Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 86-minute talk, Lama Zopa Rinpoche outlines his organization’s vision, beginning with long-term Buddhist study programs in London and moving to the core practice of building holy objects — particularly the ambitious five-hundred-foot Maitreya Buddha statue project. Drawing from Buddhist sutras, he explains the extraordinary merit created through constructing and viewing statues and stupas, showing how these objects benefit sentient beings without words. He then describes the organization’s social-service activities: universal education schools teaching compassion and non-violence in remote areas, hospices for the dying (the Brisbane Karunā hospice serves as a successful model), and animal-liberation projects in Hong Kong and Singapore, where the goal is to eventually free 100 million animals. Throughout, he emphasizes how these activities provide rapid means for spiritual development and material benefit.
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File metadata (for organising)
File: 02 Afternoon.mp3
UUID: 5e7a3ed0-0ac1-46d3-8adc-d62433a2a72e
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z CPMT (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004 (exact day not recorded)
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 85.9 minutes
Words: ~7,099
Good afternoon. I forgot one. I left out one. The foundation of the Buddhist Trust started in London three years now is it four years? Before was it was Seven years.
Seven years. Now seven years ago. Seven years. Or from three years, it’s it’s a seven years. Before the Geshe was very concerned that people in the city may not be may not have courage to continue philosophical study for a long time.
And I understand I understand his view of the situation thinking. I’m not in I’ve been in London so many I mean, not so many, but I’ve been in London many times. So I know how that people come to the center just to taste. You know? Like, come into the like, come into shops to or restaurant to taste, you know, to check.
It’s like that. This is combined, you know, check. So if they like this seat, if they don’t like to get up and leave. So it’s like that. Normally, it’s like that.
So to understand this, like, this touches what do you think? But but it it turned out that the audience of the the students who came to the take the class to really interest and for the I think this Geshe discovered that actually can be done the long term of philosophy of study of those programs. So I’m surprised from three year, it jumped up seven years. So maybe next time, it’ll be twenty years. If the seven year went well, it jumped up twenty years or thirty years program, anyway.
So so that’s one of which I let up before. But and I think they’re discovering Buddhism. I think that’s also very, very good to start with your for inspiration. I think it’s a very good trend there. I think that it seem that has been started many many places.
And it sound like that many people take interest. That’s very good, Especially with the blessings. Discover Buddhism starts with this. Discover Buddhism starts with this, his blessings. So, actually, we need more.
Yeah. More like that. Different people. So the so the individual organization is to be able to establish more of this kind of this kind of study programs. Yeah.
The master program and five year program. The yeah. So for the say, the foundation of this thought that so now now that becomes a seven year program. However, yeah. So, of course, the of here, the main one is, of course, individual person who have done extensive study.
So the the person has extensive understanding, and so there’s less mistakes in the practice. And more understanding Dharma means less ignorance. So so therefore, let’s practice let’s let’s practice. Less More understanding and less practice. Anyway or no practice.
So, anyway, so less mistake in the practice. So easy to have realization. So as far as the self develop self development, let’s say, to achieving enlightenment for certain beings, the immediate thing is to teach others. The immediate one to to teach others to, you see, to help others, to to help the world to, say, to awaken other things from sleep, from ignorant sleep, you see. Yeah, to see to guide to liberation, to enlightenment.
So that There was there was suggestion from Rinpoche. There was he taught not just only the degree and to teach, not not just on that objective of studying the program, you see. People who didn’t I say, people people who didn’t really succeed in the study, didn’t get the degree. Some also have something, some, let’s say, objective, like social service or some. They should be more aim.
You see, some objective they should have, if not teaching, but something else. However, the study program should have more objectives? So that is something to be that is something to be discussed and, you know, what can be planned. If you’re not taking the role teaching Dharma, what else that student can do? See?
So then the next one is it. Benefiting other sentient beings, you see, so we we went through the, you know, we went through the. So with the his to spread dharma fast, to serve many sentient beings and offer service. I want to add this I want to add this.
This is all often service to. But what he wishes is to benefit of a sentient being. So we provide we create a condition. We provide. You see, to teach many sentiments.
So for that, also fulfill so much of your wishes. That’s one thing. So one thing. So inside, I mentioned here, nothing to mention at the end. However, even though we do many other so many other various activities to benefit others in the means, but one but the key, the most important is to fulfill to fulfill some of the holy wishes. Whatever the organization can do, let’s say, what various ways, whatever can, you see, can provide to them.
So to fulfill some of the wishes or wishes for that whatever does need to be done. So I think that one that that is most important practice or making the organization most beneficial for certain things, Most useful for use most useful for so I think that So the next one. One, the such easiest way to benefit for sentient being easiest way to purify the negative karma. And the easiest way for them to create cause of happiness. The for them to create merit, which gives incredible opportunities for sentient beings so easy to create merit, cause happiness with this life, happiness with future lives, liberation from some sort of full enlightenment.
So that is building a holy objects, statues, stupas, scriptures, and any other form of prayers, and other forms of holy objects in the in the different parts of the world. So so we have the five hundred feet Maitreya statue. If it doesn’t grow higher, it it it might become even higher as time goes as time goes. I’m joking. As it as it it weighs longer, it might go higher.
Longer the build, it might get higher. It might grow up. The anyway. As far as of course, you may have read Hertz probably already long time ago. The very s the very essence, as I normally mention, stupa or statue is a holy object, this holy object.
Even the size of, how say, you know, thumb, statue, stupa, you make. So how many atoms it has? Say, that that many lifetimes, you see, people, say, who make that whole object, who who actually build or who sponsor. Even size of thumb statue or stupa. However, how many action it has?
That many lifetimes. Those who are building or sponsoring, you see, making possible, make it actual. This is that you see. So that many lifetimes, you could you could number of the atoms, that many lifetimes. So they will be born as king in or in the human realm.
So, of course, then with all that wealth and power by making Dharma, you can benefit more. Then how many atom that size of thumb that your stupid has? Say, you create cause to have perfect meditation, the form and formless realm. So śamatha abiding. Perfect meditation, śamatha abiding.
So you create cause. That that many you create cause equivalent number that many atoms that has. So so the those, say, concentrations, you need to come up. There are many causes to achieve concentration, and then the cause of the precise continuum of meditation or the contemplation of the form. And then how many atom it has?
The size of thumb statues to go. Then that you create a cost that many number to achieve ārya path. So by achieving the path of seeing, you see, then you are able to directly see the disturbing thought of self-grasping by completely removing that, and then you achieve liberation, able to overcome cycle of death and rebirth. They abandon able to abandon all the. And then by achieving the, see, the ārya path, then you are able to, say, abandon the completely suffering or the birth of all these sickness and death, say, all this.
So and then then by achieving the the the higher tantric path by achieving the clear light of meaning, And then you see that that Say, when you achieve say, do that then by achieving that, you achieve pure illusory body. That time, you already removed the disturbance of obscuration. So because we we are totally free from the cycle of death and rebirth the. So so how many atom that size of a statue has that many cause to achieve the path of no more learning. And then how many atom that size of the statue has that many cause of enlightenment to accumulate.
So so therefore, no question, like five hundred feet of the statue. There’s no question to see how much how many atom it has, five hundred feet of statue. So if this size of thumb statue has, then it has unbelievable atom. And as far as atom, there there are different definite there are different definitions of atoms. And there are about six different type of atoms that more more subtle, you see.
So, however, So so so organization or family or monastery or organization, if you are building this, all those people get all this unbelievable, merit. You know? This is just very essence what King Ajatashatru in India, when a Buddha was in India, asked Buddha and Buddha gave this condensed explanation, benefits of making whole object. So now so now here, so that general I would able to stupa statue Buddha. Here, the particular Buddha, So Lama’s intention or purpose of building the statue is to spread Dharma Dharma, teaching of the Buddha to last long time in this world.
So that’s why in many monasteries, Sakya, Kagyu, many monasteries, Tibet, India, Nepal, many monasteries, build a statue, but especially the statue, they build a very big. So you you will see many many countries where the Mahāyāna Buddhism spread. So so that has a special purpose that and then then the other thing the other thing is that I saw I saw I’ve never heard before, but not very clear, a story that if you build a statue, then after Buddha’s teaching stopped, then there will be different events events of I think it’s also planned. There will be events of wars with weapons. There will be so then the whole world, you see, the whole world suffer unbelievable war.
The whole world, not just one not just some country, but the whole world suffer so much with the weapons of war. Then there’s even of sicknesses. So much disease in the whole world. So there’s there’s a period. Then there’s another period, I say, famine.
So much famine all over the world and so so much. So there then not all these, then Maitreya Buddha descend. It is said that if you build a Maitreya Buddha statue, then you see the duration of this events of the war, of the sicknesses, events of the famines, This time becomes shorter. This this duration becomes it makes shorter, and Buddha is teaching I said, Maitreya Buddha, this is an area. You see, this is a little teaching.
So this this is one reason building the Maitreya statue. So therefore, after I saw this after I saw that story anyway, so gradually, the thought can, you know, to build more Maitreya statues, not just only one Maitreya statue, but not not on this. But maybe a thousand or more Maitreya statues. Not Sasa. It it didn’t Sasa.
Sasa. Not Sasa. Not Not those small. But one story or bigger than a story bigger than one story. However, they may be different size.
But, however, so I did my prayer that to be able to build one thousand in different parts of the world. So I think one is the Holland. So I thought Holland definitely needs a large Maitreya statue. Actually, I actually, I mentioned about this I think three or four years ago, not the last time when I was here, but the time before, I mentioned during the teaching in the city center. Yeah.
I I mentioned that. Probably, I think people who are there must put that I’ve taken some LSD or something. Some drugs. Anyway, for one Mongolia, there was one very large material that started there. I had the scripture that explains every single details, who how it’s built, and every single person, whatever offering them, everything is in there and all the details.
You know? So when I went there, I could not see the Maitreya statue. So somehow, I reached that temple, but it destroyed. There’s no even there’s one brick to see. I was completely destroyed.
So the Abbot the Abbot told me that this was the place where was. So he asked me to help to build about, say, thought to be more careful, so I think I think I stayed in silence. My answer was silence. Also, I think the nine story Lama Tsongkhapa statue, the Mongolian nine nine story statue. There’s one in Tibet, one not a lama building.
So Mongolia had a incredible connection with the teaching, it would help them very much. So, anyway, so to build holy objects is just one another way to quickly liberate the sentient beings to bring them to liberation to enlightenment, building a holy objects, the various holy objects, different parts of the world. See. So once you once you build the holy object, stupa or statue, whatever, you see, even we see, even even we do not exist anymore on this on this Earth, but the holy object, hundred thousand years, how long it last on this earth? This holy object works for sentient being every day.
You see, Even from even by seeing from very distance, you see, immediately, it purifies the the seed of enlightenment in the one who see from distance. So there’s it will a great purification. Correct. It causes anyone who see the whole object just by seeing collects inconceivable, say, numberless, great merit. So, say, a period of time, and liberates every day.
So many sentient beings from the lower realms. That’s the that’s the immediate thing then. You see, gradually, it causes to act like the path and to achieve liberation. So so you see, by having build the whole objects, see, without words so to clarify, if you go if you go to teach let’s see. They’re they’re only not able to come with the teachings.
Only few only few people come. Sixty, seventy or something, twenty, hundred. Only a certain number of people come for the teaching, not everybody come. But if you build a whole object, you see, without words, it it it benefits every day so many human beings. Even the even the worms, insects, which you fly around and land on the whole object.
And, you know, the dust, wind, rain, they touch the stupa. They get blessed. Then it goes away, touch the worms in the ground, the birds, other insects, you see, whomever. The dust, wind, water, the rainwater touches them, then it come again purified. So they cause them to be reborn higher.
So they so there’s without words, the whole object, once it blow, it is solved. It works for symptom continuously. You see? How many hundred thousand years it lasts that whole of the existence. So that and it is it is mentioned in the sūtra.
The sūtra of the mudra generating the power of devotion is called in Tibetan So in that sūtra, I just mentioned that So what he’s saying is that Buddha explained to the son or daughter, you know, any type. In one make offering to the Tathāgata Buddhas, the Arhats, the perfectly realised. You say, what was that? Soul to realize that the. How many now here, how many how many whom you may offering?
How many are hot? So now here, you have to think equaling number of atoms of universes. But how many universe? Equalling above sand grains per Pacific Ocean. So Ganga, as Candrakīrti, which Candrakīrti explained in the commentary on the Ganga. Ganga is not necessarily.
Only the Indian river Ganga. Here is Ganga is a Pacific Ocean. But when we bless the the vast water, we see then. So the divine water the divine river, the Ganga water. So that has a definite meaning and meaning.
Meaning is that the river Ganga in Varanasi, but definite meaning is a common black high standard of how you see. So that one is but the other times when it talks about the benefit, Ganga is a piece of ocean. So how many universe so how many are so to realize others that you can often is a equal number of atoms of the universe. How many universe? Equal how many universe?
Equal number of the sand grains of the Ganges River. So that so that would be unbelievable unbelievable number of the Shravakas and Arhats, you see. So then you may offering for eons, not just one day. For eons, you see, one hundred divine food. One hundred divine one hundred different types of divine food.
So that’s nectar. You see, divine food is nectar. So one hundred different types of food. Divine food and divine dress. So there’s it is said one one and there was a ring.
See, the jewel, even though whole world in the human world cannot compare the value. So so the dress is not human. It’s divine dress. So you offer to to that many. So to realize, ah, this for you.
So that much so, you see, that much merit. And, you know, seeing statue of Buddha or painting of Buddha, just merely seeing. This one, Buddha explained, you’re correct. Noble, this is great merit. Noble, great merit.
Let’s see. Greater merit than the previous one. So the previous one, let’s see, that number of equal number of atoms of the universe universe, equal number of the of the physical ocean. And you may offering the hundred divine food and the the divine dress, you see, you offer every day for you. So all that merit is small.
You compare to just merely seeing Buddha’s form, his statue, a a painted Buddha. So this one is numberless. So as I mentioned that in the past, when Buddha was in India or one couple, say, they had nothing to offer, but offered the medicine drink to a member of the Sangha, for a monk. She offered a medicine drink. Then during the next life, you see, the the person who offered the medicine drink become king, very powerful king in India.
The next life. Maybe a universal monarch or something. Very powerful king. Next life. So you see, the cause was offering medicine drink to a full monk.
But next slide becomes very wealthy, powerful king. So you see, now here, we’re talking about the, making offering to, you see, who have complete the path, the five path to the person. So and that many number I have. So I don’t wanna repeat again. I will repeat two times of this.
So that many number I have. What you offer is a divine food, hundreds of divine food and dress. Like like this, even that for eons. So it’s it’s so unbelievable and it is made. You see?
But you compare just merely seeing Buddha’s statue, a painting of Buddha. You see? This creates, you see, numberless great merit. So the previous all that become very small. So, like so just from this, what the Buddha explained. So that, can you imagine by actualizing the holy object, the sentient being how much it made it to correct just by seeing it from distance.
Just by seeing what even a net second. Just by seeing so they collect. I’m not gonna say the word. They may so the so then that thing it says, you see, there are no question if somebody put palms together to the holy object or or for incense. You see, scented smell, incense, or the burning sense of a flower.
You see, there are no question. Even even much more greater than it. numberless greater than it. So is it so therefore, such so such so easy way. This is one benefit.
This is talking one benefit. I want to explain, but there are so many of us. You see, even circumambulation, and they’re offering. You know, there’s so many. So so incredible easy way to liberate the sentient beings to bring to enlightenment without words, you see, without me talk to them.
You see? So I like that. Then the then the other one. It is said in the sūtra, maybe, I’m not sure. In one sūtra, Buddha has explained that, you know, offering one tiny flower, and this is a tiny offering, but offering one flower to a statue of Buddha.
You see, to a statue of Buddha. She says talking about the benefits. So all the past all the past pleasure. From beginningless rebirth, the pleasure that one had. And and what we will what one will experience in the future, all the some sort of pleasures.
Nonetheless, what one experience already, and then you edit what you will experience in the future. So all this saṃsāra pleasure is small. It’s a benefit is often one flower to a statue Buddha does not finish. You see? So after that, you know, you exercise five part to liberation.
You achieve liberation. So the benefit of offering one flower to a statue of Buddha doesn’t finish. Even you liberate the. So so that is the benefit of offering a flower to a statue of Buddha does not finish. It extends to liberation.
But I think what here, what it means, great liberation, full enlightenment. After that, we enter into the path. The five paths, into the five Mahāyāna paths. So you see all that even the subtle obscurations and complete all the qualities. You see?
So so there it says the benefit of offering one flower to a statue of Buddha finishes, completes only when you achieve liberation. So I think here is a great liberation. So and what I think is that even after that, still you are still you are using the merit having offered a flower to establish with that. Because after you achieve enlightenment, then, you see, you continuously benefit of a certain being, bring the So this is an offering to the Buddha. Anyway, so even after you achieve the enlightenment Maybe what I do is so So here, after one is achieving the last path, then still, you see, you still, you use the the merit of the flower offering to the statue of the Buddha.
Because because because after you have issues with enlightenment, then the benefit of a sentient beings means guiding from happiness to happiness to full enlightenment. You see, the novel is. So I think even after you achieve enlightenment, still, you are enjoying the you you are, say, experiencing the result. Still the result in that flower offering to the statue of the Buddha. So here is one example.
Making one flower offering to a statue of Buddha, picture of Buddha, painting of Buddha. It has this result, the benefit is like this, unimaginable. So this is not only by making a flower offering to Buddha, but incense offering and so forth, many other such actions, such as virtuous actions done towards a holy statue of Buddha. You that?
Again here, this is to give you an this is this is just to give you an idea and as another example, how incredible benefit by making this holy object. The sent in the so many sentient beings so easy. You know, every time one day make one day make whatever offering you see, they collect all this merit. They can enjoy all this. Let’s see.
Enjoy the achievement, enlightenment, end up enlightenment. So that so such easy makes say, so easy for sentient beings to achieve enlightenment, to have the to to to purify the mind and to create a merit through that, then to soften their heart to act like that. So makes so easy. So so I think there’s another way to, you know, such say, by building a whole lot this. It’s another activity organization.
You see, this is to give some this is to give some idea. See how extensive benefit that’s something we get. Then the next one, the universal education social service. Education, universal education.
So we have already started in Bodhgaya. Okay. Big Jeffrey is coming. He’s on the way. Anyway, he’s the principal of the universal education, Bodhgaya, the school.
So started few years ago. Beginning, it wasn’t very clear. The beginning, I think it it didn’t become very clear. But I think as we talked in many meetings, I think then it become the direction become more clear. What is universal education?
The the goal become more clear. So how about already already that that school started, I think, three years ago or something like that. But already, the two student is in order to examination, they have to go to I think our school do not have complete, I think, what I don’t the program motivation. They have to go to other school to get the examination or something like that. So they went to other school.
The other school children, so, you know, they are so violent. They are undisciplined. So they those two those two student after they came back to the Maitreya Project universal education school, they found much peace, so much peace there. There. So they saw a big difference.
Other school where they went for examination and the you see, Maitreya Project universal education school. So already, it just started, but already, you can see the differences. You see, with them is accomplishing the goal of the university education. The children more compassionate and more kind, less violent less violent and more kind. You see, it’s already happening.
The goal, objective is already achieving. So so there’s big differences already. So therefore, I would like to start such like this school, universal education school. You see, in remote areas in in the in Bihar, where there’s a lot of violence, lot of killing, robbery, so much harm to the people, you see. So that’s the place where we need to start university education.
So I would like to start many schools that are in different parts of Bihar, you see, Bihar, you see. So then only through this only through this more of this school happens, We can transform their mind from the, you see, negative thought, evil thought into good heart, can make the people more kind. You see, the children to grow up this way, more compassionate. And you see, forgiving and, say, more tolerant. So all this, they have a human value.
See? So this way, we can change the society. You can see. You can change the let’s say, gradually, you can change, say, is reduce say, can reduce their killing harming others. And then then they suffer the consequences, you see, as a result of that.
So we can reduce. So that’s how we can bring peace some of the peace and happiness. So university education where we need to establish is the especially the countries where there’s a lot of violence like Colombia, like those who say, with some other killings. So this is the place where we need to see it so urgent to establish a school. So so there’s one, as many of you know, California, Palo Alto, started the school there for the small kids.
So there also, there has been a lot of progression, and the children, they start to stop, they start to stop killing insects. They they go back to home and they tell their parents, they should not kill in their parents kill flies and ants, you see, in the house for the children. Those children is totally changed their mind and they become compassionate. And there’s something you see that they also suffer.
They know that they suffer, but they don’t wanna kill. They they are like like themselves. They don’t want suffer. They want to happen. So they want to so then they go back to home and they tell their parents, which is so I heard the mother is unable to kill the flies and ants while while the child is there.
I see. So so that’s very good. Anyway, so there has been there there’s a lot of, I think, positive change. And so I think that so, hopefully, sooner than that, we’re able to organize the various books. I’m not gonna go through the the different things about the negotiation.
Just so hopefully that soon we can finalize those materials, the guidebooks. You see, the various books and to teach a training. And then we start the schools, you see, different countries, then see how it works. We learn more. By starting school, then we learn more.
Is it you what? We need to change that. So so I think that is the one that’s the one very important social service. So so one child grew up with compassion, with a compassionate mind, loving kindness, and practice kindness every day towards others and practice forgiveness, tolerance. So this child stopped giving harm to other sentient beings, including the animals.
So this child brings so much peace and happiness in the world, you see, besides one’s own country and one’s own family. So so there’s an incredible benefit world received from this child. So therefore, the more child, let’s say, we’re able to educate, grow up. No question, you see, how much peace and happiness can bring the world into world in the world, you see. Then other one is a hospices.
So when I was in Australia, a recent time to lead the retreat, the Retreat. So I know that it’s I’ve been hearing that it is very, successful, the hospice in Brisbane extremely successful. So I heard from the director of the hospice that that now the people in this in Brisbane, they said, you know, there a good reputation that if you’re dying, then if you’re if you’re dying, if you are taken care by Karunā, that’s the name of our hospice in Brisbane. So you are lucky. This is what people talk.
So if you’re dying, if you if you’re dying, if you’re taken care by Karunā hospice, then you are you are fortunate. So, however, it is been very successful. So I would like to start similar similar like that. To also establish the same. Also, Melbourne, Sydney, other cities in Australia, also so that means those other countries you see gradually.
So we have a in New Zealand, say, is it is it? This is here. She’s there. She started the hospital in New Zealand. And she had a lot of experience centers.
That’s very well benefiting so much. So I think I think including Brisbane, I think we have five hospices at the moment. So I would like to see to establish more hospices to help dying people different countries and develop our education, our methods, to teach and to guide. So that’s so that’s one activity of the organization. University education, hospitals, very, very important urgent need.
Then the And I would like to mention that see the if there’s any other social service we can do the organization can provide. So if you have any ideas other than you see so land of medicine, Buddha, that’s, of course, quite often the elderly what? Elderly A elderly Elderly hostel. Hostel. So elderly hostel.
That’s oh, yeah. I said correct. Okay. Elderly hostel. So Land of Medicine Buddha, Land of Serenity, that’s quite often, and then the people enjoy very much people enjoy very much people enjoy the meditation.
Right? Meditation. People enjoy better meditation, but also other things that people enjoy so much the place. So many holy objects, prayer wheels, you see, even the prayer wheels only there are three prayer wheels there, and there are many holy objects. So that brings that blesses the place.
It brings some of the peace, you know, serene serenity of peace on the land. So when the people come, when that kind of you see, when the old people come or or any people come, you see, on that place, they feel so much peace because land is already blessed with all these holy objects. You see? Then each time when they come, they see the holy object, they are blessed. Their mind is purified and plants, the seed of enlightenment.
So there’s a they feel some of the peace, serenity. This is just being on the land. So that’s why I met a few, and then they say they’re come back again and again. So that so I would like to request in other social service what practical things what you see, the organization can offer, and they’ll be very good. And also, I don’t know, consultation too.
People have problems due to consultation, those things. Before I think some years ago, George Pally brought up this issue that how to how to raise fund for the center to do consultation to set up to set I think it’s easy idea was to set up very expensive consultation expensive consultation office. So then there was there was he brought this idea. However so a little bit very good. If you can think more.
If you can, let’s say, bring up more social service different than what organize can do. Then then I think the centers, you know, practice liberating animal, and it’s very good. Saving the life of animals. The Hong Kong, Singapore, they, every month, they often do liberating saving the lives of animals. Fish and various animals, the who are intended to be killed, you know, so alive to be who are tendered to be killed.
You buy them and liberate them. Those who live in forest, you liberate them. For us, and you live those who live in water, you liberate them in the water. So in the Singapore Singapore, how many now? The do you know that?
Three minutes. Minutes. Thirty three minutes. Thirty three million. Thirty three million.
So the goal is to reach hundred million. Hundred million. So Singapore center, Singapore center, the goal is to reach a hundred million number, saving the lives of animal. So now they finished they finished up to three three million. Three thirty thirty million.
They finished up to thirty million. They liberate the animal from. So it’s dedicated for long life, But they but they simply dedicate also, I say, my the lamas’ lives, I think. And so all the holy beings, you know, sanghas, preserved dharma, spread dharma. Then I think all the all the people, you know, put the good things, the benefactors of the sangha.
And then so I think, know, who has life obstacles, they dedicate for their long life like that. So Taiwan also do so this country, maybe also Malaysia, I think. So but in the west, centers in the west, if we can do more of this practice saving the lives of animals, I think that’s I think that’s very good thing. Practice, you know, that the, you you know, your the parents can participate. You know, parents can participate and children can participate.
They can they can, you know, they can put the animals freedom, you see, by carrying their hand. So you see, that is the day they feel something something you did positive. Other times, maybe hard to find something positive, but that day without an expectation, no expectation, without any condition, without any expectation from the side of the from the side of the symptom being. Something that you do completely from your pure heart giving. So the so something very satisfying in the life.
So I think the west sent us the west. I don’t know how you know, if it’s inconvenient, that’s a different thing. But otherwise, I guess, excellent practice to have regular, you know, to to you see, first, or can be part of picnic. It can be, you see, part of picnic. After that, you have drinks, eating, you see.
So perform, say, at the beach or somewhere, whatever, set up a large table and then many, many touches, many objects and. If you can, you can set up nice offerings around. They put all the food around, first night offering. Then after you do everything, then you do dedication, then you then you take the blessing of the offering. House is done in Hong Kong.
Maybe also Singapore, I think. So so one time in Hong Kong, I I tried to pay money for the fishermen. You see, one thing is that you pay a fishermen to stop fishing that day. So rather, you know, catching the fish, you know, you’re paying money for the fisherman and then so you see, there’s different ways you can do. But but I’m not sure the fisherman says yes, but but there there’s nobody watching.
So I think along with this along with this, you can you can dedicate the, you know, for a long life. All the holy beings long life. They’re holy. They’re all the who preserve the. All the benefactors, you know, who benefit teaching to their long life.
Didn’t all the people all the people who doing who are doing good things, fathers, their long life. Like, which is great for the supper, told the teaching that he do a long life prayer, mantra. Anyone who is that he do long life he is that long life mantra. But, you see, to have long life, even anybody who is that So like that. So anybody all those who have people who have cancer, life of long life.
And then to actually bodhicitta. So again, dedicate. Even the evil even the even the butchers, even the the, you know, people who are even the fishermen, all those even the evildoers, you see, to meet dharma and to to understand karma and to stop, you know, killing, you know, harming and to explore what is that, you know, meaningful life maybe one can dedicate. So so normally normally I mentioned, for people who do good things in long life. So in Hong Kong, the incarnation of the you know, one of my teacher, the great mentor.
So so I asked him, should dedicate to the evil evil being or not, you know, which is what those people are harming others. So he said, yes. Must dedicate it also for the for the evil things. So that they have long life to so that they can so that they can practice Dharma. If they have long life, they can.
So in the like that so along with this along with this, I want to I want to bring up this issue that I requested a couple of Lamas this year. I think it’s since that that prayer has been for long life. And for my long life, he wants the people to become vegetarian. People to become vegetarian. To not eat meat, only butter and cheese.
Anyway, have to go about vegetarian, you know, to how many how many years how many month or how many how many years, you know, that you say that you dedicate, you know, to to become vegetarian. They should request this, and I don’t I don’t remember. Somebody knows the number. Do you know? So, Claire, you can mention that?
The number of how many people become vegetarian following Lama’s request? What? So so how many people did that? So you’re all hurt. Mate.
Simon? Yeah. Fifty one people for the life. And and others, they That that’s a great So when there’s a more more number, bigger number, you see, increases, then it helps. It reduces the animal.
It it makes the less animal to be killed because the people they see the animals, but they see now less people buying. So then they they decrease the killing of the animals. So when the big number is which which changes it. The combination of that. So so that’s great that’s great benefit.
I saw while we were driving from Salt Lake City, coming to Salt Lake City area, there was one state. Maybe on the way to Las Vegas. Las Vegas. Maybe on the way to Las Vegas, I think.
There’s a huge ground, and there’s so many cows, so many cows. So there must be a huge slaughterhouse. I think there’s and maybe the cows didn’t know that they. In in in Lhasa, when I was in Lhasa, not recent time time before. So after I stayed at the teacher’s house.
So after I watched, you know, this washing, so from that, the the the spot where I was washing, from there, I can see the next family, Tibetan family, who has many animals and they kill. They send they take the animals somewhere else and kill, and then they bring the whole whole on the horse carriage, big piles of bones. But there was one there was a calf calf, you know, the child. Calf. So this chap was looking at me, you know, Washington.
This calf was, you know, like, looking for help, seeking for help. Looking at me. So I said, I’ll buy this animal. So then the the family went to discuss with family, and then the family agreed to sell.
So the mother of that family told told the calf, oh, you’re fortunate, calf. You’re fortunate. So then it was there’s no place to care for the animal there, so sent to Lama’s family house and. So so they they they, you know, the animal didn’t know. And you see, the animal takes away then coming back with huge loads of bones.
She’s a so he was really looking, you see, for help. So anyway so that that is really great achievement. So I think I think it’s about maybe I should start. Yeah. Maybe.
My best time to. Mhmm. The Uh-huh. The there’s