Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 56-minute guided Guru Yoga practice, Lama Zopa Rinpoche leads students through a complete session. He begins with foundational preparation—correct posture, casting out worldly attachment, and nine rounds of breathing to clear the mind. He then guides detailed guru devotion, requesting blessings for renunciation, stable practice, and transformation of obstacles. The heart is a vivid visualization of the merit field, with the guru appearing as Śākyamūni Buddha surrounded by lineage gurus, yidams, buddhas, bodhisattvas, and protectors. Woven throughout are reflections on suffering in the six realms and the four immeasurables: equanimity, happiness, freedom from suffering, and never being separated from liberation. The session concludes with extensive offerings and multiple dedication prayers extending merit to all sentient beings. For practitioners already familiar with guru yoga.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 66 2004 04 24 MR.mp3
UUID: af95082c-d36d-425c-bab5-9046296fd429
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-24
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 56.6 minutes
Words: ~3,289
Begin by sitting in the correct position, checking the mind, casting out the thought, the eight worldly dharmas’ attachment clinging to this life. And then cleansing the mind, bringing it to a neutral state by means of the nine round breathing. Then in order to wash the mind, developing strong thought of devotion by reflecting on the guru in this way. Lama, think of me. Lama, think of me.
Lama, think of me. Magnificently glorious guru dispelling the darkness of ignorance. Magnificently glorious revealing the path of liberation. Magnificently glorious guru, liberating from the waters of saṃsāra. Magnificently, Glorious Guru, eliminating diseases of the five poisons.
Magnificently glorious Guru, 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 to not have any hindrances to my practice. Magnificently glorious guru. Please bless me so that all bad conditions appear as a support. Please bless me to effortlessly accomplish the two works of self and others.
Magnificently glorious guru, please bless me now, soon. Please bless me as I sit here on this cushion. Please bless me as I sit here in this very session. In space in front of me is a large jewel throne supported by eight great lions. On top of which is a seat of variegated lotus, moon and sun mandalas.
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 mode of controlling the earth, and the left in the mode 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 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, the yidams, buddhas, bodhisattvas, dakas, 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 generate great devotion towards them. Surrounding me and going out endlessly are all sentient beings, all undergoing the various different types of sufferings of the six realms, all in human form. They’re extremely pitiful and crying out for help. I lead them in taking refuge. From beginning this time until now, I and all mother sentient beings have been experiencing the various general sufferings of saṃsāra, numberless times, especially the suffering in the lower realms.
Still it is difficult to see the end of saṃsāra, to see the depth of suffering. And this time, I’ve 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 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’ll have to experience over again 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 the three precious gems. 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 I 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, and 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 and its causes.
I myself will cause them to have happiness and its causes. Please, Guru Deity, bless me to be able to do that. 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 and 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 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 are free from suffering and the causes suffering. May they be free from suffering and its causes. And 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 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, high rebirth, and liberation. May they never be separated from these.
And myself will cause never to be separated from these. Please, Guru Deity, bless me to be able to do this. Each hell being is the source of all my past, present, and future happiness. Each one of these beings has been my mother countless times in the past, cherishing me with the greatest affection and love, protecting my life from danger countless times each day, sacrificing themselves for me in numberless ways. It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these hell beings having to undergo the unimaginable sufferings in the hell realms for even an instant.
And there are numberless beings experiencing these sufferings for a great length of time. Therefore, I must do something. I must achieve enlightenment to free these beings from their suffering. Therefore, I’m going to engage in this profound quick path of Guru Yoga. Each hungry ghost is a source of all my past, present, and future happiness.
Each one is the most precious and dear one in my life. It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one preta being having to undergo the unimaginable sufferings of hunger and thirst in the preta realms for even an instant. And there are numberless beings experiencing these sufferings for a great length of time. Therefore, I must do something. I must achieve enlightenment.
Therefore, I’m going to do this profound quick path of Guru Yoga. Every single animal is a source of all my past, present, and future happiness. Each one has been my mother countless times, cherishing me with the greatest affection and love, caring for me when I was totally helpless. It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these beings in the animal realm experiencing all the various different sufferings. For even an instant.
And there are numberless, numberless animals. 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 the source of all my past, present, and future happiness, most precious and dear one in my life.
So unbearable for me to think of all the different sufferings in the human realm that even one being would have to experience these, but there are a number of beings experiencing them. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to practice the profound quick path of Guru Yoga. Each sura being is the source of my past, present, future happiness. Most precious and dear one in my life, it’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these beings experiencing the sufferings in the sura realm, they are numberless.
Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to practice Guru Yoga. Each asura being is a source of my past, present, future happiness, both temporary happiness right up to the state of full enlightenment. All the realizations of the past, all the qualities of the Buddha are received by depending on each one of these beings. There’s no other way.
Therefore, each one is so important and so precious and so kind. It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these beings having to experience the suffering they undergo even for an instant. And there are nonetheless numberless. Therefore, must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to practice Guru Yoga.
Every single intermediate state being is a source of all my past happiness, my present happiness, and my future happiness. Each one of these beings has been my mother countless times. Each one has cared for me when I was utterly helpless, creating so much positive karma for me. It’s so unbearable for me to think of even one of these beings in intermediate state experiencing the sufferings of the bardo, the great fear and panic. Therefore, I must do something.
Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I’m going to practice this profound quick path of Guru Yoga, which is full of blessings. The quick path of enlightenment relied upon by all the great yogis and seers of the past. For the sake of all mother sentient beings, shall quickly, 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 Vajradhāra Yoga. The merit field gradually absorbs into light, absorbs to oneself, oneself absorbs to emptiness, and then to the practice of three kayas. The meaning of the next verse as translated by Rinpoche. The nature of phenomena is emptiness. In emptiness, there is no coming or going.
The holy mind of transcendental wisdom, which is one taste with emptiness, like having put water into water, immovable from that forever, non dual. This absolute guru, when the karma is ripened for sentient beings, exactly according to the karma of sentient beings, it manifests any form, then guides us sentient beings. Now I’ll tell you the Rinpoche’s explanation of the second verse. Originator of all perfections, including all my past, present, and future happiness. All perfections of saṃsāra as well as liberation.
All good things. Root and lineage gurus, Three Jewels of refuge, dakas, dakinis, Dharma protectors, and host of guardians. Being under the control of compassion, please come here for me to make offerings, and please come here and abide forever, for me to purify and collect merit and request blessings, to eliminate all the obstacles to my practice and receive all the blessings so that I have all the necessary conditions to generate the realizations of the path. The wisdom and commitment beings joyfully and willingly become non dual. To the endowed and foe destroyer, the one gone thus, the foe destroyer, completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct.
the knower, the wise one, guide of human beings to be tamed. To the founder, the endowed, and foe destroyer, fully awakened one, to all of you here, offer this bath possessed of all qualities. So it doesn’t doesn’t mention in prayer, but also making offering baths to all the holy objects three times ten directions, and also all the relics, prayer wheels, and so forth. The bath house is 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 make offerings of pure water. I also offer a bath with the pure water of the gods. Holy body created by ten million excellent virtues. Holy speech fulfilling the hopes of all migratory beings. Holy mind seeing all existence as it is, I offer this bath of extensive conduct.
I offer this bath to Lineage Gurus of profound view. I offer this bath to Lineage Gurus of vast practice. I offer this bath to all Lineage Gurus. Guru Vajradhāra encompassing all three refuges, taking the form of the virtuous friend granting supreme and common realizations to the kind Guru’s who Who taught me education, who revealed sūtra and tantra texts and advice, who gave vows, initiations and commentaries on tantra, direct and lineage Gurus, Upayasayas, For total control, the speech of the Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna, you, Lamas, Yidams, preserve the teachings, Vidyadharas, Dharmapala, Dharma protectors, completely controlling three realms to you, the incomparable one, offer this vase. You who subdue all, the vast teachings bring gateways of liberation for the fortunate.
Using skillful means and loving kindness, to you illuminating spiritual friends offer this vase. Blissful, glorious, Vajradhāra, and the rest. Protectors of four wheels, root and tantras to all the assembly deities offer this bath. I offer this bath, and venerate the founding Buddhas offer this bath with the Holy Dharma, offer this bath with guiding Sangha, offer this bath with three precious gems. In times long past before the Bhagavan, you committed to benefiting beings, so accomplish practices according to Dharma.
To the assembly of Dharma, protectors and supporters are offered as well. To the five long life goddesses, Bodhisattvas and 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 offer this bath. And so I’ll just have this pick up just a moment. Towards the merit field with many jewel vessels of scented water beautifully filled, accompanied by excellent songs and a variety of music, to offer this bath. And now dry the holy bodies with completely clean sweet smelling cloth.
Om Sarva Tathāgata Abhishekaye Samaya Shriye Ah Hum. Just as a goldsmith polishes gold already pure and refined, so do I apply the best fragrance that pervades billions of universes to the holy bodies, the controlled ones. By offering these soft, light divine clothes with indestructible faith and those who attain the indestructible holy body, may I also achieve the vajra holy body? Because the conquerors were adorned by the natural ornaments, the marks, signs, they did 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 by 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 wetness of bodhicitta. With most excellent light radiating forth in ten directions, splendor of good fortune ablaze everywhere. This crown ornament of precious golden powders, the crown of the Shakya king I offer. May thereby the precious teachings spread into ten directions. The world become pervaded by major happiness.
And by us 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, oh Bhagawam, please remain as long as I continue to make offerings by the force your magical powers. Dedication prayers. Due to the merits of the 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, the source for the happiness and success of myself, and all other sentient beings, be generated within my own mind and the minds of all sentient beings.
May that which has already been generated increase. Due to the merits of the three times guided by me, Buddha’s, Bodhisattvas and all other sentient beings. May all the father and mother sentient beings have 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 of three times guided by me, Buddha’s, bodhisattvas, nor other sentient beings, May all the Dalai Lama, Buddha, compassion, and other holy beings’. All our virtuous friends have stabilized. May all the holy wishes succeed immediately. Due to the merits of the three times guided by me, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, all other sentient beings, May I be able to offer skies of benefit to all sentient beings as Lama Tsongkhapa did, for having within me the same qualities Lama Tsongkhapa has from now on in all my future lifetimes. Due to the merits of the three times guided by me, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, which are totally non existent from their own side.
May the I, which is also totally non existent from its own side. Achieve Guru Śākyamūni Buddha’s enlightenment, which is also totally non existent from its own side. Lead all sentient beings with totally non existent from their own side. To that enlightenment which is totally non existent from its own side. But myself alone is also totally non existent from its own side.
I dedicate all my merits greatly admired by Buddhas of the three times. And realized by Śāntideva and Mañjuśrī. May I be able to completely actualize Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching, which unifies Sūtra and Tantra within my mind, the teachings and minds of all sentient beings. Thus, may Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings flourish forever. Due to all the merits of the three times, gathered by me, Buddhas, 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 the lower realms. May those sentient beings immediately be liberated from all disease, spirit harms, negative karma and defilements, and quickly achieve enlightenment by actualizing the whole path, especially bodhicitta. But anybody that I hear is sick, may cause that person to immediately get recovered. By my hearing that somebody has died, may cause them to immediately be born in pure realm where they can get enlightened. So this is now between session time.
So the merit field is always there. So anything that one eats or drinks and one is still the deity. So anything one eats or drinks, offer to that. And also, please do the between session practice either reflecting on the kindness of the guru, or any of the Guru Devotion teachings trying to make that stable, the Guru Yoga mind, guru inseparable from the Buddhas or emptiness. And then we’ll begin again at nine o’clock.