Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 135-minute session from a Mahāmudrā retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche leads practitioners through foundational Guru Yoga, opening with vivid contemplations on precious human birth and hell-realm suffering to generate genuine determination for practice. He guides an extensive visualization of the merit field and guru, followed by ritual bathing, making offerings, and retaking bodhisattva and tantric vows. The session emphasizes guru devotion through detailed confession of samaya breaches and requests for blessings to clear obstacles and generate realizations on the path. Toward the end, Rinpoche teaches on the spiritual power of receiving oral transmission (lung), explaining how this amplifies the benefit of future recitations and study. Intended for practitioners already initiated into tantric practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 27 2004 04 17 MR.mp3
UUID: 8b62f867-ec40-4e60-ad3a-7619096499e7
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-17
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 134.6 minutes
Words: ~8,510
So in the Namthar of a Guru Yoga book, we’re on page fifteen. So first of all, calming the mind by cleaning the winds, channels, clearing away attachment, anger, ignorance energy, and thought attachment to this life by doing the nine round breathing. Then reflecting on the preciousness of this human life. Even if a spark of fire or incense touches my body, how is it? So unbearable.
I can’t meditate even for a second. Can’t think of practicing. If I were now born in hell, it would be so unbearable. The whole ground and surrounding mountains are made of red hot burning iron. And the fire in the hell realms is seven times hotter than the blazing conflagration that destroys the world at the end of time. Hundreds of thousands of times hotter than all the fire energy in this world.
We couldn’t stand it. Not only that, but due to karma, the bodies of the beings in the hell realms are very huge like a mountain ridge. So they don’t burn up immediately, but just keep on experiencing pain. Not only that, but due to the heavy negative karma, the skin of the beings in the hell realms is extremely sensitive like that of a newborn baby. So the pain experienced is that much greater.
Not only that, but the suffering in the hell realms is continuous without a break. And the lifespan is extremely long and beyond our imagination. The minds of the beings in the hell realms are full of fear and hopelessness. Even a tiny thorn entering into my flesh is so painful. I can’t stand it for a moment.
The suffering of being pierced by three hundred and six spears each day in this world is nothing compared to the suffering in the very first of the hells. It’s like great pleasure. In this first of the hot hells, reviving hell, immediately I’m born there. Hatred arises towards all the beings around me, and every object I see turns into a weapon with which I attack and hack others to pieces till they fall unconscious on the ground. Even the drops of blood and pieces of body that fall onto the burning iron ground are still conscious and experience the most intense of suffering.
Then a voice comes from the sky saying revive. A wind strikes the dismembered bodies. The scattered flesh and bones rejoin, and the bodies come back to life only to fight again. Beings in this hell realm are born and die like this many times each day. And one day in this first hell realm is equivalent to nine million human years.
The beings in this hell realm live like this, suffering continuously for five hundred years of such days. How is it if something heavy falls on my toes or my fingers get caught in the door? It’s so unbearable. In the crushing hell, the beings are trapped and crushed between mountains shaped like the heads of animals they’ve killed. When the mountains split apart, they’re restored only to be crushed again.
The parts of their dismembered bodies falling onto the burning iron ground, still conscious, experiencing the most intense suffering. And in the lowest of these hells, the Avici, the worst of them, beings are only distinguishable from the fire by the screams of anguish. This is the hottest fire coming from each of the four directions. This is the heaviest suffering in saṃsāra, and the lifespan here is one intermediate eon, an unimaginable amount of time. Not being born in these realms is so precious.
Even every second of freedom from being born in these realms is so precious. With every second of this human life, I have the opportunity to create the cause of happiness in future lives, liberation, enlightenment. This freedom is more precious than mountains of gold. Even just putting my palms together to the Buddha, to the holy objects creates so much cause of happiness up to enlightenment. This human life is so precious, unimaginably precious.
Every second of this life able to practice Mahāyāna teachings is more precious than skies filled with gold. Every second of this life able to practice tantra is more precious than skies filled with diamonds. I think even one diamond is precious, but each second of this precious life is far more precious than that beyond compare. Every second of this precious life able to practice highest yoga tantra is more precious than the skies filled with wish-granting jewels. And every second of this precious life able to meet and practice Lama Tsongkhapa’s pure teachings, the stainless teachings of sūtra and tantra integrating sūtra and tantra is even more precious than that.
Even this first freedom, which is so difficult to find, is so precious but can be lost anytime. Therefore, now, I must practice continuously without wasting an hour, without wasting a minute, without even wasting one second. And what is the practice that I should do? Keeping my mind in the realization of the path, especially bodhicitta. Keeping my mind constantly twenty four hours a day in the thought of bodhicitta.
The thought to achieve enlightenment for all sentient beings. With this in my heart, I’m going to practice this profound path of guru yoga. Think the merit field is extremely pleased, absorbs into light, absorbs to oneself. Oneself absorbs into emptiness, and then do the practice of three kayas. From within great bliss, I arise as a guru deity.
From my clear body, masses of light rays radiate in ten directions, blessing the world and beings. All becomes perfectly arrayed with only infinitely pure qualities. In the vast space of indivisible bliss and void, amidst billowing clouds of Samantabhādra offerings, on the crest of a wish-granting tree, adorned with leaves, flowers, and fruit, is a lion throne ablaze with precious gems, on which is a lotus, sun and full moon. There sits my root guru, kind in all three ways. In essence, all Buddhas. In aspect, a saffron robed monk.
With one face, two arms, and a radiant smiling face. Right hand in the gesture expounding the Dharma. Left in the meditative pose holding an alms bowl full of nectar. You wear three lustrous saffron robes, and your head is crowned by a golden pandita hat. In your heart sits all pervading Lord Vajradhāra, with a blue body, one face, two arms, holding vajra and bell, embracing Vajradhatvishvari.
You delight in the play of simultaneous bliss and void, are adorned with jewel ornaments of many designs and clothed in garments of heavenly silk. Radiant with countless light rays, adorned with the major and minor signs, you sit in the vajra position encircled by a five colored rainbow. Your skandhas are the five dhyani Buddhas. Your four elements, the four consorts. Your sense sources, channels, sinews, and joints are actually bodhisattvas.
Your hair pores are twenty one thousand arhats. Your limbs are wrathful protectors. The light rays, directional guardians, lords of wealth and attendants, while all worldly gods are cushions for your feet. Surrounding you in your respective order, sit the direct and lineage gurus, yidams, hosts of mandala deities, buddhas, bodhisattvas, heroes, and dakinis encircled by an ocean of Dharma protectors. The three vajras mark their three doors, from whom light rays radiate to invite the wisdom beings in their natural abodes to merge inseparably.
To the one gone beyond, the foe destroyer, the completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in conduct, sugata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, to the founder, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the fully awakened one, and to all of you here, I offer this bath possessed of all excellent qualities. The bathhouse has an extremely sweet fragrance, a crystal floor and beautiful sparkling jeweled pillars.
The roof is covered by a canopy decorated with shining pearls. Just as after the birth of Buddha, the gods made offerings of pure water. I also offer a bath with the pure water of the gods. Holy body created by ten million acts of virtues, holy speech fulfilling the hopes of infinite migratory beings. Holy mind seeing all existence as it is, I offer this bath to the holy bodies, the lineage gurus of extensive conduct.
I offer this bath to the holy bodies, the lineage gurus of profound view. I offer this bath to the holy bodies, the lineage gurus of vast practice. I offer this bath to the holy bodies, all lineage gurus, especially to Vajradhāra. Eyes to view all the vast teachings, supreme gateway to liberation for the fortunate. Using skillful means, lovingly subdue the illusory beings, the illuminating spiritual friends to offer as Vajradhāra and Vajra holder.
Praise the glorious, blissful Heruka. Most glorious, Vajradhāra, and the rest. Potent of the four wheels, countless tantras to all the assembly of deities are offered as well. I offer this bath to the holy bodies, the founding Buddhas. I offer this bath to the protecting Dharma. I offer this bath to the guiding Sangha.
I offer this bath to the three precious gems. In times long past before the Bhagavan, you committed to supporting us, your children, beings, who accomplish practices according to Dharma, the assembly of Dharma protectors and guardians are offered this bath. To the five long life goddesses, supporters of the Dharma, all the protectors in the snowy land of Tibet, especially those of this country and this place, to all local gods, nagas, landlords, and spirits are offered this bath. All the Tathagatas are now praised with many jewel vases of scented water, beautifully filled up with excellent songs and with a variety of music are offered as bath. I now dry their bodies with incomparably clean, sweet smelling cloth.
OM HRIH TRAM HUM AH KAYA VISHODHANA YE SVAHA. Just as a goldsmith polishes gold, already pure and refined, so do I apply the best fragrance that pervades billions of universes to the holy bodies of the conquerors. By offering these soft like divine clothes with indestructible faith in those who attain the indestructible holy body, may I also achieve the vajra holy body. Because the conquerors were adorned by the natural ornaments, the marks, and signs, they did not need any other kind of ornament. But by offering these supreme jewel ornaments, may all sentient beings achieve the holy body adorned by all the marks and signs. By offering this auspicious vase, beautified by jewels and filled with various essences, may all stains of karma and delusions be purified, and may I and all sentient beings be moistened by the wetness of bodhicitta.
With the most excellent light radiating forth in ten directions, splendor of good fortune ablaze everywhere, this crown ornament of precious golden powder to the crown of the Shakya King I offer. May thereby the precious teachings spread in the ten directions, the world become pervaded by major happiness, and by its becoming the crown ornament of transmigrators, gods included, may they all gain the level of one endowed with the ten powers. Out of your loving compassion for myself and migrating beings, all Bhagavans, please remain as long as I continue to make these offerings. By the force of your magical power and your compassion, ground even a sphere of great bliss, supreme state of three kayas in an instant.
Guru with a jewel like body, Vajradhāra, I prostrate at your lotus feet. You, the wisdom knowledge of all infinite conquerors, appearing anyway that subdues with supreme skillful means, you manifest as a saffron robed monk. Holy refuge savior, I prostrate at your feet. You eliminate all unfortunate instincts and are the treasure of infinite precious qualities, sole source of all benefit and bliss without exception, perfect pure Guru, I prostrate at your feet.
Teacher of gods and all in nature, source of eighty four thousand pure dharmas, uttarab of the whole host of aryas, kind guru, I prostrate to you. To Gurus dwelling in three times in ten directions, Three Supreme Jewels, worthy of homage. With faith, conviction, an ocean of praise, I prostrate manifesting as many bodies as atoms of the world. Extensive offering practice. Anyway, 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. Therefore, I’m going to do this practice of making extensive offerings to the merit field. Blessing all the offerings set out here, blessing all the offerings set out in Rinpoche’s room above, where he has many Christmas lights, different colors, and then he has many saffron robes, other offerings. Blessing all the offerings set on all the FPMT centers, Mongolia, two thousand sets of offerings. Kopan, above, there are many hundreds of bowls, London, Medicine Buddha in Taiwan, and the rest of students’ houses, Rinpoche’s houses in Washington, retreat house in Washington, and Milarepa.
Wherever there are offerings actually set out, all the centers, all the students, and then mentally creating numberless other offerings, filling the whole earth and sky. By reciting this offering cloud mantra, causes numberless beings to receive all these offerings. May human and divine offerings, actually arranged and mentally created clouds, finest scented water offerings, fill the entire space. By the power of truth, the Three Jewels, blessings of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, by the power of the completion of the two collections, the completely pure inconceivable sphere of reality, may all these offerings become just so. First, make charity of all the offerings, make charity to all hell beings, every single hungry ghost, make charity of all the offerings to all the animals, all the insects, all the millipedes, make charity of all the offerings to all the human beings, especially remember all those who are jobless and homeless, who need food, all those involved in the wars, fighting, hungry, all those suffering from depression and disease, sickness.
Make charity of all the offerings to all sura beings, all the asura beings, all the intermediate state beings. Then think, now I’m going to make offering on behalf of all these sentient beings. Putting the palms together at the heart, prostrating to the guru with awareness all Buddhas. Offering all these offerings which are in the nature of infinite bliss. How Buddha perceives these offerings is in the nature of infinite bliss.
Then generating the greatest bliss in the guru’s holy mind. Do this over and over. Prostrating to the Guru merit field with the awareness, even each pore is all Buddha, all Dharma, all Sangha, all holy objects. Offering all the offerings in the nature of infinite bliss, all the offerings set out here, all the offerings at centers, Rinpoche’s houses, all the offerings visualized. Generating infinite bliss in the guru’s holy mind.
Do this over and over. Prostrate, offer, generate bliss. Prostrating to all Buddha Dharma Sangha, all statues, stupas, scriptures, three times, ten directions with awareness guru, virtuous friend from their own side, offering all the offerings in nature of infinite bliss, generating the greatest bliss in the guru’s holy mind. Do this over and over. Prostrating to the eight Medicine Buddhas in order for all our prayers to be successful.
Thousand-armed Chenrezig in order to quickly generate great compassion, full responsibility to liberate all sentient beings, bring them to enlightenment, embodying Samayasattva in order to do extensive works for sentient beings. Seeing all these manifestations of one’s own kind guru from their own side, offering all the offerings in nature of infinite bliss, generating the greatest bliss in the Guru’s holy mind. Do this over and over. Prostrating, making all the offerings, nature of infinite bliss, generating great bliss in the mind of the guru, one’s own guru, all gurus, manifesting in the aspect of all the holy objects in India, especially the holy stupa where Buddha showed the act of achieving enlightenment in Bodhgaya, and all the relics and all the gurus in India, generating infinite bliss in the holy mind.
Prostrating, making all the offerings which are in the nature of infinite bliss, to all the holy objects in Tibet, especially the precious holy statue of Buddha, blessed by Buddha himself, predicted by Buddha in the Jokhang. The special Chenrezig statue in Potala, the Maitreya Buddha statue at Meru Nyingba, Drepung, Hayagrīva statue in Sera Monastery, and the special statue of Mañjuśrī in Ganden, and all the holy objects in Tibet. Seeing all of these as guru, manifestations of one’s own root guru appearing in this aspect for us sentient beings to easily and quickly purify negative karma, accumulate merit. By making all these offerings, the nature of bliss, generate greatest bliss in the holy minds. Do this over and over.
Prostrating, making all the offerings set out here, all the offerings set out all the centers, which are in the nature of infinite bliss. All the holy objects in Nepal, especially the precious stupa, Swayambhunath, contains Dharmakāya relic, and Boudhanath, all-encompassing Wishful stupa, Boudhanath. Seeing all these as one’s own root guru from their own side, generating infinite bliss in the holy mind. Do this over and over. By prostrating, making all the offerings set out here, offerings set out at all centers, which are nature of infinite bliss, to all the holy objects in this world, all the Buddhist countries, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, wherever there are statues, stupas, scriptures, prayer wheels, relics, gurus, making all these offerings, seeing all these holy objects, the skillful manifestations of one’s own guru, holy mind appearing in these forms for us sentient beings to purify and accumulate merit, generating infinite bliss in the holy minds.
Then from all these offerings, numberless offering goddesses came. Emanating the sixteen offering goddesses, numberless goddesses, emanate numberless offerings, make offerings to all the merit field, generating infinite bliss in their minds. Mandala, page thirty five. Refuge, savior’s 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 treasury 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 teaching of the victorious ones, the teaching of those eminent ones who live in pure morality, have the brave attitude to follow extensively in bodhisattvas conduct, and practice the yogas 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, unification of Sūtra and Tantra right this second. Those who have taken the Bodhisattva vows, are we taking these vows? I’ll do the short version.
The purpose of my life is not just to attain happiness for myself alone, but to free each and every single sentient being from the oceans of samsaric suffering. In order to do this, I need to generate bodhicitta, but generating bodhicitta alone is not enough. I must also take and abide in the bodhisattva vows. I go for refuge to the Three Jewels, I confess individually all my negativities, I rejoice in the merit of migrating beings, I take hold of the enlightened mind, the perfect state of Buddha. I go for refuge to the Three Jewels, I confess individually all my negativities.
I rejoice in the merit of migrating beings, I take hold of the enlightened mind, the perfect state of Buddha. I go for refuge to the Three Jewels, I confess individually all my negativities. I rejoice in the merit of migrating beings, I take hold of the enlightened mind, the perfect state of the Buddha. Think I receive pure bodhisattva vows in the presence of the merit field.
What has been degenerated is made pure, what has not been degenerated is increased. Those who have taken tantric vows are going to retake these vows. Think even if I practice the bodhisattva Pāramitāyāna path, still it takes three countless great eons to achieve enlightenment. For that amount of time, all those sentient beings with whom I have Dharma connection who depend upon me to free them from suffering and bring them to happiness, they have to suffer so much.
Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. Therefore, I need to rely upon the quick path of tantra. Therefore, I’m going to take and abide in tantric vows. Short version. All Buddhas and bodhisattvas, please listen to me.
I, by whatever name, from now until I reach the essence of Buddhahood, should generate the sacred precious bodhicitta. All Buddhas of the three times ensured their awakening by generating it. I shall uphold all the general and specific 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 the state beyond sorrow. 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 the state beyond sorrow. I shall uphold all the general 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 the state beyond sorrow. Think I receive pure tantric vows in the presence of the merit field. What has been degenerated is restored.
What has not been degenerated is enhanced and increased. What causes me to have so many obstacles in my practice, why I’m unable to generate realizations no matter how hard I try, is all the heaviest obstacles that I’ve accumulated since beginningless time in relation to the holy virtuous friend. Therefore, I must purify all of these immediately by relying upon the holy guru manifesting in the aspect of Vajrasattva, visualize either at one’s heart or crown of one’s head. Guru Vajrasattva then says, all negative karmas, obscurations, degenerated samayas are completely purified. Generate strong faith that exactly what Vajrasattva says has happened in reality.
Your mental continuum has become completely pure and not the slightest obscuration is left. Even the heaviest negative karma accumulated in relationship with the guru has been purified. Due to this virtue, may I and all sentient beings be guided by the guru deity from now until enlightenment is achieved. May I and all others be protected by the guru deity and keep every samaya of the guru deity. Page forty nine, Confession.
Before those having great compassion, I confess with regret and vow never to commit again, whatever non-virtuous and evil actions I’ve done throughout beginningless time, caused others to do, or from which I have rejoiced. Though all things are like a dream lacking inherent existence, I sincerely rejoice in the bliss and joy of all aryas and ordinary beings, and in every way virtue that has ever arisen. Rejoicing in one’s own merit, one’s own past, present, future merit, which is a source of every happiness and all the realizations up to enlightenment. How wonderful, how precious. How happy I am.
How wonderful. How precious. Rejoice in the merit of the sentient beings. Rejoicing in all their numberless past, present, and future virtues, merit of all the numberless sentient beings. How wonderful, how precious.
This is the source of all the happiness and realization for others. How wonderful and how precious. Feel in your heart over and over again how precious every single virtue that others create is. Rejoice in the virtues of bodhisattvas, all the numberless bodhisattvas, all the merit they created in the past, each one of them, all the merit they’re creating now, inconceivable merit, all the merit they will create in the future. How wonderful, how precious.
Rejoicing in all the merit accumulated by the Buddhas, numberless Buddhas, numberless Buddhas past, present, future. How wonderful, how precious. All the extensive activities for sentient beings. How wonderful, how precious. All the inconceivable qualities of the Buddhas.
How precious. How wonderful. May I become like this, able to do extensive work for all sentient beings. Page fifty one. Please let fall a rain of profound and extensive Dharma from a hundred thousand billowing clouds of perfect wisdom and compassion to nurture, sustain, and propagate a garden of kunda flowers for the benefit and bliss of all limitless beings.
Though your vajra body is subject to neither birth nor death, but is a vessel of the mighty king of unification, please abide forever according to our wishes, not passing beyond sorrow until saṃsāra ends. I dedicate the mass of white virtues I’ve created so that I may be inseparably cared for in all my lives by perfect pure gurus who are kind in three ways and so attain the unified state of Vajradhāra. Long mandala. Blessing and increasing the mental offering, may human and divine offerings, actually arranged and mentally created clouds, finest scented water offerings, fill the entire space. By the power of truth, the Three Jewels, blessings of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Power of the great mind that completed the two collections, the completely pure inconceivable sphere of reality, may all these offerings become just so. Special request. I prostrate and go for refuge to gurus and the three precious gems. Please bless my mind. I’m requesting you to immediately purify all wrong conceptions from incorrect devotion to the guru up to the 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 the minds of all mother sentient beings. I’m requesting you to pacify all outer and inner obstacles to actualize 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 the guru and the three precious gems. Please bless my mind. I’m requesting you to immediately purify all wrong conceptions from incorrect devotion to the guru up to the 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 in the minds of all mother sentient beings. I’m requesting you to pacify all obstacles to actualize 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 the guru and the three precious gems. Please bless my mind. I’m requesting you to immediately purify all wrong conceptions from incorrect devotion to the guru up to the 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 in the minds of all mother sentient beings. I’m requesting you to pacify all obstacles to actualize the entire graduated path to enlightenment in my mind and 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. Lobsang Drakpa, crown jewel of sages of the land of snow. To you, Tsongkhapa, embodiment of the three refuges. I make request 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. 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. Lobsang Drakpa, crown jewel of sages in the land of snow. To you, Tsongkhapa, embodiment of the three refuges. I make a request 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. 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. Lobsang Drakpa, crown jewel of sages of the land of snow. To you, Tsongkhapa, embodiment of the three refuges. I make a request 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 are emitted from 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 the advice, disturbing the guru’s holy mind, generating undevotional thoughts, criticizing without devotion, giving up the guru as a foe. 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 the nature of light, calm and clear.
My life, fortune, and all my qualities of understanding and 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 the protection and guidance of the virtuous friend. Page sixty nine, Making Request to the Guru by Remembering the Qualities. So we pause after verse four, five, and six to think of the meaning of the verse.
Source of virtue, great ocean of moral discipline, treasury brimming with jewels of much hearing, master second Buddha, clad in saffron, elder Vinaya 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 pretense or guile. Your three doors are well subdued.
You have both scriptural qualities, both explanation and debate, and are skilled in drawing disciples and explaining. Foremost Vajradhāra, I make request to you. To those untamed by countless past Buddhas, the unruly migrators of this degenerate age, who are difficult to subdue, you show unmistakenly 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 request to you. Even one of your pores is for us a field of merit more highly praised than all the conquerors of three times and ten directions. Compassionate refuge savior, I make request to you. Adorned with the sugatas three bodies, you manifest an illusory body of skillful means in ordinary form to lead all beings, compassionate refuge savior, I make request to you. Your aggregates, elements, sense bases, and limbs are in nature the sugatas and consorts of five families, bodhisattvas and wrathful protectors, supreme guru, essence of the Three Jewels, I make a 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 and at rest, the nature of all things free from beginning or end. Samantabhādra, actual ultimate bodhicitta, I make request to you. You are my guru. You are my yidam.
You are the dakinis and Dharma protectors. From now until enlightenment, I shall seek no other refuge than you. In this life, the bardo and all future lives, hold me with your hook of compassion. Free me from saṃsāra and nirvana’s fears.
Grant all attainments. Be my constant friend and guard me from interferences. You are my guru. You are my yidam. You are the dakinis and Dharma protectors.
From now until enlightenment, I shall seek no other refuge than you. In this life, the bardo and all future lives, hold me with your hook of compassion. Free me from saṃsāra and nirvana’s fears. Grant all attainments. Be my constant friend, and guard me from interferences.
Through the power of having made offerings and special requests to you, holy incomparable guru, supreme field of merit, I seek your blessings, save us, and root guru. By being blessed, that I may come under your joyful care. I’m requesting the kind Lord, root guru, who is more extraordinary than all Buddhas. Please bless me to be able to devote myself to a qualified guru with great respect in all my future lifetimes. By realizing and correctly devoting myself to 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 the qualified 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. Think I will give up my independence and submit to the Guru’s will. I will only do what pleases the Guru and avoid what displeases him. Even when maras, evil friends and the like try to split me from the guru, may I be like a vajra inseparable forever. Think, I will make my mind close and stable, not to be separated from the guru by anything.
Even when the guru gives me work, whatever the burden, may I be like the earth carrying all. Think I will support all my guru’s activities without ever being discouraged. When I devote myself to the guru, whatever suffering occurs, may I be like a mountain immovable. Think, I will not let my mind be disturbed by suffering when working for the guru. Even if I have to perform all the difficult tasks, may I be like a servant of the king with an undisturbed mind.
Think I will be very, very humble when serving the guru like a slave. May I abandon pride, holding myself close to the guru. May I be like a sweeper. Think, I will always avoid any feelings of pride or feelings of being superior in any way. While in the presence of my guru, I will always view him as superior. May I be like a rope joyfully holding the guru’s work, no matter how difficult or heavy a burden.
Think, I will take on even the heaviest burdens for my guru with happiness and joy in my mind. Even when the guru criticizes, provokes, or ignores me, may I be like a dog without anger, never responding with anger. Think whatever action is shown by the guru, I will always regard as perfect. I will regard all scolding as clearing obstacles. I will never find fault in the presence of my guru.
May I be like a ferryboat, never upset at any time to come and go for the guru. Think, I will not be discouraged no matter how many times I have to do things 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. So maybe we’ll finish.
Maybe. And maybe we go into precious human rebirth. Stop at Guru devotion. Stop at Guru devotion. Oh, when’s the lunch time?
Well, we can go on for another twenty minutes. We have to do dedication prayers and prepare the food. We’ve got another twenty five minutes. With was a it’s not lunchtime. You can have a few stanzas.
You can start there. Okay. So we’ll carry on. Realizing. So all these verses in the nature of request to the guru, to receive the blessings in one’s heart, oneself and all sentient beings. Realizing how this body of liberties and endowments is found but once, is difficult to obtain, is easily lost.
I seek your blessings to partake of its essence, make it worthwhile, and not be distracted by the meaningless affairs of this life. 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 wrong, misdeeds and accumulating virtuous deeds. Violently tossed amidst waves of delusion and karma, plagued by the horrors of the three kinds of suffering, I seek your blessings to develop an intense longing to be free from this monstrous ocean of boundless vicious existence. Having abandoned the mind that views this unbearable prison of cyclic existence as a pleasure grove, I seek your blessings to partake of the treasure of aryas’ three 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 raised me in kindness again and again, I seek your blessings to develop an authentic compassion like that of a loving mother for her precious child.
So we will meditate on bodhicitta using the sevenfold cause and effect instruction. So first of all, developing the mind of equanimity, equalizing friend, enemy, stranger. Realizing how these are impermanent, merely subjective, labeled by mind, constantly changing. Developing a mind of equal engagement towards friend, enemy, and stranger without the slightest discrimination. Think how so many times friends became enemies, enemies became friends, strangers became friends became enemies.
The whole thing completely nonsense, totally made up by the mind. Not the slightest reason to label and discriminate any sentient being. Remembering how throughout beginningless past lives, therefore, each and every single sentient being at some point has been our mother, and not just once but many times over. Our present mother has been our mother countless times. So too our father, friends, relatives, strangers, even our enemy has been our mother countless times.
Every single sentient being has been our mother countless times. See them this way. Remember the kindness of this present life mother who gave us this human body to practice Dharma. Protected our life from danger countless times each day. Showed us the ways of the world.
Bore so much suffering for us. In the same way, each and every sentient being in the past when they were our mother cared for us, cherished us, protected us, sacrificed themselves for us. Allowing this thought to change our view of sentient beings so we see them in beauty, see them with loving kindness, we see them as precious and dear. We feel close to them. We wish them to have happiness and take upon ourselves responsibility to bring them all happiness.
Feel this in the heart. Then think of all the numberless sufferings that sentient beings are undergoing right now. Countless beings experiencing unimaginable sufferings. Generate the mind of compassion. Thinking I myself will take total responsibility to free each and every one of these beings from suffering.
It is completely my responsibility and I will do this. Then realizing at the moment, not even able to free oneself from suffering. Who has the power to do this? Only Buddha. Therefore, I must achieve a state of full enlightenment in order to free each and every one of my karmic connection beings from suffering and place them in this state.
Here. Oral transmission to Guru Puja. So the purpose of the importance of taking oral transmission is that it is going to be a blessing. So this text is composed by the First Pänchen Lama. I don’t know which incarnation, whether it’s the second or third, I’m not sure. I don’t remember. The Lam Rim, the path to enlightenment, all those the root text and all the commentaries are incredibly beneficial to sentient beings.
Those secret guru practices that were developed by Naropa, Marpa, and all different traditions. All those beings who become enlightened, each became enlightened by doing this, by regarding guru practice as their heart practice, more than their life. So then from that they achieved enlightenment in a brief lifetime or this time. So the Pänchen Lama put together those oral transmissions, those particular oral practices, transference of consciousness, taking the transference of consciousness onto the path, and so forth. So many things called the Lam Rim integrated. So received the oral transmission from the Pänchen Lama.
So what they continued. And then also, there’s more power and benefit when we recite. By receiving lung, more power and benefit to the mind and also when we explain to others, by receiving oral transmission. And one advantage of receiving oral transmission of a text is this. What benefit?
Geshe-la here let me explain that. During the five paths to achieving enlightenment, path of merit, path of preparation, path of ārya or right-seeing. So I think during the path of preparation, heat, peak, patience, supreme dharma. So I think maybe during the supreme dharma. So once you achieve that path, then you remember all the teachings that you received, all the teaching that you heard in the past, everything you are able to remember at that time.
Do you remember that time? So at that time, you remember all the teaching that you heard before. So however many you heard, it all comes to your heart. Do you remember? So I guess maybe part of the qualities of that path, part of the attainments, part of the qualities at that time, I think. So one thing, that is beneficial at that time.
Also, those who basically receive oral transmission of the Ārya Sanghata Sūtra, it is mentioned that receiving lung and then reciting. Without receiving lung, if you recite, then a hundred times benefit. Receiving lung, if you read one time, you get the benefit of having recited one hundred times. Let’s see, even you read it once. Without receiving lung, you read it one hundred times, by receiving lung one time equals. So I’m not sure whether that’s the only true with the Ārya Sanghata Sūtra or other oral transmissions. Rinpoche mentioned that at that time, but whether it’s only to the Ārya Sanghata Sūtra or other oral transmissions, I think it does. However, it does make a huge difference, having lung or not having lung when you study, when you teach.
So usually, especially in Tibet, if there’s lung, that makes a great effect. Generally, when we take the lung oral transmission, it’s good to meditate that I’m not saying that I am Buddha, but it’s good to generally, when receiving teachings from the virtuous friend, it’s good to meditate that Buddha is giving me oral transmission or teaching. Whatever teaching. So all the Buddhas, all the deities, all the Buddhas giving teaching to me. In this aspect. So this way you feel connected to all the Buddhas and as I mentioned in the section of Guru devotion, that all the Buddhas are working even nowadays working for you.
So thinking this way, then it relates to those outlines of Guru devotion. And then the other one is to think that each word that I hear, because you listen with the motivation of bodhicitta, only for the benefit of numberless sentient beings. So every single sentient being, everything that happens, every single thing, every single animal, so however many beings, every single insect outside, inside or outside that you see. And then every single word that I listen to, the benefit I get is like limitless sky. Each word that I listen to, it ends the oceans of samsaric suffering.
Each word, what it does to me, it ends, it ceases. Eventually, it ceases, it helps to cease the oceans of saṃsāra, my oceans of samsaric sufferings and all the delusions, karma, and negative imprints. Each word, what it does to me, to my mental continuum, has this effect. It makes this kind of benefit. That also helps to cherish each word, how precious it is, and to not miss each word that you want.
Okay? Also pray that each word that I recite to other sentient beings, explain, may it cause the realization of the path to be actualized in their heart immediately, instantly, immediately, right in the moment. So dedicate like this when you normally listen to teachings. So then if we generate always the wish like this, it can have the power. So similar like Medicine Buddha, the power of Medicine Buddha’s name, mantra, because they generated a wish like that in the past.
It came from the mind power. Maybe stop there. And then dedication. May all beings without exception achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible through the connection of having received the oral transmission at this time today. So without needing to repeat everything in detail, as you already began that. So the food, all the food in the kitchen, purify. And also, for those who have received highest yoga tantra initiation, blessing in that way. And then those who haven’t received highest yoga tantra initiation, then you can visualize the container at your crown as an extensive jewel container, extensive, a beautiful jewel, an expansive jewel.
Then offer towards all the rest of the gurus in the merit field. Think this one is the essence of all the gurus. Make the offering to them all. Make charity to every hell being, every hungry ghost, every animal, every human being, every being, they’re all fully liberated from saṃsāra and its causes and problems. By actualizing the path, they all become enlightened. The members of the house and those who offered and the older students who benefited us and those in the organization doing service and in similar organizations and all the rest. And also those numberless beings who died for this food, suffered for this food, and who did the work in the evolution of this food.
And so on. So the next session is three o’clock. We’re all still in silence. And thank you very much because everyone is really putting effort to keep the silence, and it’s very nice. So at one thirty Venerable Tenzin, he didn’t finish going through the Guru Puja, so he’s going to continue at one thirty. We’re also still planning to schedule Venerable Thubten Chodron will be demonstrating how to use the vajra and bell, but that might happen tomorrow. So three o’clock next session. Thanks, everyone.
Don’t you want to do karma yoga? Look, there are still a few little things we’ve got to sort out with karma yoga. Because we’ve changed the system, it’s put some confusion in because there are now not coordinators to clarify for people how to do the work. Every day, you might be doing something different. The ones which we’ve particularly picked up problems on is the environment group, which people have started putting their names on, so thank you very much.
But the question is what do you do when you’re in the environment group? Now there’s still the list on the wall, but what it means is I think that people doing the environment group really need to meet together to apportion out the tasks because they’re spread over the whole property. So what maybe we could say, at one o’clock, the environment people who are doing the environment group for the day just meet together and just allocate the tasks. So see if that works out. The other one is still with the ablution blocks, which appear not to have been cleaned for a couple of days.
Well, the organizing committee did it this morning, but we’d like to pass that on. And I know people are doing bits along the way as well. They get dirty very quickly. And so we just need to watch those because we do want them to be really very nice. Transport.
A question. Viola is doing runs to the airport when there’s sufficient people or when she can do it. But people are saying, how do I contact Viola? Is Viola here right now? She’s actually not a retreatant. She’s coming in from outside to do this and to put flowers and all sorts of things, doing some lovely things for us. Communicate with Viola via the board, but if it’s getting too close to the time and you still haven’t had a message back from her or seen the communication, then come and see me, and I can perhaps tell you what’s going on if I know, or we can ring Viola and check it out. Last one, there are two people who have lost pictures of the Buddha from the back table over here. Now, just on the off chance that they haven’t manifested as millipedes and they’re now in Rinpoche’s house, could the people who have moved them perhaps put them back there? Because they are special to the people who have lost them.
And I think that’s all. Thank you.