Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 114-minute opening remarks to FPMT center directors and members—gathering together for what Lama Zopa Rinpoche describes as the first time—he frames the organization’s core mission through Buddhist philosophy. He recalls how Lama Yeshe founded the organization and develops why authentic benefit to sentient beings means liberation from saṃsāra, not merely temporary relief or worldly comfort. He reviews concrete projects: monastery building and Sangha support in Mongolia and Nepal; past visits from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, particularly successful teachings in Sydney; and plans for teachings in Bangalore. He outlines future initiatives including study programs—five-year, basic, and master curricula—designed to train qualified Western teachers to teach clear Dharma in their own language worldwide. The talk closes with formal blessing and dedication prayers.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 01 Opening remarks.mp3
UUID: edf8b8ad-128d-4dc5-98a4-b0cba30613b4
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z CPMT (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 114.4 minutes
Words: ~8,734
So I think it’s I think this is a great joy that and great inspiration for me that so many directors, our centers, and even actually there is gonna come, but the representative is here. So I think maybe that that many members of of the center gathered. It’s probably this maybe first time, I think. Yes. Is that right?
First time. Maybe for since we since Lama’s holy name is extremely difficult to express, who is a kind of Buddha, a lama. Don’t remember which year I have probably some of the old student would know that when Lama start to form the organization at Dharamsala, I was there at that time. The time that Lama Lama gave us a commentary there and with all my coughings, and I did some commentary at the beginning. Although, coughing mixed with the commentary.
But the beginning so which year? Which year? Which year? Oh, eighty-six. Roger.
Roger remembers. Yeah, Tuśita or Lama Tuśita. I think maybe Lama was making preparation, you know, to stabilize the organization so so the the dharma activity can be continued, you know, and continued, you know, in world for a long time and also very, you know, extensive way. And also so everything prepared, you know, during long time, the progression of the future of the organization, you know, all all the development up to now what has been happening, they were able to benefit many different parts of this world. It’s already Lama’s time prepared to make our lives meaningful.
All those direct, indirect students, everyone’s life, high meaningful, their own meditation practice as well as as well as the Dharma practice, serving others and serving the our kind, compassionate Guru Śākyamūni Buddha’s teaching, you know, to say, to preserve and spread, you see. Because without Dharma, there’s no happiness. Even the happiness of this life, you know, you can’t achieve that without Dharma, without even created the cause, the virtue. Before the result, you experience the happiness. So it has to come any happiness, it has come from only the virtue.
You see? So therefore, say, without dharma, there’s no happiness. Not even temporary happiness. Leave aside the ultimate happiness, you know, total liberation from the whole entire oceans of samsaric sufferings and full enlightenment, you see, cessation of all the mistakes of mind, you know, and the completion of all the realizations. So so therefore, you see, I think oh, so during Lama’s time, before Lama passed away, you know, everything, I think, Lama started.
You see? So all the what if a progression happened up now in this world come from that source, from Lama’s kindness, so that so so what I’m saying is auspicious auspicious means fulfilling all the wishes, wish-fulfilling. So I’m very happy that that all of you put effort to come even though it’s very far with a lot of hardships, you see, with much, let’s say, hardships. So it’s in spite of that, so being that, so I’m able to make make make time able to be here to, you know, to share the experiences, to help each other, to share your experiences, your enlightening, you know, experiences and you see to share each other and how you’re about to help each other.
Just yeah. And to solve the difficulties, you see, each other. And and how to make the how to make the organization most productive, beneficial to the sentient beings, not only sentient beings in this earth, this global this earth, but sentient beings in all the universes who are in all the universes to benefit. You see? How do we what was most useful beneficial I mean, the the organization to make, which includes your own personal life, how to make the most beneficial to others, to other sentient beings, and teaching Buddha, which is our main goal of our life.
Purpose of taking human birth this time. The purpose of essential purpose of why we have taken human body in this time. So that’s the project of taking our taking the human have taken the human body, our objective of our life. So that’s sense, making the organization most beneficial or making your individual life most beneficial, most productive, most satisfactor satisfied life. How you might say, wish fulfilling to other and service to Buddhas, Buddhas, well.
Of course, then root then, I see the guru, his knowledge, the lama, as well as them. You see, as I mentioned before, then lama is you see, like that. So and also possible that let’s see. A life to life lama, you know, with the organization that lama differently lives to benefit. There’s a base, there’s a foundation that each successive reincarnation can benefit extensively to sentient beings.
So that’s you see? So I’m just a Mickey Mouse. I’m just a Mickey Mouse. At the moment, just leading the you know? So not that not that not that not really that much I can can do benefit to organization, you see, you know, little is possible.
So not that, you see, to, you know, help. However, I’m very, very happy to express also, you see, that everyone say, all of us say, united together, you know, in happy to express that. I want to express that. To important for success. So the success of organization, the causing, happiness, peace for the sentient beings.
Śāntideva talks about this. It’s important. It’s a very devotion. So that’s so So I want to see. So thank you very much to everyone. So coming here and then generally, you see your own meditation practice on the path and other aspect of Dharma. You see the You see the say, with with the group, then working together too, you see, which is the the same time.
So benefiting together in in serving the sentient beings and teaching. That’s all I like to thank. So there are also here students who have been doing for working with the center for so many years. So everyone, I would like to thank very much, you know, that you put your body with your whole heart, body, speech, mind, with your whole heart. You see, this, you know, since sincerely, see, offering, you know, service or during your practice.
So yeah. So so mhmm. So would like just to go through first what I can remember, the the activities. Then there might be things that I don’t remember. So you can express that, those those activities or projects, you see.
But at this is it what I would like to do is as I as I go through this, what do we have so far, what we have been doing, but also I would like at the same time, I would like to express what we would like to achieve in the future. So together, you see, we thought the past up to now, but also from the future. What what I want to achieve, what we want to achieve, what what is it we’d like to see to achieve. So just some of the ideas. Not but not complicated.
Very simple. So through this, by giving us some idea, I think we know the so what what what what to look for. You see, some idea, you know, the direction to, you see, to benefit others. What are the things to, you know, to to do? So things that some idea of that.
My relative, you know, the one who who who is the resident teacher of Hong Kong Center, So he I brought him into board member, but he joined a participant quite a few times. But recently, he want to resign. So I said, oh, you should not resign. I said, FMT actually hasn’t begun yet. It’s it’s actually hasn’t begun yet.
You know? FMT, it’s, you know, to really start. You know? So so I didn’t say anything. It it kept quiet.
So as mentioned, in the Bodhisattvacharyavatara, Engaging in the Bodhisattva’s Deeds. The only medicine healing the sufferings of the sentient beings and the originator of all the happiness. All the happiness of one sentient being, all happiness of every single sentence. That is it. That’s the teaching of the Buddha.
So as is mentioned there. So the the way of benefiting the sentient being serving the sentient being. It’s not just it’s not just causing the sentient beings like like pain relief. You see, taking medicine for pain relief. Not just for that.
You see, there’s some some problem or some, you know, mental problem or something like And then, you know, you say some words and then calm down to the person’s mind come down to the person’s mind to say just temporarily. Have some peace temporarily. Not just that. No. Not just the physical comfort.
You see? But ordinary people in the world what it? Let’s see. What they think benefiting the world is a lack of a dharma understanding, so their benefit is just that. Just external benefit.
But there’s no dharma along there’s no there’s no see, there’s no ultimate benefit along with that. Go go together with that. So I just wanted the temporal happiness, you see. So our we are benefiting some things. Not not just that.
Of course, we should as we can, we should also provide that, the temporary pleasures, you know, are happening. We should do that as much as we can in our daily life. You see, whenever there’s opportunity to bring us free others from problems and to have happiness, whatever you can do even by smiling, you know, you see, whatever can help to solve the problem, to make happy that person or whatever that animal. You see, whatever. We should do that.
It’s not it’s not something to neglect while while we have while we have all the while we have opportunity to do that. And if you don’t do that, you see, then that’s a that’s kind of foolish. You value opportunity offer, say, the cost happens to others, you don’t do it. You see, foolish. And also wasting also wasting the value of the human body, you know, that it that it that it is incredible opportunity to offer benefit to help others.
So you’re wasting that. So so, however, here, That Since the sufferings of the sentient beings, including the the most terrifying one, death. That people don’t wanna talk about it or in the world that, you see, many people don’t wanna talk about it, don’t wanna think about it, because they’re so frightened, and you don’t have any method what to do with it, you see. What to do, you see. How to handle that, you know, how to transform that into happiness or what practice to do.
And besides, you see, no understanding method how to to liberate yourself from the from the the suffering, the cycle of death and rebirth, and all other sufferings, of course, that which are experienced between. So so all these come from from each individual being their own mind, their untamed mind, disturbing obscuring the negative emotional thoughts. So so eighty four thousand delusion, however, is root to ignorance anger attachment, and then even those three were root rooted to the ignorance holding on to while the while there’s no such eye, real one in a sense existing from its own side, while there’s no such eye holding on to, you see, the hallucination appear that which the eye which appeared not merely labeled by mind as well as the mind. So this hallucinate mind from concept is exaggerate. Well, there’s no such thing that believing that such there’s such thing, that such I.
I guess you see. So So all the suffering the oceans of hell being suffering, oceans of hungry ghost suffering, oceans of animal suffering, human being, all this rooted to that ignorance. That’s the karma and delusion, they are all rooted to the ignorance. So so here, here here, our activity, how the how the organization, the real way to benefit them. There are many other ways to benefit, but main main one is, you see, to to, say, to eliminate, you see, cause of sufferings, which is within, you know, sentient beings, which is, say, their own mind, which is on the mental continuum, the negative imprint seed of this delusion, this ignorance, you see.
So to remove, see, all that, including seed, the imprint, which is the nature imprint to remove completely, and make it impossible to impossible to realize again, to experience again suffering. So cause them to so see, not only causing happiness of day to day life, this life, but not only even not only happiness or all the kind of future lives to others. But not all that, you know, by through Dharma. You see, the all this has to come by educating others in them being Dharma, you know, see, educating them Dharma and and then inspiring them to practice. So the main the main thing is that, k, to bring them in the, say, everlasting happiness of the sorrowless state, total liberation from the whole entire sorrow or sorrow.
So so that’s that ultimate ultimate benefit to offer this. So that’s many that’s that’s our main goal. And then on top of that, then, you see, sees even the subtle defilements, you see. The subtle subtle negative imprint left by the concept of true existence. So then bring them in the peerless happiness, full enlightenment.
Good deal. So this is our ultimate, I’ll say, goal or objective to to really keep in our heart to complete. So for this, we’re all for this, we’re all together. You know? Center director, then all the members of center, students are together, and then see.
So so this all of us together, then we say, this is our direction. This is the direction of the organization what to accomplish. It’s our main goal. So like that. There’s no there’s no any other reason for organize to exist organization except benefiting person only benefiting person.
There’s not there’s no other reason existing the FPMT organization other than that. So so this is the goal to complete. So then for to achieve this, there could be so many billions of methods. So many billions of methods, you see, that that that can bring the sentiment to this goal, you see. So many ways.
So anyway, so and here, so the teaching of Buddha has two transmitted teachings, realizations of the path. So two types of teaching Buddha. So, of course, to have realization, it depends on the see the see yeah. To receive teachings and to see listening, reflecting, you know, making the mind familiar through meditation to the past. You know?
So so so here, I would like to say one thing, One very special one very special thing that, you know, something to rejoice what we can offer, not only that ourselves opportunity this incredible opportunity to practice, but to, say, other sentient beings given this opportunity to other sentient beings. You know? Say, Do we have unmistaken understanding of Dharma and unmistaken understanding? You know? Unmistaken teaching opportunity of unmistaken teachings, and unmistaken to give unmistaken understanding, and to have unmistaken practice, and to form that comes unmistaken realization.
So the clearest so the the clearest teaching where this opportunity clearest explanation of the Buddha’s, you know, Buddha’s teaching, you know, path to liberation to enlightenment. So so we have this opportunity. You see, where there’s no confusion. You see, you are free from confusion, all these misunderstandings. So easy to get a clear clear understanding and, you see, you see, like the gold.
So to, say, to lead sentient beings, say, without making too many mistakes, you know, without making so much mistakes, you see. Easy way to bring to enlightenment. So that’s one great, I think, advantage the organization has. And especially here by by having qualified by having many qualified teachers in our centers who has completed their study or who who studied for so many years and have done very extensive way through study and and great other teachers. So so so, yeah, I would like to say this is one of the, say, another great opportunity we have to have so many great qualified teachers and, you see, to give, you know, very clear extensive teachings.
Learning and philosophy. See. So this is something is quality of the organization. Quality of the service which you offer to others. Good quality.
You see? Not not corrupted or not, you see, like like not like gold mixed with the brass or the say, like that. Not like that. You see? Pure.
Sort of that. So in the past, we invited His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So I said, you know, different part the ethnic organization, different parts of the countries, different centers, and hold, you know, initiations and the teachings. So I happened happened had opportunity to to, say, to offer this service to and to beings, the Buddha so many times, able to do this in different parts of the world. Even at even just in Delhi to to to do Lama’s kindness.
Lama Yeshe’s every year to do Lama’s Liberation Day. So only two I think only two, three times missed out. One time, there was new director. So problem I think my my own mistake because I didn’t push the director, I think. So that they missed out missed out to Dharma’s liberation to invite as soon as, you know, where a thousand people can receive, you know, very enlightened, you see, teaching.
Even it’s even just one and a half hour, but it’s incredibly enlightened, you see, liberating. Let’s see. So that for mister, but I would say every time happened. So so and then Sydney, more successful cultural initiation was able to do, but they in the our organization the Australia, the most successful. So everything came together.
Even the the, you know, the as soon as activities of the Namgyal monks, everybody, they praise or they they’re so happy. How much well, wanna ask for that. So very, very successful, very happy. And don’t know without any problems, financial difficulties with anything. But I think it is very well organized.
So there’s no problem at the end. So so what I want to say is this is a very quick way this is a very quick way to spread Dharma to sentient beings, to reach sentient beings. Quick way. And within one hour, in a short time, for the people, they get very wide view of Buddhism in a very short time. That and very wide view of Buddhism.
See? So there’s a incredible benefit, unforgettable, say, happiness, peace that they received and whatever, let’s say, learned so much what they’ve got in a short time. So, anyway, so so to continue to continue this in the future to provide, you know, request the initiation teachings as especially as a fit or beneficial to the questioners. And especially especially in the countries where as much hasn’t been or, you know, hasn’t hasn’t been, you know, where there has not been teaching at all, especially those it’s a pleasure to give opportunity to those sentient beings. But that so this very important mostly most important function of the organization, something dynamic that in short time can reach Buddhism.
So so requested as soon as it starts to start center, meditation center in Bangalore, in India Bangalore. I think there are many people many Indian people who are interested. So we requested His Holiness to give a public talk like in Delhi. And also, there’s a great possibility because His Holiness comes quite often to South India. He goes to Mongolia and to Bylakuppe to give teachings to the monasteries.
So it’s a very good opportunity on the way. So so recently, His office recently, His office, say, the private office sent that as soon as we will come to give a talk in Bangalore. So on the way to, I think, to give teaching stands, those monasteries. So so the club sent a letter. You know?
They want to, what’s it, do something. So private office sent our center and the club to organize together. So it’s very kind. So which is, I think, maybe December? Sixth of December.
Sixth December. This is so this is one thing to have in mind in our project. And Then The next one says the next one is a so the teaching to last in this world, teaching of Buddha, from which sentient beings receive their happiness, the ultimate nature of sentient beings’ happiness. So so that so this precious teaching of the Buddha existing it depends on on having Sangha. Having community of the Sangha.
So so Once the once the Maitreya Project is built. Once it is built. Once it appears. At the moment, moment, it’s hidden.
So anyway, once that happens so hoping that really to put effort in the Sangha, you know, build monastery, nunneries, and the facilities facilities for Sangha and education to see however all the needs. So however, not only build the monasteries, but establish education and Vinaya moral discipline. I see practicing Dharma, the the teaching. You see? So to to see to different in different parts of the world, you see, to establish more.
So recently, in Mongolia, you see, as they requested last time when I was there, some years ago, there’s one monastery part of Sera Che called Ganden Monastery in Ulaanbaatar and Ganden monastery that. So that time, there were twenty small boys, and they were all waiting there with in their hands and so inspired and so willing to learn dharma, you see. So, you know, so cute, very inspiring. So then there were two very, very, old, ninety, eighty years old from communist time, you know, before before wanted to learn. And then a few young ones, like twenty five or something, went to Sera to study for some years.
So they are the one main ones holding the monastery. So they at the after the teachings, their tiny room and completely crowded so hot with all the benefits of their parents or whatever. So the after the teaching, after having done all and just some advice, and then the offerings to them. So then they lift up they lifted up a big long khata, and then they ask to build a monastery. Anyway, so I said, okay.
So so fortunately, found a sponsor from California, and then the monastery was just it’s perfect. Just finished, and we are able to hold dharma celebration in that monastery, in that temple. Temple that supposed to fit one thousand people. That’s what the monks said. So very you know, I think most beautiful, the Gompa, I think it’s a large at the moment there in Mongolia, a little bit.
But but the monks, only there’s only only a few rooms for the monks. So still there, most of monks don’t have room. They have to stay in their with in in their family. So there’s there’s still much hardships. And then that causes to not last a long time, they vow, you see, by mixing with the living with the family, mixing with the live people.
See like that? So slammed by. So this is a great difficulty in Mongolia. One great obstacle, even they’re to the vows, but they don’t have the shelter room. One one big, say, great difficulties that they had.
So they wait all day long without food, you know, for teachings, and they go back the meantime. You know, they wanted to take it something. So then we offered food, the also. There’s a part of part of of who last, I think, maybe two years ago or something. Then the the only the young monks.
Because the teacher from the didn’t have a teacher, you see, from the monastery. So this teacher came from South India. So he had to look after he was asked, and he had to look after these young monks, the setting and teach. So therefore, this monk some monk asked me, so we offer that, say, a food this this time. So So electricity management is well done.
So that’s a very sanitary choice very enjoyable thing. And I don’t know. Fifty or sixty. A separation. I requested to provide some means to obtain.
They didn’t have they didn’t have, you see, shelter room at the monastery. So so many of them. So So that is the future, you know, aim to provide, you see. That’s and So in the West, in many different parts to be able to, you know, to make better already existing ones and then you see it just helps new. So that’s I think that one seems extremely important project of the organization.
So Kopan monastery. So here, in this part, I want to bring. So, of course, to the as soon as the lama, then as I mentioned before, lama, then lamas you see, were close to the saber. Here, Lama Lhundrup was the abbot of the Kopan monastery. So did you you see, before there was Lama Lhundrup, Lama Lama Lama Lhundrup, the Lama asked them to come to from South India to help Kopan monasteries to educate and to look up disciplines to take care.
So Lama Pasang was to help the buildings and, you know, all outside things and the Lama Lhundrup educated and then grew up disciplines. However, so here the abbot Lama Lhundrup. So has been, say so that like the like the heart of that you see, for education, for discipline month, also the the condition of living, you know, all the support. So everything, the the heart. Then there’s here in this meeting, there’s also Kopan manager, who is a as many of you know, working for dedicated life, working for for so many years.
See, managing the monastery, see all the buildings and food and other things. So, you know, to organize. So, you know, yeah, the two lamas and and Lama Ngodrup. So they and the like the student, they they see dedication, their skills So it has been very, very, very success has been very successful in education and as well as, you know, externally and also internally, internally, both external prosperity, internal inner prosperity, you see, it’s the learning Dharma education practice. Extremely successful and able to able able to produce.
When I say produce, it looks like a factory. But it sounds like a factory where you produce mugs. You know? And and able to because excellent education, dharma education philosophy based on monastery. So that so there have been quite there have been quite a number of Geshes.
Kopan from Kopan went to Sera, and they became Gesh there, know, Lharampa Geshes. And also from Kopan himself, after completing study, they become geshes. So there have been quite a number also, you know, qualified to teach. So plans to receive some of the teachers in Taiwan and gradually where wherever there’s need beneficial. So that that’s what that is that is another, say, able to able to, say, without relying rely upon others that within the organization able to have a qualified teachers.
So Sangha. Here, talking about Sangha. So has been excellent. So that so that after Lama passed away, then, of course, that’s Abbot Lama Lhundrup’s effort, Oh, his dedication for that.
So that’s something in the FPMT organization to rejoice, for us to rejoice that. If we so there will be case who complete studies. Teachers who can go to West or, see, can teach. I mean, who go to different parts of the world to teach, you see, to look after the students. The a recent thing, where Geshe Lama Konchog, in a very remote area in Nepal where Geshe Lama Konchog.
He did retreat so many years there, years, two I said two two thousand years or whatever, different place where this where the story happened that that he was in the hermitage for many years. And the and the people, I think village the villagers, they didn’t they didn’t know. So the person looking after animal shepherd came and and then saw in the imitation, someone person who has very long hairs were something the person was frightened because he didn’t expect that somebody living there, you know. So, you see, for many, many years. So I think so got frightened then through a storm to the, you know, where his place of retreat.
They entered it through a storm from outside. And then and then Geshe Lama Konchog moved from there from there to another place. And they just said that he was under one tree. He lived for he lived for two years under one tree without the shelter. So when here, his brother, the Geshe Lama Konchog’s attendant.
Especially has been the main attendant when Geshe Lama Konchog taught cancer patients in Singapore and. She was he was the main attendant. He was the main attendant from that time. So said that said, in even in middle of night, you know, even his head, little bit moved on the pillow. You see, little bit moved his head on the pillow.
I think probably makes some noise, you know, on the pillow. I think maybe depends on what cloth what cloth. So so then even he barely moved his head, then was able to immediately come inside from next room into Geshe Lama Konchog’s room. Geshe Lama was very he was, I think, expressing that. So anyway, so so this place where Geshe Lama Konchog lived for many years did practice, where he where he said when he came down Kapon many years ago, he told me that I have completed Lama Chöpa, Guru Puja, and the Vajrayoginī.
But I was confused that time. What does it mean? It means count the number or path? You know, it’s a lot of path. So I was I wasn’t really sure what it means.
I have complete Guru Puja and Vajrayoginī. So anyway, I think usually when you say that message, you you have a complete path. You see. Anyway, so this I guess, many of you might heard from the information on the relics. So there were different color, different five different color relics.
So which is not it does happen, but not very rare. So the who is the head of the monastery now. So he was in Boulder, and he was giving teachings one Kagyu monastery close to Boudhanath Stūpa. He was giving teaching to public. So there he mentioned that this different kind of relic meant to achieve the five wisdoms of the Buddha.
So he announced during the teaching like that. However so there’s a monastery near there. I think where in the past, Geshe Lama Konchog helped him, you know, to introduce him the Vinaya practice, the confess the confession practice, and abiding in Samādhi from that. So and where this lama going to help to to do retreat, one hundred million I think quite a number of times. Anyway, so the the head of those head of the lama of those monasteries is called.
So so he thought I think he has he’s not so well and he may not live long. He checked many other lamas, I think, and somehow he come out Kaban, the best one. He checked in front of the very precious thousand-armed Chenrezig statue. Because his past life, one of the main practices, one common practice is Chenrezig. And he let he led so many people to recite, you know, many hundreds of millions.
And and the different parts of Nepal, he met he he gave he gave vow so many people in different parts of Nepal to see he vowed to, you know, to not hunt, to not kill, you see, animals. So there so it has been that that law still exist. Those different areas, different parts of Nepal, the law means that they can’t kill animals. Still exist. Also, has has that has that law, but I think maybe now, generated now maybe many you see, maybe now, you know, little bit.
However, so the so it came out when he did observation in the front in the front of the statue. So it came out that good to, you know, to ask to ask me or to, you know, ask me to take care of these monasteries, monasteries. So so recent so recently, here, the manager went there to check. And unbelievable what I heard is unbelievable poor condition and and they can’t you know, even to the puja, you see, to serve tea, even they can’t sponsor the tea. The non monks are gathering, you see, to puja.
Even the tea to the group, they can’t sponsor that. That’s in the so so to respond really to, say, look after education and the means of living provide and to develop the Buddhism there in that area. So that’s other thing. So I got So the the benefits of building monastery, the the statue, the helping the Sangha, you know, means of living, providing the means of living for the things that from the sūtra, Mindfulness Sūtra, the and the lama teaches the advices, you know, how important it’s the the if you want to collect the most extensive merit and to build a monastery, you know, to help the support sangha. So there are many quotes, teachings or advices like that.
However, maybe just maybe that said that much enough. Just generally, I’m telling that all these unbelievable benefits is one thing for, let’s say, all these activities. But one thing is it so the one part of the organization activity, part of one part of thing that project the sangha, different parts of the world like that. Then the other one, the master program, five year, and the basic program. Other other important activity or project of the organization is the study program.
They are general every center, there’s some teachings happening, but something something that, say, you something that say, something more concrete. You know, you plan and you complete and get degree certificate that so that those who complete study, so that recognized in the organization to teach. You see? So this is so this is another one. We are we are incredibly fortunate to be able to there are quite a number of centers where there are qualified teacher that we are able to have this program.
That, you know, something planned. Normally, you see, in it before, you you have program teaching Madhyamaka, Abhidharma, this. But it’s up to the people what they come, what they don’t come. You know? What they study, what they don’t study, they just come and then teacher give teachings at the center.
You see, that’s it. There’s no real serious study. You see, there’s no not really taking full responsibility from the other students, even the teachers teaching. So now here, by setting up these programs, the students, you see, makes it helps them to take to take seriously and really learn the effort and complete. You see?
So then then this way, in a short time, you see, within few years, then they I was able to learn these various subjects for, you see, more extensive, deeper teachings of Buddhism, and then they’re able to teach others in the different parts of the world, you see. Able to teach at the centers so that so that so that we have many qualified, you see, teachers teaching at the center and outside of the center, different parts of the world. So like this. Otherwise otherwise, at the moment, we have a handful of handful of the the main teachers, few months, who have been teaching for many years and led meditation courses. So they are they are pulled in by they are pulled many directions.
So I kept so busy with just a handful of, you see, Sangha members who had many many years of experience. So it’s a makes it very, very difficult. And even the centers are increasing every year, different parts of the world. But the difficult problem is that it is difficult to find to get teacher. So also more we have qualified Western students who studied philosophy as well as practice Lamrim.
So so the teaching so the so the people in the West can receive teachings very clear, very clear in their own language. And and you see, related to their own life. So it’s more effective, easy to understand, so that so to have more of these programs, five year programs. Then there’s a Discovering Buddhism. So I left out.
So Discovering Buddhism. After that after that after that after we start the five way program, Discovering Buddhism. So that happened. So now there are three. Hopefully, there will be many, many more.
Anyway, so master program. So So one new plan is that whose past life was Lama Lama’s teacher and teacher. One of the one of the So so he was very eager, young Geshe. He completed his study. He began from Kopan and then went to Sera to complete and become Lharampa Geshe, study extremely well.
So even though even though it’s not man, but he she has all this, you know, very good very good education dharma. So he’s very keen he’s very keen to help FPMT organization by starting master program like Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey does. But he but he want to do as I mentioned, but he want to do, see, a little bit different way That based on lam rim. So lam rim is the main trunk. So you see, keep that as main.
Then on that elaborate philosophies, he want to present a master program this way. He has many ideas and also connecting universities connecting to universities. So the degree so degree, you see, is accepted in universities, you see. So the students, when they finish, they can teach in the universities. So here’s many excellent ideas.
So that in near future, this is what to say. He’s very eager to say to so I mentioned so teaching in the centers and instruction, this is to repay kindness because his life began from. So to to repay kindness to lama to to lama. So so anyway so hopefully, able to start more like that program. So So maybe, I think we best stop here.
Yeah. Lunchtime or breakfast time. Okay. Who’s somebody’s doing the prayer dedication? Events?
Oh, I see. Uh-huh. How many hours blessing? It’s okay. She she didn’t reply.
How many hours of blessing? Purpose of my life is to free. See, numberless hell beings. One of my past, present which I have is realization and enlightenment, everything. While most precious, most kind in my life, freedom from all the suffering causes and being enlightened by myself alone.
Numberless angry beings from whom I receive all my. Nameless past, happiness, the present, future happiness, realization, enlightenment, everything are most precious and most kind in my life. I must freedom from all suffering and causes and bring them to enlightenment by myself alone. Numerous animals from whom I receive all my past, happiness, realization, enlightenment, who is the most precious and most kind in my life. I must freedom from all the suffering causes and freedom to enlightenment by myself.
Numberless human beings from whom I receive all my numberless past, happiness, present, future happiness, realization, enlightened, and living are most precious, most precious, most kind one in my life. I must freedom from all the suffering causes and bring them to enlightenment by myself. Numberless demi-gods from whom, I receive numerous past, happiness, present, future happiness, realization, enlightenment, everything was most precious, most kind in my life. I must freedom from all the suffering causes and bring them to enlightenment, by myself alone. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment.
And thereby, I am going to practice yoga of eating, make food offering to Guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, charity to all sentient beings, including sentient beings living in my body. I bring them to enlightenment by revealing by bringing Dharma to Dharma when they become a human being through the connection that I’m a charity to to to dharma at this time. So to here, so this should contain the notion of bodhicitta. And then the next antidote, from the principal aspect of attachment, I, action object. I, action object.
All the phenomena, what they are is what’s mediated by mind. Therefore, I do not exist from the side. Totally empty. It’s totally empty. As well as actions, as well as all the object, all the phenomena.
Even if it’s just only one second, the awareness will emptiness. It’s like a thermal bomb to purify. It’s a powerful. Once they have to concentrate, even just only for one second, it emptiness. Those who have received great great initiation, the the wisdom being descends, then generate into.
Then there also yeah. So depending which if what one has received the lower tantra or the highest tantra initiation. So it depends that one visualizes the food in the left hand. So the all the food in the kitchen or the in the dining room. So if you haven’t tasted it yet I’m joking.
That that anyway so purified in any any emptiness as it is empty. Do not exist from the side. Totally empty. Then same. The wisdom thing emptiness, then nectar.
So that then you have blessing. It depends on the what if you have received the highest tantra initiation, then you do the blessing according to that. According to Maha Anatria Tantra. If it’s only what initiation what you received, it’s only lower than a very very expensive very expensive. It can be also very expensive.
The jewel, say, a jewel jewel container. And the container, actually, they will do beautiful jewelry with jewel and then nectar, oceans of nectar. Then if it’s a if you have a high initiation, then visualize according to that. So then depending on mother tongue or father tongue, there’s a little bit different ways replacing the. So Now to the mantra, the clouds of offering.
So which which has power that the each Buddha receives skies of offering, clouds of offering, skies of offerings. Every the Buddha receives that many offerings. But the power of this mantra besides, it has some this mantra has so many benefits. Explain. Can you?
Then not only the food offering, the blessing of the food, but we bless also all the offerings, all the expensive offerings that which are that which are in all the centers. The at this house where I live in California, all the flowers outside inside, all the light offerings outside. No. But it must be nighttime there, actually. All the lights outside inside.
Many hundreds of water offerings there and fruit offerings in there, and all that. Then also Washington, all the flowers outside and inside, all the lights and all so many water offerings there. So we bless all together and offer together. Along with the, you know, offering food, we offer all others as well. Since our lives, know, can’t tell.
Life is very short and even the death can happen any day, any hour, any minute. So therefore, take advantage, collect the merit as much as possible, as as extensive as possible. The oceans of natural food, even that are numberless, I think. Then all the offerings in the center Gompa. There’s also exchange offerings in Malaysia, in the retreat in South Australia.
There’s also Singapore. There’s house there’s house upstairs, the exchange offerings, which I what I’ve asked to do. So that’s which I used like this the offering. And after South Washington, over six times, we offer towards the gurus. By meditating the essence of the guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, all the visualized objects, generated in bliss.
Prostrated two palms together. It was all done. Now we offer all those offerings that we arranged in different places in all the centers, in Washington and the attendant’s house. All those different places, which are nature of bliss which are nature of the bliss. We offer to us the puja made it filled.
All those holy objects that are in the world. By maintaining essence, visualized as a virtuous friend. Prostrate to to to to all of them. Now all the offerings that was in all the center of Gumba and Washington, up to South Australia, all the different places, which are of the nature of bliss. And the numberless ocean, food, offer towards all the ten direction Buddhadharma, Sangha.
By meditating the essence, which is a virtuous friend. These extensive offerings that we mentioned at the same time, other places towards all the ten direction statues, to Śākyamūni Buddha, the Buddha’s relics, prayer wheels, so forth, various forms of holy objects. By meditating the essence, visualized as a virtuous friend. Prostrate to put palms together towards all of them. Prostrate to Medicine Buddha, the Medicine Buddha who liberates in this world, as well as the Sangye Menla Medicine Buddha, specifically offering this for success.
And then offering to Sitatapatra Bodhisattva so that one can instantly fulfill the wishes of all something being happiness as Buddha himself does. And then offering to thousand-armed Chenrezig specifically, then to generate great compassion, universal compassion, and to be able to full responsibility upon oneself, to liberate the number of sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them to enlightenment by myself alone. So make all the offerings to them. Now make we make charity in number of places as I said, the oceans of natural food. We make charity to every hell being, every hungry ghost, every animals, every human beings, every serpent, asura, intermediate beings.
They are all fully satisfied. It caused them to cease all the negative patterns and all the nonvirtue, and they all become enlightened in the deity they want to practice. We collected limitless merit with bodhicitta motivation. We collected limitless, skies of merit, most extensive merit by offering to each guru, much more than having made offering to all the numberless Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, statues, scriptures. So by visualizing each guru, that’s all the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, and all the objects.
We collected limitless merit. We made offerings so many times already to all of them. And then after that, we made an offering at Guru Puja, Guru Puja Merit Field, by visualizing the essence of the guru as a virtuous friend. All those holy objects, again, we collected limitless, skies of merit. So many times limitless skies of merit.
Then after that, we made offering to the ten directions’ Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, so we collected so many times limitless skies of merit. Then offered to a number of statues and scriptures and stupa forms in each region in ten directions. As for walking, we collect so many times limitless skies of merit. But after this, we met a charity of sentient beings. We collect limitless skies of merit.
Then you have made offerings to Medicine Buddha. That means we collect merit by having made offerings to all the Buddhas. So then, principle, many billions. We collect merit by having made offerings. We collect merit by having made offerings to so many billions of Buddhas. Due to all the past, present and future, I dedicate to my teachers, I dedicate to all others.
And also, by having prostrated by having prostrated together. Again, each time when we did this to all the holy objects, we collected limitless skies of merit, we made so many times. So we created of cause of happiness, future lives, liberation for saṃsāra, full enlightenment with each offering. So there there are so many offering. There are in considerable numbers of offerings we offered, so so many offerings.
So with each offering with each offering, we created there’s a whole package of happiness after enlightenment. So happiness of all future lives happens from all this. We created so many times a good number of offerings. So that so we really great happiness and rejoice.
So but how fortunate I am. Again, the all the every already we collected so many times in the dedication made it. By then it becomes again doubled everything. Dedicating all the past, present, future merit about me.
I dedicate to all others. Any students from the past up to now in this organization, and those who have passed away. May they get liberated from all the suffering and the pure land where they can be enlightened. Or maybe there is a perfect human body, maybe achieve enlightenment as good as possible. Maybe achieve enlightenment as good as possible by meeting perfectly qualified a Mahāyāna guru and Mahāyāna teachings. Of us here, all the students and benefactors in this organization and those all those who give up their life to the organization, then to do service to sentient beings, teaching of Buddha, And so I said a lot of my promised prayers with them to give all those may all of us have long life, be healthy, all the wishes succeed immediately according to the Dharma, and especially may we be able to realize in this very lifetime, complete bodhicitta in all of our hearts without delay in a second.
And did all the three time made dedication to others with compassion, under His Holiness the Dalai Lama. All the gurus have to take all the holy wishes The may all the fundings we received, they’re able to fulfill as they succeed all the as soon as the holy wishes. And and as well as to complete as good as possible, the funds to complete the Maitreya statue to to able to enlighten all things as good as possible, and to be able all the funds to offer service to the Sangha in different parts of the world, and then to build holy objects in different all the different parts of the world, and to do social service in all the different parts of the world, and to say say I’m able to support all centers and may all the projects may all the project will succeed. Whatever project each center has, may every center be the most beneficial cause to generate a faith in to Buddhism and the karma, and cause to arise bodhicitta in everyone’s heart and and spread teaching in the hearts of all Sunni beings. And so all the needs, all the funds received, without delay, in a second.
Numberless sentient beings who died in the production of this food, and numberless sentient beings who suffered in the production of this food. Numberless sentient beings who came among others in the production of this food, who did the work for this food and the benefit of this food. And all the rest of sentient beings may they never be separated from Guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha in all the lifetimes and always able to collect and merit by making offering. And as a bless blessings of. There was a realization from.
It was hard in the house of all those who died, suffered, to work for this food, benefitting this food for benefitting this food and the as well as all the rest of the symptoms in their heart without delay in a second. Dedication. Past, present, future merit is dedicated. I dedicate this merit. That I, who exist but do not exist from my own side, that is totally empty.
Not the I who exist but do not exist from its own side, was totally empty. I achieve the highest enlightenment which exists but doesn’t exist from its own side which is totally empty. Lead all the sentient beings who exist but do not exist from their own side, who are totally empty. To that enlightenment, which exists but doesn’t exist from its own side which is totally empty, by myself alone, who exist but do not exist from my own side, who am totally empty.
Please enjoy the nectar. Don’t don’t forget the nectar.