Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 52-minute talk, Lama Zopa Rinpoche addresses a widespread experience among long-term students: having studied with qualified teachers for years, they feel unhappy and begin to doubt Buddhism or their teachers. He traces the real source: these students study with the wrong attitude. They accumulate intellectual understanding but never transform their minds because practice is rooted in attachment and clinging to this life. When motivation is faulty, even meditation becomes non-virtue. Rinpoche then explains the solution: happiness is fundamentally a matter of mind, not external sense pleasures. He contrasts someone eating a thousand-dollar meal while troubled by desire, unable to enjoy it, with the profound joy of someone practicing thought-exchange during serious illness. Only through Dharma practice and genuine thought transformation can one find lasting satisfaction.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 11 2005 04 08 JANGSEMLING RET.mp3
UUID: e43b85b5-6949-4c94-bd59-5efde5beb30c
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z Malaysia (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2005-04-08
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 52.4 minutes
Words: ~3,680
So now I want to give you another example. Somebody who has been among the western students, even Sangha has been there, who has been learning for quite a number of years. Many teachers, very qualified, wise teachers, many cases. But you see, after so many years learning, the person, even though he has great intellect, you see, the person felt I’m not happy, my life is not happy. You know?
After some years studying philosophy, studying Dharma texts from the teachers, even though you have a lot of information, you have a lot of understandings, but you see, you feel your life has not—if the person feels my life, I’m not happy. After many years of studying Dharma, I’m not happy. You see, then putting the blame on Dharma or Tibetan Buddhism or teacher. Putting the blame goes to Tibetan Buddhism or to the teacher. They know how to teach Dharma.
It doesn’t fit my mind. It doesn’t fit. It doesn’t—it means to say, your mind is still dissatisfied. Your mind still dissatisfied, you see, the same as before. So therefore, they think teacher didn’t have the tool or something missing there. Teacher taught everything, but they didn’t practice.
So that’s the mistake. But they didn’t recognize that. So I think there’s something missing in the teacher’s teaching or there’s a skillfulness or something. Some quality missing in the teacher or the Buddhism itself. Start to blame Buddhism.
So now here, why is the person after so many years studying, you know, being an ordinary person and studying, then you feel, I’m not happy. So this doesn’t make me happy. So I should do something else. I have to give up. It’s a monk life. No. I should give up. Or nun life, you see. Give up. Do something else. Because this doesn’t make me happy. So why? Why do they also feel like this? So you see, that’s because a person leads a life, even though during all these activities, studying all these things, you know, but mistake is attitude.
You see, attachment clinging to this life. That’s what it is. Because he did study with that attitude. So, of course, how can you find satisfaction? By following desire, how can you get satisfaction?
You see, no way. So as Lama Tsongkhapa mentioned in the Lamrim, by following desire, then the root of the tree that spreads many branches, root of the tree that spreads out so many, let’s just say, many branches of roots you see. So like that, it expands. Maybe a lot, some quote from some sūtra. I’m not sure. So you see by following this, it brings so many problems.
It initiates or it brings like the branch root spread out. So many problems. You see, so you see, one can learn even learning Dharma, you become a great scholar. But with that nature, you can never find satisfaction. You can’t enjoy the life. You don’t find happiness. You see, so blocked by the—not blocked by Buddhism. Buddhism, you know, explains everything. But blocked—you see, the teaching explains everything, but didn’t practice. It’s blocked by this. It’s—didn’t change the mind. Didn’t practice. Not practice means did not change the mind. The definition of didn’t practice means did not change the mind. So from that, you see, the attachment that clings to this life is that which is non-virtue.
And makes whatever action you do non-virtue. Result is non-virtue. Even the prostrations or reciting prayers like that. Even meditation, doing with that attitude during meditation, we get non-virtue. Action, meditation becomes non-virtue. Result is non-virtue. Even meditation.
So for example, if you do, say, one does one’s meditation, śamatha, with one-pointed meditation. You see, śamatha or breathing meditation. You see, or even mind watching the mind. But you do this meditation, you see, with the attachment clinging to this life to become famous, to become famous, get power, whatever. So the attitude is non-virtue, actions are non-virtue. There is a lot of suffering. So like this. So therefore, leave aside whether action becomes Dharma or not. Just with this living life with this motivation, you cannot find inner happiness, satisfaction. What you’re looking for, you see, you can’t find.
So you can never be happy, really happy. So always there’s something missing. You know, you see something missing in your heart. So also, there’s the nature of desire always wanting more and better. So this brings some problem. Even if one lives for hundreds of eons, even one lives, the life will be, living always one problem after another and so many problems.
So therefore, here’s now—here is not a question of Dharma. This is a question of happiness. You want happiness. So this is here, this is a question to do with psychology, to do with the mind, way of thinking. One way of thinking, you find satisfaction right there, the happiness fulfillment. With one way of thinking, another way of thinking opposite, you see, there’s suffering.
Immediately, there’s this dissatisfied mind, there’s suffering, there’s a problem in the life. So just changing one way of thinking, the opposite way of thinking. So one way of thinking, opposite—the attitude, not clinging. You see, this one, immediately you find happiness, not dissatisfaction, you see, real happiness. The other way, then clinging, the other way of thinking, just a little change, just change of mind, way of thinking, clinging to this life.
The minute one clings to this life, there’s a problem, there’s dissatisfaction, there’s unhappiness. So this is without talking self-cherishing thought and other things. Just with attachment to this life. So here, you see, it’s very clear. You can never be happy. Leave aside Dharma, just for happiness. Can’t get satisfaction. So like the rock and roll, the famous rock musician has said, I can’t stop playing the guitar and the same. I don’t get—what is that? I don’t—what?
I don’t find satisfaction. How to say? I get no—I get no satisfaction anyway. So I get no satisfaction or whatever you say. So that’s completely true.
That’s completely exact. He expressed his heart, you know, the famous rock and roll man. I think—sorry. I heard he committed suicide or something. Anyway, so here, it’s not just the Dharma is the one thing, but even without talking Dharma, there’s very clear, you see, proof there, experience.
First I gave the other people example. Then even studying Dharma. You see, where the problem comes from, why can’t enjoy the life by studying Dharma. So you see why there’s—because why people express after so many years I’m not happy. You know, think Buddhism doesn’t make me happy.
You see that one? So then here I want to understand that this very—so you can see that this person really—the person really did not practice Dharma. You can see, like here is the point. Didn’t really practice Dharma. Missed out. Sort of that. Then other thing, what I want to say is, you see, so we should analyze these things. Then you can see how Dharma is so important. Come to know what is Dharma and what is the practice of Dharma. Not just chanting, mala in hand, or something. It’s not that. It’s not that. Only that. So the other thing is you see, no matter how much pleasure—the sense of eye, sense of eye, you know, seeing beautiful forms, beautiful forms, pleasure, you get pleasure. Then hearing beautiful sound, pleasure.
Then, you know, sense of the body, sense of body. You see, contacting soft—some soft object. So and then good smell. Even though I don’t drink coffee, but somebody makes coffee, there’s a delicious smell comes out, you see.
So I can enjoy the smell even though I don’t drink. So there’s no harm, there’s no harm to the heart or blood pressure, you see. But drink—for me, there’s no harm from drinking coffee, but I still like to enjoy the coffee. There’s no—yeah. Anyway, so somebody drinking coffee, making coffee. Yes.
So then same. This sense of tongue, delicious food, you see. Pleasure. So now, even these things—even these senses are experiencing pleasure, but if your sixth, the mental consciousness, doesn’t matter? You see? Then there’s no happiness. You see? Then you see, even though these other senses are pleasurable, but you are the conscious, the sixth consciousness. So if this doesn’t happen, you see, then you see, for example, you know, you’re eating thousand dollars of food, you know, thousand dollars and five-star hotel or six-star, ten-star hotel, you know, thousand dollars of food. But you see in your mind there’s a relationship problem.
I mean, the desire problem is a relationship problem because of the desire problem. So you see, you didn’t get what you want or you’re unable to get what you want, the desire. You see, what you’re looking for didn’t get. So you see, then you see, even though it’s a one-thousand-dollar dinner, lunch, you see, whatever.
That’s an example—in that place, can’t enjoy. You see? So this mental suffering here is kind of—it’s there. Too over. It overpowers.
You see? But not other way around. Not other way around. If this, the sense of mind of the—however, the consciousness—however, you see, there’s happiness. For example, when you have cancer or AIDS, anything, you see, thinking of others, how precious others are, then you feel complete, you know, with compassion. You want to take their suffering, their AIDS, their cancer. You want to take their cancer, AIDS on yourself and experience upon yourself. And let them have all the happiness. You see, how the mother, you know, is able to change—able to exchange herself with her beloved daughter or son. You know, rather than the daughter or son dying, she prefers herself to die. If there’s a choice that she take it herself and let her beloved daughter or son have the happiness.
If there’s choice. So she was so happy, you know, so happy to take the problem, sickness on herself, let her daughter and son—she loves most. She loves so much. She wants her happy. Now similar here.
Similar, the daughter and son who realized, you know, who realized how his mother or father is so kind and precious, you see, then same, any problem, you see, sickness, whatever, want to experience and let that one have all the happiness to the father, mother. One who realized their father/mother is so precious, so kind, you see. So there’s similar, thought transformation. So now here, so having this attitude, you see, feeling unbearable compassion to others, realizing how this person’s mother or father is so precious and kind and now they’re suffering. So want to, you know, want to receive, want to experience all their suffering. One’s self. Let them receive all the happiness.
So now here, who—let’s see. Who actually used the AIDS or cancer, whatever sickness one has, to experience for others? To experience others’ suffering that they have, to receive on oneself, experience oneself for others. So there’s so much joy, you know. So this conscious mind during this, so much joy. There’s so much joy. So even though the other senses don’t have—doesn’t find that object, you know, said this, do not have—no contact, doesn’t have the pleasure, you know, doesn’t find those desirable objects. You see, doesn’t have pleasure. But you see, mind is this happiness.
It’s—see, it’s similar way. Even the body has pain, but the mind in that state, incredible joy, happiness. It—it took—it overwhelms, you know, how much problem the body has. It becomes small. You see, because so much happiness in mind, it becomes nothing, small.
You see, it doesn’t bother one’s mind. So therefore, here, the external, the pleasure of the senses, you see, you have to, you know, through changing the objects, form, sound, smell, by changing, again, looking for better and better and better. More and more. But here, you see, this doesn’t, you know, doesn’t come from that. So here, the happiness of mind, it’s through meditation, through thought transformation. You see, through Dharma practice, then you see the happiness of mind.
Then even the other problems, it doesn’t bother, it doesn’t bother it at all. So again, in this sense, again, definitely need Dharma practice, even by this—by even through this analysis. So yeah. So importance of Dharma practice, since one is looking for—since you want, looking for happiness, you want happiness, do not want suffering, then no choice. I say, no choice.
Have to practice Dharma. And what is Dharma? So the—so there’s some basis. These are the path.
First of all, the motivation. May the bodhicitta be generated in the hearts of me and family members and in the house of all the students and benefactors in this organization and everyone in the center and then all the rest of all the students and the FPMT organization, benefactors, and those who sacrifice their life, those who sacrificed their life during service to sentient beings, to the teachings of Buddha through this organization and all the rest of sentient beings. May the bodhicitta be generated in one’s heart. That was actually the second. By the three-time merits collected by me, by us. May the bodhicitta be generated in the hearts of all the leaders, all the leaders of the world, of the countries without delay, in a second.
If they generate bodhicitta, there are many millions of people who receive happiness, peace, and they lead in the correct path to peace and happiness. May the bodhicitta be generated in the hearts of all the people. Those who are creating so much violence, harming others, young, old, without delay, in a second. And those in whose heart the bodhicitta is generated, may it be increased. May those who have taken the vows of compassion—as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the source of all the peace and happiness of all the sentient beings and sole object of refuge. May all the holy wishes be stabilized, be satisfied immediately. Also, other virtuous friends, may all the holy wishes be stabilized. They succeed immediately.
May all the stainless wishes come true. May all the father, mother sentient beings have happiness. May all the three lower realms be empty forever. May all the bodhisattvas’ prayers succeed immediately. May I be able to cause all these to happen by myself alone.
By the merits of the past, present, future, may they be dedicated to others. May sentient beings who see me, touch me, who see oneself, touch, who hear oneself, one’s voice, who remember, who dream of oneself, who talk about oneself. Just merely by this may it cause them immediately to pacify all the suffering, heal all their sicknesses, free from the spirit harms, immediately, instantly, and purify all their negative karma immediately, all the defilements.
And immediately find the faith in the refuge in the Buddhadharma, Sangha, and the karma. Immediately actualize love and compassion, bodhicitta in their hearts. And achieve all the happiness in all the lifetimes. And achieve the complete path, achieve enlightenment as quick as possible. So able to cause benefit to beings just by merely seeing oneself, hearing oneself, words, voice, touching oneself, even dreaming, even talking about oneself.
May all these be able to benefit, able to affect other sentient beings this way. You know, in all the—not only this life, in all the future lifetimes, able to affect and benefit sentient beings. May this land, Chenrezig Ling—I didn’t say Chenrezig Land here—be most beneficial to all sentient beings. Able to cause them to generate faith, refuge in the Three Jewels and karma. And generate bodhicitta in the hearts of sentient beings. And particular, then able to spread the stainless teaching of Lama Tsongkhapa, Sūtra and Tantra in everyone’s heart and receive all the necessary conditions for this.
May anyone, any sentient beings who come on the land, on the organization’s land and as well as the city. Just putting their feet on the land, anyone, even the insects, spirits, who come on the land, may they become immediately purified. Never ever be reborn in the lower realms. And all the sickness is immediately healed. All free from all the spirit harms.
And immediately find devotion, faith to Buddhadharma, Sangha, and karma, cause and effect. And actualize bodhicitta, realize emptiness and achieve enlightenment in that very lifetime as quick as possible by the person completing their own complete path. So no question. While they’re listening to teaching, studying Dharma here, doing retreat, to achieve all the realizations during the retreat. So that is no question to happen.
So all the rest of the centers and the FPMT centers should be most beneficial like that. And they receive all the needs, all their—every project what each center has to be fulfilled, each one’s needs, as well as the Maitreya statue to be able to construct as quick as possible, complete, abiding this world when Maitreya comes, descends to this world, and to be most beneficial to all sentient beings. To cause sentient beings to collect the most excellent merit and purify the defilements and bring them to enlightenment as quick as possible. And of course, to spread the Dharma in everyone’s heart in this world and all sentient beings. May all the needs of the functioning of Dharma centers, may they flourish as quick as possible and as well as all the social services in Tibet, various parts of the world, Mongolia and various parts of the world, social services in the West. May all needs for the funding or whatever other needs be received without obstacle.
As well as to support the monasteries, already existing ones, Sera and Drepung, the Lamrim, the Gelug tradition, these are the monasteries, already existing ones, support the Sangha to preserve the Dharma, the Vinaya, and to build monasteries in various parts of the world, such as Russia, various parts of the world where there’s a great need and preserve Dharma, spread Dharma in this world, as well as to build various holy objects in different parts of the world, which is easiest, quickest way for sentient beings to collect extensive merit, bring them to enlightenment as quick as possible. So to receive all the needs for this and to fulfill all the wishes of His Holiness. And may all the needs for that be received without delay.
By all the three-time merits collected by me, three-time merit collected by others, which exist, but do not exist from their own side, that all these merits are totally empty. I, who exist but do not exist from my own side, who is totally empty, achieve Guru Śākyamūni Buddha’s 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 Guru Śākyamūni Buddha’s 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 is totally empty.
That I which appears as real in the sense of existing from its own side, is totally nonexistent. That one is totally nonexistent. Empty. May I be able to follow the holy extensive deeds of bodhisattvas as they realized, dedicate all the merits in the same way as the three-time Buddhas dedicated merits. May the three-time merits be dedicated so that the general teaching of Buddha, particularly the teaching of Lama Tsongkhapa, may be complete and flourish in one’s heart, with the family members in the house of all of us. The house of all the students, benefactors, those who give up their life to the organization in service to sentient beings, to the teachings of Buddha, in all their hearts and in the house of everyone in this world without delay in a second.
So good night. Maybe good morning. Not yet. Good morning. Good night.