Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 57-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche explores the practice of rejoicing—appreciating and celebrating virtuous actions—during a visit to a nunnery in Taiwan. He focuses on the extraordinary efficiency of rejoicing in merit: when you rejoice in a bodhisattva’s one day of accumulated merit, you gather half that merit in a single moment, whereas independent practice toward such accumulation would take ten thousand years. Each experience of joyful appreciation compounds the merit. He systematically guides rejoicing in the past, present, and future actions of the sangha, benefactors, all sentient beings, and Buddhas. The teaching culminates in extensive aspirational prayers dedicating merit to eliminate suffering, bring healing and compassion, and guide all beings toward enlightenment.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2005 06 06 9 _2nd Nunnery Pt3 (dedication at end).mp3
UUID: 72fff3a9-2049-4733-968f-97e97163357f
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z Taiwan (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2005-06-06
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 56.7 minutes
Words: ~2,432
Shown. Yeah. The dentist. So they are they are friends. So they came to the, you know, came to the nunnery long time ago.
They don’t have the. Twelve years ago. Okay. It just scratches. It’s the sort of stuff you need a tripod for, though, and a whole day just to sort of you know, just to get the pretty pictures.
But, yeah, it’s just an idea. This is. Baby too noisy. Sorry. Yeah.
So we’re going to rejoice Uh-huh. Same what we did there at Maitreya Maitreya Temple. So first, we rejoice. Dear. So we had the abbess, you know, that who build all holy objects in the temple and and all the benefactors who benefit in order for The Buddhas build this whole temple.
So first, we’re just all their merits can build the temple and all the holy objects And all the past and merits Mhmm. All the merits collected from past Mhmm. In beginning to the birth. Mhmm. And then present and the merits which are required by them in future.
The epicenter and all the people who contributed collected the merits like limited skies. So I want to put this Happy thing happens in the heart. And we rejoice. Also, the sanghas are living in the and everyday collecting merit to purify purifying the defilements by doing the practice, we rejoice at their merits. And not all the not only present merits, but also all the from beginningless beginningless past all the past merits, their past merits, and merits which will be collected by them in future.
We rejoice all their three time merits. Now we’ll address all the people who come to who come here, say, to to, say, to make offerings and to pray, to make offering, to do practice. So all the merits, the present merits and merits collected, from beginningless past to present, and merits will be will be correct in the future, we rejoice. The light now. Happen in your heart.
Mhmm. How wonderful it is. Uh-huh. So keep keep on how wonderful it is. Wonderful it is.
Not just one or one time, but a few times. There are many times you think you collect uncountable merit. Each time when you feel that happiness, then you collect uncountable merits. So as I explained also the Maitreya Temple, But some of you may not be perhaps may not be familiar. So I thought to mention again about benefits of rejoicing.
So by rejoicing, the abbess’s merits, having built temple, and all the benefactors who all the who want to build the temple or the whole not just house, but all the holy objects and everything. So by rejoicing at things happening, that they that they have collected all these merits, Then because karma is also expandable, so one karma result that you experience many many times in one life, many times in so many lifetimes. So by realizing this, then this case come out to be in the future that you are able to build like this so many times. Not just one, but many many times. So many like this.
A lot of beautiful. And then you then you, say, benefit so many sentiments. You liberate them from the lower realms, liberate them from from even lower Nirvāṇa, Then by rejoicing at others’ merits, the other person is another person, other people are their level of mind is higher than yours. If their level of is lower than yours, you get double merits. And then how much merit they they collected?
If the level of mind is lower than yours, how much merit they collected, you get half of them. So as I mentioned also before, if you rejoice in a bodhisattva’s one day merit, then you get how much they collect one day, then half you collect. And but if you without rejoicing, if you’re to collect that much merit, as great enlightened being Śāntideva says, it takes ten thousand years. So it takes takes an unbelievable amount of time. But if you rejoice but if you rejoice, you know, then you see one bodhisattva’s one day merit, you you collect within the second.
Mhmm. The the half of the merit. What bodhisattva collected from the one day merit, half, you create in one second. So now here we rejoice saying, you know, not just one day of one bodhisattva’s one day merit, we rejoice over that one bodhisattva’s past, present, and future merit. This is where there’s unbelievable merits.
How much you collect is unimaginable. Then you visualize then the. So visualize are, you know, not all present, all the past and future, all the merits. So now here, that’s it’s a much much much much more, you know, mind blowing. It’s a much more unbelievable, you see.
Then the Buddhas, they have the three time merits. And then you see, of course, their are other sentient beings. So when you rejoice also at all their three time merits, you can imagine how much merit you collect. It’s just inexpressible. So so when we rejoice, sentient beings, Buddhas’ merits, you see.
So everyone’s there. So it doesn’t exclude even one. Everyone should really rejoice at everyone’s merit. So the merit, how much we practice just from that from those examples, you know, it’s a, you know, inconceivable, inconceivable merit. So such as a it is if you do rejoicing, it’s the easiest way, the easiest method to collect merit.
And if you do other practices, you have to practice for a limitless number of times. This is the way to collect the cause of the cause of happiness or good luck. Rejoice at all the sentient beings’ merit. Past merit collected from beginning of birth to now, and merit which will be collected in future.
Feel happiness. So from the from the merit from the merit, then they receive all the temporary ultimate happiness, including enlightenment, everything. So I feel such happiness. How wonderful is how wonderful is. I rejoice at the Buddhas’ and Sanghas’, Buddhas’ merits, collected from beginning of birth up to now, which we will collect in the future. Now rejoice once on the past..
I rejoice at merits collected from beginning to the present. Past merit from beginning to the birth, present merit, future merit, future merit, which we collect by oneself. Rejoice. Without merit, there is no happiness at all, not one single success. So, therefore, merit is so precious.
So I rejoice at merit collected from beginning of the birth to now and merits to be collected in future. So how wonderfully how wonderful. Is. So each time when you rejoice, the merit increases and doubles up. All the merit is doubled up.
Then when you do secondary rejoicing, it doubles up again. So then then then that become double up. So then like that like that goes on. So each time you feel happiness and rejoice. So so the easy so that’s the easiest way to collect good good karma, good luck.
Now we rejoice at all the merits. Rejoice at all the three time merits collected by others with a good heart, ultimately, bodhicitta, plus all the happiness all the success from ourselves, also merits of each life within one’s heart, in the home of one’s family members, in the home of all sentient beings, in particular, in the home of everyone in this world. Then may merit arise in the home of everyone, all the leaders in the house of all the leaders of this world, as well as in the home of all the terrorists, all the people who have the intention to harm others. Mhmm. The holy beings who are in this world to to benefit others as sentient beings, all of them from different traditions.
And then, may they have compassion, may they have stable life, all of them, and may all the practices succeed immediately. May I become like Avalokiteśvara? Like your holy body, like your lifespan, like your holy surrounding, like your pure land, like your holy name. That liberation simply means, you see, the even by holy by hearing the holy name, Then immediately, one’s karma is purified, liberating from the lower realms and protects from the lower realms. And then that then also liberates from the saṃsāra and from the brings it to enlightenment.
So bring grant all the happiness to them. And by having presented this request, then myself and this place’s name as well connect connect connection to me, whichever universe or country or place where we are, just by just by being in that universe or place or house, May all those sentient beings who live in that universe or country or place or house — may their negative karma get purified. May they never get reborn in the lower realms from that time. And may they be free from sicknesses.
May the sickness be immediately healed. May they be free from ghost and spirit harms. The people are, you know, crazy or they possess by spirit. You know? All those the no.
So anyone who is spirit harmed, immediately free from both harms. Then imagine they find in the in the Buddhadharma Sangha and the karma. And may they find actual bodhicitta in the heart. Realizing this. And when someone and their family members, so those who are connected to them, just by merely being in this universe, world, country, or house,.
Then by my name, may all their wishes be fulfilled immediately. And may those who are suffering with depression immediately fill their hearts with great bliss. May those who are suffering with relationship problems. May their hearts fill with love, compassion, and joy. And complete equanimity and mindfulness.
Those who are looking for spiritual master, then a guru, good guide, may they find a perfectly qualified spiritual guide, a guru. And may those who are looking for teachings and they receive unmistaken complete pure teachings. And those who are looking may be able to receive a conducive place and receive all the realizations during those teachings. And may those who are suffering poverty, may they have a wealth. And who are suffering poverty of Dharma, not having not having understand Dharma realization, so may they have wealth of Dharma.
And and may the war, famine, disease, torture, poverty, sicknesses, dangerous fire, water, earthquakes, all this that’s happening, then may be stopped immediately. And may nobody in this world experience all these things forever. May everyone achieve a meaningful life as possible. And then and then especially by exercising bodhicitta in everyone’s heart, then may everybody live their life on the benefit of each other, no harm, and only create a cause for enlightenment. And and then this way, a perfect enjoyment perfect enjoyment in this world, everyone, as well as inner prosperity and complete the path of enlightenment as good as possible.
May I be reborn in all my lifetimes in every second to be of benefit to others. Due to the dedication, may this merit grow, by this may it grow. May the may the temple here most beneficial to all sentient beings and then cause as a generative faith to sentient beings, Buddha Buddhism, and faith in karma, and the and the bring bringing to enlightenment. May the temple here be the source of blessings. That and then the able, as a dedication, to bring peace and happiness to the whole world in the in the whole world, in the country, whole world, and also in human beings.
So in the way in that way, bring peace in all the countries in the world, in the whole world, in all sentient beings by. In everyone’s heart. So may the temple and its holy objects bring peace and happiness in every country, whole world, and all these sentient beings. And then anybody who comes at anybody who comes to any center will come to temple here. The minute when they put the step, they set foot here.
Even the in even the, say, flies or insects or spirits, anybody, may their negative karma be immediately purified. And imagine all the sentient beings immediately be healed and free from the spirit harms, and they get come immediately purified. You see? And may they find the Buddhadharma and may that act as the path. We now see.
Then the two stages as good as possible. And may it be most beneficial to all sentient beings, bringing them to enlightenment as quickly as possible. And then dedicate all the past, present, and future merits. All these beings that exist but which are empty. Made I who exist but there which is empty. Non existent from the side.
May I achieve the Buddha’s glorious enlightenment which exists but which doesn’t exist from its own side, which is empty. And lead all the sentient beings who exist but do not exist from their own side, who are empty, to that glorious enlightenment which exists but doesn’t exist from its own side, which is empty. By myself alone who also exists but does not exist from its own side, who is totally empty. I dedicate the merits to be able to follow the holy Guru completely and all of one’s family members and all the students and benefactors in this organization and those who have dedicated their life to the organization, during this and all their lifetimes, in all their hearts. And in this and all lifetimes, without delay arising in the hearts of everyone in this world.
Now we can chant the mantra and Buddha’s name to multiply each mantra one hundred thousand times. Buddha’s name and the mantra of Buddha’s name, and the meditation on Buddha’s name, that which makes all our prayers to be actualized. Succeed. The unmistaken dedication arising. So with my special attitude, may all my pure prayers succeed immediately.
Thank you very much. Thank you very much for the drive. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah.
Ashley, can I get the honey out of your car? Honey. Is where is his car? He’s going here. Just there.
Oh, yeah. I I just had that jar of honey. I left it in his car. I can’t just get there. Actually, So we can go get it.
Okay. Okay. Just here. Oh, thank you. I think we’ve got everything else out.
And that’s everything. Yeah. Thank you very much. Okay. Okay.
Thank you. Simone. Simone. We’re going with this with this man here. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Been eating this car though.
Been eating this car. Looks like it’s flushed.