Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 166-minute teaching from Taiwan, Lama Zopa Rinpoche guides a puja centered on Buddha Sitatapatra—a practice uncommon among Tibetan Buddhists but increasingly popular across East Asia for fulfilling wishes and accomplishing benefit for others. Opening with traditional refuge and offerings, he explains guru devotion, purifying negative karma through regret and understanding emptiness, and the Seven-Limb Prayer’s connection to the Lamrim (the graduated path to enlightenment). He emphasizes generating bodhicitta—the compassionate intention to free all sentient beings from suffering—as a lens through which to transform every circumstance of life, whether joyful or difficult. Through a personal story of sponsoring Buddhist statues, he illustrates Sitatapatra’s power with examples of devoted practitioners whose sincere practice has resulted in healing and successful completion of projects benefiting many. Accessible to practitioners at any stage seeking to deepen guru devotion and expand their Buddhist practice.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2005 06 10 TWN S.C 10TH JUNE 05 1.mp3
UUID: 609363d8-000b-44ab-afc0-8d3d1d40ebae
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z Taiwan (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2005-06-10
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 165.8 minutes
Words: ~3,555
So good evening, everyone. Everyone who are seeking genuine enlightenment. I know. So so we’re going to do the preliminary, you know, the refuge, the refuge, but it’s like the purifying the place and then the blessing of offerings. Mhmm.
So particular puja chanting is text. So then then we do prostration. And then. Then we do, like, let me make a special request to. No. The verses should reach first the name Chinese, then do the chanting.
The next one, Peter Pan, please. Read the Chinese. Uh-huh. Read the Chinese. Yeah.
The Chinese. Read in Chinese? Uh-huh. That was all Chinese. Read and then chant.
Yeah. First, read the Chinese, then chant. Okay. So we blessed all the offerings here, all the lights. We’re sitting here, we blessed all the offerings.
Then blessed all the offerings. There was no other offerings, numberless, all the expanse of the universe, pure lands, the amount of the pure land offerings, all the flowers and the lamps of light and the what happens to all those? Then up to all the smell, a lot of flowers, you know. And then, so many flowers, all the numberless thousand lights, all the numberless hand-held offerings, water offerings, and then other offence. So we bless them in the Lord Blessed that then mental transforms the offerings, fill the whole sky, wondrous offerings, and then also the gods will be pleased.
And then offer to the particular the Guru. Yeah. Which appears as statue, but actually living Buddhas. So that’s all. So generally saying, without without a guru, there is no Buddha.
So there is absolute guru, conventional guru. So without the absolute guru, without guru there is no Buddha, the manifestation will show. Without absolute guru, the conventional guru is manifestation of absolute guru. So, without the guru there is no Buddha. So, I think the Guru Buddha Dharma Sangha of the ten directions, also I think of the whole object, the main offering.
Then, bless the Buddha Bodhisattvas. I think it was a Guru, then received immeasurable, received limitless sky of of offerings. So, each one of of course, by reciting this mantra, a cloud of offering, naturally, each by the power of mantra, each Buddha, Bodhisattvas, sky-filling offerings, each offerings get more light. So anyway, when you chant this mantra, even without visualizing by the power mantra, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas received sky’s offerings. Now next one then then that depends on visualizing.
How many extensive offering that you visualize with next pair expressing the words of truth, then that many number of Buddha Bodhisattvas received. So you would think each offering filled the whole sky. Each Buddha, Bodhisattvas. Here, the ten directions as mentioned, Guru Dharma Sangha, the ten rest of the Bodhisattvas, each one received the limitless sky of offerings. So how many one can think of that many did they receive with this prayer, the words of truth?
Chinese? We do prostration. Up there is in negative karma. So purify two ways. One is a general one that feeling regret.
I think of the shortcoming, the all the problem, all the sufferings, obstacle to practice Dharma, to your position to and then to as a harm to yourself, harm to others. So after you need come up, as we go through, purified may karma, the by generating regretfulness that by thinking the shortcoming of the karma, the all the sufferings which will expand this life And the endlessly how the future lives harms to yourself, harms other sentient beings, and particular obstacle to obstacle to actualize the realizations, path to enlightenment. So so then regret that. And not just the only need come up this side, not only today, but made karma collected. So made karma, as you mentioned, is your name collected not on today but from the birth.
None of that collected from beginningless of the birth. So if you neglect, each and the karma should think that right from beginningless of birth. And then regretfulness. So that the stronger regretfulness we can generate, then it’ll come up to get thinner, more purified. Then the next one, look at it empty.
Look at the negative karma empty. When you examine how does that karma appears to you, when you examine how does it appear to you, it appears to you a real negative karma, you know, whatever that is. So harm others. The killing or the the like for example, first thing, it appears as a truly existent action. Then real in the sense existing from its own side, real in the sense existing from the outside.
So not merely able to find. So there’s no such thing. That’s how we total hallucination. There’s no such thing in the reality. But that’s totally nonexistent and empty.
That’s when you come as totally nonexistent and empty. It doesn’t exist at all. So look at it look at it totally empty. So that so it’s other so look at it. It’s.
After the then, look at the empty as it is empty. Or the other one is merely imputed by mind, by your mind. So then, by emptiness, then it’s like it’s like atom bomb on each negative karma. You see, the purified each negative karma. Can you hear can you hear her voice?
I heard her voice, but I can’t hear clear what she’s what she’s saying. So so we do the seventeen. We sit down just so we can see the Seven-Limb Prayer and the mandala offering request. That’s the special request. Visualize.
Do prostration. Your body down, prostration from all the corners. The the four direction corners, cardinal ground, The in Chinese, the four cardinal directions. Not yet to see them. Not yet seen them.
There’s a long way to go. By offering this mandala to the Guru Buddha, may I and all the sentient beings, our mind become Dharma. And Dharma to become the path. And and to not have the obstacle to to complete the path. So we cannot have obstacle to the path.
So these two requests contains whole the Lamrim the graduated path|Lamrim. The first, the gradual path of the lower capable being, to become Dharma. The gradual part of the lower capable being. And then Dharma to become the path, that is the gradual path of the middle capable being. And then another obstacle that path that on the gradual path of the higher capable being, request for all three, request the whole entire.
So the Dharma so not only become Dharma, also mind, It should be the of whole life become Dharma. Not only becomes cause of happiness, but mind of all life become Dharma, which produce only happiness. Which makes all actions of all the Dharma result only happiness. Not only that, the Dharma to find the path, actual path, you know, that which that which liberates oneself from the whole entire oceans of samsaric suffering and causes. But not just that.
Then to, you see, to to have realization of bodhicitta for the path, one more practice become path. Cease the true sufferings and gross and subtle obscurations and complete two accumulations of merits and for achieve the two kinds, dharmakaya, and able to do perfect work towards the sentient beings, towards the numberless sentient beings. Bring them to liberate them from oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them in full enlightenment. So I make this request. Then there is a particular request then to actualize bodhicitta.
Whoever can generate bodhicitta in this very lifetime without. And then able to practice tong-len transformation. Whatever I am, whether happy, unhappy, healthy or unhealthy, poor or rich, gain or loss, receiving criticism or praise, bad reputation, good reputation, living what I’m alive, what I’m living or what I’m dying. Even I’m born in hell, really. Whatever happens, situation in my life may become most beneficial, let’s say, to all the sentient beings to liberate all sentient beings, the sentient beings from from the oceans of samsaric suffering, causes, delusions, karma, and bring them to full enlightenment.
So it’s said, So whatever happens to one’s own life, to be to be the most beneficial to all sentient beings. Whether one has cancer or the one doesn’t have cancer, it’s the same, you know. Whether you see, whether one has a relationship problem or doesn’t have a relationship problem. Whatever happens in life, you’ll be the most beneficial also in this life. So this is the question.
Whatever happens in your in the life, you’re gonna have enlightenment. So do you do you remember the from there’s a request from, know, by kneeling down. Do you remember the prayer? You remember everything. Maybe Sophia has.
She will help for sure. Chinese language. Uh-huh. Then I chant. Okay.
This is one one one. Negativity is immediately purified. It purifies oneself, and also it help animals so that you it should be recited. Then The the sponsor, the the lady sponsor, is she there? Is she here?
Can you go up the, you know, maybe somebody to call someone to bring to bring the blue kata and white kata? Is there somebody there? Maybe. So we’re gonna now go into she read the she did she read Chinese? Yes.
She read it now. There’s no phonetics. No phonetics. Phonetics. There’s a meaning translation.
So you can you do this. I’ll leave a little chanting then they use it in Chinese chanting. But so do you kneel now? From the bottom of heart, making some requests to. With two palms together.
So one made a request. One I think one lady, and also make requests to enlightenment. You know, in all of my lifetimes, may I meet with the direct guru. There is no separation. No.
No. So think this scarf, all yours. Think it’s everybody’s. First thing, you may dedicate it. Every helping, every helping, to every being, and may it be a sort of investment.
So this way, every helping collects merit, every hand goes to everyone, and every human being including your enemy who hate you, and everybody collects merit. Those those who are homeless, those who dying now at home, in hospitals, who already died and those who suffered poverty and those who were unable to find jobs, so everybody needs so much merit, so this way, everybody takes merit. Yeah. I think it’s not just offering only statue Buddha and all of that. Not just Of course, it creates cause of enlightenment immediately.
Liberation sometimes happens in your life. It has in it has benefit, limitless benefit, inconceivable benefit, numberless benefit, unimageable benefit. The they offer whatever offering to offer to them. Just thinking it’s not Buddha or a picture Buddha. But because Buddha has an impossible quality, limitless quality, unimaginable quality, all that.
So because of the but here, one with this intention and the statue, it’s all all the guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, all then all the ten directions, statues, stupas, scriptures, all the whole objects. And then if you offer, then we may often we may often to all the numberless statues, stupas, scriptures. Not only in this universe, not only in every country, holy places, every temple, every individual’s houses, but we met offering already. Even the holy objects in all the universes from here, we from this from this hall, from here, we made offering. Then, Numberless, all the gurus of Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, we made over.
So so many times, Numberless made it. We collected good luck. Numberless caused so many, say, causes or more. Then, I’ll say, so many numberless cause of enlightenment. There are numberless cause of liberation saṃsāra.
There are numberless cause of happiness, future lives, collections. Then no question about no question about the success of the cause of success of the life, that’s what it comes about. Ideas to offer five scarves, but I didn’t I ran out. I didn’t have enough. It is to signify achieving the five wisdoms and activities like that.
There are different colors, different activities. Pacifying, increasing, you know, controlling, connect those significations to success. Control control control So there’s a there’s a rice, you know, for auspicious. There’s sweet rice often, they have flour. So the this rice and flower offering.
Mhmm. So, you know, offering things in nature. I think the number is for the So if you if you offer this with this mantra twenty one by respect this mantrtwenty one times, it has seven benefits. Very important seven benefits. So maybe I mentioned general retreat.
I don’t remember everything now. So, like, I have made offerings to all the Buddhas, Dharma, Sangha, all this unbelievable merit collected. With this mantra, there’s a twenty one times, you know, offering the incense, the flowers, the fruit. So now we we dedicate I have made offering of mandala. Yeah.
By offering this soft, light, thin and soft, this divine scarf to the Guru Buddha. An embodiment of the Three Jewels which is your vajra holy body, with indestructible devotion I offer by this merit, may myself and all sentient beings achieve your vajra holy body. So dedicate dedicate this. Then then prayed, dedicated by means of the scarf and of the food and the flowers and forth. All these merits, may I become like you, compassionate Buddha, Guru Buddha, Medicine Buddha.
Like only you, like your body, like your lifespan, like your pure land, like your holy the entourage, like your holy name. That that offers extensive benefit to sentient beings liberates immediately from the lower realms and liberates also from saṃsāra, oceans of saṃsāra suffering, and liberates also from the lower nirvana brings the enlightenment So may I become honored like you? Universe world world country, earthly place house. Myself and the families were sending me some connection with me. May just by this, may all the sentient beings live in the universe, world, country, and place a house.
May the let’s say, may the sickness may get healed and free from spirit harm. May the karma may get purified. Never ever get the and may the find pure karma. Actually, there’s a actually, never like be born to die. May all the wishes be succeed immediately according to all the dharma.
And then Mhmm. By actualizing bodhicitta in everyone’s heart, then say, then this way, may nobody experience war. Say, the the war, famine, disease, torture, poverty, sickness, dangerous fire, water, earthquakes, all that’s all that’s happening, may they be stopped immediately. May nobody experience all this from now on, forever. Oh, all this has softened.
May nobody experience forever. Particularly in the perfect perfect enjoyment, no economic problems. Perfect enjoyment, peace and happiness in Taiwan. Then that’s so as well as inner prosperity in actualizing bodhicitta, realizing emptiness what complete path to enlighten the in all their hearts. Extra prosperity and inner prosperity happening.
Able to able to live peace and happiness without fear. without fear, without thought problems. May I who exist but do not exist from my own side, who am totally empty. It should generate this enlightenment, truly generate enlightenment which exists but does not 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.
That guru, may I achieve enlightenment. That which exists, exist from their own side and are totally empty. So so today, I went over shopping. Mhmm. That should tell a story.
So today, I went over shopping and I came in from. So in the dharma shop. So so this statue. So, say So, what happened? What happened?
What? The The story, what happened? Uh-huh. Then you think it’s very good to have in the center. Right?
Mhmm. Anyway, good very good size and the for the very good cabinets in the center. So So already she arranged to sponsor for this the temple statue. Medicine Buddha and the charity? Yes.
Yeah. Medicine Buddha and Chenrezig statue. Already she arranged sponsor. So what’s her name? So, very fortunate.
Also, if it’s going to be made, it would take a long time. And so the I think I think the statue, happily, came from Tibet. So, I was going to offer the two that Tibetan person who had the shop Mhmm. For us, I told him to wait a little bit. Uh-huh.
But I guess he but I guess he realized emptiness and he left. But I I took off a scarf for auspicious Uh-huh. Some money offering. To offer scarf for auspicious. Oh, I see.
Oh, is that generally, normally, it is a very auspicious to offer we make offerings. So, anyway, since the benefit is here, it’s originally arranged, I would like to thank you very So the benefactor is not here. So she will just cut the ribbon. Mhmm. Uh-huh.
Roger was part of the person, but he’s upstairs. Anyway, one gentleman is here. So I think I wanted for inspiration. What was the last thing just said? Say what?
What was the last thing Rinpoche said that When you laughed? At the end? At the end, he said, you know, part of person was Roger. Yeah. Then Roger is not here.
He’s upstairs, you know. And then I’m I’m I’m part of person here, then that’s why he offers stuff to me. Yeah. Then took the Is that the do you have the Chinese there? The Pabongka teaching on impermanence in Chinese.
Is that Chinese? Pardon me? The Pabongka Teaching on Impermanence. That’s what happens. Maybe Sofia.
Sofia. Chinese. Oh, yeah? I I thought you heard everything. Good evening.
Good evening. So, before the blessing of the before the blessing of the Sitatapatra, this I have to read one. I have to read the one hundred names. I have to read the one hundred names, one hundred names, this text of Sitatapatra. I didn’t get them to read before.
One handed. Yeah. Names of Sitatapatra I have to read before giving the blessing. Just just mention, you have enough voice. Sorry?
You have enough voice. This is not a lung. This is not a lung or loom. This is part of the part of the what has to be done. It’s not loom.
There’s not another lung or loom. Sorry? Another lung or loom. I could call it lung. So this is the hundred names of Sitatapatra, one hundred and eight.
So So we are extremely we are extremely fortunate that that, say, this time, say, opportunity to pray to the Buddhist. That now the very powerful one, fulfilling all your wishes by praying to Buddha Sitatapatra, by making offering and praying to Buddha Sitatapatra. Not very common among the Tibetans. The practice, Buddha Sitatapatra comes in many practices. In the middle section when you recite your Lam Rim.
The is there in the section of the. In in in many different practice, the the eight-limb mantra comes. But it’s not common that that many people, you know, specifically during Chenrezig practice, that particular practice of Chenrezig is very common among the public. But but here, might be same, so I met in China.
Singapore, Hong Kong here. There are so many people praying to Buddha Sitatapatra, a chanting mantra. That is something that’s something that’s not mistaken. Not only unmistakable practice, but that’s very powerful in the life, normally offering and then making a prayer to siddhagapa that you can accomplish all your wishes and then can accomplish extensive benefit to other sentient beings. So in in California, San Jose, let’s hear some let’s hear some of your know the know this lady, one student there, Angela Wang.
And she she often prayed to Sitatapatra. That’s the man for to help others to succeed in the projects that she has. But somehow somehow she’s able to accomplish so many things to to help others. So many things get done by praying to Buddha Sitatapatra. She might be special.
Well, I think maybe our sincerity or devotion or maybe the strong karma she must have with Sitatapatra. The there was one statue of Sitatapatra that spoke to her. So so later, she gave me that statue to say oh, maybe to I’m not sure. Maybe to help our monastery or the center. So I have that statue.
So she received answer from the Buddhist. And many people and many other people get healed, praying to that that able to receive help from it. So They what if she has different things she want to accomplish? Like this. However, it is said in the the Buddha Sitatapatra sūtra text.
Here, it is comparing how Sitatapatra is so powerful, so special to use it, fulfilling wishes. So here, Buddha explained. So that’s what Buddha explained. So I think she will figure it out. One zero will figure it out.
Some of the race or type, but it is my but but Mahayanan type, I think. Buddha said, if somebody One point: going for refuge. Time, how long? One hundred years. Another object.
Samādhi, and so forth, the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, great beings, higher beings who have wisdom directly perceiving emptiness. So