Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In these 60-minute concluding remarks to an organizational gathering, Lama Zopa Rinpoche weaves together organizational culture and spiritual practice, beginning with respect for ordained sangha—why it matters in the refuge commitment, how to express it practically (protecting robes and seats, honoring dharma texts), and karmic consequences of neglect. He argues that correct devotion to a spiritual teacher is the most powerful cause of institutional and personal success. He then shares vivid details about major projects: restoring ancient hermitages in Tibet’s Tipri region near Mount Kailash, where many realized masters meditated and achieved rainbow body, and training geshes to actualize the teachings they’ve studied. He closes by recommending the Ārya Sanghata Sūtra as a powerful practice for material prosperity and protecting dharma centers from harm.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 06 Concluding Remarks 2004 08 24.mp3
UUID: a3815bd2-6e64-4e4c-88ac-cc45a53aaeff
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z CPMT (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2004-08-24
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 60.7 minutes
Words: ~4,928
So good afternoon. So this this one has there was this there was discussion about Respect to the to the resident teacher. So that is nothing new, but I would like to emphasize that. I think it’s yeah. I think it’s very important that even even even one is not taken as guru, but meant by many many reasons to respect because an ordained person, so you collect much merit if you respect an ordained person.
It’s part of the object of refuge when we as a that’s mentioned in the Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, it said that, you know, the monks in Guru Puja, you know, criticizing some sanghas, and then you see, then then that means then when you tell refuge, then you have to say, I’ll go for refuge. Except those monks. The Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand mentions except those monks. I go for refuge except those monks. So it will become like that.
And there’s no second when he was giving commentary on the the six preparatory practices at Dharmasala when there was a when there was inflation of when there was inflation inflation? Yeah. When there was inflation of, you know, in our on occasion in in the old time in Nepal after the I think maybe six thousand, seven thousand around those times, and eight thousand. Around those time, there was so much influx of sanghas. What’s which calls?
Oh, really? Oh, yes. So there was a very high influx of sanghas. You know? Very high inflation.
Inflation? Yeah. Okay. Not decrease. Increase.
Increase. Influx. Increasing. Yeah. Yeah.
Maybe inflation is not correct. Yeah. So so many Sangha. But I’m then they you see, there there was a great difficulties. You couldn’t get a visa to stay in Nepal, so they all get out.
So even I went to the to see the one lama, the head of the Buddhist in Nepal, few times with all the Buddhists, some the one very expensive Zen that somebody gave me. Very, very expensive Zen, you know, some special which so offer, and then some person give in there. They asked me to give to students, but the lama said that he will check, but it didn’t happen. Anyway, so went a few times, asked him to give visa. So anyway, so they all went to Dharmasala.
And then then we happened to at summertime, we were I think we were Dharmasala. So Sanghas, ourselves, we went to receive commentary on the six preparatory practices from Serkong Rinpoche. So explained during the refuge commentary, he says, you know, you have to when we say, even the, you know, and we said, even the, you know, you know, Shag-tsang, they take the responsibility of serving the tea. I think that’s what heard, serving the tea. And they don’t do study.
They don’t follow the they don’t I think they don’t follow the normal program. So they do some service in monastery, Anyway, I think not the I mean, they can be put up with the Shramaneras among the monks. You know? There’s the among the in the book, I think, in the old books, they translate among novices. Anyway so but so, normally, generally, they don’t do study in this, you know, debate competitions, debating, you know, things like that, all sorts of things.
So in the so in the in but the I have to by that reason, also, you know, we we create a lot of merit if we respect the old person. You know? Mhmm. So, you know, the one who has a higher level of ordination gets along, you see, like that. So we collect a lot of merit.
So you get you get advantage, you see. Like, meditate is part and and also it’s part of the practice. It’s a part of the refuge practice. You know, after you have taken a refuge vow, after you have taken refuge vow, you see, most of the students, you see, their refuge is already there in the heart. Actually, they’re all in the heart.
But to make sure, you see, to make sure yourself putting this put into you put your life into practice. So you take the refuge vows. And so when you take the refuge vows, see, they’re let’s say, by taking refuge in Buddha, there are things that are abandoned. You know? Then there’s things to practice.
You know, refugee vow or refugee person. Then Dharma thing that, to abandon following the wrong founders, you know, then you see, then you follow Buddha as your guide. So you venerate, take guidance from Buddha. In that vein, then respect even broken statues or whatever, put in a high clean place as a practice. Then the Dharma: abiding the Dharma, abandon one hundred percent wrong views.
Then then, say, even, say, Dharma scriptures, even incomplete subject or they even a line of that Dharma subject, see, even if you, I say, you know, even if you see it however small, even if it’s in the garbage, they put up high clean place by thinking this is the it shows the Dharma, the power that liberates me from oceans of suffering and bring me to liberation. So put in hard, clean place. Same thing. You know, they if you see broken statue or something, you know, even that, put a high clean place, don’t throw away. And then Sangha, by so whenever we see Sangha, it is said to see the by taking refuge in Sangha, what one should practice is whenever we see an ordained person, even Theravāda Buddhist, you know, Buddhist ordinary person, or Theravāda or Mahāyānist, like, one person, then immediately, oh, it says one thing.
This is my guide who liberates, who is a Sangha So you see, one has to think that in respect. And so then even piece of rope, as a Kadam Geshe practice, they sit in the road, even piece of rope of sangha, then you take take up, then put it on your head, then put a higher place, and they’re thinking, you see, this has special qualities. You know? So think of that. Then put a high.
So one collects so much in that way. That so so including that, the including that, you know, lay people see a special lay that, you know, the same. That this practice is not only for lay it’s also for both the ordinary lay both with this very free practice. So to respect the older Sangha’s role, that is for both. And so cannot cannot step over.
You know? So that means cannot step over. Know? The monk’s seat. Can’t step over.
So when comes in the teaching, come comes to give initiation at in those time. So that time, as he’s come through between the thing lingua. You know? He doesn’t step over. He comes through between this space of the seat.
You used to come like that. Not over, you know, even the guru, but, you know, so I think that is the practice in the refuge vow, respecting the Sanghas’ robes, you see, and then the even the seat cover. So so, anyway so therefore, you see and then abandon following the wrong guides who mislead you, who who mislead you, who cheat you, mislead you. That causes you causes you, you see, to obstacle to practice Dharma and the personal liberation path. You see?
For there are many reasons why we should respect the sangha. Yes. I think that I think that that that that that practice and that knowledge, soon we should slowly should they need to be need to spread among the among the west as in the western, I see, students. I need to emphasize that need to spread. So you see, generally, you know, when I say the object respect, so we crack we crack so much we crack so I see object object is powerful object.
So therefore, we collect so much merit. And even some harm, some criticism is given is done. You know? Then it becomes very heavy than having criticized to lay. You see, this very powerful object, you know, sangha.
So more more powerful than what’s on it’s like kind parents. So they’re saying that they’re all talking about ordinary sangha, not higher sangha. See. More number of vow the person living is very powerful object. You know?
So relating to you, if you if you make offering, if you respect, you collect so much merit, but if it you know, this is about harm, precise, but everything come out. So like that. So I think so now bring up bringing up the practice of refuge. So in the even by that case, we should respect the the resident teacher. I think it’s, you know, very good.
It’s not but this is more this is more to do with the I would think specifically to do as organizers, you know, at the same time to respect more. Or the outside people may respect this student, you know, or here, I’m perhaps maybe emphasizing that as to us, the organizers, to to respect. So by thinking along the, say, refuge practice, you see, creating good karma by respect. So it’s a special object, you know, holy object. You see, a person living the higher vows like that.
As as part of part of Lamrim practice, you know, refuge practice. And then then also by education, you see, know, by education side also, there’s, you know, unimaginable qualities there compared to oneself as a lay person. So the preserving the teaching of the transmitted teachings, you know, and then, of course, practice. And then when we can we can never tell, you know, so can never since we we can’t reach, you know, cannot see. There’s no realization.
You know, we can’t see from outside. So because it could be also it could be also like like an ordinary being. You know, it appears as an ordinary being, but it could be Buddha. You see, we never know where is Buddha. So, you see anyway, so so if we respect if we abandon this respect, in case even the being is a Buddha or Bodhisattva, then we say we are saved from such an incredible heavenly karma.
So in the advice of practicing patience, as I mentioned, you know, one of the things is this can be Buddha or Bodhisattva. So be more careful because because you get angry to a non-Bodhisattva, getting angry to a Bodhisattva, it is said in that it is said getting angry at the Sangha. It destroys one thousand eons in it as a yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
How many second one get angry, then that many number of eons merit get discharged. That many eons, so when they come and get pure, other than they come and get purified, they come and get destroyed, as mentioned. That’s then in the Bodhicaryāvatāra chapter, as you remember, arising one second of anger to the Sangha, the merit collected for one thousand eons, having made charity, having made offerings to the Buddhas, so forth. merit collected for one thousand eons get burned in one second. They mentioned it.
So so like that, you see. So so therefore, we can’t judge. We we can’t see the mind of that person. We can’t realize. So the outside appearance outside appearance, you know, actions we cannot just from that, we cannot judge.
So there are many, say, in in our view, since our mind is impure, we are impure views. So we can’t use that to prove that it’s not Buddha, Buddhist. I think it’s particularly from the organizers’ side, nothing but respect. My emphasis is that. So I think that that’s very important.
Very important. There have been only very few, very, very few among all the cases that we had. Very, very few that there has been problems. I think sometimes it’s dependent arising, not only but also dependent on us. Sometimes it’s like that.
It’s not the side, you know, the problems. So I bet there have been very, very few which was which we are unbelievably lucky. You know? Only very, very few that we had so far in the past we had problem. Very few.
So we are unbelievably lucky and so fortunate. So there has not been a reputation there has not been a reputation in the monasteries back into India, in the monasteries, how FPMT treats Geshes, you know, how FPMT deals with Geshes or treats Geshes. There has not been yet bad reputation. I haven’t heard bad reputation that commonly people talk about there in India in the monastery. So that may not be good that then nobody wants to come.
If you want to invite, but then nobody wants to come, you know, everybody say, become a reputation that how FPMT, Do not take care of the issue or something like that. And that I haven’t heard this. There has not been a hearing from the people talking in the monasteries. So, anyway, there has been very, few that that they have us that they have the problems. So, however so once once we invited, then, you know, of our respect and the service well, what you know, of course, we can’t do something more than what we have, you know, what the center center resources, what the center has.
Of course, you can’t offer more than that. So what about the going to the resource the center has? So that So I’m not sure whether we had a meeting, a discussion session on this cause of success cause of success of the cause of success of the center, cause of a successful organization. How to make, I see, a cause of success. On that point, you know, those I think we are the various things we the various things we went through, many of them are cause for success.
Many of them are, you know, conditions for success. You know, conditions conditions for success. Conditions and some could cause of success. But actually, really getting to the point, those are real cause of success of the center. Not not only especially I mentioned today, this morning, not only the realization, but also the external prosperity, causal success.
So much of starting so much of that how to speak to people, communicate I mean, those parts are the conditions for success. So that really going through, you know, points of really going through the most powerful causes of success of the center. I mean, your your own individual success, you know, inner success, outer success as well as the center organization. However, Oh, So as mentioned this morning, the you know, he emphasized external prosperity and success. It’s an it’s an organization.
You need So cause of, you know, so cause of the success, what needs to be done. So because, say however, say, for that. As Geshe-la mentioned, this one is meant this morning that so if I devote to the virtuous friend correctly, then everything will be everything will happen. Everything will succeed. So I think that that’s the that that is the most powerful one.
There are many other cause for success, but that’s the most powerful one. You see, relate relatively the most powerful object the virtual friend, you see. That about, say, service and abiding the advice, fulfilling the wishes for them. But, yeah, it’s most most powerful one there. And then there’s there’s so many other means for prosperity or success.
So, however, so that that’s see. But yeah. Just so just to massage once more this point. Yeah. So the respect is not only Tibetan teacher, including Western sangha.
Object respect for that. And the young the young one even the ordinary one, young one respect the elder one. And so as part of practice, so that that is mentioned during the ordination ceremony. You see that? Yeah.
So I so, yeah, I’m looking forward really, say, the organization in the world uplifting between this and next meeting, next meeting, you know, uplifting. Instead of going down, you know, going up uplifting. See, uplifting of the uplifting of illuminating, wishful, fulfilling in this world. So I’m looking forward this between between this and next meeting between that. Illuminate illuminating the whole world, uplifting, transcending.
So so you have been as I mentioned this morning, you’ve been praying, but please continue to pray all the projects all the projects that I intended to be succeed without delay the second. So every day, actual practice, especially Medicine Buddha and the protectors for that. Of course, can’t of course, can’t imagine, after Maitreya statue projects, can’t imagine that. Also, I would like to build nine-storey Kālacakra Stūpa in Tibet. Then there’s a a special holy place, I think, near Tingri.
Near Tingri, there’s a mountain there called Tip Tipri. This last time when we went in Tibet. So those there’s, I think, maybe some people who went in Tibet with me in that time. So we did actually, we actually didn’t get go to Sipri, but I heard some stories. So when we camped at Tingri, so I want to go to Tingri, the all the village, Tingri, to look for old person who know the of that place.
So I could not go because if I went there, the many villagers might come, then that might create attention for the Chinese, you know, so they weren’t good. They were upset and maybe angry. So so our Sherpa guide went, who cooked food for us and put up tents, who went there who went in the old to look for old man. So I found one old man, and this old man came. Very very interesting old man.
He has a big prayer wheel constantly turning all the time, all the time while talking nonstop. And he so we had a big tent using, like a Gompa, for privacy, when we were camping there for puja. So then he sat down, and he explained about to us. So it was very it was extremely inspiring. Very, very inspiring.
There’s still one lama. I don’t know how many how many hundred years ago. Still in meditation state. Still the body is not soft. And they they, the Chinese, dumped it in the ground during the revolution.
I said they destroyed everything. Then put it in the ground. And then later, when there was liberty freedom was given, people dug up again put back into the temple. So still kind I think still, you know, the meditation under like a position. So that some parts are a little bit eaten by a dog.
But I didn’t see we would want we didn’t want that. So so many I think how many hundred hundred people. Anyway, so so this is a so this is a the Mount Kailash of Tibet and the east. This mountain is one: one is Heruka’s holy body, one is Heruka’s holy speech, one is Heruka’s holy mind, but is all three. And that’s what Marpa advised Milarepa, where to go to meditate, you know, to to do the rest of his practice.
And so and many advice to the there’s some of the lamas to there to meditate. So so there are many meditators who achieved rainbow body, and there which have many realizations that that happened. Also, a lot of pure visions happened there. Yeah. Many different different traditions.
So there are about one hundred hermitages, and they were completely destroyed. One or two, I think, revived. So this monk who did research two years about Tibet, wrote book of every cave, every hermitage, the different lamas. So he offered to me that, I think, the lama’s place where he revived this hermitage and built was a Maitreya statue two stories tall before, but there was a huge rock which was poisonous, but anybody touched animal or human being, they died. So then as an antidote, one lama started to build a Maitreya statue, then that stopped.
So there were two stories. So the idea is to build a little bit more than two stories this time. So the monks, his idea is to restore this one, the heritage, and then then other traditions could come there to actualize the path. His main idea is Geshes from Sera and Drepung, when they finish studying when they finish when they come to their study, they will come there to actualize the path to maintain on the teachings what they have already what they have studied, so to actualize, to maintain there. That was his goal.
So he asked me to help that. So hoping to restore this in Tibet, this incredible hermitage, such an incredible holy place, very special mountain. You can see the difference. So last time so Tibetan people, they go there seven times. Whatever it is, all this holy mountain with the animals carrying food, you know, they beddings.
So what we did last time, from the road, from the car road, we were prostrating towards the mountain. You know, next morning when we leave or leave to, how’s it, to Ralung, the Drukpa Kagyu, you know, monastery. The Wanakatham Wanakatham lineage can start from there. So that’s I say. So also when that happens, then also from the west, here, all the students can go there to retreat like that.
So, anyway, so please dedicate the merit to to succeed all the, you know, in all the, say, plans intended to see projects in this world. So for that request. And and I would like to say this I think this meeting here this present meeting here has been very, very I think it has been very enjoyable. So many years many years ago, we still you know? Maybe that was board meeting.
I’m not sure. Anyway, many years ago, we still meeting because organization is not developed. So very limited skills. You know? So very boring, tiring very boring, tiring, many hours meeting, no result.
You know? Not much result. Very boring, tiring, long talk, and you stay like that. You know, there’s not and not so much when you go back to, you know, the dentist, go back to the center. Not some not not really much to practical ideas to bring back or to actualize.
So not like that. So there has been so much development throughout the year years, you see. Over the years, so much development. So there it’s been very, very enjoyable. Think even though I didn’t come every hour or every minute, you know, I wasn’t here.
So very enjoyable meeting, I think. I’m sure I think everyone must have. So so and that and then there are other things that this time, no matter how far in this part of the world, you know, from no matter how far it is from Brazil, for example, from Russia. And, of course, and see, no question from India and Nepal. Yeah.
I set up a manager and the centers in India. Then that’s the Nālānda from Dharmasala, Tuśita. You know? Tuśita Tuśita center, which is which is amazing karma that every time every time on this course, you know, whole packed, you know, whole packed whole packed.
That was full. I mean, see, maybe people on the waiting list or the like the airport. Anyway, like the airlines. Anyway, which is some special karma there. So there’s so much we can benefit to so many.
So similar and also Kopan similar. So many places. Anyway, second thing is, you know, they’re able to you’re able to come from a very far part of the world, see, to here. Incurring all the expenses and hardships. So so I think met this meeting very enjoyable and very close each other, you know, unite unity, brings unity and learn each other.
So that is very wonderful. I think it’s very good. So, hopefully, next meeting, also like that. Hopefully, next meeting, also like that. That would be great.
That that would be really great. Yeah. Same thing from Taiwan. So they’re here. So the I I think except one director didn’t come back.
The tie in director, and then there’s Taichum, when you got Taichum to the chip So it’s really, you know, really international. Very, very it’s, you know, very inspiring. So hope for the next time, also like that. So I want to say: thank you.
Thank you very, very, very, very, very, very much. Okay? So I think that that’s all. So, you know, I will pray. So as we talked about the successors, success individuals, the success of the organization.
So here is the Ārya Sanghata Sūtra. This is this is one of the this is one of the most powerful cause to create a quick say, an imaginable merit even by reading even by reading a few words, not the whole time. Especially right, it’s much more. So I’m not going to go about all the all the numbers of benefits. Because number of atoms or physical ocean or universe and all that.
You know? So but but this is I’m not sure the book is there, but it’s in Tibetan. But keep it at the center of the at the altar to my offerings, and it’s also an unhospital merit. And then also when you read the Ārya Asangata Sūtra, the student, they read in English or whatever language. But in the Tibetan text, read can be read by Geshe.
You know? If this Geshe, it has got Tibetan text to read together. But I think I heard there was difficulties, you know, when the Sanghata Sūtra was read, it didn’t have Tibetan text. That was difficult for the Geshe to read those who don’t read. The English.
So this also very helpful with that. So I don’t know about I don’t know about other book. Oh, that’s diamond that’s Diamond Cutter Sūtra. They say it cuts the delusions. Anyway, so so for successful material project, I’ve been printing sometimes the Ārya Sanghata Sūtra, many many texts, and read the printed many texts also there has been many times we printed many different times we printed a hundred copies or fifty copies like that.
That’s because if you print, finish very fast. But I’m writing with gold, but it takes much time. You see? So those so when you read the Sanghata Sūtra, all the benefits that I mentioned, if you read it bindably, you know the unimaginable benefit. And especially especially when somebody is attacking to the center or somebody suing, you know, suing you or the center organization was causing problems.
Most powerful to read the Ārya Sanghata Sūtra to overcome, to defeat that. There was one Italian girl when I was in Italy some years ago. So this girl, her job is liberating delivering babies, delivering babies from the mother’s womb. You know?
Midwife? Midwife? So so helping, you know, the baby to get out, you see. That was that was her job. But what happened with the baby died?
Baby died, and then baby died. And then the mother sue her, but she found a way to get money, to make money by suing her. So she checked with the doctor’s nurse, and they said the way she did it is correct. It was not her fault. Baby died.
But the mother want to make money out of that by suing her. So, anyway, she was worried. So I told her to read eight times the Ārya Sanghata Sūtra. So she did that immediately, and she won the court case. But then there’s I think there was somebody also also somebody also had a similar problem.
Not not delivering baby, but something else. So that but I forget. I succeed. You know, like that. So in the no.
No. That’s not the main thing, but the main thing is the the, you know, say, to a external or daily prosperity so that we we can benefit extensive percent in being express Dharma, and especially for for realizing emptiness and teaching like in the cool things. And then there’s a a generic photo, taken from that which I carry all the time with me, which is blessed by, which had his handprint on the back side, blessed by. So the picture of that, to use that when you do daily practice, to use that for visualization.
Okay? Yeah. To receive beams imaging from that purifier, you know, and to receive realization. So you can use that for that, for developing compassion, bodhicitta, to be able to liberate sentient beings from the oceans of saṃsāra’s sufferings and bring them to enlightenment as soon as possible? So I think, perhaps, place it on the crown.
This one? Oh, I see the long life long life as well. So to live for billions of years, getting younger and younger and younger. Come up. Maybe we’ll do maybe we’ll do the dedication and the Tārā initiation, I think.
To make Tārā, you know, maybe do the dedication. Then we do the King of Prayers, if you have copies. The holy deeds of Samantabhādra, the prayers of Samantabhādra. We do that as an extensive dedication. K?
Then also we do the end of the the prayers to spread. So maybe with that end of the. Yeah. Like that. And to the entire.
For me to just finish with the offerings.