Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 67-minute Guru Puja from a Mahāmudrā International Retreat in April 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche opens with a meaningful dedication: a nun in the community has just learned of her father’s death that morning, and the entire practice is offered for his rebirth and spiritual benefit. The session guides practitioners through foundational guru devotion—nine-round breathing to clear obstructions, visualization of the root guru as Śākyamūni Buddha set within an elaborate merit field, and systematic development of compassion for all beings. Rinpoche then moves methodically through all six realms—hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, devas, and asuras—encouraging practitioners to recognize each sentient being as a former mother and to generate boundless compassion and commitment to free them from suffering through enlightenment. The practice concludes with offerings, repeated dedications of merit, and food-offering practice. For practitioners with prior familiarity with guru yoga and compassion meditation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 40 2004 04 20 MR.mp3
UUID: 42e684af-09f5-4fd5-95bc-375f1ceaa015
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-20
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 67.2 minutes
Words: ~4,008
So Lama Chöpa, go to page nine. So before we begin, one of our nuns, one of Chenrezig nuns it’s nice to be a Chenrezig nun, isn’t it? One of the Chenrezig nuns just passed me a note. She’s just left because her father died this morning. So in accordance with Rinpoche’s advice and instructions given yesterday, please dedicate this Guru Puja for George Hay to have a perfect rebirth in the next life, be able to meet with the pure Mahāyāna teachings, able to complete all the scriptural realization teachings in that life and achieve state of full enlightenment.
So George Hay, please feel that this puja is being done for him and also for her and for the whole family at this time. So begin by doing the nine round breathing to clear away, cast out the evil thought, self-cherishing evil thought, adharma, clinging, grasping attachment to his life, cleansing the channels. Soon before I begin, please visualize the crown of your head. Your root guru, with the awareness, the absolute guru manifests in this form, in this ordinary form in order to guide you. And then from the heart, making these requests.
So I’ll just read this out. Can do the meditation. Lama, think of me. Lama, think of me. Lama, think of me.
Magnificently glorious guru dispelling the darkness of ignorance. Magnificently glorious guru revealing the path to liberation. Magnificently glorious liberating from the waters of saṃsāra. Magnificently glorious guru, eliminating the disease of the five poisons. Magnificently glorious guru, who is the wish granting jewel, I beseech you.
Please grant me blessings. Magnificently glorious guru, please bless me to remember impermanence and death from my heart. Magnificently glorious guru, please bless me to generate the thought of renunciation in my mind. Magnificently glorious guru, please bless me to abide one pointedly in practice in isolated places. Magnificently glorious Guru, please bless me not to have any hindrances to my practice.
Magnificently glorious Guru, please bless me so that all difficult conditions appear as a support to my practice. Magnificently glorious guru, please bless me to effortlessly accomplish the two works of self and others. Magnificently glorious guru, please bless me now, soon. Please grant me blessings as I sit here on this cushion. Please grant me blessings as I sit here in this session.
In space in front of me is a large jeweled throne supported by eight great lions, on top of which is a seat of a variegated lotus and moon and sun mandalas. On top of this sits the essence of my own root guru in the aspect of the Conqueror Śākyamūni Buddha. The color of his holy body is the purest gold, and he has an uṣṇīṣa in the crown of his head. He has one face and two arms. The right hand is in the mudra of touching the earth.
The left is in the mudra of concentration, holding a bowl filled with nectar. He’s wearing the saffron robes of monk and is adorned by the marks and signs. His holy body in the nature of light sits in the vajra posture in the center of an aura of light rays. His holy mind never distracted or moved from emptiness, continually concentrating on emptiness, is constantly doing the work for sentient beings. From each pore of his holy body, billions of different light rays emanate out with infinite different forms, revealing the teachings and guiding all sentient beings.
The holy mind of the Buddha never leaves emptiness for one moment. Continually mix with emptiness like water poured into water. Surrounding my guru, the direct and indirect gurus, deities, the four classes of tantra, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, dakas and dakinis, and Dharma protectors. In front of each of these holy beings on a lotus throne, sits the Dharma explained by them in the form of texts, having a nature of light. All of these beings in the merit field are in the aspect of being pleased with me by remembering their qualities, By remembering their kindness, I generate great devotion towards them.
Surrounding me, going out endlessly, all sentient beings, all experiencing the various different types of suffering in the six realms, all in human form. They’re extremely pitiful and crying out for help. I lead them in going for refuge to the Buddha. From beginningless time until now, I and all my sentient beings have been experiencing the various general sufferings of saṃsāra numberless times, especially the sufferings of the evil gone realms. Still, it is difficult to see the endless saṃsāra, to see the depth of suffering.
This time, I’ve received a perfect human rebirth, qualified by the eight freedoms and ten riches, which is difficult to find, but once found is highly meaningful. It can be used to attain a good future rebirth, liberation, and even enlightenment. Now, after having met the precious teachings of the Buddha, which is so difficult to meet, if I do not try to attain the most sublime state of full enlightenment, which is beyond the state of peace and all samsaraic sufferings, I will have to experience over again the general sufferings of saṃsāra and particular sufferings of three lower realms. Who has the power to protect me from these sufferings? Only the guru and the three precious gems abiding in front of me.
I must achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all mother sentient beings. Therefore, I’m going to take refuge in my guru and three precious gems. Received all the blessings and realizations. Oneself and all sentient beings come under the protection of the holy virtuous friends. Purified.
Received all the blessings, realization, qualities. Oneself and all sentient beings come under protection under Buddhas. Purified. Received all the realizations from guru devotion to enlightenment. Oneself and all sentient beings come under the protection of the holy Dharma.
Purified. Received all the blessings, the realizations, the holy Sangha. Oneself and all sentient beings now come under the protection and guidance of the Sangha. I go for refuge until I’m enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, the supreme assembly. By my merits of giving and other perfections, may I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings.
I go for refuge until I’m enlightened. To the Buddha, the Dharma, and supreme assembly, by my merits of giving and other perfections, may I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings. That field extremely pleased with oneself. Replica of Śākyamūni Buddha absorbs into oneself, oneself transforms into Śākyamūni Buddha having all the realizations and qualities of holy mind. Holy body, holy speech, holy mind of Buddha.
From every pore of one’s holy body, infinite light rays emanate out on the tip of each beam is a Buddha. These Buddhas comes to crown the head of every single hell being, every single being, every single animal, every single human, every single deva being, every single asura being, every single intermediate state being, they ripen and liberate their minds. Their bodies become Rūpakāya, their minds become Dharmakāya, they transform also into aspect of Śākyamūni Buddha. The beams of light emanated from oneself return back and absorb into the holy body. Feel great joy thinking now I have ripened and liberated all beings and placed in the state of enlightenment.
Then realizing reality, this is just visualization, sentient beings are still suffering. Why? Because of delusions in their mind, the karma imprints. Therefore, I must generate the four measurable thoughts. Remember the disadvantages of self-cherishing thought?
How it has harmed us continually in past lives, it’s harming us now and will continually harm us, never allowing us to achieve realization. Therefore, must destroy it. Generating the mind equanimity. Taking on disturbing emotional thoughts of all sentient beings into one’s own heart, into one’s self-cherishing and destroying them. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity, free from hatred and attachment, not holding some close and others distant.
May they abide in equanimity. I myself will cause them to abide in equanimity. Please, guru deity, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity, free from hatred and attachment, not holding some close and others distant. May they abide in equanimity, and myself will cause them to abide in equanimity.
Please, guru deity, bless me to be able to do this. Do the meditation. Think I’ve generated immeasurable equanimity in myself and all sentient beings. So in previous retreats, Rinpoche told me to just focus on one immeasurable each session. So the remaining immeasurables, we’ll just do just do quietly, more fast.
How wonderful it would be for all sentient beings and happiness and the cause of happiness. May they have happiness in its causes. I myself will cause into happiness in its causes. Please, Guru Deity, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and the causes of happiness.
May they have happiness and its causes. I myself will cause them to have happiness and its causes. Please, Guru Deity, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings are free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May they be free from suffering and its causes.
I myself will cause them to be free from suffering and its causes. Please, Guru Deity, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings are free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May they be free from suffering and his causes. I myself will cause them to be free from suffering and his causes.
Please, Guru Deity, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were never separated from the happiness of higher rebirth and liberation. May they never be separated from these. I myself will cause them never to be separated from these. Please, Guru Deity, bless me to be able to do this.
How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were never separated from the happiness of high rebirth and liberation. May they never be separated from these. I myself will cause them never to be separated from these. Please, guru deity, bless me to be able to do this. Generating special bodhicitta.
Every single hell being is the most precious and kind one in my life. The source of all my past, present, and future happiness. All this comes from each hell being. Therefore, each one of these hell beings is to be cherished forever. Each one of these hell beings has also been my mother numberless times in the past, caring for me in numberless ways, sacrificing themselves for me countless times, protecting my life from danger in infinite ways, cherishing me with the greatest affection and love.
Even one of these hell beings having to experience the unimaginable sufferings of the hell realms even for one instant is so unbearable for me. And there’s not just one, there are numberless beings experiencing these sufferings. And not just for a short time, but for a great length of time. It is completely my responsibility to free each and every one of these beings from their sufferings and lead them to a state of perfect happiness. Therefore, I’m going to practice profound quick path of Guru Yoga.
Every single hungry ghost is source for my past, present, future happiness, most precious and dear one in my life. Even one of these hungry ghost beings experiencing the suffering, hunger, and thirst for even an instant, so unbearable for me, and they are numberless. Therefore, I must do something. Therefore, I’m going to practice profound path of Guru Yoga. Each animal being, is the source of all my past, present, future happiness, most precious and dear one to me.
Even one of these animals experiencing the unbearable sufferings in animal realm so unbearable for even an instant. Then not just one, but nonetheless. Not for just for a short time, but for a great length of time. I must do something. I must achieve enlightenment.
I must liberate them. Therefore, I’m going to practice this profound path of Guru Yoga. Every single human being has been my mother countless times in the past, cherishing me with the greatest affection and love. Even one of these humans having to experience the various sufferings in the human realm is so unbearable for me. And it’s not just one, but nonetheless.
I myself must free all these beings from suffering, lead them to enlightenment, therefore I’m going to practice profound path of Guru Yoga. Every single deva being, source for my past, present, future happiness. Even one of these beings having to experience the suffering of the deva realm so unbearable for me, there’s not just one but nonetheless. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m gonna practice profound path of Guru Yoga.
Every single asura being, the source for my past, present, future happiness, most precious and dear one in my life. Even one of these asura beings having to experience being trapped in their surroundings is so unbearable for me. It’s not just one, but nonetheless. Therefore, I must do something, therefore, I must achieve enlightenment, therefore, I’m going to rely upon this profound quick path of Guru Yoga. Every single intermediate state being is the source of all my past, present, future happiness, and has been my mother countless times in the past, cherishing with the greatest affection and love.
It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these intermediate state beings having to undergo the intense suffering, fear, anxiety, panic in the intermediate state for even an instant. And there are numberless of these beings experiencing suffering for a great length of time. Therefore, I myself must take full responsibility to liberate each one of these beings from suffering. Therefore, I’m going to practice profound path of Guru Yoga. For the sake of all mother beings, I shall quickly, quickly in this very life, attain the state of primordial Buddha, Guru Yidam Buddha.
I shall free all mother sentient beings from suffering, place them in the great bliss of Buddhahood. Therefore, I shall now practice profound path of Guru Yoga. The merit field absorbs into light, absorbs into oneself, and does the meditation on three kayas. The indulge and sun and destroyer, the one gone beyond, foe destroyer, completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct, Sugata, know the world, supreme guide of human beings, Tamer of beings, teacher of gods and humans, the founder, the Bhagawan, foe destroyer, fully awaken one. And to all of you here, I offer this bath of all qualities.
The bathhouse has an extremely fine fragrance, a crystal floor and beautifully sparkling jewel pillars. The roof is covered by 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 pure water to the gods. Holy body created by ten million excellent virtues.
Holy speech fulfilling the hopes of infinite migratory beings. Holy mind seeing all existence as it is. I offer this bath to the Vajradhāra, the glorious one, the essence of all lords. I offer this bath to the holy bodies, the lineage guru’s extensive conduct. I offer this bath holy bodies, the lineage gurus with profound view.
I offer this bath to holy bodies, the lineage gurus with vast practice. I offer this bath to holy bodies, all lineage gurus. Guru vajradhar encompassing all three refugees, taking the form of the virtuous friend for whom ever it subdues, granting sublime and common attainments.. A separate sheet Rinpoche has translated for us the three verses for the guru. Guru vajradhara encompassing all three refugees, taking the form of the virtuous friend for whomever he subdues, Who taught me education, who revealed sūtra and tantra texts and advice, and who gave vows, initiations, and commentaries on tantra to direct and indirect gurus, Who has total control over the speech of the hero Mañjuśrī, you, Losang Dragpa, preserving the teachings of victorious ones like oceans, completely controlling the three realms to you, the incomparable one, I offer back.
Eyes to view all the vast teachings, supreme gateway to liberation for the fortunate. Using skillful means and lovingness of you, to the illuminating spiritual friend, I offer this verse. Blissful Heruka, most glorious, and the rest. Protect us with the four activities, countless tantras, to all the assembly of deities, I offer this bath. I offer this bath to the holy bodies of 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, and flowers. Sarvatatha, sarvatatha, sarvatatha, sarvatatha. To all Dharma protectors and supporters are offered this bath.. To the five long life goddesses, supporters of the dharma, all the protectors in the snow land of Tibet, especially those of this country in this place, to all the local gods, nagas, landlords, and spirits that offer this bath and to To Dorje Dragmo Gyalpo and her retinue and many jeweled vases of scented water, beautifully filled up with excellent scents with a variety of music offered this bath. And now dry their holy bodies with incomparably clean, sweet smelling cloth.
Just as the goldsmith polishes gold already pure and refined, so do I apply the best fragrance with pervading billions of universes to the holy bodies, the controlled ones. By offering these soft, light, divine clothes with indestructible faith in those who attain 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 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 the stains of karma and delusion of all six realms’ sentient beings be purified, and may they be moistened with the wetness of bodhicitta. Mhmm. With most excellent light radiating forth in a ten direction, splendor of good fortune ablaze is everywhere. This crown ornament of precious golden powders, the crown of the Shakra’s king, I offer. May thereby the precious teachings spread into 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 my guests, Oh, Bhagawan, please remain for as long as I continue to make offerings by the force of your magical powers. Dedication prayers. Dedicate the merits three times. Guided by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings. May bodhicitta cherishing others, letting go of oneself, letting go of the I, which is source for the happiness and success of myself and all other sentient beings be generated within my own mind, the minds of all sentient beings without even seconds delay.
May that which has already been generated increase. Due to the merits, three times, collected by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings. For all sentient beings’ happiness, may the three lower realms be empty forever. May all Bodhisattvas’ prayers succeed immediately and may I be able to cause all this to happen by myself alone. Due to the merits, three times, collected by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings.
May His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Buddha of Compassion, and other holy beings, all our virtuous friends of stable lives. May all the holy wishes succeed immediately. Due to the merits, three times, guided by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, all other sentient beings, may I be able to offer the same benefit to all sentient beings as Lama Tsongkhapa did, by having within me the same qualities that Lama Tsongkhapa has from now on in all my future lifetimes. Due to the merits, three times, guided by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, all other sentient beings, which are totally nonexistent from their own side. May the I, which is also totally nonexistent from its own side, achieve Guru Śākyamūni Buddha’s enlightenment, which is also totally nonexistent from its own side, and lead all sentient beings totally nonexistent from their own side to that enlightenment which is totally non existent from its own side.
By myself alone is also totally non existent from its own side. Dedicate all my merits in a way greatly admired by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas three times and realized by Samantabhādra and Mañjuśrī. May I be able to completely actualize Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching, which unifies Sūtra and Tantra within my mind, spread these teachings in the mind to all sentient beings. Thus, may Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings flourish forever. Due to the merits, three times, guided by me, Buddha’s, bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings.
Many sentient beings who hears me, touches me, remembers me, thinks about me, talks about me with praising and criticizing, abuses me or treats me badly, simply by having made that connection with me, never ever be reborn in the lower realms. May those sentient beings immediately liberated from all disease, spirit harms, negative karma, obscurations, and quickly achieve enlightenment by actualizing the whole path, especially bodhicitta. Then the food offering. Perhaps in my life, not just to nourish myself alone, to feel the ocean number of sentient beings, oceans of samsaric suffering. Therefore, I’m going to make this food offering and make charity to all sentient beings.
Especially, I’m going to make charity to those beings in my body. By making this offering, may I be able to reveal the Dharma to them. Purify the food into emptiness, Then blessing it in accordance with whatever deity one practices. With awareness, every single merit field being is a root virtuous friend, embodiment of all Buddha, Dhama, Sangha, ten directions. Even each pore of all the gurus is all in right field.
Offer all the food, offer the offerings. By making this offering, generate an infinite blessing in them. Make charity to numberless hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless humans, numberless beings, number as intermediate state beings. They all fully enjoy liberated from all suffering as causes actualize the path. They all became enlightened in the form of the deity that one practices.
Due to all these merits, may I, my family members, all the organizers of this course, everyone is offering service, and all the students of Lama Yeshe’s organization who have sacrificed their life for the Buddha’s teachings of sentient beings, and all other sentient beings, especially those who died, who suffered to provide this food, or work for this food, or created negative karma for this food, all those involved in the evolution of this food. May all of us sentient beings in our future lives never separate away from the triple gem. Always collect merit by making offerings of triple gem. And receive all the realizations that path from guru devotion to enlightenment without delay even one second. Due to all past, present, future minds, by myself and all the sentient beings which are empty.
May the I which is empty achieve enlightenment which is empty, liberate all sentient beings which are empty, until that state, by myself alone, which is also empty. So everyone has the sheet explaining the different different ways to meditate in the breaks. So decide now, either going to meditate on bodhicitta, single sentient beings as mother, as kind. So either going to keep the mind intensively in that during the break session session break or going to meditate on how everything comes from the mind. Awareness, how the mind projects and label.
So please keep the mind in this awareness in the breaks and we’ll come back at nine o’clock.