Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 35-minute session from a Mahāmudrā International Retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches Guru Yoga and Bodhicitta Generation as the dual foundation for retreat practice. He begins with the core recognition: the guru and all Buddhas are inseparable, and this understanding extends to all holy objects (statues, thangkas, stupas, prayer wheels) as manifestations of the guru’s compassion. He then guides practitioners to recognize sentient beings as the source of all happiness, from beginningless time through enlightenment, and to generate the aspiration to achieve full enlightenment for their sake. The session culminates in taking one-day vows of moral discipline, framed as dedication to peace and freedom from suffering for all beings, and concludes with dedication prayers for universal liberation. For serious practitioners.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 71 2004 04 25 MR.mp3
UUID: 18b3de40-b4bb-4672-8750-53d38b880232
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Mahāmudrā International Retreat (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-04-25
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 34.9 minutes
Words: ~2,351
Who is ordinary. The mind that sees the guru and Buddhas as separate and transform that mind into the pure devotional mind of Guru Yoga that sees the Guru and Buddhas as one. Generally, whenever we think of the guru, whenever we see the guru, we should immediately think all the Buddhas. Whenever we see Buddhas, whenever we think of deities, immediately there should be the awareness. Guru.
Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo gave the example of a monk’s coat. Whenever a monk thinks of his coat, immediately, he remembers that outside, there’s hair, and inside, there’s a yellow cloth. It comes together, the whole thing. In the same way, as soon as you remember guru, without any effort, twenty four hours, naturally, there is the awareness, the experience deep down in your heart that this is Buddha. And whenever you think of Buddha, whenever you do sadhanas with deities, immediately, there is a recognition, guru.
One guru is all the Buddhas, and all the Buddhas are the guru. Naturally, having this recognition is the realization of Guru devotion. Not only that, but also whenever we see statues, thangkas, images of the deity, pictures of the Buddha, whenever we see holy objects, relics, stupas, prayer wheels, Whenever we go into temples and see all these things, the first thing to be aware of is that these are the guru. The dharmakaya holy mind bound by infinite compassion manifests these aspects as holy objects to purify the negative karma of myself and all sentient beings and to save us from the lower realms in saṃsāra and and saṃsāra and bring us to enlightenment. When you feel this way, naturally, you feel a connection with all these holy objects.
You see how the guru has manifested in these ways to bring you to enlightenment, And you feel the guru’s kindness in your heart. Guru’s Buddha, Guru’s Dharma, Guru’s Sangha also, Guru is creator of all happiness, all Gurus are kind, source of all our lineage. Generate the wish to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. Remember how each one of these beings is so precious and so kind. Each one of these beings is a source of all one’s past happiness, present happiness, and future happiness up to enlightenment.
Each insect, each bird, each fish in the ocean is the source of all one’s happiness. The Buddhas in whom we take refuge, whom we respect so much, came from these sentient beings. Buddha comes from bodhisattva, bodhisattva comes from bodhicitta, bodhicitta comes from great compassion, and great compassion arises on the basis of each and every single suffering obscured sentient being. Therefore, sentient beings are most precious and kind, most important ones in our life. Even if I sacrificed my life countless times each day, I could never repay the kindness of these sentient beings.
By cherishing even one of them, enlightenment is achieved. What these sentient beings want is happiness. What they wish to avoid is suffering. Therefore, I myself will take full responsibility to make this happen. In order to do this, I must achieve the state of fully omniscient mind, the state of the guru.
To accomplish my own and others’ aims, I generate the mind seeking enlightenment. Blessing all the offerings, sit here. Blessing all the offerings set out in the room above. Blessing all the offerings set out in all the various FPMT centers around the world. Also in the students’ homes, wherever there wherever there are actually arranged offerings and then mentally creating numbers more filling the earth and sky.
By reciting this offering cloud mantra, causing all these offerings to be received by numberless Buddhas. By the power of truth, its Three Jewels, blessings of the vajra body, speech. By the power of the great mind, the completely pure and inconceivable sphere of reality. May all these offerings become just so. Reverently, I prostrate with my body, speech, mind.
And present clouds of every type of offering action imagined. And declare my negative actions accumulated since beginningless time. Rejoice in the merciful holy and ordinary beings. Please remain until end of cyclic existence. And turn the wheel of Dharma for living beings.
Draw dedicate my own merits and those of all others to the great enlightenment. The objects, my attachment, aversion, ignorance, friends, enemies, strangers, and my body, wealth, and enjoyments. Without any sense of loss or offer this collection, please accept it with pleasure and bless me with freedom from this rebirth. Even though I and all sentient beings, who equal extent of infinite space, have experienced countless forms of suffering from beginningless time until now, still I am unable to generate a single thought of renunciation or frustration at this existence. Instead, because of the power of misguided habits, such as grasping at suffering as happiness, and grasping at that which is selfless as having a self, I’m under the control of the afflictions and their actions.
And once again, I will have to experience and endure without choice the sufferings of cyclic existence and the three lower realms even more extensively and abundantly than before. If I were to really consider this situation, it would definitely bring pain to my heart. However, even Śākyamūni Buddha and all the other Buddhas of past were not always Buddhas. Like me, they once lived in cyclic existence. And then through the kindness of just one virtuous friend, they generated the thought to definitely emerge, and the awakening mind of loving concern for each and every sentient being.
Then by taking this ordination and protecting the precepts purely and by training in the path, they achieved enlightenment. Similarly, having met the Mahāyāna teachings through the kindness of my virtuous friend, I too will generate the altruistic aspiration to attain enlightenment and train my mind in the path. In this way, I will definitely attain the state of enlightenment. Like a wish-fulfilling jewel, mother sentient beings who equal the extent of infinite space are the source of all the collections of goodness in this and future lives. Since beginningless time, all these beings have held me dear, and they will continue to do so until the end of existence.
If I renounce their happiness and instead seek only the means for my own happiness, this would not only be foolish and unwise, but also extremely shameful. I would not be the slightest bit different from an animal. Therefore, for the benefit of all sentient beings equally extend to infinite space, I must attain the precious state of perfect and fully completed enlightenment. And for this purpose, in the presence of all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas as my witness, I shall take and keep the Mahāyāna precepts. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas dwell in ten directions, please pay attention to me.
Just as previous tathagatas, foe destroyers, perfectly completed Buddhas, who like the divine wise horse and the great elephant did what had to be done, performed actions, laid down the burden, subsequently attained own welfare, completely exhausted fetters of existence and had perfect speech, well liberated minds, well liberated wisdom, for the welfare of all sentient beings, in order to benefit, in order to liberate, in order to eliminate famine, in order to eliminate war, in order to stop the harmful elements, in order to eliminate sickness, in order to fully complete thirty seven practices harmonious with enlightenment, in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result of perfect complete enlightenment, perfectly perform restoring and purifying ordination. Similarly also, I, [name], also. From this time until sunrise tomorrow, the world for all sentient beings in order to benefit, order to liberate, in order to eliminate famine, in order to eliminate war, in order to stop the harm of the four elements, in order to eliminate sickness, in order to fully complete thirty seven practice harmonious enlightenment, in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result of perfect complete enlightenment, shall perfectly undertake restoring purifying ordination. All Buddhas and bodhisattvas dwell in ten directions, please pay attention to me.
Just as previous tathagatas, foe destroyers, perfectly completed Buddhas. who like the divine wise horse and the great elephant did what had to be done, formed actions, laid down the burden, subsequently attained own welfare, completely exhausted fetters of existence, had perfect speech, well liberated minds, well liberated wisdom, for the welfare of all sentient beings in order to benefit, in order to liberate, in order to eliminate famine, in order to eliminate war, in order to stop the harmful elements, in order to eliminate sickness, in order to fully complete thirty seven practices harmonious with enlightenment, in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result of perfect complete enlightenment, perfectly perform restoring purifying ordination. Similarly also, I, [name], also, from this time until sunrise tomorrow. For the world for all sentient beings, in order to benefit, in order to liberate, in order to eliminate famine, in order to eliminate war, in order to stop the harm of the four elements, in order to eliminate sickness, in order to fully complete the thirty-seven practices harmonious with enlightenment, in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result of perfect complete enlightenment, shall perfectly undertake restoring purifying ordination. Have a very wide mind that embraces and encompasses all those suffering in this world, particularly think of all the human beings, all the wars, all the depressions, all those who are sick and dying, all those who are grieving, all those who are undergoing operations right now in hospital, not knowing if they will live or die, or those experiencing famine and hunger, or those experiencing drought, or those experiencing natural disasters.
All of these things arise and causes the delusions and karma in sentient beings’ minds. Think I take responsibility to eliminate all these causes from my own mind and bring all sentient beings from suffering to happiness. Not just eliminating these present sufferings, but eliminating even a deep root of the cause of all their sufferings. I will do this just as previous Buddhas have done, and I’ll do it by myself alone. All Buddhas and bodhisattvas dwell in ten directions.
Please pay attention to me. Just as previous tathagatas, foe destroyers, perfectly completed Buddhas who like the divine wise horse and the great elephant did what had to be done, performed actions, laid down the burden, subsequently attained own welfare, completely exhausted the fetters of existence, and had perfect speech, well liberated minds, well liberated wisdom, for the welfare of all sentient beings in order to benefit, in order to liberate, in order to eliminate famine, in order to eliminate war, in order to stop the harmful elements, in order to eliminate sickness, in order to fully complete the practice harmonious with enlightenment, in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result of perfect complete enlightenment, perfectly perform restoring purifying ordination, similarly also I, [name], also, from this time until sunrise tomorrow, for the welfare of all sentient beings in order to benefit, in order to liberate, in order to eliminate famine, in order to eliminate war, in order to stop the harm of the four elements, in order to eliminate sickness, in order to fully complete the practice harmonious with enlightenment, in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result of perfect complete enlightenment, shall perfectly undertake restoring purifying ordination. Just as the foe destroyers have passed to ban all misconduct of body, speech, and mind, such as taking the lives of others, so should I, for the sake of all beings, ban for one day these wrong actions and devote myself to pure practice of training.
From now on, I shall not kill, steal other’s possessions, engage in sexual activity, or speak false words. I shall avoid intoxicants from which many mistakes arise. I shall not sit on large, higher expensive beds. I shall not eat food at the wrong times. I shall avoid singing, dancing, and playing music.
I shall not wear perfumes, garments, ornaments. Just as foe destroyers avoid wrong actions such as taking the lives of others. So should I avoid wrong actions such as taking the lives of others, and quickly attain enlightenment, and may the living beings who are experiencing various sufferings be released from the ocean of saṃsāra. May I maintain flawless morality of the rules and immaculate morality.
May perfection and moral conduct be completed by keeping morality purely and untainted by pride. This is my contribution to peace and happiness of all sentient beings, and in particular to the peace and happiness of all sentient beings in this world. May supreme jewel bodhicitta that has not arisen arise and grow. May that which has arisen not diminish, but increase more and more. Because of the merits of taking ordination and keeping the precepts, may I and all sentient beings graced with enlightened holy bodies, created by the two vast accumulations of merit and transcendental wisdom.
May all beings everywhere be freed from sufferings of body and mind, obtain an ocean of happiness and joy by virtue of my merits. May no living creature suffer, commit evil, and ever fall ill. May no one be afraid or belittled with a mind weighed down by depression. May the blind see forms and deaf hear sounds. May those whose bodies are lame and crippled be restored and find repose.
May the naked find clothing, the hungry find food. May the thirsty find water and delicious drinks. May the poor find wealth, those weak with sorrow find joy. May the forlorn find hope, constant happiness, and prosperity. May there be timely rains and bountiful harvests.
May all medicines be effective and wholesome prayers bear fruit. May all who are sick and ill quickly be freed from their ailments. Whatever diseases around the world, may they never occur again. May the frightened cease to be afraid, and those bound be freed. May the powerless find power, may people think of benefiting each other.
For as long as space remains, for as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain to dispel the suffering of the world.