Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 52-minute session from a Mahāmudrā retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche leads practitioners through a detailed Guru Yoga practice, beginning with foundational breathwork and the visualization of the merit field—the vast assembly of gurus, Buddhas, and deities of all four tantric traditions assembled before the meditator. He guides practitioners through refuge, then moves to the four immeasurable thoughts, with particular depth given to bodhicitta cultivation: taking on the suffering of all beings in the six realms one by one (hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, gods, and asuras), recognizing each as more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel. The session culminates in an elaborate bathing and offering ritual to the guru and assembled deities, using detailed visualization and recitation. Designed for retreat practitioners already engaged with tantric practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 54 2004 04 22 MR.mp3
UUID: e52c2cd6-a8d8-4f3f-a478-42f714e95a91
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-22
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 52.2 minutes
Words: ~3,529
Guru Yoga Namshö Jücha, page nine. And before we begin the practice, we’ll do the cleansing the mind, clearing away the thought of Vajradhamma, clinging attachment to this life, and cleansing the channels by means of the nine round breathing. So relax, loosen your mind, and then very gently visualize channels, and do the breathing. As you’re breathing in, the white light contains all the blessings of all the gurus, all Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, cleansing and dispelling the darkness of the three poisons. In space in front of me is a large jeweled throne supported by eight great lions.
On top of which is a seat of variegated lotus, a moon, and a sun mandala. On top of this is 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 on the crown of his head. He has one face and two arms.
The right hand in the mudra of touching the earth. And his left in the mudra of concentration, holding a bowl filled with nectar. He’s wearing the saffron robes of a monk and is adorned by the marks and exemplary 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.
From every pore of his holy body, infinite light rays continually emitting the tip of each beam of Buddha’s ripening and liberating all sentient beings and then returning back. Surrounding him are the direct and indirect gurus. The deities, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dakas and Dakinis, and Dharma protectors. In front of each of these holy beings, on a faultless throne, sits the Dharma explained by them in the form of texts having the nature of light. Each syllable making its own sound.
And blissful nectars falling from the letters like the dew on morning grass. All of these beings in the merit field are in the aspect of being pleased with me, very happy, joyful, smiling. By remembering their qualities, by remembering their kindness and generate strong devotion towards them. Surrounding me going out endlessly in all directions, all sentient beings, all of them experiencing the various different types of suffering in the six realms, all of them in human form. They’re extremely pitiful and crying out to me 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 number of times, especially the sufferings of evil-gone realms. Still it is difficult to see the end of saṃsāra, to see the depth of suffering. This time I received a perfect human rebirth, qualified by the eight freedoms and ten richnesses, 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 Buddha, which is so difficult to meet, if I did not try to attain the most sublime state of full enlightenment, which is beyond the state of peace of all saṃsāra sufferings, I will have to experience over again the general sufferings of saṃsāra and the particular sufferings of the three lower realms, generating immense fear. Fear of the suffering for oneself, fear of the suffering for all sentient beings. Think how terrible it is that sentient beings have to suffer so much. Then generate a mind of faith. 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 sentient beings. Therefore, I’m going to take refuge in my guru and the three precious gems. Focus on the direct and indirect gurus. Remember, each guru with whom one has made Dharma contact was always one hundred percent looking at us as a Buddha.
From the heart completely relying on the guru, not just from the mouth, but thinking my whole life is in the guru’s hands. Purified. Received all the blessings and realizations. I and all sentient beings now come under the protection of the glorious gurus. Focusing on the Buddhas, the deities of four classes of tantra and the Rūpakāya Buddhas.
A thousand Buddhas is fortune, thirty five Buddhas, eight Medicine Buddhas and so on. Taking refuge in them just as a person with chronic disease would take refuge in the only doctor that could cure them. Billions of times more than that, taking refuge in the Buddhas. Received all the blessings and qualities. Myself and all sentient beings are now under the protection of the holy Buddhas.
Focusing on the Dharma, the texts, taking refuge in the Dharma billions of times more than somebody who’s dying of thirst would seek water. Purify all the negative karmas in relationship with the Dharma, including abandoning the Dharma. Also the negative karma of burning the dharma, putting it in the garbage, not treating it in the correct way. Received all the blessings and realizations from good devotion up to enlightenment. Myself and all sentient beings now come under protection of the holy Dharma.
Focusing on the Sangha, Noble Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddha, arhats, the Gurus and sixteen Arhats, the Dakas and the Dakinis, and the Dharmapalas. Taking refuge in them billions of times more than somebody who had to go to a place they were not familiar with, which was dangerous, would rely upon strong guides who could protect them and take them there. Especially remembering all the negative karmas created by criticizing the sangha. Receiving all the realizations, bodhicitta, six paramitas and bodhisattva vows. And the three higher trainings from the arhats, non dual bliss and voidness, from dakas and the dakinis, and the four activities from the Dharma protectors.
Oneself and all sentient beings receiving these. Oneself and all sentient beings come under protection of the holy Sangha. And go for refuge until I’m enlightened, to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly. By my merits and giving and other perfections, may I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings? Buddha is extremely pleased with oneself.
A replica absorbs into you, it absorbs into light and arise in the form of Śākyamūni Buddha. From every pore of your holy body, infinite light beams emanate. On the tip of each beam of the Buddha comes the crown of the head of each sentient being, ripens, liberates them. Their minds become dharmakaya, their bodies become Rūpakāya. They transform into Buddhas and absorb back.
Think how wonderful that I’ve been able to bring all sentient beings to enlightenment exactly according to my wish. But in reality, this is just visualization. Sentient beings are still suffering because of delusions in their mind. Therefore, I need to generate the four immeasurable thoughts. Remember the harmless self-cherishing thought harmed us and all sentient beings in the past, it’s harming us now, will continually harm us in the future, not allowing us to gain even the slightest realization.
Therefore, must destroy this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings which abide in equanimity, free from hatred and attachment, not holding some close and others distant. May they abide in equanimity, how myself will cause them to abide in equanimity. Please, good 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 buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings would 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 for all sentient beings and 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 and happiness and the cause 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 and happiness and cause 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. Now focusing on compassion, immeasurable compassion. Imagine taking upon yourself the self-cherishing thought at your heart. The whole package of sufferings of each hell being along with all the causes of those sufferings.
The whole package of suffering of all beings, animals, humans, suras, asuras and intermediate state beings, Take on each and every single suffering including the causes of these karma and delusions. Take it right into your own heart, destroying self-cherishing thought and destroying the object of ignorance, the emotional I. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were 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 are free from suffering and its causes 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 that 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. Think self-cherishing, completely destroyed. I’ve generated the realization of immeasurable compassion in the mind of myself and all sentient beings.
How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were never separated from the happiness, the 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. 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 that 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. Special bodhicitta, each hell being is the most precious and kind one in my life. Each of these beings is more precious than a wish fulfilling jewel. Each of these hell beings is the source of all my past, present and future happiness. It is so unbearable for me to think of even one of these hell beings having to experience the intense sufferings of the hell realms for even an instant.
And there are numberless of these beings suffering for unimaginable amount of time. Therefore, I must do something. It’s completely my responsibility. I must free each and every one of these hell beings from their suffering and bring them to enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to do this profound quick path of Guru Yoga which is full of blessings.
Each hungry ghost being is most precious and kind one in my life fulfilling all my wishes, the source of all my past, present and future happiness. So unbearable for me to think of even one of these hungry ghost beings experiencing the unimaginable sufferings of hunger and thirst for even an instant. And there are numberless beings suffering like this for an unimaginable amount of time. Therefore, I must do something, therefore, I must achieve enlightenment, therefore, I’m going to do this profound quick path of Guru Yoga. Every single animal being, the source of all my past, present, future happiness.
Most precious and dear one in my life. So unbearable for me to think of even one of these animals having to experience the suffering in the animal realms for even an instant and they are numberless. Therefore, I must do something. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to do this profound quick path of Guru Yoga.
Each human being is most precious and dear one in my life. Each one fulfilling all my wishes, the source for my past, present and future happiness. So unbearable for me to think of even one of these human beings suffering and they’re numberless, experiencing so many different types of suffering for a great length of time. Therefore, I must do something, therefore, I must achieve enlightenment, therefore, I’m gonna do this profound quick path of Guru Yoga. Each sura being, each asura being, a source for my past, present, future happiness, most precious and dear one fulfilling all my wishes, source of all my past, present, future happiness.
So unbearable for me to think of even one of these beings suffering and they are numberless. Therefore, I must do something, therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to do this profound practice of Guru Yoga. Every single intermediate state being is a source of all my past, present and future happiness. Each one is fulfilling all my wishes.
Each one is most precious and dear in my life. So unbearable for me to think of even one of these intermediate state beings experiencing the unimaginable suffering in the Bardo and they are numberless. It’s completely my responsibility to free each and every one of these beings and I will do so by myself alone. Therefore, I need to engage in this profound quick path of Guru Yoga which is full of blessings. For the sake of all mother beings, I shall quickly, quickly in this very life attain the state of primordial guru, Yidam Buddha.
I shall free all mother sentient beings from suffering and place them in the great bliss and buddhahood. Therefore, I shall now practice profound path of Guru Yoga. The merit field gradually absorbs into light, it absorbs to oneself. Everything is purified into emptiness. And then do the meditation on three kayas and arising as a deity.
In the vast space of indivisible bliss and void, amidst billowing clouds of samaya vajra offerings, and the crest of a wish granting tree, a dome 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 white smile. Right hand in the gesture expounding the Dharma. Left in meditative pose holding an alms bowl full of nectar.
You wear three lustrous saffron robes, and your head is crowned by a golden pandita’s hat. In your heart sits all-prevailing Lord Vajradhāra with a blue body, one face, two arms, holding vajra and bell, embracing vajradhatu Ishvari. 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 a major and minor signs. You sit in a vajra position encircled by a five colored rainbow. Your skandhas are the five sugatas, your four elements are the four consorts.
Your sense spheres, channels, sinews, and joints are actually bodhisattvas. Your hair pores are twenty-one thousand deities. 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 their respective order sit the direct and lineage gurus, yidams, hosts and mandala deities, buddhas, bodhisattvas, heroes and dakinis, encircled by an ocean of dharmapalas. The three vajras mark their three doors, from whom hook light rays radiate to invite the wisdom beings from their natural abode to inseparably unite.
Thus gone, foe destroyer, completely perfect, completely perfected, fully awakened being, powerful to knowledge and ingroup conduct, the knower of the world, supreme guide of those to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the thus gone, foe destroyer, the fully awakened one to all of you here, I offer this bath to you, possessed of all qualities. The bathhouse has an extremely sweet fragrance. A crystal floor and beautiful sparkling jewel pillars. The roof is covered by canopy decorated with shining silks. And you have all have the extra verses for the guru.
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, after this bath with Tathāgata Dhara Jalam, I offer this bath to holy bodies of lineage gurus with extensive conduct. I offer this bath to holy bodies of lineage gurus of profound view. I offer this bath to holy bodies of lineage gurus of noble practice.
I offer this bath to holy bodies of all the lineage gurus. Guru Vajradhāra, encompassing all three refuges, taking the form of the virtuous friend from the form of a jewel, granting splendid common and uncommon realizations, that kind guru. Who taught me education, who revealed sūtra and tantra texts and advice, and who gave vows, initiations and commentaries on tantra. The direct and indirect gurus, the venerable. To have total control over the speech of the hero Mañjuśrī, you, Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen, preserving the teachings with Sūtra, Tantra, and Sakya traditions, completely controlling the three realms to you the incomparable Pänchen Lama.
Eyes to view all the vast teachings, to bring gateway to liberation for the fortunate. Using skillful means, the loving kindness of a jewel, the illuminating spiritual friends, I offer this bath. Glorious Guhyasamāja, blissful Heruka, most glorious Yamāntaka and the rest. Potent as the four activities, peaceful, wrathful, to all the assembly deities, offer this bath. I To the five long life goddesses, supporters of the dharma, all the pithas in the snowy land of Tibet, especially those of this country and this place, to all the local gods, nagas, nāgas, nons and spirits are offered this bath.
Towards the protectors and their princes with many jewel vase of scented water, beautifully filled up with excellent songs, variety of music, offer this bath. I now dry their holy bodies with incomparably clean, sweet smelling cloth. Just as a goldsmith polishes gold already pure and refined, so do I apply the best fragrance that pervades billions of universes to holy bodies, the controlled ones. By offering these soft light divine clothes, resplendent for faith in those who attain indestructible holy body, may I also achieve the vajra holy body. Because the conquerors are adorned by natural ornaments and major signs, they do not need any other kind of ornament.
But by offering these supreme jewel ornaments, may all sentient beings obtain the holy body adorned by the marks and signs. By offering this auspicious vase, beautified by jewels filled with various essence, may the stains of karma and delusions of all six realms sentient beings be purified, and may they be moistened with the nectar of bodhicitta, empowered by Vanesha. Most excellent light radiating forth in ten directions, splendor of good fortune ablaze everywhere. These crown ornaments, precious golden flowers, the crown, Shakya king, I offer. May thereby the precious teachings spread into 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 retinue, Om Bhagavan, please remain as long as I continue to make offerings by the force of your magical powers. So a break there for breakfast. As we have as we have a three hour lunch break, kind of a four hour lunch break almost. So as we have a three hour lunch break, then we’ll just do forty five minutes now and come back eight forty five.
Anyway, there’s nothing to eat. So just have tea, come back eight forty five, then that gives us enough time so we can finish by eleven because we started late today. So coming back at eight forty five, please.