind or above my crown.
Recite Vajrasattva mantra. Because my Vajrasattva says, all your negative karmas, obscurations, and degenerated samayas are completely purified. Due to this virtue, may I and all sentient beings never transgress and Guru deity samaya until enlightenment is achieved. Page forty nine, confession of virtue. Standing meditation, rejoicing.
First of all, rejoicing in one’s own merit, one’s own past, present, future merit. Thinking without merit, there’s no happiness. There’s no cause of happiness. There’s no cause for success. Without merit, there’s nothing you can do at all, cannot move, completely stuck, cannot achieve realizations, cannot even achieve the happiness of this life, not even moment to moment happiness.
All this depends on the cause which is merit. How quickly we achieve enlightenment depends how quickly we’re able to accumulate extensive merit. Therefore, the single amount that I’ve accumulated in the past, and I’m accumulating now, and that I will accumulate in the future is so precious. This is the most precious thing. How wonderful it is.
I’ve accumulated so much merit in the past. How wonderful. How precious. I’m accumulating so much now. How wonderful.
How precious. Precious. And I will in the future. I’m feeling happiness over and over again in the heart and all the virtue. How wonderful.
How precious. So by rejoicing in one’s own merit causes it to double. Then imagine other sentient beings, thinking what sentient beings want is happiness, what they don’t want is suffering. The cause of this happiness that each and every single being is seeking is merit. Therefore, every single virtue accumulated by others is so precious.
This is the cause of all happiness in this world. Sentient beings accumulated so much merit in the past, they’re accumulating so much now, they will accumulate so much in the future. How wonderful it is that they’ve collected all this merit of the three times. How wonderful, how precious. Feeling joy over and over again in the heart.
This is rejoicing. By rejoicing in the merits of sentient beings, lower than oneself we get twice as much, those who are equal, the same amount, those of higher realizations we get half. Then rejoicing in the virtues of bodhisattvas. There are numberless bodhisattvas who have generated bodhicitta in their minds. From that moment onwards, every single action, every single breath that they take is for others.
They continually accumulate limitless merit and they use all this merit dedicating it to us to benefit us. Even a very new bodhisattva, every single thing they do, there’s not the slightest thought of working or seeking happiness for themselves. Every single action of body, speech, and mind of a bodhisattva is completely focused on working and seeking happiness for others. There’s only the thought of working for others in their mind. Every single movement is for others.
Eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, everything naturally becomes beneficial for all sentient beings. There are numberless bodhisattvas who’ve generated bodhicitta in their minds. They’ve accumulated unimaginable merit in the past. They are accumulating unimaginable merit now, they will in the future. How wonderful this is.
How precious. All these numberless bodhisattvas, all their three time merits. How wonderful, how precious. May I become like this, like all these bodhisattvas, may I become like this. Rejoicing in the merits of even one day’s one day’s merit of one bodhisattva is equivalent to thirteen thousand years accumulating merit.
Then rejoicing in the merit of the Buddhas. There are numberless Buddhas who were just like myself being obscured, having negative karmas, having mistakes. Their minds filled with ignorance, self-cherishing, then through practicing Dharma, able to generate renunciation, bodhicitta, put great effort to accomplish the path. Then able effortlessly spontaneously to do all the activities for others. Remember all the inconceivable qualities of Buddhas.
How wonderful it is. All these Buddhas, all three times virtues in past, present, future, how wonderful, how precious, How wonderful. Able to do extensive activities for others even now benefiting, liberating so many sentient beings each day. How wonderful, how precious, may I become like this? So next verse we recite three times by way of long life prayer for Khen Rinpoche.
Though your vajra body is subject to neither birth nor death, but as a vessel of the mighty king, unification, please abide forever according to our wishes, not passing beyond sorrow until saṃsāra ends. I prostrate and go for refuge to Guru and the three precious gems. Please bless my mind. I’m requesting you to immediately pass far all the wrong conceptions, from incorrect devotion to the Guru up to subtle dual view of the white, red, and dark visions that exist in my mind and the minds of all mother sentient beings. I’m requesting you to immediately generate all the right realizations from Guru devotion up to enlightenment in my mind and minds of all mother sentient beings.
I’m requesting you to pacify all outer and inner obstacles to actualizing the entire graduated path to enlightenment in my mind and in the minds of all mother sentient beings. I prostrate and go for refuge to Guru and the three precious gems. Please bless my mind. I’m requesting you to immediately pass far all the wrong conceptions, from incorrect devotion to the Guru up to subtle dual view of the white, red, and dark visions that exist in my mind and in the minds of all mother sentient beings. I am requesting you to immediately generate all the right realizations, from guru devotion to enlightenment in my mind and minds of all mother sentient beings.
I’m requesting you to pacify all outer and inner obstacles to actualizing the entire graduated path to enlightenment in my mind and minds of all mother sentient beings. I prostrate and go for refuge to guru and the three precious gems. Please bless my mind. I am requesting you to immediately pass far all wrong conceptions. From incorrect devotion to Guru, up to subtle dual view of the white, red and dark visions.
That exists in my mind and minds of all mother sentient beings. I am requesting you to immediately generate all the right realizations from Guru devotion to enlightenment in my mind, minds of all mother sentient beings. I’m requesting you to pacify all outer and inner obstacles to actualizing the entire graduated path to enlightenment in my mind, in the minds of all mother sentient beings. Lord of sages, source of all realizations. Avalokiteśvara, great treasure of non objectifying compassion.
Mañjuśrī, master of stainless wisdom. Vajrapāni, destroyer of the entire host of Maras. Losang Dragpa, crown jewel of sages of the land of snows. To you, Guru Buddha, embodying the three refuges, I make requests showing respect with my three doors. Please grant your blessings to liberate myself and others.
Please bestow the supreme and common realizations. Please bless me to become quickly like you. Page fifty five. I request the precious Guru who encompasses all objects of refuge of the past, present, and future. Please bless my mental continuum.
I request the precious Guru who encompasses all objects of refuge of the past, present and future. Please bless my mental continuum. I request the precious Guru who encompasses all objects of refuge of the past, present and future. Please bless my mental continuum. Five colored nectar beams from the forehead of the guru’s holy body entering my body and mind and those of all sentient beings.
These purify all diseases, spirit harms, negative karmas, and obscurations, especially all the collections of obscurations, negative karmas, and degenerated samayas created in relationship to the holy virtuous friend, such as giving harm to the holy body, breaking advice, disturbing the holy mind, generating undevotional thoughts, criticizing without devotion, giving up the guru and so forth. From all my doors, sense organs and pores, these are dispelled in the form of liquid smoke or black soot. They are completely purified. My body becomes in the nature of light, calm and clear. My life, fortune, merit, and all good qualities, my understanding, realizations are fully developed.
The blessings of the guru’s holy body, holy speech, and holy mind enter my body, speech, and mind, and those of all sentient beings. I and all sentient beings are now under protection of the virtuous friend. Praise and supplication to Gelugpa Mahāmudrā lineage lamas. Maybe this can be left, but can be done in. Okay.
Understood. The next part. Does the lamrim lineage lamas or go straight to requests? Yeah. The qualities.
Okay. So turn to page sixty nine. Making requests to guru by remembering the qualities. Source of virtue, great ocean of moral discipline, treasury brimming with jewels of much learning, master, second, Buddha, Gautama, suffering, elder, benign holder, I make request to you. You have the ten qualities suitable for one to teach the path of those gone to bliss.
Lord of Dharma, representing all conquerors. Mahāyāna Guru, I make request to you. You are wise, patient, honest, without pretence or guile. Your three doors well subdued. You have both sets of ten qualities, know tantras and rituals, and are skilled in drawing and explaining.
Foremost, vajra holder, I make request to you. To those untamed by countless past Buddhas, the unruly migrators of this degenerate age or difficult to subdue, you show unmistakably the good way of those gone to bliss. Compassionate refuge savior, I make request to you. At this time, when the sunlight of the teachings of the sage is setting, you enact the deeds of a conqueror. For the many beings who lack a savior or refuge, Compassionate refuge savior, I make requests to you.
Even one of your hair pores is for us, a field of merit more highly praised. Than all the conquerors of the three times in ten directions. Compassionate refuge savior, I make request to you. Adorned with the sugatas’ three bodies, you manifest an alluring net of skillful means. In ordinary form, to lead all beings, compassionate refuge savior, I make request to you.
Your aggregates, elements, sense bases, limbs are in nature, so goddesses and consorts of the five families. Bodhisattvas and wrathful protectors, supreme guru, essence of Three Jewels, I make request to you, arising from the play of omniscient pristine awareness. You are the essence of ten million mandala cycles, pervading lord of a hundred Buddha families, foremost vajra holder, unified primordial savior, I make request to you, unobscured, inseparable from the play of simultaneous bliss, pervading everything in motion or at rest, the nature of all things free from beginning or end. I make a request to you. This part of chanting, if you can be a little bit slower.
Maybe once more. Very light now. Very light now, please? I forgot the prayer. To the merit of virtuous actions may I quickly attain state of the Guru and Buddha and lead all living beings without exception to that enlightened state.
Long life prayer. Through the power of having made offerings and respectful requests to you, most perfect pure gurus, supreme field of merit, I seek your blessing, saviors, and root of all being blessed that I may come under your joyful care. I’m requesting the kind Lord Root Guru, who is more extraordinary than all the Buddhas. Please bless me to be able to devote myself to qualified Lord Guru, with great respect in all my future lifetimes. By realizing that directly following myself the kind Lord Guru, who is the foundation of all good qualities, is the root of happiness and goodness, I shall devote myself to him with great respect, not forsaking him even at the cost of my life.
Thinking of the importance of qualifying guru, may I allow myself to enter under his control? May I be like an obedient child, acting exactly in accordance with the guru’s advice. Even when Maras, evil friends and the like try to split me from my guru, may I be like a vajra inseparable forever? When the Guru gives me work, whatever the burden, may I be like the earth carrying all? When I devote myself to the guru, whatever suffering occurs, may I be like a mountain immovable.
Even if I have to perform difficult tasks, may I be like a servant to the king with a mind undisturbed? May I abandon pride, holding myself lower than the guru, may I be like a sweeper? May I be like a rope, joyfully holding the guru’s work no matter how difficult or heavy a burden. Even when the guru criticizes, provokes, or ignores me, may I be like a dog without anger, never responding with anger? May I be like a ferryboat, never upset at any time to come and go for the guru?
Oh, glorious and precious root guru, please bless me to be able to practice in this way from now on in all my future lifetimes. May I be able to devote myself to the guru in this way? Realizing how this body of liberties and endowments is found but once, is difficult to obtain, and is easily lost, I seek your blessings to take its essence. Make it worthwhile, and not be distracted by the meaningless affairs of this life. So all these verses are in the form of request, requesting from our heart, requesting for ourselves and all sentient beings.
Even though it says I, but it means all sentient beings requesting the guru for these realizations to be generated in one’s mind. Aghast at the searing blaze of suffering in the lower realms, I take heartfelt refuge in the three precious gems and seek your blessings that I may eagerly endeavor to practice the various means for abandoning what is bound to lead to misfortune and accumulating virtuous deeds. Violently tossed by the waves of delusion, and karma, played by the horse of ordinary denizens and three kinds of suffering. I seek your blessing to develop an intense longing to be free from this monstrous ocean of boundless and vicious existence. Having abandoned the mind that views unbearable prison of cyclic existence as a pleasure grove, I seek your blessings to take up the treasure of Aryas’ jewels, by practicing the three higher trainings, and thereby to uphold liberation’s banner.
Having considered how all these pitiful beings have been my mothers and have cared for me in kindness again and again, I seek your blessings to love them with effective compassion like that of a loving mother for her precious child. Generating bodhicitta. There is no difference between myself and others. None of us wishes even the slightest of sufferings or is ever content with the happiness we have. Realizing this, I seek your blessings.
I may enhance the bliss and joy of others. This chronic disease of cherishing myself is the cause giving rise to my unsought suffering. Perceiving this, I seek your blessings to blame, resent, and destroy the monstrous demon of selfishness. The mind that cherishes all mother beings who has secured me has been blessed is the gateway leading to infinite virtue. Seeing this, I seek your blessings to cherish these beings more than my life, even should they rise up as my enemies.
In brief, infantile beings work only for their own ends, while Buddhas work solely for the welfare of others. With mind I understand the distinctions between the failings of one and the advantages of the other. I seek your blessings to enable me to equalize and exchange myself with others. Since cherishing myself is a doorway to all torment, while cherishing my mothers is the foundation of all that is good. I seek your blessings to make my core practice the yoga of exchanging self for others.
Eight verses. Determined to obtain the greatest possible benefit from all sentient beings who are more precious than a wishfulfilling jewel, I shall hold them most dear at all times. When in the company of others, I shall always consider myself the lowest of all, and from the depths of my heart hold others dear and supreme. Vigilant, the moment delusion appears in my mind, endangering myself and others, I shall confront and avert it without delay. Whenever I see beings who are wicked in nature and overwhelmed by violent negative actions and suffering, I shall hold such rare ones dear as if I had found a precious treasure.
When out of envy others mistreat me with abuse, insults, or the like, I shall accept defeat and offer the victory to others. When someone whom I’ve benefited and in whom I have great hopes gives me terrible harm, I shall regard that person as my holy guru. In short, both directly and indirectly, do I offer every happiness and benefit to all my mothers. I shall secretly take upon myself all their harmful actions and suffering. Undefiled by the stains of superstition, the eight worldly concerns.
May I, by perceiving all phenomena as illusory, be released from the bondage of attachment. Page eighty seven, taking and giving. And thus where it says requesting to generate the uncontained or the effortless compassion. So that one, I thought since bodhicitta, the most precious thing most precious thought, most precious feeling, thought. One’s sentient beings, all other sentient beings.
So just to go over the outline, just to solve the problem, go over the outline, the what is the techniques of cause and effect? Just to, you know yeah. All the seven things, let’s just go over to just brief meditation on the particular issue of the exchanging oneself with others, equalizing exchange self for others is there and it comes in the total transformation section comes. So here, to go over the bodhicitta, we’ll have the brief just the seven techniques of mind cause and effect. Then here, can do the verses which is let’s see.
Advice. But also another prayer that the end of the chod practice, the very last part, the to practice the and the offering of one’s own body, let’s say, illusory body, one’s own illusory body into the So dedicate dedicating in the form of. In the form. It’s page eighty five. It’s here, I’m sure.
Yeah. So It can be the alternative. There’s also another one which here, the Buddha’s past life Buddha’s past life, the Buddha’s life story, the dedicated person. This is one part at the end of that chod practice. Then there’s another one.
There’s another one. I thought I have translated it, but I don’t remember where where prayers which are not there, there’s another another prayer. So it’s very good to alternate, you see. It is also very good that if you’re doing Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, meditation, mantra, you know, the end of the so Buddha’s Buddha’s it’s inspiring the Buddha’s survival story. So to use I mean, also that way, we need to go to Sadyoga, mantra, and then let’s see.
Meditation also can be also can be done at the end. That is also very good. That prayer is also very good to recite on birthdays. If you’re doing a birthday. There’s not much contradiction there because basically it’s compassion benefiting others, sacrificing for others.
So I shouldn’t find it difficult even for others, non Buddhists to recite that it’s harmonized with Christianity. You give up your life for others. Basically what is that? Not talking about some other opposite philosophy or something. You see, or something like that.
You see? So one suggestion that we see. Lama people want to people people want to get the wedding wedding ceremony. So a lama arranged for mandala offering to Tārā puja, arranged for mandala offering to Tārā puja. Like that.
Then people come up and then on the night, I’m supposed to give the rings. I’m supposed to give the rings. I did I think I did the Tārā puja at Como. I think one is a I think I think Diamond Valley. During the diamond in the end of the Diamond, near the end of Diamond Valley course.
There was some there’s one wedding. I think that’s Nick’s. Diamond Valley. House? Just wedding.
And there, I completely forgotten. And Diamond Valley. I see. I came down. Gone.
At Diamond Valley, the first very first Australian course. Diamond Valley over there. Maybe two hundred or so. You were there. Yeah?
How many people were there? Something like that then then I spoke on hell. One night I came down and that so as I told them that we must meditate on hell, but this is the only this is the only time, you know, chance to meditate on the hell sufferings. This is this is the only time. Otherwise, it wouldn’t happen.
So so I guided the meditation. The next morning, there’s some spot empty there, some spot Some spot spot there. So then the next morning, you see backpack. Quite a few backpacks. Backpack.
Backpack. Quite a few backpacks. Then at the beginning, there’s some irritation, then there’s all this in the main label. But anyway, just just word just a word. You know?
But it’s not just a word. It helps. Just a word. Anyway, so that I remember very clearly. So there was there was one wedding.
I think the I think that was Dorian. No? It was Dorian. Dorian. I think so.
I think yeah. So at least two down there. I don’t know. One’s at Kuranda, I think. One at Kuranda and the.
Anyway, so I’m supposed to give the rings. Anyway, so here, the point is wedding for the this prayer for this loving story, you know, the is very good to recite if there’s a wedding ceremony like that. But but I think the idea ideas for from the the sangha side is mainly to pray to bring prayer. There’s many it is mainly doing prayer of, you know, prayer, say, for the most meaningful life, beneficial life. So that basically, so praying that in puja and praying for that, you see.
So anyway, they have long life and healthy and all these things. It’s basically that the but you can pray, you know, like that for others. Mhmm. Long life and health and the the meaningful life so forth. But here, prayer is something that when others, hear, others, non-Buddhist or other people, they hear, it’s very inspiring.
There is no particular contradiction about philosophy. It’s just basically cherish others and giving your life to others. That even somebody harms you, you only benefit. And that being who even you help that sentient being, but in return only harm, then you cherish cherish that cherish cherish that being most that you helped, but in return, you receive harm. And then one cherish the one with such that’s what this section.
Other one that that one should cherish the most. In the worldly way, that’s the that’s the worst thing. In the worldly way, ordinary people point of view is the worst thing. But here, that’s something most terrible. You give.
See, but here, in dharma, you know, cherish the most, most important. That is cherish the most. So things like that. So therefore, this one is inspiring. That also for birthday.
When you have birthday, And especially if there’s some Dharma student there, they will kind of help do the prayer. Then the rest of the people, they can hear the opportunity. The heart of the Buddhist, heart of the Mahāyāna Buddhism. It’s a it’s a way to make some connection over here. Plant some seed.
So it’s a very good thing to recite. There’s no contradiction. It’s very inspiring. And, also, maybe prayer to Buddha. It was very good.
I mentioned birthday. Birthday or the yeah. Birthday or New Year. So that means that means, you know, New Year to recite. So that this is how I’m going to live my life.
You see? Now I’m now I’m going to and now I’m going to make a determination that I’m going to have better life. From this year, I’m going to know. From today, New Year, I’m going to better better life. Better life, better attitude, more compassion, more thought of benefits.
And so it it for that idea to so recite new year. Yeah. So this prayer was very good to plan how you are, how you’re going to live life. So this very good thing to do this. You know, these prayers, the Buddha’s life story.
Then there’s also to to expand. There’s the Kundalamalam, which is the Buddha’s supper. Praise the Buddha’s supper. It was unbelievable good. So your friends together chanted.
Very, very good. Birthday or recite. New year. So the so it’s a new year. Same birthday.
That means you going to you know have a better life, better attitude, you know, more dharma, more benefiting sentient beings. So new year, birthday. And then the other things that when it’s your birthday, then Some years ago, I mentioned to somebody, the. Who was who was recently finished. The she was was an FPMT center director.
Don’t know if there was some Okay. Clare or somebody can do Clare. Anyway, suggest to do a Vajrasattva retreat. So I think we did together. So like that, purifying with the chanting mental.
Also that, it’s very good to purify the degenerations of samaya vows. And then those vows, any negative karma. And then talk to the realizations of enlightenment or illusory body. If you don’t know if you don’t know if you haven’t done retreat, you have to take initiation, you have to do retreat, so you can’t do self initiation. So that.
I don’t want to that. That’s one thing. So, I said, the self initiation, that’s excellent to do in your birthday. So you purify you purify the person’s karma. Degenerations of vows, samaya vows.
Then you intend to plant more effort to practice the vows and so on. So things like that. So that’s very worthwhile thing. Because what’s the label about the birthday? So then, you see, that must have to do with purification for the kind of so anyway, it benefits you and to others.
So the center with the practice group to so things that either to purify and to collect the merit or to plant seed or the path from the merit group. Very good, whatever, depending on depending on situation of time. So the you know, one can I mean, circumstances, want to do long, one can do short some short It’s very good to but first, recite this, then after then do then after that, do happy birthday? Then then you sing happy birthday. Or you do half dance.
You do half dance. I’m joking. Anyway, of course, there there’s, yeah. Mhmm. Of course.
The Christian religion has order of wedding ceremonies for the in the west. So because yeah. That’s the So those who want to be Buddhist, so they because of that, I don’t think this happened. However, the lamas arranged for you know, to arrange to marry. Arrange.
Let’s see. The relationship. However, lama did lama did this. I think, I guess, to fit it to Western, I think, culture. However, the main thing is that however that I’m here, the main thing is not arranging.
It’s already there. They’re already together. You know, they’re already together. It’s not arranging. They’re already together.
So you’re not. Yeah. So already already together. So just this ceremony doing prayer puja for the doing prayer puja. So that’s how you’re praying sangha such as you know, if that’s if that if such this is you know, if it’s happening, it wants in case it want to engage, then so this is basically praying for the couple.
The best is that they’re already together. You know, a long life. Health. Good heart. Okay.
To restless, you know, to everyday life most meaningful. For sentient beings and to reach enlightenment. Let’s say like that. So okay. So so we can stop here.
I thought it’s two two o’clock. It’s eleven o’clock. Right? The lunch. Yeah.
Oh, carry on, Rinpoche. It’s okay to carry on. Yeah. It’s okay to carry on a bit longer. What?
It’s alright to carry on a bit longer. Lunch is at eleven four. What was that? It can be eleven thirty or a bit later because anyone who has to go for lunch will get up and leave. What?
They would have to go because they have to serve. Okay. No. As as we told that’s the idea came to this to mention anyway, this this prayer is good to recite. What different ways you can have to be used, you know.
So and especially in public because we’re good to recite. Public where there all the kind of different people. And the self initiation, the short self initiation. Long one, middle one, short. Can even there’s no text of that deity but even self initiations from other, like Yamāntaka or Heruka, there’s long version, middle version, short version.
So you can just change the name of the deity. So like that. Offerings they have a food offering and perhaps we are eating. You have to have food offered, the emptiness. The body supports the way the way of eating food, the environment, everything.
Charities. So including sentient beings of beings living on my body and bringing to enlightenment by revealing the dharma of the living lineage through the connection that I’m offering the food today. So put the palms together and offer. Recite offering prayers or like the food. So it’s a bit or could have an absorption offering.
Then as I mentioned, there’s the gurus there, direct gurus there, and it’s the embodiment of each of the each of the merit field root guru, And if you see the merit field, then even its pores even its pores of the each of all the all the merit field. By making offering and generating complete bliss. By making offering, generating infinite bliss. Make charity to the numberless hell beings. Make charity to numberless hell beings.
Numberless hungry ghosts. Numberless animals. Numberless human beings. Numberless suras. Numberless asuras beings.
Intermediate state beings. Make charity all the offerings and offer on behalf of each of them, remembering what sentient beings need to have happiness is merit. Without merit, can’t do anything. Next, putting palms together at the heart, prostrating to the gurus, the merit field, inseparable from one’s root guru and all the other gurus, the direct and indirect lamas, with awareness that they are all Buddhas. All Buddhas manifest in this way to guide me from suffering, lead me to enlightenment.
So not just prostrating with the hands, but also a deep respect from the heart. Offering all the offerings, set out here and at other places. All these offerings in the nature of infinite bliss. Think by making these offerings generate greatest bliss in the Guru’s holy mind. So do this over and over again.
Prostrate, offer, generate bliss. Guru’s mind prostrating, offering, generating bliss. Prostrating, offering, generating bliss. Benefits. One of those is enlightenment.
So each time we offer, we collect limitless skies of merit, numberless causes of enlightenment. Next, prostrating to all the merit field, Guru, Deity and merit field, meditating their essence as virtuous friend from their own side with the awareness that they’re all Buddha Dharma Sangha, then generating infinite bliss in them. Naturally offerings, infinite bliss, generates greatest bliss in the Guru Buddha merit field holy mind. Even each atom of each one of the merit field is all the Buddhas. Prostrating, offering, generating bliss over and over again.
So Rinpoche counts this on his mala, if that helps. Each bead is prostrating offering generating infinite bliss. So I make so after you did a long this I’m not saying today, but generally, for the long time, think, then to do this because many people have taken initiation of Tantra, but even not practicing Tantra, you don’t need to do that. At least this more and, you know, have to the somehow eating, you know, of all these things. So that it helps remind that’s for, you know, four or five lines.
Good morning. Good afternoon. Okay. Sure. Thank you.
Just a reminder for any FPMT center directors or directors of FPMT projects or study group coordinators, there’s a meeting at one thirty in the Sangha Lounge with Rinpoche. If you wish to make an offering at that time, that would be appropriate. Thank you. Next session, three o’clock.