Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 122-minute talk from a Mahāmudrā retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche leads practitioners through guru yoga, the foundational practice of developing devotion to one’s teacher. He emphasizes its absolute primacy on the path through visualization of the merit field, elaborate offerings to gurus and Buddhist holy objects worldwide, bodhisattva and tantric vow-taking, and confession of guru samaya violations. Rinpoche pauses for sustained meditation on guru devotion, quoting Buddhist masters extensively to show that correct reliance on the guru equals all other path practices in weight combined, and that even a moment of pure devotion surpasses aeons of other virtues. He follows with guided practices in compassion, tonglen (giving and taking), and merit dedication. Pitched at serious tantric practitioners with prior initiation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 37 2004 04 19 MR.mp3
UUID: 1c0bce6b-d127-411f-83ee-2bc472c77d26
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-19
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 122.3 minutes
Words: ~7,132
Page twenty seven. Page twenty seven. Begin by doing a nine round breathing. So remember the merit field, visualize in front. On the lion throne.
In the center of a wish granting tree, an ocean of milk. On either side, the lineage lamas. In front, one’s own direct gurus. And then going down below, the four classes of tantra, deities, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, dakas and dakinis, dharmapālas. And on the outside, the four guardians with their entourage.
Focusing on the gurus with the awareness that they are all the Buddhas, the absolute guru, the dharmakaya holy mind of all the buddhas manifests as each one of these figures in the merit field. All the field are the guru. The guru is every one of the merit field. Even every pore of each merit field is a merit field, is all the gurus. This whole manifestation is inseparable from one’s root guru.
With unimaginable infinite bodies, vast, huge in size, immense prostrations and praises covering every atom of the earth. Your compassion grants even a sea of great bliss. Supreme state of three kayas in an instant. Guru with a jewel like body, vidyadhara holder. I prostrate at your lotus feet.
You, the wisdom knowledge of all infinite conquerors, appearing in any way that subdues. The supreme skillful means, you manifest as a saffron robed monk. Holy refuge savior, I prostrate at your feet. You eliminate all thoughts and their instincts and are a treasury of infinite precious qualities, sole source of benefit and bliss without exception. Perfect pure guru, I prostrate at your feet.
Teacher of gods and humans, nature of all Buddhas, the source of eighty four thousand pure dharmas, you tower above the whole host of aryas. Kind guru, I prostrate to you. To Gurus dwelling in the three times and ten directions, the three jewels, most worthy of homage. With faith, conviction, and most ordinary praise, I prostrate manifesting as many bodies as atoms in the world. At any rate, I must achieve the 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 the practice of making extensive offerings to the merit field. Blessing all the offerings around here, blessing all the offerings around, remembering, just remember, blessing all the offerings around In all the FPMT centers, Mongolia, Kopan, Lawudo, Maitreya Buddha, and Taiwan, all the various other centers, all the students’ houses, also Rinpoche’s houses in Aptos, California, Rinpoche’s house in Washington, Seattle. All the numberless bowls, saffron water, all the numberless lights, Christmas lights, all the numberless food offerings, all the numberless tea offerings, all the numberless flowers, incense, music and so forth. Bringing these to mind and also visualizing infinite more offerings.
May human and divine offerings actually arranged and mentally created clouds, finest samaya offerings fill the entire space. By the power of truth, Three Jewels, blessed and sworn Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. By the power of the great mind, the complete two collections. Completely pure and inconceivable sphere of reality, may all these offerings become just so. Making charity, all the offerings, all sentient beings need merit.
And then charity, all these offerings, every single hell being, every single hungry ghost, every single animal, every single human, every single sura being, every single intermediate state being, think now I’m going to offer along with all these beings. Putting the palms together at the heart and prostrating, offering all these offerings which are in the nature of infinite bliss to all our gurus generating greatest bliss in their holy minds. Prostrating offering, generating bliss over and over again. Prostrating, making all the offerings which are in nature infinite bliss, to all the Guru Puja merit field, seen as embodying all Buddha, Dharma, Sangha of all three times, ten directions, generating infinite bliss in their holy minds over and over. Prostrating, making all the offerings which are nature infinite bliss.
To the eight Medicine Buddhas for all one’s prayers to be fulfilled. Thousand arm Chenrezig in order to quickly generate great compassion, take full responsibility to free sentient beings. And Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha in order to do extensive work for sentient beings, seeing all these as manifestations of one’s own root guru from their own side, generating infinite bliss in their holy mind. Prostrating, making all the offerings which are in the nature of infinite bliss, to all the holy objects in India, especially the precious stupa where Buddha showed the activity of achieving enlightenment in Bodhgaya. Seeing all these holy objects, all the relics and all the gurus in India as one’s own virtuous friend from their own side, generating infinite bliss in their holy mind over and over.
Prostrating, making all the offerings set out here, all the offerings set out in all the FPMT centers, rooms, houses, rooms, so forth, to all the holy objects in Tibet, and especially the precious statue of the Buddha, blessed by Buddha himself in the Jokhang and Ramoche. By making these offerings, generating infinite bliss in the holy minds of the virtuous friend over and over. Prostrating, making all these offerings, set out, all the offerings in all the various centers, Rinpoche’s houses and so on, to all the holy objects in Nepal, especially the precious tooth relic. Seeing all these holy objects or the relics and gurus inseparable from one’s own virtuous friend from their own side, generating infinite bliss in their holy mind. Prostrating, making all these offerings which are in the nature of infinite bliss, to all the holy objects in this world and this universe.
Remembering all the various Buddhist countries, thinking every single statue, every single stupa, every single relic, every single holy object, including prayer wheels, and so forth, in reality, manifestations of one’s own root virtuous friend from their own side, generating infinite bliss in their holy mind over and over. From these offerings emanating out many more from one’s heart, numberless numberless are the sixteen offering goddesses come and present the offerings to the merit field, generating infinite bliss in their holy mind. By the merit of having offered this mandala to merit field, may I and all sentient beings be able to meet the purest teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa, which contain the biographies of those eminent ones who live in pure morality, have the brave attitude following extensive bodhisattva 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, the unification of Sūtra and Tantra right this second.
The purpose of my life is to free all sentient beings in the oceans of samsaric suffering, lead them to the state of perfect bliss. In order to do this no matter what other realizations I’ve generated in my mind, it will not lead to enlightenment unless I’m living, I’m taking and abiding in pure bodhisattva vows. Therefore, I’m going to take these bodhisattva vows in the presence of the merit field. I go for refuge to the Three Jewels. I confess individually my negativities. I rejoice in the merit of migrating beings, take hold in my mind by the state of the Buddha.
I go for refuge until enlightened to 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 dwell in supreme enlightened motive. Toward all sentient beings, my invited guests, I should act in supreme enlightened conduct. May I become a Buddha to benefit all.
I go for refuge to the Three Jewels, confess individually all my negativities, rejoice in the merit of migrating beings, take hold in my mind for the state of the Buddha. I go for refuge until I’m enlightened to 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 dwell in supreme enlightened motive. Toward all sentient beings, my invited guests, I should act in supreme enlightened conduct. May I become a Buddha to benefit all.
I go for refuge to the Three Jewels, confess individually all my negativities, rejoice in the merit of migrating beings, take hold in my mind for the state of a Buddha. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to 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 dwell in supreme enlightened motive. Toward all sentient beings, my invited guests, I should act in supreme enlightened conduct. May I become a Buddha to benefit all.
Think, I have received pure Bodhisattva vows. What has been degenerated is made pure. What has not been degenerated is increased. Then for those who’ve taken tantric vows, even if I practice Bodhisattva mind Pāramitāyāna path, it takes three countless great aeons to achieve enlightenment. For myself no matter how long it takes, no matter how difficult it is, it doesn’t matter. But for that amount of time, sentient beings with whom I have connection, who depend upon me to free them from the oceans of suffering, they have to suffer so much. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible for their sake. Therefore, I’m going to engage in the practice of tantra and take and keep these tantric vows.
All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, please listen to me. I Vajradhāra from now until I reach the essence of Buddhahood, should generate the sacred precious bodhicitta, just as all Buddhas of the three times ensured themselves awakening by generating it. Now I shall uphold the vows of the Buddha family to rely on the precious Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, and the three disciplines, refraining from improper behavior, gathering virtuous Dharma, and benefiting sentient beings. I pledge to uphold the vajra family, the great vajra family to honor my teachers. And I pledge to practice the four types of giving six times each day, keeping in mind that life equipment is the great ratna family.
For the great padma family, I pledge to uphold and realize the holy dharmas that arose from the great enlightenment, those the outer secret and three vehicles. For the great karma family, I pledge to uphold all vows well and to make as many offerings as possible. I shall generate the vows of Bodhisattva for the sake of all, and uphold all samāyas without exception. I should deliver those not delivered. Liberate those not liberated. Give breath to those unable to breathe and place all beings in the state beyond sorrow.
Buddhas and bodhisattvas, please listen to me. I Vajradhāra from now until I reach the essence of Buddhahood, should generate the sacred precious bodhicitta as all Buddhas of the three times ensured themselves awakening by generating it. Now, I shall hold all general and specific tantric vows and commitments of the five families without exception. I should deliver those not delivered, liberate those not liberated, give breath to those unable to breathe and place all beings in the state beyond sorrow.
All Buddhas and bodhisattvas, please listen to me. I Vajradhāra from now until I reach the essence of Buddhahood, should generate the sacred bodhicitta, just as all Buddhas of the three times, ensured themselves awakening by generating it. Now I shall uphold all general and specific tantric vows and commitments of the five families without exception. I should deliver those not delivered, liberate those not liberated, give breath to those unable to breathe, and place all beings in a state beyond sorrow. Think, I have received pure tantric vows in the presence of the merit field. What is being degenerated is restored, what is not being degenerated is enhanced and increased. Feel great joy.
What causes me to have so many obstacles in my practice even though I work so hard, study so much? Why I have not yet gained even the slightest realization in my mind even after so many years. It’s due to all the heaviest negative obscurations that I’ve created in relationship to the holy virtuous friend. Therefore, I must purify myself of all these immediately without even a second’s delay. Therefore, I need to rely upon the guru manifested in the aspect of Samayavajra.
OM AH SAMAYA HO. May all your negative karma, obscurations, and degenerated samayas be completely purified. Due to this virtue, may I and all sentient beings be guided by the Guru Deity from now until the night we achieve enlightenment. 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 have done throughout beginningless time, caused others to do, or in which I 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 virtue that has ever arisen. Extensive rejoicing practice. First of all, rejoicing one’s own merit, one’s own three time merit. How wonderful, how precious.
Rejoicing in the merit of all sentient beings, all their past, present, and future merit, all the numberless sentient beings, past, present, and future merit, how wonderful it is. Generating that thought over and over again like an electricity generator. Rejoicing in the merit of all the numberless bodhisattvas. All their past merit, all their present merit, all their future merit. Remembering that if one doesn’t rejoice, it takes three countless great aeons to create the amount of merit that one bodhisattva accumulates in just one day. By rejoicing in all the numberless bodhisattvas, past, present, and future merit over and over again, create skies of merit. How wonderful it is. May I become like this. May I become like these great bodhisattvas.
Rejoicing in all the merit of Buddhas, numberless Buddhas, all their three time merit, how wonderful it is. Guru Śākyamūni Buddha, his lifestyle, he sacrificed for three countless great aeons, sacrificed to achieve enlightenment for us sentient beings, then revealed eighty four thousand teachings. Nāgārjuna’s life story, qualities, Lama Tsongkhapa, extensive activities for others, all the qualities. All the Dalai Lamas, all fourteen Dalai Lamas, Pänchen Lamas, Karmapas, Milarepa. How wonderful it is. How wonderful, how precious, how wonderful. All these qualities, all these extensive activities for others, may I become like this. And by rejoicing creates a cause to achieve the same realization and to be able to do the same activity for others in the future.
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 white lotuses for the benefit and bliss of all limitless beings. Though your holy 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 thus 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 Lama Lobsang Dorje Chang.
OM MANI PADME HUM. I prostrate and go for refuge to the guru and the three precious gems. Please bless my mind. I’m requesting you to immediately pacify all the 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 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 the guru and the three precious gems. Please bless my mind. I’m requesting you to immediately pacify all the wrong conceptions from incorrect devotion to 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 actualizing the entire graduated path to enlightenment in my mind and 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 pacify all the wrong conceptions from incorrect devotion to 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 actualizing the entire graduated path to enlightenment in my mind and the minds of all mother sentient beings.
Then all the remaining gurus. So all these clearly visualized in the merit field in front of Lama Lobsang Dorje Chang around one through to Guru Śākyamūni Buddha. All one’s Gurus, all those one’s made Dharma contact with without missing even one. Please bless me to become quickly like you. Requesting the guru.
I request the precious guru who encompasses all objects of refuge, the past, present, and future. Please bless my mental continuum. I request the precious guru who encompasses all objects of refuge, the past, present, and future. Please bless my mental continuum. I request the precious guru who encompasses all objects of refuge, the past, present, and future. Please bless my mental continuum.
Five colored nectar beams flow forth 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 the degenerated samayas created in relationship to the holy virtuous friend, such as giving harm to the holy body, breaking the advice, disturbing the holy mind, generating undevotion thoughts, criticizing, giving up the guru, and so forth. From each pore of my body, the sense organs and pores is dispelled in the form of liquid smoke or black soot. They are completely purified. My body becomes the nature of light, clean 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 now come under the protection of the virtuous friend. Making request to the guru, page sixty nine, by remembering the qualities. Source of virtue, great ocean of moral discipline, treasury brimming with jewels of much learning, master, second Buddha, glorious Saffron, elder, vajra holder, I make request to you. You have the ten qualities suitable for one to teach the path of those goddess.
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 perfected the ten qualities, know tantric 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 in 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 a request to you.
Even one of your hair pores is for us a field of merit more highly praised than all the conquerors of three times in ten directions. Compassionate refuge savior, I make a request to you. Adored with the Sugatas’ three bodies, you manifest in alluring ordinary form as a 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 Buddhas and consorts of five families, bodhisattvas and wrathful protectors.
Supreme guru, essence of the 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 treasure 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 a request to you.
The instruction is you’re going to do the chanting, then the long one you do first. What about the two short ones? Through the power of having made offerings and respectful requests to you, holy and pure gurus, supreme field of merit, I seek your blessing, saviors and root of all being and bliss, that I may come under your joyful care. And so just pause here just to do short meditation on guru devotion. Remember the benefits. Even if one’s memorized entire sūtra and tantra, every single teaching like a library. Even if one can explain everything. But without devotion, there is not the root of the path in one’s heart. Nothing changes. The mind remains the same. It cannot generate even a single realization.
Remember this quotation, even if disciples are foolish like a pig or a dog. But if they have devotion in the mind, no difficulty to become like Mañjuśrī, having all the wisdom of Mañjuśrī. Remember the quote from Kyabje Chöden Rinpoche that when you look at the entire path to enlightenment, correctly relying upon the virtuous friend, and then having correctly relied upon the virtuous friend, how to train the mind in the stages of the path, these two are of equal weight. Equal weight. Developing devotion to the guru, correctly devoting to the guru, and all the rest of the entire path to enlightenment are of equal weight.
Just as an animal that carries two loads balanced, balanced them of equal weight on the back. Similarly, these two are of equal weight. Kyabje Dorje Chang says relying on the guru gathers all the intentions of all the Buddhas. Pabongka Rinpoche says, there is no greater practice than obeying one’s guru. Khachen Yeshe Gyaltsen says, what pleases most the holy mind of the holy virtuous friend is the quickest way to enlightenment and the quickest way to enlighten all sentient beings.
Vajradhāra says, anything that pleases the guru, do it. Anything that displeases, abandon it. Sakya Pandita says, the merit accumulated by giving away one’s body and limbs over countless aeons can be achieved through one moment of pure devotion to the guru. Pabongka Dorje Chang says, when you think of the guru’s work as a burden, it is difficult. But if you think of it as an ornament, it becomes joyful.
Khyabje Serkong Dorjechang says, each advice is like a wish granting jewel. Then we’ll do the practicing guru devotion, page seventy six. I’m requesting the kind Lord, Lord 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 correctly devoting myself to the kind Lord Guru, who is the foundation of all good qualities, is the root of happiness and goodness, I should 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. Even when Mara’s evil friends and the like try to split me from the guru, may I be like vajra, inseparable forever? When the guru gives me work, 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 all the unpleasant tasks, may I be like a servant of 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 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 various means for abandoning what is bound to cause misfortune and accumulating virtuous deeds. Violently tossed by the waves of delusion and karma, played by the hordes of three kinds of suffering. I seek her blessings to develop 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 the treasure of Aryas’ jewels by practicing the three high 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 her blessings to develop an authentic compassion like that of a loving mother for her precious child. Developing equanimity.
Seeing friends, enemies, strangers the same. Recognizing how since there’s no beginning, this and past lives, therefore, all sentient beings have been my mother. Remembering the kindness of the mother. Wishing to repay the kindness. Seeing all sentient beings equally. Generating great compassion. The extraordinary attitude. Arising the mind of bodhicitta.
There is no difference between myself and others. None of us wishes even the slightest suffering or is ever content with the happiness we have. Realizing this, I seek your blessings that I may enhance within me this joy of others. This chronic disease of cherishing myself is the cause giving rise to unwanted suffering. Perceiving this, I seek your blessings to blame, begrudge, and destroy the monstrous demon of selfishness.
The mind that cherishes all mother beings which you commend as blessed is the gateway leading to infinite virtue. Seeing this, I seek your blessing 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. From the mind, I understand the distinction between the failings of one and the advantage of the other. I seek your blessings to enable me to equalize and exchange myself with others.
Since cherishing myself is the door to all torment, while cherishing my mothers is the foundation of all that is good, I seek her blessings to make my core practice the yoga of exchanging self for others. Determined to obtain the greatest possible benefit from all sentient beings who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel. I shall hold them most dear at all times. When in the company of others, I should always consider myself the lowest of all, from the depths of my heart hold others dear and supreme.
Vigilant, the moment a delusion appears in my mind. Endangering myself and others, I should 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 found a precious treasure. When out of envy others mistreat me with abuse and slander alike, I should 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 should regard that person as my holy guru. Serkong Rinpoche said yesterday, even if someone does great harm to you, that person should be cherished most. In short, both directly and indirectly, may I offer all the happiness and benefit to all my mothers, I shall secretly take upon myself all the harmful actions and suffering.
Undefiled by the stains of superstitions of the eight worldly concerns, may I, by perceiving all phenomena as illusory, be released from the bondage of attachment. Page eighty seven. And thus, venerable, compassionate gurus, I seek your blessings that all karma, delusion, obstacles, and sufferings from other beings. May without exception ripen upon me right now, and that I may give my happiness and virtue to others, and thereby invest all beings in bliss.
And thus, venerable, compassionate Gurus, I seek your blessings that all karma, delusion, obstacles, and sufferings from other beings. May without exception ripen upon me right now, and that I may give my happiness and virtue to others, and thereby invest all beings in bliss. And thus venerable, compassionate gurus. I seek her blessings that all karma, delusion, obstacles, and sufferings from other beings. May without exception ripen upon me right now, that I may give my happiness and virtue to others, and thereby invest all beings in bliss.
Should even the environment and beings therein be filled with the fruits of their negative actions and unwished for sufferings pour down on me like rain, I seek your blessing to take these miserable conditions as a path by seeing them as a cause to exhaust the results of my negative karma. In short, no matter what appearances arise, be they good or bad, I seek your blessings to transform them to a path of enhancing the two bodhicittas through the practice of the five forces, the condensed essence of all the Dharma, and thus to enjoy a blissful mind.
Whatever occasion I may meet, I seek your blessings that I may adapt it to my meditation by the skillful means of four applications. May I render this life of liberties and endowment supremely meaningful by practicing the advice on the Kadampa training. In order to rescue all beings from the oceans of existence, I seek your blessings to become adept in bodhicitta through the pure selfless wish, as well as by love and compassion conjoined with a ritual technique of mounting giving and taking upon the breath.
I seek your blessings that I may eagerly endeavor to put into practice the three Mahāyāna moral codes, and to restrain my mind stream with pure bodhisattva vows, the single path journeyed by all victorious ones of the three times. I seek your blessings to complete perfection of generosity through the guideline of the teaching, enhancing the mind that gives without attachment. Namely transforming my body, wealth, and collection of virtues of the three times into the objects desire for each and every sentient being.
I seek your blessing to complete perfection of moral discipline, working for the sake of sentient beings and acting in virtuous deeds, and not transgressing the bounds of prātimokṣa, bodhicitta, and tantric vows, even at cost to my life. Should even the myriad beings of three realms without exception become angry at me, humiliate, criticize, threaten, or even kill me, I seek your blessings to complete perfection of patience, not to be distraught, but to work for their benefit in response to their harm.
Even if I must remain for an ocean of aeons in the fires of hell, for the sake of even just one sentient being, I seek your blessings to complete perfection of joyous effort, striving for supreme enlightenment, and not be discouraged. Having abandoned flawed concentration, mental agitation, I seek your blessings to complete perfection of meditative concentration, abiding in single pointed placement upon the nature of reality, which is that all things avoid true existence.
I seek your blessing to complete perfection of wisdom through a space like yoga of single-minded placement upon ultimate truth, conjoined with the tranquility and great bliss induced by discriminating wisdom analyzing suchness. I seek your blessing to perfect the samādhi of illusion by realizing all outer and inner phenomena lack true existence but still appear, like a mirage, a dream, or the moon’s image on a still lake. Samsāra and nirvana, lacking even an atom of true existence, will still cause an effect in a dependently arising and infallible. I seek your blessing to ascertain the import of Nāgārjuna’s thought that these two are complementary and not contradictory.
And thereupon, I seek your blessing that I may cross the ocean of tantra by the kindness of my navigator, Vajradhāra. By holding my vows and words of honor, the roots of powerful attainments, more dear than my life. I seek your blessing to cleanse all stains from this body by appearance and grasping. Through the first stage yoga of transforming birth, death, and the bardo into three bodies of Buddha, so whatever appears may arise as deity.
I seek your blessings that in this life the path of unity, of clear light and illusory body may arise from placing my mind by the force of the eight signs at the indestructible drop at the very center of my central channel. Should I not have completed the points of the path by the time of death, I seek your blessings that I be led to a pure land, either through the instructions applying the five forces, or by the forceful means of the enlightened guru’s transference of mind.
In short, I seek your blessings, my savior, to be my guide you, my births and remmitings throughout all my lives, and thus to become a chief disciple holding every secret of your body, speech, and mind. Savior, please grant all of your auspicious to me to be foremost among your very first circle of disciples wherever you manifest Buddhahood. So that all my temporal and ultimate wishes without exception may be effortlessly and spontaneously fulfilled. Dissolving the merit field.
Having thus been entreated. Page ninety seven. Having thus been entreated, supreme gurus, pray grant this request so that you may bless me. Happily alight on the crown of my head. And once again, sit with your radiant feet firmly at the core of my lotus heart. Whatever my virtues and has created, dedicate discourse, enabling me to uphold the Dharma scriptures and insights, fulfilling the exception with aspiration, deeds of all the Buddha’s bodhisattvas of three times.
Due to all the virtuous dharmas I’ve created by myself and all Buddhas, bodhisattvas, may all sentient beings. May I myself, the family members, all the members of the organization, never be parted in our lives from the inner four spheres. May we reach the end of our journey along the paths of renunciation, bodhicitta, pure view and the two stages. Through the excellence of whatever virtues arise from saṃsāra and nirvana.
May all be auspicious for me to be free here and now from all misfortune and hardship, and thus to enjoy a glorious and celestial treasure of Dharma, altar purity, goodness. May all be auspicious for the Buddha’s teachings to endure long. Through the thousands of Dharma, Omniscient Lobsang Dragpa, by being filled with a host of renunciates, yogis, yoginis, striving single pointedly to master the speech and your sermons.
Having requested your blessings Lobsang Dragpa, from the time of your youth made request to supreme guru deity, May all be auspicious for you, Lobsang Dragpa, spontaneously about the wishes of others. May all be auspicious for all my desires and dharma to swell like a lake in the summer rain, bringing an unbroken flow of rebirths in leisurely found families that I may pass my days and nights with your holy dharma, of Lobsang Dragpa, and under the life goddess’s protection.
So we finished Guru Puja practice. I thought it might be quite good to finish it because this afternoon we have the meeting with Rinpoche. So then, we never know what will happen. Dedication prayers. Through the masses of three times, created by me, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings. May bodhicitta cherishing others, letting go of oneself, letting go of the I. Which is the source for all the happiness and success of myself and all other sentient beings, be generated within my own mind and the mind of all sentient beings without even a second’s delay. May that which has already been generated increase.
Through the merit of three times, created by me, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings. May all the father, mother sentient beings have happiness. May the three lower realms be empty forever. May all bodhisattvas’ prayers succeed immediately. May I be able to cause all this to happen by myself alone?
Through the mercy of three times, created by me, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, all other sentient beings. May His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Buddha of compassion, all other holy beings, all our virtuous friends have stable lives, and may all their holy wishes succeed immediately. Through the merit of three times, created by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, all other sentient beings. May I be able to offer skies of benefit to all sentient beings as Lama Tsongkhapa did, by having within me the same qualities that Lama Tsongkhapa had from now on in all my future lifetimes.
Through the merit of three times, created by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings, which are totally non existent from their own side. May the I, which is also totally non existent from its own side, achieve Guru Śākyamūni Buddha’s enlightenment, which is also totally non existent from its own side. Lead all sentient beings who are totally non existent from their own side, to that enlightenment which is totally nonexistent from its own side, by myself alone who is also totally nonexistent from its own side.
Dedicate all my merit in a way greatly admired by Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the three times, and realized by Samantabhādra and Mañjuśrī. May I be able to clarify the actual eyes of Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching which unifies Sūtra and Tantra within my mind and spread these teachings to the mind of all sentient beings. Thus, may Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings flourish forever.
Due to merits of three times created by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, all other sentient beings, may I, the members of my family, all students and benefactors of this organization, and all the rest of sentient beings, be only with perfectly qualified Mahāyāna Gurus in all our future lifetimes. From our side, may we see them only as enlightened beings. May we do only actions most pleasing to the holy minds of the virtuous friends. May we be able to fulfill their holy wishes immediately.
The purpose of my life, which has no happiness itself, is only to feel all mother sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering. Therefore, I’m going to make this food offering and make charity to sentient beings. Especially I’m going to make charity of this food to all sentient beings in my body so through this connection I may be able to teach Dharma to them in the future. Purifying the food in the kitchen, all the food into emptiness. Then generating, blessing the food in the form of the mandala and deity.
Arise in mandala and deity blessing the food. Palms together, prostrations, offering numberless oceans of food to the Guru Puja merit field. With awareness, every single merit field is the root virtuous friend. Even each pore of all the gurus is all the merit field. By making the offering, generate infinite bliss in them.
Make charity to every hell being, every hungry ghost, every animal, every human being, every sura being, every asura being, every intermediate state being. They’re all fully satisfied, liberated from all suffering and its causes, actualize the path. They all become enlightened in the form of the deity that one practices. By this offering generated so many times, immeasurable merit. Due to all these merits, may I, my family members, all the organizers of the course, members of Buddha House, everyone who’s offering service, all the students and benefactors of the organization, all those who sacrificed their life to benefit the organization, and all other sentient beings, especially those who died for this food, who suffered to provide this food, who worked for this food, who created negative karma for this food, everyone involved in the evolution of this food, including the benefactors.
May all of us sentient beings in all future lifetimes never separate, never separate away from the Triple Gem. Always collect merit by making offerings to the Triple Gem. And receive all the realizations of the path from guru devotion until union of clear light without delay even one second. Due to all past, present, future merits, created by myself and all sentient beings which are completely empty. With the I which is empty, achieve enlightenment which is empty. And lead all sentient beings who are empty. To that state by myself alone who is empty.
Gurus assembled, mandala deities. To you, we offer these desired enjoyments of this circle of magnificence. These take by being pleased and satisfied with the nectar of uncontaminated bliss, grant us the holy body, speech and minds. Please grant blessings to achieve in this life. Mahāmudrā Praṇava Vajrayāna Yoga, inseparable with method and wisdom.
So now we’re in silence anymore. And the next session is one thirty. The meeting was from the Sangha about how to take care of elderly Sangha. And after that, I cannot predict. Didn’t hear. I send up a request. I send up a request. Send up a request to him saying no. Okay. So anyway, the next known schedule is one thirty.
Well, the next assumed known schedule is lunch. And then after that one thirty here with Rinpoche. And after that, don’t know. Yeah. Everyone is invited to come to that meeting. Everyone’s invited to come to that meeting. Can I just mention about the shoes? Can people try and keep them a bit tidy? Because Rinpoche is tending to come through that way. And there’s also a little purple cloth for Rinpoche’s shoes. So yeah. So if people can sort of avoid putting their shoes around that area, then we can avoid stepping over the guru’s shoes, and we know where Rinpoche’s shoes are. Thanks.