Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 48-minute talk, Lama Zopa Rinpoche establishes refuge as the essential foundation of Buddhist practice. He corrects an omission in a printed prayer—two verses on taking refuge—and explains that without refuge in your heart, even vows and ethics do not constitute Buddhism. Drawing on the Lamrim teachings, he guides practitioners through generating motivation by reflecting on impermanence, the suffering-only nature of saṃsāra across all realms (using vivid comparisons to sewage, fire, and poisonous snakes), and compassion for all beings. True renunciation means having no interest even for a moment in any pleasure—sensory, meditative, or formless. He concludes by applying these principles to retreat practice: maintaining pure ethics and vows, and an undistracted mind during recitation, warning that interrupting practice with ordinary talk drains it of power.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 17 2005 04 10 JANGSEMLING RET.mp3
UUID: 4bb533d6-877f-40bd-ba96-eca7c5e52a26
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z Malaysia (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2005-04-10
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 48.7 minutes
Words: ~2,639
Good morning. So here’s the the instructions of the great yogi, Chöma’s blessing speech. In the the international office, the the collection for the prayers, I think, it is not a mistake, it’s my mistake. They left out the two verses, you know, going for refuge and the two verses. I go for refuge to the three precious sublime ones.
In order to benefit for the migratory beings, may achieve enlightenment. So that is a that we missed out. I noticed that recently in Taiwan was explaining this as a prayer speech to Nita, who is a major benefactor of the organization, who funded the paying salary for the innocent office people and many many other projects, so many other projects. Pandita was set at the chairperson building the whole temple. None of that many other things.
Some other things. So when she was when I was explaining, I noticed that, you know, that that two words is, you know, missed out. It was not they missed it. I think one from I think my maybe I left out when I was explaining it properly. So that whenever we begin practice, beginning the refuge, as you as you notice, you know, those who have been doing many prayers of the Sadhanas or whatever.
You notice that they’re always speaking of the refuge. So that makes the which refuge you begin you do the practice, then then then it becomes a Buddhism. For example, even though you are taking precious vows, but there is no refuge, then that’s not Buddhism. If there’s no refuge in your heart, then it does not become Buddhism. Even though it might give you a birth, you know, like human rebirth.
It’s like, for example, in Christianity, you know, you take a vow, you know, and that’s, you know, abstaining from killing and so forth and so forth. Mhmm. It it does have a a good life. That would be very good. Or, I mean, another religion Buddhism, but yet has this ethical life, harming others.
So, of course, it would have result of good rebirth, but not necessarily liberation. It does have result happiness in good rebirth. You know, result happiness in good rebirth, not necessarily liberation. It does not bring liberation. It says Buddhism has the greater power, quality to guide towards to liberate from the sufferings of saṃsāra, and other lower realms. And also, that’s the decision which he explained. That if you do the practice in refuge beginning, the benefits is a hundred times much more.
Practice whatever you do, the benefits is a hundred times much more. Of course, it is mentioned in the in the Sūtra text. I don’t remember which I don’t recollect which one. As he mentioned, the Lamrim teachings has the benefits of taking refuge, if it were materialized, would fill three galaxies. You see the whole galaxies that many universes you see, will be spurs.
Even that much container, that many universes will be so small, become so become a very small container. If you see it materialize, the benefits of taking refuge is materialized. It is it says so much in the three galaxies. That in universe is so small, small container. So okay.
So just as much this time, in regards to the explanation of the refuge verse, the two verse. I go for refuge to the three precious sublime ones. May I achieve the for the migratory, countless transmigratory beings. So So can a little bit little bit elaborate. Can generate the motivation.
Think that this life is a we see nature of impermanence. This doesn’t last long. This can be stopped. This can be cut off, this life can end anytime. For that, cut the concept of permanence, you know, clinging to the concept of permanence, always thinking that I’m going to live for a long time.
And doesn’t allow practice that doesn’t allow to practice Dharma. And the concept of permanence which due to that, then engaging in the instead of engaging Dharma and the practice of holy Dharma, then engaging the worldly Dharma. So what meaningless works works with this life. So the Dharma is cut. No, Dharma. The antidote is by reflecting on impermanence.
Not ‘I’m going to die after some time.’ That can happen anytime. I don’t think any person, unless crazy, would say ‘I will live forever’. I don’t think anybody will.
But So engage in the virtue cause of happiness. Would you like, up to enlightenment? The next one is saṃsāra. You see, only nature only nature of suffering. Reflect that.
The continuity of rebirths caused by karma and delusion — that is the saṃsāra, the circling. The definition. The definition is it comes from the cycle of existence.
Some sort of. The great the graduated path, Lamrim, explains. That Part of the continuity, the contaminated aggregates caused by the karma and delusion. Resulted by that. So I think it’s resulted by kind of a little So same part of the continuity.
So the meditator who reaches the last part of meditation, whose aggregates is the last — there is no more continuity after that. So it specifies that meditator: the five powers of liberation, the meditator who attains the last part of meditation, the path of liberation. So whose idea is do not continue, do not circle to the next, not join. So So it it brings out that effort.
So yeah. So all those other aggregates which continue to next. To the next. So the definition of the saṃsāra, the circling. So I think So continuity from one or is it from one from one saṃsāra to next?
This is it. This is called the joining, the circling, due to karma and delusion, continuously, then experiencing all the suffering. So, it’s it’s real again and again. So, experienced a number of times in the past, but again it repeats over and over. See, like that.
So we get yeah. The saṃsāra. As this one is often mentioned, the teachings, this this aggregates is aggregates being under the control control of karma delusion. So that is the pervasive, you know, pervasive suffering. Because of that, the the Aggregates Aggregates is in is nature of suffering.
Why why this body experience so many problems? So, see, so so easy, unbelievable easy to why does it affect in food and so on in the condition? And so without this many other conditions, so is to affect it. So so easy to see. As well as the mind, See, body of mind, body of nature will suffer.
This body and mind are of a nature that will suffer. So many. See, the pain, suffering, and the worry all worry, fear, and so forth, and depression, so on. Everything is the mental suffering. And that this is this is that this is contaminated seed of disturbing thoughts, seed which gives arise to delusions.
And and then because of that so because the seed is a contaminated seed of delusion, so even even though there’s no sicknesses now, pain or anything, now it it it it it compounds so easily, this suffering with discomfort and so forth. So the this imprint seed, which gives rise to delusion. So it compound it compounds this life’s suffering, and it compounds future life’s sufferings. So it causes future life’s delusions to come.
It’s imprint on the neural. What I want to say, imprinted on the mental continuum — however they have to be conscious anyway. Without conscious, our eye can exist. There’s no way. So let’s see it in, you know, imprint on the mental continuum, and then that gives rise to, you know, future rebirth.
Yeah. Again, this seed compounds into the next life’s suffering. So this is it. So this, I guess see. So this seed to seed oh, see see, delusion compound this life suffering and compound future life suffering.
So this so but the aggregate, the, desired form of formlessness and all these are contaminated, see the different parts. So pervades pervaded by suffering. All these nature of suffering. Even the even the formless realm, where there’s no pain suffering and no suffering of change. Where there’s no suffering or where there’s no suffering or pain, and also there’s no suffering or change.
But it’s but the formless rhythm in nature pervasive compounding suffering. So as I mentioned before. So, we see the realm — whether one reincarnates in the form or formless realm — is only the nature of suffering. Even the highest realm, the formless realm, is of the only nature of suffering. So so So by reflecting the how saṃsāra or inter saṃsāra or nature is suffering, it cuts the attachment, clinging to saṃsāra.
Samsāra’s so-called perfections. No? Samsāra happiness. It cuts the it cuts the attachment, you know, even if you even say, seeking. Say, some say, some some time sometimes but yes.
So perfection during sometimes happens here. Yes. And that let’s see. It will change next time. So you can cut the attachment.
So then then here, then you see, by accept by cutting that, you know, looking at the suffering, then that’s then that’s how you look for liberation. That’s how your mind look for is inspired for liberation. Otherwise, you look for, on some side of pleasure, On the saṃsāra — desire realm, form realm, formless realm — all the nature of suffering. See, like like a septic tank, you know, like inside the inside the septic tank, the toilet, toilet, where everything goes through the sewage, such where everything goes collecting septic tank. So like that inside, you don’t wish you don’t work you don’t wish to be there, you see, inside the septic tank.
You don’t want to be there even for a minute inside the septic tank. I’m drawn in that, you see, with all the with all the stuff. A smell in all of stuff. See? We don’t do that even for one second, you see?
Or you don’t to be in the midst of the fire in the midst of the red fire, water, fire. You don’t do that even for a That’s so unbearable. And or the or the poisonous snake poisonous snake nest, It is so so fearful. You don’t do this. You you don’t want be in in that, but there’s so many full of poisonous snake.
You don’t you don’t want be in in that, you see, in a second. So like that. So very dis a very disgusting, she’s disgusting, very, very terrifying, sometimes very terrifying or very disgusting, extremely terrifying, disgusting, horrifying. So then that cuts the attachment, seeing you see some side of some side of the see that. And then that makes to inspire for liberation.
Mhmm. Like, see, person caught in the prison prisoner caught in prison, and you see, because not having freedom, what the person is to see for want for them because seeing the the the the being a prisoner have freedom, you see. Mhmm. So, seeing that suffering and, know, no interest at all, no attraction at all, even for a second to be in prison. So then, there’s the wish.
Free from there’s the wish to be free from the you see, day and night day and night, continuous the thought as it to be free wish to be free from the prison. You know, to get out of prison, see, righteous, they’re not convinced, you see, that renunciation spontaneously arises without any effort. So when we have such a such a talk with you, when we have such a talk with you, say, Seeking liberation, day and night, spontaneous rising. Without any effort, then that is the definite is the definition of having renunciation of saṃsāra. Could not find attraction even for one second.
Desire realm, form realm, formless realm, In any of the the pleasure of desire realm, sense pleasure, in the form realm, the pleasure derived from meditation, The happiness derived from meditation. You see, based on the calm abiding Shamatha, derived from that, the very firm contemplation. So so, you know, interest even that. They they pleasure of the formless realm, they somehow change the formless realm. Even that, no slight no slightest interest, attraction, even for us.
One, you know, finally even for a second. So then third, all sentient beings also in the same nature, suffering like this. So, they are source of all my past, personal pleasure, happiness. I must say, freedom and other benefit, you know, benefit for the transmigratory beings — to liberate them from all the suffering and its causes and bring them to enlightenment. That is the ultimate benefit for all sentient beings.
They will may I achieve enlightenment? So, Döla Jigme Sangyé Toshu. So to elaborate a little bit of that, the text says, elaborate a little bit. So within that, So that’s the old transmission. So So what makes the retreat very successful?
Like, know, retreat doing day to day retreats, things like that. Yeah. The meditation. So the in the Jampal Saku, means the one who protects, protects the. So having pure foundation living pure ethical life, morality.
For the. You know, on top of that, want to take the refuge vows. And keep that pure. And then on top of that, you want to take tantric vows, see like that, and keep that pure. Like And the other one is during the during the meditation, meditation, and then without mind being without mind being distracted.
Without mind being distracted during the meditation recitation. Otherwise, it’s mentioned in the Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva, same thing. So the the doing recitation, but with mind being distracted, even if you recite for eons, it cannot have success. It cannot result result.
So that so that they just just extract instructions, but as far as the meditation session, you see. So from the context, requested by Pungsang, so that while one is doing that, mantra recitation — that is it. That one should not cut. You see, see, in in the middle of the mantra recitation, in the middle of talking, interrupted by talking. So, yeah, one man does mention the strategy in the middle of talking.
It’s it is said, from the text, the Ushnishavijaya — the pinnacle victory banner. Its function is This is that it cuts the mantra. It cuts the bond and it puts one in a powerless state. Yeah. It’s like putting through This is the Tantric, that use Tantric rituals wrathful action like this to split the consciousness from the bod split consciousness from the body and send send in pure energy. wrathfuls action of Tantra.
Used for this — the phurba, the ritual dagger. So so in the middle of the meditation session, try to talk, then cut the, say, the not the, you know, it cuts the mantra.
Rick, so yeah, yeah, I don’t say it’s a it’s it’s a explanation. Not just the mantra. The one who cuts the continuity of it — not just the mantra. How about the Sorry.
It cuts the thread and stabs like a dagger, dagger Then if you if you talk ordinary word, if you do ordinary if you see. Ordinary is talk, you see. Cut.
Then it take it take then if you do ordinary words, it’s like putting a dagger to the work of reciting mantras. Putting a dagger, you know, that is is like that. So it takes away the power of mantras. You see, it it takes away the power of mantra. So yeah.
So it is said by it is it is said by Lama Atisha. So if you do ordinary talk during the meditation session, then it seems like it brings a drag on the mantra words. So it takes away the power of the mantra.