Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 50-minute session, Lama Zopa Rinpoche guides practitioners through Guru Yoga practice at an international Mahāmudrā retreat. He begins with foundational discipline: abandoning worldly concerns and cleansing the mind through nine-round breathing. He then leads a detailed visualization of the merit field, with Shakyamumi Buddha as the root guru surrounded by the enlightened lineage. From this base, Rinpoche develops the four immeasurables—equanimity, loving-kindness, joy, and compassion—applied systematically to each of the six realms of sentient beings. He then generates special bodhicitta, the aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, and concludes with ritual offerings and dedications. Pitched at serious practitioners undertaking retreat practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 46 2004 04 21 MR.mp3
UUID: 6cbea0ac-2dca-4efc-8a93-39109d61639b
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-21
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 50.4 minutes
Words: ~3,208
So combine Jorcho Lam and Shipur, page nine. Number four, begin the sitting in the correct position and casting away your thought, the eight worldly dharmas. Attachment clinging to this life, cleansing the mind and the channels by means of the nine round breathing. In space in front of me is a large jewel 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 on the crown of his head. He has one face and two arms, the right hand in the mudra of controlling the earth and the left in the mudra of concentration, holding a bowl filled with nectar. He is wearing the saffron robes of monk and is adorned by the marks and signs. His holy body is in the nature of transparent light, and he sits in the vajra posture in the center of an aura of light rays.
Surrounding him are the direct and indirect gurus, deities, buddhas, bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddha, arhats, and Dakinis, and protectors. In front of each of these holy beings on a faultless throne sits a 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 thy kindness.
Generate great devotion towards them. Surrounding me, going out endlessly, all sentient beings, all experiencing the various different types of suffering, 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 mother sentient beings have been experiencing the various general sufferings of saṃsāra in numberless times, especially the sufferings of evil gone realms.
Still, it is difficult to see the end of saṃsāra, to see the depth of suffering. At 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 samsaric sufferings, I will have to experience over again the general sufferings of saṃsāra and the 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. Focus on the gurus, one’s own gurus and all the lineage lamas with awareness one hundred percent Buddha from their own side. Purify.
Received all the blessings, realizations. Oneself and all sentient beings come under protection of the gurus. Focus on the deity as the four classes of tantra and the Rūpakāya Buddhas. Received all the blessings and realizations, all the qualities. Oneself and all sentient beings come under protection in Buddhas.
Focus on the texts, the holy Dharma. Received all the blessings and realizations of the holy Dharma from good rebirth to enlightenment. Focus on the bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddha, arhats, dakas and dakinis, and Dharma protectors. Received all the blessings, realizations, qualities. Go for refuge until I’m enlightened to Buddha, Dharma, supreme assembly. By my merits and giving and other perfections, may I become a Buddha to benefit all.
Replica of Buddha dissolves into oneself. Oneself arises in the form of Buddha. From every pore of the holy body, beams emanated, the tip of each beam as if Buddha comes the crown of the head of all sentient beings, ripens, liberates them. Their minds become dharmakaya, their bodies become rupakaya. They are fully enlightened. Beings return back to one’s own body, and then rejoicing how wonderful it is that I’ve been able to liberate all mother sentient beings.
In reality, this is just visualization. Sentient beings are still suffering because they’ve not yet freed themselves from the causes of delusions and karma. Therefore, I and all sentient beings generate the four measurable thoughts. Reflect on the harmful self-cherishing thought. How it has harmed oneself and others continually in the past.
Is harming oneself all the time in the present, never allowing even the moment’s happiness, and will constantly harm oneself and others in the future, not allowing to generate the realizations of the path. 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. I myself will cause them to abide in equanimity. Please, Guru Deity, bless me to be able to do this. Think: self-cherishing thought completely destroyed.
I and all sentient beings with internalization of cherishing all sentient beings. One’s body becomes a wish granting jewel, sending out all beings whatever they need, whatever they want for happiness, Not just ordinary happiness, what ordinary people think of as happiness, that is just the nature of suffering. In your heart, think giving all these beings, all six realms, ultimate happiness and especially enlightenment. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings and happiness and the causes of happiness. May they have happiness in its causes.
I myself will cause them to have 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 in 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. Think: generate realization of compassion for all sentient beings. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings are free from suffering and the cause 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 were 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 cause of suffering. May they be free from suffering and its causes. I myself will cause and 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 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, blessed 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. But they’d 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. Special bodhicitta. Every single well-being has been my mother countless times in the past, cherishing with the greatest affection and love. Each one of these beings is the most precious and kind one in my life, from which I receive all my happiness, both temporary and ultimate.
Each one is to be cherished forever. It is so unbearable for me to think of even one hell being experiencing the unimaginable sufferings in the hell realms even for one instant. And there are numberless hell beings experiencing these sufferings for great length of time. It is completely my responsibility to free each and every one of these beings from their suffering and bring them to a state of perfect peace. Therefore, I’m going to do this profound practice of Guru Yoga.
Every single preta being, the source of all my past, present future happiness, most precious and kind one in my life. So unbearable for me to think of even one of these pretas beings experiencing the unimaginable sufferings of hunger and thirst in the hungry ghost realms for even an instant, and there are numbers. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment, therefore, with this profound practice of Guru Yoga. Every single animal being is a source of all my past, present, and future happiness, most precious and dear one in my life. From whom I receive all temporary and ultimate happiness.
So unbearable for me to think of even one of these animal beings having to undergo the suffering in animal realms, and they’re numberless. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to do this profound practice of Guru Yoga for each one of them. Every single human being is most precious and kind one in my life. Been my mother countless times in the past, cherishing with the greatest affection and love.
Each one of these human beings is so precious and so dear to me. It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these humans undergoing the various different types of suffering in the human realm, and they’re numberless. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to this profound practice of Guru Yoga. Every single sura and asura being, source of all my past, present, future happiness, been my mother countless times in the past.
Each one is most precious and most dear one to me. So it is unbearable for me to think of even one of these sura and asura beings experiencing the sufferings in the sura and asura realms. Therefore, I must do something. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to perform practice Guru Yoga.
Every single intermediate state being is the source of all my past, present, and future happiness, both temporary and ultimate. Each one has been my mother countless times in the past, cherishing with the greatest affection and love, protecting my life from dangers countless times each day. Each one of these beings is most precious and dear one. It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these intermediate state beings undergoing the various sufferings, the fear, the panic in intermediate state. Therefore, I must do something.
There is not just one of these beings, but nonetheless. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment to free all these beings from suffering. Therefore, I’m going to do this profound practice of Guru Yoga. For the sake of all mother sentient beings, I shall quickly in this very life, attain the state of primordial Guru Vajradhāra Buddha. I shall free all mother sentient beings from suffering and place them in the great bliss of buddhahood.
Therefore, I shall now practice profound path of Guru Yoga. Merit field absorbs gradually into light, absorbs to oneself, and then do the practice, taking three kayas, purifying the emptiness and arising as a deity. To the endowed and sent as destroyer, the one gone beyond, the foe destroyer, completely perfected for the awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct. Sagata, know the world supreme guide of human beings who tame. Teacher of gods and humans to the founder, the endowed, and son and destroyer.
And to all of you here, I offer this bathhouse possessing ten qualities. The bathhouse has an extremely sweet fragrance, crystal floor, and beautiful sparkling 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 of the pure water of 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 I offer this bath to the holy bodies of lineage gurus of extensive conduct. I offer this bath to holy bodies of lineage gurus of profound view.
I offer this bath to holy bodies of gurus of vast practice. I offer this bath to holy bodies of all lineage lamas. In a separate sheet. 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 glorious Mañjuśrī, you, Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen, preserving the teachings with thousands of disciplines, completely controlling the three realms, to you, the incomparable one, Eyes to view all the vast teachings, supreme gateway to liberation for the fortunate. Using skillful means and loving kindness, the illuminating spiritual friends offer this bath.
Blissful Heruka, most glorious, the rest. The tenets of four classes of tantra. I offer this bath to the holy Dharma. I offer this bath to the guiding Sangha. I offer this bath to three precious jewels.
To the five long life goddesses, and all the protectors in the snow land of Tibet, especially those of this country and this place, to all the local gods, nagas, landlords, and spirits are offered this bath. From all, to all.. Lords, nagas, and their retinues with many jewel vases of scented water. Beautifully filled up with excellent songs with a variety of music are offered as bath. I now dry their holy bodies with incomparably sweet smelling cloth. Om, hung, tram, hri, ah, kaya, vishodhaya, Svāhā.
Just as a goldsmith polishes gold already pure and refined, so do I apply the best fragrance to the holy bodies pervading billions of universes, the controlled ones. Because the conquerors are adorned by the natural ornaments, by offering these soft light divine clothes with indestructible faith in those attain the indestructible holy body, may I also achieve the vajra holy body. Because the conquerors are adorned by the natural ornaments, the marks, and signs, they do 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 with jewels and filled with various essences, may the stains of karma and delusions of all six realms sentient beings be purified, and may we be moistened with the nectars, from head to toe.
With most excellent light radiating forth in ten directions, splendor of good fortune ablaze just everywhere. This crown ornament of precious jewel flowers is the crown of the Shakra, king of gods, 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 my greatest all Bhagawans, please remain as long as I continue to make offerings by the force of your magical powers. So dedication, please. Due to the merits of the three times collected by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings. Cherishing others, letting go of oneself, letting go of the I, the source of all happiness and success myself and all other sentient beings, be generated within my own mind and minds all sentient beings without even a second’s delay. May that which has already been generated increase.
Due to the merits of the three times collected by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, all other sentient beings. May all the father, mother, sentient beings of happiness, may 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 of the three times collected by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, all other sentient beings, may his holiness the Dalai Lama and Buddha of compassion, and all other holy beings, when our virtuous friends have stable lives, may all the holy wishes succeed immediately. Due to the merits of the three times collected by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings, may I be able to offer limitless benefit to all sentient beings as Lama Atisha did, by having within me the same qualities that Lama Atisha has from now on in all my future lifetimes.
Due to the merits of the three times collected by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and 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 who are totally nonexistent from their own side to that enlightenment which is totally nonexistent from its own side, by myself alone who is also totally nonexistent from its own side. I dedicate all my merits in a way greatly admired by the Buddha’s and bodhisattvas of the three times and realized by Samantabhādra and Mañjuśrī. May I be able to completely actualize Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching, which unifies Sūtra and Tantra within my mind and spread these teachings to minds of all sentient beings. Thus, may Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings flourish forever.
Due to the merits of the three times guided by me, Buddha’s, bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings. May any sentient being who hears me, touches me, remembers me, thinks about me, talks about me, whether praising or criticizing, abuses me or treats me badly. Simply by having made that connection with me, never ever be reborn in lower realms. May those sentient beings immediately be liberated from all disease, spirit harms, negative karma, and defilements. And quickly achieve the realizations of the whole path, especially bodhicitta.
May anybody that I hear is sick may that cause that person immediately to get recovered. By my hearing that somebody died, may cause that person to immediately be reborn in the pure realm where they can get enlightened. Breakfast between session practice. There’s no breakfast, but there is between session practice. There’s chai, chai garam, chai garam.
There’s between session practice, viewing everything illusory. We’ll come back at eight thirty. Also, I should just announce that there will be a film crew filming today. There will be the appearance of a film crew filming today. There’ll be quite a lot of appearances actually today.
For ABC Television, so they’re going to they’re going to film and there’ll be something on the well, ABC, I guess, it’s television. Right? So something on television about Rinpoche and this retreat. So they’ll just be filming a couple of scenes.