Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche addresses Buddha House students on the power of mantras to help the dying and the supreme importance of guru devotion. He explains how reciting specific mantras in the ear of a dying person protects them from rebirth in lower realms, how to bless food with mantra before offering to animals, and how even brief exposure to Dharma teachings plants seeds that mature across many lifetimes. The talk’s core focus, however, is guru devotion—Lama Zopa argues forcefully that pleasing the guru and following the guru’s advice is incomparably more important than any other practice, even more fruitful than making vast offerings to Buddhas or saving countless lives. He frames the guru as the manifestation through which the Buddhas guide sentient beings, and emphasizes repeatedly that regarding the guru’s instructions as Buddha’s own teaching is the gateway to enlightenment.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 01 Tbhs.mp3
UUID: 778b571f-25f0-4e2c-81b8-b2fed29ae664
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: y Talk to Buddha House Students (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 1985 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.5 minutes
Words: ~3,430
I’m sorry. I didn’t get to introduce or to explain the benefits of this those other mantras which which you may not have received or you may not haven’t heard the benefits of those mantras. This last prayer, which I repeated three times just now, Even animals or anybody who is anybody who is dying, if you recite this loudly in that being’s ear, just before his his gross consciousness or hearing stopped. If the person that animal or that being is able to hear this, it it protects It saves the the being taking rebirth in a lower realm of suffering, the lower realms. So this prayer is highly beneficial.
This particular Buddha, And There’s a particular this Buddha’s particular function of his, you know, his when he was in Buddhist time, his his, you know, particular motivation or, you know, particular thing to benefit for others. You see? What’s this? You know? Particularly to benefit sentient beings, you know, to save.
When he became enlightened, he generated this the holy attitude to give such particular benefit for others. So so after he become enlightened, so he’s, you know, he’s so he’s having a mantra. He’s having a problem. And even just to hear like, in one time, you know, one doesn’t get reborn in the lower realms. So perhaps so you may find it useful for yourself or for others to help the most difficult time, which is the death.
Instead of taking a body which has more suffering, Hearing this, Buddha’s holy name, it gives opportunity for that being to, you know, find body that he can have more happiness. Less mental and physical suffering. And those previous mantras have incredible, you know, and conceivable benefits. There’s so much that I can’t, you know, it may take much time to explain, you know, The whole extensive benefits. Reciting seven times a day with the total benefit to others, You know, one gets it gives opportunity when one who has died happens to be born into a higher realm.
And by the side of this mantra, blowing on incense or perfumes. You know? Anything that you apply to other or to drink or even the incense. You know? The other other smell.
Even even water is blessed with this mantra. Reciting this mantra on the body and see people willing, even that helps to recover the patient from the sickness or from spirit harm or possession like this. You know, it brings purification, purifies the karmas of countless. And one mantra. This any merit that one has accumulated, it multiplies one hundred thousand times.
And it’s mainly the long term has also unbelievable benefits. By one time, it purifies even the heavy negative karma, you know, broke all the four root vows like, you know, monk or nun ordination, you know, then broke the even even the higher, you know, full monk who broke all the four root vows. Sexual misconduct and then stealing. You know? Stealing.
Okay. Take out other slide. You know? Even he did all the even he received all the, you know, the four defeats or four root vow. By reciting this mantra one time, it purifies.
It is said in the in the teachings which explains benefits. So there’s an imaginable benefits of reciting this long this there is a long mantra. This is the great yogi who achieved enlightenment in the brief lifetime of the degenerate time, his precious mantra, which Milarepa himself promised he recited this mantra to be at the time of death to be born in pure realms. And by reciting this mantra, blowing on the bones of other sentient beings, know, it purifies you. Of that being where it is lower realms.
There are benefits purifying and the being born in pure realms. There’s a that the dead one will meet one of the Buddhas one will meet at the time of death. In the pure realm called Mañjuśrī, the pure realm of Mañjuśrī. So one can recite if when one is need. With the motivation of the Buddha, can recite any of these mantras, other ones at all or any of these.
Mantra, Chenrezig’s mantra, Buddha’s wish-granting mantra, and then also Amitābha mantra. The similar benefits as I explained before. So in this way, eating, you know, even even one eats their meat with the attachment, but even with some kind of good benefit for that animal.
You know? If one is to recite by the side of this mantra, blowing it on the food, to burn incense, you know, pain like this, and to quickly become enlightened. So it so there’s something that so the animal is receiving some benefit in this way. Not only that just you are eat not not only that we are, you know, eating, his, you know, his body that that is sort of cherished by that being. Even the food is eaten for the happiness of oneself.
But at least doing a small practice like this, the animal that animal receives some benefits. So there’s some good things. It’s not completely useless. So I want to say it was to the students there, the board the members of the Adelaide Center, the students whom I met and whom those who if there are any students whom I haven’t met. However however dedicating, you know, your life to benefit sentient beings through the center.
I’m happy to say hi to all And to say hello to all the dear, you know, the sincerely dedicated students, Blakey, Judy Perkins, Carrie Gilbert, Gary Hill, Dennis Canning, Ingrid, Leslie Yamin, Josh Findley, Lindley Denson, Kimball, Doug, Piers, Francis, Gabrielle. I’m sorry. Probably, you might heard you might have heard strange names which may which may not be there, But it’s just my you know, I know it’s getting bad reading the English letters. So it is said in Nāgārjuna’s text. In all the three time eons, even one makes offering to Buddhas. Anyone saves ten millions of lives of others. There are many sentient beings in life. One cannot achieve enlightenment in this life. But the guru, who has oceans of knowledge, wisdom qualities. If one if one pleases the guru with devotion, the general and the sublime realizations, one will achieve definitely in this very brief lifetime.
And also it is said in Atisha’s text, Lamp of the Path. If one accomplishes as one is advised by the guru, one will accomplish all one’s own wishes, and one will achieve infinite merit. In Tibetan language, is auspicious. If one pleased the guru by making one’s own belongings, Whoever does this this one liberates the being from the realm of the nirmanakaya from the three realm, the saṃsāra, goes to the stage of liberation. The liberation state, that which means enlightenment.
Which means, in a being in the samsaric realm, the saṃsāra is like, you know, you see, suffocated. It what is to try to express is, know, there’s no freedom at all, you know, full of suffering. No opportunity to long as we are in the saṃsāra, no opportunity to experience ultimate happiness, know, even a a second. So so somebody’s in the somebody’s in danger of death, then the doctor comes and then he, you know, taking treatment, then the person’s able to breathe out. You know?
So, like, he to breathe out and he got the and then, you see, he got freedom to live, you know, able to able to live and able to do works what he want. You know? Works of happiness, what he wants, was able to do. So like that. So achieving it’s on the to be liberated from saṃsāra and then become enlightenment.
That’s actually so so completely free from the defilements. The great that the greatest freedom and liberation. So anyway, so you can understand from these tantric texts. Making offerings all three times a day and saving the life of that many beings. You can see it’s incredible, unbelievable just when you think of that.
But you see, when you think that they could the advantages, it’s up when you look at that, it sounds incredible. It’s unbelievable. Very brave good virtuous action. But that alone doesn’t you cannot become enlightened in this life. So even one do that much offering and save that much life, but simply if one does the essential practice, the root practice of the whole path of enlightenment, the practice of pleasing the guru.
You see? Obtaining guru’s advice. So one achieve a general spiritual realization, you know. You hear airplane noise? This is the Boudhanath.
The big stupa in Nepal. So you see, you know, people organizers, you know, have received this from lama, you know, you know, Lama Yeshe. So you see, and and this started, know, this is Lama said to start the center there, you see?
Know, Lama told Wendy to, you know, to to start the center there. And and so and this is, you know, this is lama’s wish, and this is also isn’t that isn’t that lama’s wish, you know, same. And this all the three time guru’s wish, you know, When it’s a Guru’s wish, you know? You see it. And it’s it’s the yeah.
The Guru’s advice, you know, to practice Dharma, to control the mind, you know, to help others. This is advice of all Buddhas. This is advice of all Buddhas. When the guru gives teaching, you know, when the guru gives teaching initiation, lung, oral transmission, anything, that is the you know, that means that that itself is all the teaching and Buddhas are giving teaching to you. So you see manifesting in that form, that particular taking the ordinary aspect, taking the ordinary aspect to answer the disciples.
Example, know, Lama Yeshe, the lama. Similarly, you know, who never met Lama Yeshe and who are devoted to the Sheja, same thing. Same thing. So otherwise, you see, if the guru what teaching advice that the guru gives in the initiation of all these things, what the guru guru guiding you in the power of. If the if this is you don’t regard if you don’t regard this as a Buddha teaching, Buddha’s guiding, Kālacakra Buddha guiding, Tārā guiding, Mañjuśrī is guiding you, Vajrasattva is guiding you.
You know? If you don’t recognize this if you don’t recognize this one, the Buddhas are guiding you, then how can you there’s no way to point out how Buddhas are guiding you in the path of enlightenment. To guide you in the path of enlightenment, you have to exercise the path. For that you have to do the listening and the reflecting and the meditation practice. So who gives teaching?
Who lets you do this is about guru. If you separate from the gurus, guru and Buddha, guru’s actions and Buddha’s actions, if you separate away, you know, if you if you regard them as separate, then you have no no other way to point out. Have no other way to point out. Father doesn’t, mother doesn’t, father doesn’t, you know, father doesn’t reveal the whole path of enlightenment, mother doesn’t reveal the whole path of enlightenment, you know, or the friends don’t reveal the whole path of enlightenment. Those who are giving material help, the only material help, you see, and those others even the friend, yeah, who who give material help.
Yeah? That can that doesn’t lead to enlightenment. You know? Per you know, parents giving just a full clothings and, you know, just giving general education, that doesn’t lead to enlightenment. So there’s no other way to explain, to think, you know, that Buddha guide.
You understand? You see, Buddha guides beings to enlightenment, has revealed the path, So so you see, if you don’t regard what what the guru if you don’t regard, you know, don’t regard or don’t get, otherwise, don’t practice, don’t get, you know, essence of the Buddha’s actions, the teachings and all these things, Buddha’s actions. If you don’t regard this, they’re giving advice of all three time Buddha’s giving advice. Then you see Buddha’s manifestation of enlightenment is the guru. You know?
He’s guru, not Buddha. You know? Guru, who is separate from Buddha. Then you see in that way in that way, Buddha, you know, Buddha guiding sentient beings would become just theory, just just mere belief. Just mere belief.
You know? Just mere belief. You know? It becomes empty. Okay?
So however, my conclusion that so it’s you see, placing, you know, guru is a obtaining guru’s advice, you know, then, you know, is obtaining, you know, all the buddhas, you know, all the buddhas, you all the and all the Buddhas. And not just that not just that. Not just that. You see benefits are incredible for other sentient beings, thanks. So As you have heard as you’ve heard in the past, the one pandita, I think not Vasubandhu, I think it was an Indian pandit, you see.
When he was in the cave, reciting the scriptures, there was a pigeon on the top of the cave, and this pigeon was hearing all the scriptures, you know, they sound. And so then the pigeon died and was and born in that area, yeah, as human being, and became a monk and became his disciple. You know, Lochen Rinpoche became his disciple. And he was the disciple of the one who was reciting the scripture.
And the disciple’s name was given. And so because he heard just the sound of the prayer, the I think it’s the. So this, you know, disciple who was born last life, you see, he got you see he got much deeper understanding and he wrote, say, four, I think, commentaries, four four text commentaries to to the and to had incredibly profound understanding. Yeah. And able to benefit so much for sentient beings.
You see? It’s all like that. You know? Just planting the seed of the Dharma. You see what the result you see?
There’s no kind of comparison. Just cost so small, but the result’s unbelievable. Same thing what happened with Nāgārjuna. You know, the similar story, then one person heard many times the Dharma, then became a disciple, then became a spreader of Dharma and benefit others. So like this, we should think in this way, the person does not practice.
As a patient cannot do practice, just one plant, the impression, you see it. Even the people who do not practice who just came to listen one or two days, one hour Dharma discourse, unbelievable, unbelievable seed is planted. You understand? So that is the so you see the result, as I mentioned, is incredible, you see? So we should look at it even this way, the advantage of our dedicated life to the center, our Dharma center, in having a Dharma center. A hundredfold benefit, thinking in this way. Then not only that, see, by hearing about karma, what is right or wrong, what wrong action, what is right action to the practice, causes happiness and causes suffering, you see? You see, you see, by knowing the karmas, know, then they take practice, let’s say ten virtuous actions, they’re tired of taking precepts, coming across the course, there, etcetera, they take five precepts, three precepts, two precepts, those are precepts, unbelievable result, temporary, ultimate, you know, so much. So you see, so many ways you can think of advantage. You see, how it’s having great benefit.
Having incredible benefit for one human being, generally ultimate being so much benefits. Even once in a meeting, for many future lives, it benefits the center. See, keeping know, he’s practicing virtue, see, practicing patience you know, by hearing the meditation of patience, see, by hearing the meditation of loving kindness and compassion, but all that thing. Yeah. So you see, comes much virtue, much virtue, you see.
So it result the patient able to enjoy the result for many lifetimes. Many lifetimes, not just one lifetimes, many lifetimes. So from those person, by keeping the person, then they get born again in a human body in the next lives. Then again, look at this because you see much, you know, they practice having practice Dharma, you see, so that when they’re taking in body, again they practice Dharma, again they meet Dharma, again they practice Dharma more, then again that causes to practice moral conduct, again that causes the bodhicitta to arise, they get a chance to practice more Dharma. So like this, so gradually, to enlightenment.
So you can see incredible advantage even for one thing what the center offers. So many hundreds of life to life after enlightenment it benefits. You know? As they find refuge, as they find as they find faith, devotion to the Buddha, you see, make offerings, faith in karma, you know, and make offering to the Buddha, you know? Every single action make an offer to Buddha, you see, is a cause of enlightenment.
So can you imagine that each single merit that can make offering to Buddha? It’s all, you know, it’s all brings them brings, I say, brings to brings them to enlightenment. So you see, it it has infinite each one become causal each one become causal. The result is, you know, quality quality, that is the quality of enlightenment. And the quality of Buddha is, you see, unspeakable, you know, like infinite space.
Then you see, able to able to then after one being enlightened, guides every every sentient being to enlightenment. So so all these advances so you see, all these things happened. Referring back, when the person was a human being and being reborn as a Western person or Indian, you see, came to the course. Maybe he was hippie or maybe he was a you know, what? He was he was a farmer or he was something something something.
He was, you know, a music player or something. And then he’s oh, yeah. Nurse or something. Yeah. Whatever it was, know, butcher or, you know, prostitute or something.
Whatever it was, you know, came to the center to basically be curious mind or or for some kind of so some kind of little peace of mind. Doesn’t know what the person really want, you know, seeking happiness, but doesn’t really know what happiness he wants, you know, some kind of peace of mind again. And so it starts from so he heard teachings, receiving teachings. So the whole enlightenment and guiding liberation of the sentient being from saṃsāra, from the ocean, you see, from suffering of some kind of like oceans, you see liberating sentient beings from or sentient beings from that and what happened, if you like. So it came from that, it turned out caused from that initially, you see where the reference back means like that.
So you can see like that. So you can see now how worth it is, you know. Yeah. And then the practice of Buddhism, know, meditation time. You know?
So we should feel happy, we should feel incredibly joyfulness, how we help, how incredible we help other sentient beings, able to help. And that is so that is that our dedication able to help others to ultimately cause happiness. So much like this, you know, up in in enlightenment. But that is that is, you know, purpose of why we have taken human body in this life. It makes worthwhile, reasonable.
You see? That’s the reason. And as you see? So and here. It makes about what having the human body, not having, you know, a kangaroo body.
Kangaroo? What? What’s that one? Shushed out. For this not being born in a lower class.
Why we’re not bronchodilators? You see? And and and and also meaning and that we live long. You see? Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense living long life.
You know? Living a long life is not okay with karma. That that no differences in in the dog’s case. It’s time, all time. Even the snakes who live long time, it’s okay with karma.
Those animals who live. I heard there’s animals who also who live very, very, very long, thousands. Nothing surprised. Anyway. So like this.
Okay? Especially now that we you see, we should work as hard as possible. You see, you see, even our even ourself, you know, we don’t we can’t we we cannot do meditation sessions, kind of sitting meditation sessions.