Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 60-minute session from a Mahāmudrā retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche guides practitioners through the foundational visualizations and practices that anchor the retreat. He opens with the nine-round breathing meditation to settle the mind, then leads a detailed visualization of the merit field—the guru in the form of Buddha Śākyamūni surrounded by lineage lamas, deities, and protectors. The core work moves through refuge-taking with systematic purification practices, then unfolds the four immeasurable thoughts (equanimity, loving-kindness, compassion, and impartial joy) applied to beings in all six realms. Each section builds bodhicitta—the commitment to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. The session concludes with an extended bath offering ceremony honoring the merit field and a series of dedications. Intended for practitioners who have received refuge and initiation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 61 2004 04 23 MR.mp3
UUID: 3d8a0f8b-a566-4c85-b2d2-fac435edec13
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-23
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 60.2 minutes
Words: ~4,058
And before we begin, just relax in body, relax in mind. Casting away the evil thought, idle Dharma, attachment, clinging to this life, and cleansing the channels in the mind by doing the nine-round breathing meditation to settle the mind and develop stable equanimity before generating refuge in bodhicitta. In the the 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 new 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. His right hand is in the mudra of touching the earth, and his left is in the mudra of concentration, holding a bowl filled with nectar. He is wearing the saffron robes of monk and adorned by the marks and exemplary signs of the Buddha. 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.
He’s looking at me joyfully with loving compassionate eyes. Recollect your own guru. Remember how it is to be in his presence. And feel that this visualization of Śākyamūni Buddha, the aspect is Buddha, but the essence is inseparable from your guru. Feel that your guru is actually present in front of you in this form.
Surrounding my guru are the direct and indirect gurus. The deities, the four classes of tantra, the Nirmānakāya Buddhas,, the Bodhisattvas, the Arhats, Dakas and Dakinis, and 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 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 feel great devotion towards them.
From the oh, surrounding me, going out endlessly, are all sentient beings, all experience the various different types of suffering of the six realms, all in human form. They’re extremely pitiful and calling out to me for help. I lead them in taking refuge. 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 did 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 the three lower realms, generate a mind of fear. Fear of suffering in lower realms and future rebirths, fear of the hollow saṃsāra, fear of how unbearable it is that all these beings are trapped in suffering. 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 mother sentient beings. Therefore, I’m going to take refuge in my guru and the three precious gems. Focus on the gurus, one’s own root guru, all those gurus who must be made content, and all the lineage lamas.
Visualize five colored light rays and nectars descending down, purifying all the negative karmas accumulated when the gurus since beginningless past lifetimes, as well as all the obstacles to generating stable, continuous realization that all these gurus are Buddhas. Purified. Now receive all the qualities, gurus, body, speech, and mind, the understanding, teachings, the realizations, and especially able to see the guru as Buddha. I and all sentient beings have now come under the protection of the glorious gurus. Now focus on the Buddhas with a mind of total reliance.
The four classes of deities, then the Rūpakāya Buddhas. Purify all the negative karmas accumulated with the Buddha beginning since beginningless times, such as causing blood to flow from the Buddha, discriminating holy objects, pawning stupas, buying and selling holy objects, destroying statues or stupas. Purified. Now receiving all the qualities in the Buddha, the ten powers, four fearlessnesses, and the eighteen unmixed qualities and so forth. I and all sentient beings have now come under the protection of the Buddhas.
Focus on the Dharma texts with a mind of total reliance. Purify the negative karmas accumulated with the Dharma in this and beginningless past lifetimes, such as the very heavy negative karma avoiding the dharma, stepping over texts, putting them in the garbage, buying and selling, and so forth. Purified. Now receive all the realizations from guru devotion up to enlightenment. I and all sentient beings now come under the protection of the Holy Dharma.
Focus on the sangha, the bodhisattvas, the Arhats, dakas and dakinis, and Dharma protectors. Purify the negative karmas accumulated in this and past lifetimes in relationship with the holy Sangha, such as taking Sangha’s belongings, preventing benefactors from making offerings, criticizing, and so forth. Purified. Receive all the blessings and realizations. bodhicitta and the six paramitas, the Bodhisattvas, The three high trainings from the Arhats, bliss and voidness, the dakas and the dakinis, and the four activities and the protectors.
I and all sentient beings have now come under the protection of the Sangha. Now from deep down in one’s heart with a mind of total reliance along with all sentient beings, go for refuge in Buddha, Dharma, Sangha by remembering the qualities and that they have the power to free one from all suffering. I go for refuge until I’m enlightened. To Buddha, the Dharma, the supreme assembly, by my merits of giving and other perfections, may I become a Buddha to benefit all sentient beings? Remember, every time we take refuge, the merit we collect, if it’s materialized, even the three galaxies is too small to fit it.
Replica, the Buddha absorbs into oneself and oneself transforms into the Buddha. From every pore of one’s holy body, infinite light rays emanate out in the tip of each beam as a Buddha. These go to the crowned heads of every single human being, every single preta, animal, human, source of intermediate state being. They ripen and liberate them. Their minds become dharmakaya, their bodies become rupakaya.
They transform into the aspect of Buddha Śākyamūni Buddha, and all these beings are absorbed back into one’s holy body, feel great joy thinking, now I’ve accomplished my wish by liberating all sentient beings and placing them in a state of full enlightenment. Then recollecting that this is just visualization, reality sentient beings are still suffering because they still have the causes of suffering, delusions and karma in their minds. Think, I must generate the four immeasurable thoughts. Remember the disadvantage of self-cherishing that has harmed oneself and other sentient beings countless times in past. That it’s harming me now, not allowing even moment to moment happiness and peace.
And that this self-cherishing thought, if I keep it in my heart, it will harm me forever. It will never allow me to achieve ultimate happiness and peace. Remember the Buddhas who were just like me, ordinary, having all the delusions. Countless aeons ago eliminated this self-cherishing, and now they’re fully enlightened, able to give infinite benefit to others. Therefore, I myself must target and destroy this self-cherishing continually.
This is the door to all happiness for myself and others. 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 that would be if all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity, free from the 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. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and the cause 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 cause 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 cause 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 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, good 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 them to be free from suffering and its causes.
Please, good deity, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be, four 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 never separated from the happiness of high rebirth and liberation. May they never be separated from these. I myself will cause them never to separate from these. Please, Guru Deity, bless me to be able to do this. Visualize giving away all your three time merits along with all the results of these, both temporary and ultimate happiness, right up to enlightenment.
Give everything to each hell being, each hungry ghost, each animal, each human, each intermediate state being. Feel that they receive whatever they need, whatever they want, that they receive good teachings along with all the temporary happiness they seek. 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. 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.
Think I’ve generated the realization of immeasurable joy in the mind of myself and all sentient beings. Special bodhicitta, Each hell being is the source of all my past, present, and future happiness. Each one of these beings is the most precious and kind one in my life. It’s been my mother countless times in the past, cherishing with the greatest affection and love. It is so unbearable for me to think of even one of these hell beings experiencing the intense sufferings of the lower realms for even instant.
And they are numberless, experiencing sufferings for a great length of time. Therefore, I must do something. I must take full responsibility to free all these beings. Therefore, I’m going to engage in profound practice of Guru Yoga. Every single hungry ghost is the most precious and kind one in my life, the source of my past present and future happiness up to enlightenment.
Each one of these beings is most precious and kind one. Even one of these hungry ghosts having to experience sufferings of hunger and thirst in the preta realm is so unbearable for me. And there are numberless beings experiencing this suffering for a great length of time. Therefore, I must do something, therefore, I must achieve enlightenment, therefore, I’m going to engage in the profound practice of Guru Yoga. Every single animal is a source for my past, present, future happiness.
Each one is most precious and dear one. It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these animals having to go there and to undergo the sufferings the animal realms for even an instant, and they’re numberless. Therefore, I must do something. I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to engage this profound quick path of Guru Yoga.
Every single human being has been my mother countless times in the past and is a source for my past, present, and future happiness up to enlightenment. Each one is most precious and dear one. Only by depending on each one of these human beings will I achieve enlightenment and be able to benefit all beings. It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these human beings undergoing the unimaginable sufferings, the numberless different types of suffering in the human realms. And there are numberless beings experiencing these.
Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to engage in this profound quick path of Guru Yoga. Every single sura being is most precious and kind one in my life. Each one of these beings has been my mother countless times in the past. Each one is the most precious and dear one.
It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these beings undergoing the various sufferings of the sura realms and they’re numberless. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to rely upon this profound quick path of Guru Yoga. Each intermediate state being is most precious and dear one in my life. Each one of these beings is the source for all my past, present, and future happiness.
So unbearable for me to think of even one of these intermediate state beings experiencing suffering for even instant, and they are numberless. It’s completely my responsibility to feel these pains and their suffering and bring them to a state of perfect happiness. Therefore, I’m going to engage in this profound quick path of Guru Yoga, which is full of blessings, which can bring about enlightenment even in one brief lifetime and just a short period of time, and which is being practiced by all the previous past great masters and saints. For the sake of all mother sentient beings, shall quickly, quickly, in this very life, obtain 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 the profound path of Guru Yoga. Merit field gradually absorbs into light, which absorbs to oneself. Everything is purified in emptiness until the appearances are arising as a deity. When we do the invocation, think to yourself, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas definitely come. They must come.
Why? First of all, they generated bodhicitta for us, then they practiced the entire path bearing great hardships for us, Then they gained enlightenment for us. Therefore, when we create the conditions for them to appear, they must do so. The merit field is always in front of us. The merit field pervades everywhere.
It’s just that we don’t yet have the pure karma to see this. Just as Maitreya appeared as a dog to Asaṇga until his mind was pure. Though all things are totally free of inherent coming and going, still you arise through your virtuous conduct of wisdom and loving compassion according to dispositions your varied disciples. Holy refuge object, thus, you’ve come forth with your retinue. Source of goodness and well-being throughout the three times.
Root and lineage gurus, Yidams, Three Jewels of refuge. Heroes, dakinis, Dharma protectors, and hosts of guardians. By the power of your compassion, come forth and abide spread out. To the endowed, transcend and destroy the one gone beyond, foe destroyer, completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and enlightened conduct, sugata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, to the founder, the endowed, and foe destroyer, the fully awakened one. And to all of you here, I offer this bath possessed of all qualities.
The bathhouse is an extremely sweet fragrance, a crystal floor and beautiful sparkling jewel pillars. The roof is covered by a canopy decorated with shining pearls. Just as after the birth of Buddha, the gods made offerings of pure water. I also offer a bath with the pure water to gods. Holy body created by ten meritorious 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 Shri Bodhi, the lineage Gurus of extensive conduct. I offer this bath to Shri Bodhi, the lineage Gurus of profound view. I offer this bath to Shri Bodhi, lineage Gurus of vast practice.
I offer this bath to Shri Bodhi, all lineage Gurus. Guru Vajradhāra encompassing all three refuges, taking the form of the virtuous friend, whoever it suits,, granting sublime and common realizations to the kind gurus they offer bath. Who showed me education to reveal sūtra and tantra text and advice, and who gave vows, initiations, and commentaries on tantra to direct and indirect gurus of ours. Who has total control of the speech of the hero Mañjuśrī, you, Lobsang Drakpa, preserving the teachings with thousands of disciples, completely controlling the three realms to you, the incomparable one, offer this bath. Eyes to view all the vast teachings, supreme gateway to liberation for the fortunate.
Using skillful means to lovingly subdued the illuminating spiritual friends I offer this bath. Most glorious, blissful rest.. Pervading the four wheels, countless tantras, to all the assembly of deities offer this bath. I offer this bath to the holy bodies of the founding Buddhas. I offer this bath to protecting Dharma.
I offer this bath to the guiding Sangha. I offer this bath to three precious gems. In times of past before the Bhagawan, you committed to supporting sentient beings. You accomplished prayers according to dharma. Assembled dharma protectors and supporters, I offer this bath.
The five long life goddesses, all those in the snow land of Tibet, especially those whose country and its place to all the local gods, land lords, spirits to offer this bath. To all of you now present with many jeweled vase of scented water, beautifully filled up with accent songs with variety music I offer this vase. And now dry their bodies with incomparably clean, sweet smelling cloth. Just as a goldsmith polishes gold already pure and refined, so do I apply the best fragrance to pervade billions of universes to the holy bodies, controlled ones. By offering these soft light divine clothes with indestructible faith in those who achieve 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 the marks and signs. By offering this auspicious vase, beautified by jewels and filled with various essences,, may it cleanse the common delusions of all six realms sentient beings to purify, and may they be moistened by the nectar of bodhicitta. Oh, With most excellent light radiating forth in ten directions, spread of good fortune ablaze everywhere. This crown ornament of precious golden powders, the crown of the Shakya king I offer.
May thereby a precious teaching 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 ten powers. Out of your loving compassion for myself and my prayers, Oh Bhagawans, please remain as long as I continue to make offerings by the force of your magical powers. Dedication..
Due to the merit of three times, guided by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and other sentient beings. The bodhicitta cherishing others letting go oneself letting go of the I. the source of all the happiness and success in myself and 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 merits of three times guided by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings. May all the father and mother sentient beings have 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 three times collected by me, Buddha’s, Bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings, may His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Buddha of Compassion, all other holy beings, all our friends of stable lives, and may all the holy wishes succeed immediately.
Due to the merits, the three times collected by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all the 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 has from now on all my future lifetimes. Due to the merits of three times created by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, all sentient beings, which are totally non existent from its own side, which is also totally non existent from its own side, achieve Buddha Śākyamūni Buddha’s enlightenment which is also totally non existent from its own side, and lead all sentient beings who are totally non existent from their own side, to that enlightenment which is totally non existent from its own side, by myself alone who is also totally non existent from its own side. I dedicate all my merits and were greatly admired by Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the three times and realized by the great Bhagavan Mañjuśrī. May I be able to completely analyze Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings which unifies Sūtra and Tantra within my mind and spread these teachings to the minds of all sentient beings. Thus, may Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings flourish forever.
Due to all the merits three times collected 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 with a 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 liberate from all disease, spirit harms, negative karmas, and defilements, and quickly achieve enlightenment by actualizing the whole path, especially bodhicitta. May my hearing that any sentient being is sick cause that person to immediately get recovered. By my hearing that somebody has died, may that cause that person to immediately be reborn in a pure realm, where they get enlightened..
Alright. We’ll come back at nine. Due to the kindness and compassion of Venerable Rinpoche, we’ll come back at nine o’clock precisely.