Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 65-minute teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche unpacks the precious human rebirth—more meaningful than universes filled with wish-granting jewels. He walks through what this rare life makes possible: temporary happiness, higher rebirth, liberation from saṃsāra, enlightenment, and rebirth in pure lands, all achievable through the six-element body when supported by tantra practice. He anchors everything in the graduated path to enlightenment, emphasizing that all practice hinges on attitude and motivation: whether one’s mind is bound to this life’s happiness alone, renounced from saṃsāra, or infused with bodhicitta—the intention to achieve enlightenment for all beings. He closes with concrete daily practices—reflections upon waking, prayers while dressing, mindfulness training—designed to transform ordinary actions into causes of enlightenment. For serious practitioners engaged in retreat study.
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File: 2005 06 11 6 TWN 11TH + 12TH JUNE05 2.mp3
UUID: fc7cabb8-56f8-42e7-92eb-ebab3dd6e65e
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z Taiwan (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2005-06-11
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 65.2 minutes
Words: ~3,749
Now here, reflection reflecting the great meaning of the perfect human rebirth. So here, it’s more this meditation. I’m just continuing continuing what was done before. This body perfectly endowed with the freedom and richness. It’s highly meaningful.
Even the three galaxies filled with wish-granting jewels, what that one has received, the example that one has received, three galaxies, that mean universe, fill with the wish-granting jewel. You see, one one received, one got, like winning a lottery, say, dollars, no? Receipt, Take as much as, you know, universe. Fill with what you can do. Even it can not enough.
Not enough. The example cannot signify enough. Example cannot signify enough. Can’t show enough that this perfect human body you see how it is meaningful, how they’re precious. That example is not enough.
Cannot it’s cannot cannot signify enough. Whatever one wishes, the temporary, say, the higher rebirth, of a human being. The glorious perfections, I mean, within saṃsāra, the prosperous saṃsāra, the world, whatever it is, whatever it whatever one wishes with this with this with this perfect body, without any hardships, can can can can achieve. Not only the saṃsāra be higher, but not just me that. Even when we wish to achieve, see.
The body which has the edge ripening qualities that can definitely achieve that that can achieve definite goodness, definite goodness. The state of a deaf the the glorified definite state of definite, I say, the glorified, say, the state of definite goodness. So what is that? Liberation from saṃsāra is ultimate happiness. Great liberation, full enlightenment, that’s what it means.
One can one can one can immediately can can come can can achieve with this body. Even one wish to to be born in the everyone wished to go to, say, in the pure in the pure land, the which is the blissful and so ex ex ex extended, you see, such as Tuśita, you know, that’s the Maitreya’s pure land, so forth. In other words, complete pure land be which is beyond from the impure place. The beings and the place, the container impure place. The impure beings and say, the container places.
One can achieve, you see, with this body. Let me see. So I may talk about the Pure Land or any you know, the Pure Land, you see there. Pure Land or Shambhala. I know the Pure Land one wishes to happen.
One, if you wish to go, they want can do that with this body. Besides that, Even when we wish to achieve the bliss of liberation, There we there we just completely pacified forever. Every every and every single suffering without exception, you see, of the the samsaric sufferings, such as the suffering rebirth, old age, sicknesses, death. So forth. Okay.
It’s all the rest of those other sufferings. Mhmm. So so forth, it includes all the rest of the sufferings. Mhmm. Mhmm.
That that human that all the human beings problems. Unable to I say, first of unable to find unable to find the object of desire. So difficult to find, could not find. For years. You know?
No. So difficult to be able to find. You know? Then even afterwards, has found couldn’t get satisfaction. If one has found I didn’t or the material possession or the or friend can be in after it was found, lived together but could not but still could not get satisfaction.
Then another suffering. Another problem. Not all that then that main one, then there’s so many other new problems. So many other another problems one experiences. Then, what if you are separating from the object desire?
So there’s all this. After being first of all, what if he has what if he is unable to be higher? High position, you know, famous, all that. Then after we become a higher, famous, then there’s already fear to lose the firm to become lower. After one meet, there’s a worry if you had to separate away.
Family or friend, whatever, meet. What if we had to separate material possessions after having after even after one is able to collect, before this, what if we are unable to collect, unable to get? After one has collected, there’s what if he has, you know, to to say, to finish. There’s worry fear. After birth, there’s fear of death.
So there’s all this being saṃsāra, see, there’s all these problems One one has to suffer all the time. So Mhmm. One can one can accomplish one can achieve with this body even even that, you know, bliss of liberation. And then, even the state of that having ceased the mistakes of the mind, having ceased the mistakes, you see, the which I want, the two obscurations, including the negative imprints, and completion of every single qualities without exception. One can achieve with this body.
If if this body doesn’t do if this body does engage in achieving, this body can achieve. With this body, with this body, which is a matter of six elements, put particularly this with six elements. So means the three whites, received from father. They are, you know, why does the the inside the bone, the marrow or sperm. Received from the three white things received from father: marrow, sperm, bone. Three red things, blood, flesh, skin.
Three red things Received from mother. See, body consists of six elements, particularly. With this body, so this is the body that we have received now this time. Just about once we have a seat. So with this body, by depending on the tantra, the tantra, the unified state, the supreme Chakrasamvara, one will be one will be able to achieve even in this very brief lifetime.
So which I often say, brief lifetime of business time soon. In a brief in a in this one will be able to achieve in this brief lifetime. Therefore, so the examples that like, other children, many other so many others happened also. It’s achieved enlightenment in a brief lifetime of degenerate times. So including and others.
So many others. I think so. Milarepa became enlightened. In a in a brief lifetime, it isn’t something. I’m not sure, but sometimes that age become enlightened.
In a brief lifetime or different time, to remember any perspective. Therefore, this perfect body qualified for freedom richness. Whether you think achieving temporary happiness or ultimate happiness, whichever, you see you see, happiness or meaning, this this body this perfect body is extremely meaningful. Therefore, perfect guru, Jetsün Milarepa, said, this is this is perfect perfect body. This is more special.
Is it more more extra extraordinary or special than we should run a jewel. Yeah. In such duration, having received such in this duration, having received such this body without achieving liberation, without achieving the path without achieving the path higher birth and the liberation, without thinking about karma, the action result or cause effect. Clinging to this life. If one reflect if one reflect this well, this if one if one reflect this well oh, which means this the the life.
So due so duration, see, having received this perfect body, so so as mentioned before, see something higher than much more special than which kind of jewel. Okay? You can achieve any happiness you wish. That any meaning. Yeah.
But not but not using the body for that. Yeah. It creates no higher rebirth and liberation. Then not, not, not, I say, nothing of karma. The cause effect, the hearer, in Tibetan term, Lay is action.
Day is a result. You know? Same. Cost of it. And then clinging to this life.
And if you think this if you wanna think this well, then it’s crazy. This is crazy. So it means that you can if you want to think well, this is you can see this is totally crazy. That that one, you know, one subs you know, everything you want to as well, you know, you see yourself totally crazy. So immediately, whichever immediately, whichever two purpose means the temporary happiness and the ultimate happiness.
Liberation some from some sort and enlightenment. Great liberation. See? So whichever one wish, one can complete. Not not not completing this quickly.
Right away. It’s like you reached in the land of jewels, in the land of wish-granting jewels, but you never take one you never take a wish-granting jewel. You arrived in the land of the wish-granting jewel, but you never take a wish-granting jewel. So basically, returning means returning, going back empty. You arrived in the land of wish-granting jewels, you can take as much as you want, you can take.
But you never but you never without taking go back empty. So means how that is a how that’s unbelievable loss. Foolish. There’s no So you see, there’ll be a you see the so so for example, there’s somebody offer a job that you can get billions, zillions of dollars, billions, zillions of dollars of the without talking about even, say, million dollars or say, thousand dollars, see, job which gives that. So if I do not if I didn’t take it, you one could one one could could have got could accept a job they can get that can get that much money, but but didn’t say but didn’t take it into the opportunity.
So how that will be that regard is a great loss, you know, unbelievable loss, you see. So now here so here is a we’re talking about wish-granting jewel. You’ll arrive in the land of wish-granting jewel, but you go and so, you see, not taking the wish-granting jewel, and then go back. You go back, you know, empty empty hand. So how the how this is much more.
This is much much much more foolish. There’s no greater loss than this. Even even one hundred dollar or, say, thousand dollar, you know, didn’t take opportune opportunity to get it, but didn’t take and that’s, you know, for a great loss. So so here, no question how this is a great loss. So therefore so he has a tie.
So now you you you you say, you you must renounce, descend from the works of this life and train the mind day and night. Train the mind train the mind, say, time day and night. What’s that? What are they?
Okay. Train the mind to the without without without the time, day and night. Means, you know, daytime, do day daytime, do practice. Nighttime, don’t practice. Not not like that.
So, you know, I see. Not like that. Train the mind the trend the mind is the train the mind in time, so without day and night, you know, in the ultimate Dharma, the graduated path to enlightenment. So make the make this body receive the freedom of reason meaningful. So that’s meaningful.
I’m gonna find out the one first. So there is just without time, day and night, to train the mind in the ultimate Dharma, the graduated path to enlightenment. So that’s one thing. The other the the other thing is you see, that best best Dharma is the the the best life or best Dharma is the, see, the bodhicitta. So whatever in the daily life, whatever activity we do, activity one does doing with the bodhicitta.
So so so I’m gonna mention here some practice. So especially to put effort during this retreat. But, again, to emphasize to understand the importance of these practices I’m gonna mention, that as as you as you you heard many times since, you know, heard Lamrim teaching, that, you see, the happiness suffering comes from the mind. Mind, you see, comes from the mind, comes from the attitude. Attitude is not Dharma, produce suffering.
Attitude is Dharma, produce happiness. You see, daily life attitude, which is dharma, produce happiness. Daily life energy, which is not Dharma, non virtue, it produce suffering. Sort of that. So so the actions so this is making more clear the purpose.
I thought that the importance of the practice, what I’m gonna mention. So so action done with the bodhicitta in a total to to achieve enlightenment of a sentient being, then they will become cause of enlightenment. Mhmm. You see, including including action done with motivation, the sincere prayers. Mhmm.
Then the this action is done with the not with bodhicitta, but the renunciation of saṃsāra, then the doesn’t bring a cause of enlightenment, but it bring a cause on a cause of a future liberation from saṃsāra for ourselves. You see, that ultimate happiness. So now the the action done with the with the bodhicitta, renouncing saṃsāra, but just the renunciation of this life. And then with the renunciation of this life and seeking the temporary happiness, So the the action becomes Dharma, does not become cause of achieving enlightenment or liberation from saṃsāra, but just the cause of happiness of future lives. But now the action is done action is done, I say, only with the the, say, attitude attitude of life that which is attachment seeing only the seeing only the happiness of this life.
So including the prayers, reciting reciting prayers, doing meditation, so there all those become, say, all those become then unvirtue. Did not become Dharma, unvirtue because the that motivation is unvirtue. No question about anger and the the an action done with the anger and the say, without you know, you know, not the dharma. So, yeah, basically, what I’m gonna bring is that the attachment that came to this side. So so I believe that is non-virtuous.
So the action result of action is only suffering. There’s no happiness. So like that. So therefore so therefore so that one so that one, see, that one is not not see, that that that person is that person’s ordinary capable being does not have the special capable being qualities. The special capable beings — gradual capable beings — are there. The lower capable being and middle capable being and higher capable being, the practitioner of Lamrim.
I see. Lower capable being, middle cable being, higher cable being. Lower cable being who, say, who renounced this this life, capable capable, because the renounced able to renounce this life and the attachment and the to the life, and the signs of happiness inside. Then middle, will have been able to renounce attachment to saṃsāra and seek liberation. I see.
Then higher, he will have been able to renounce let go of I. The self-cherishing thought, you see, of the let go of I. Then see cherish others, seek enlightenment for others to achieve happiness to to obtain happiness for others. So so therefore, if one’s if one’s way of living life or the attitude is just simply attached, clinging to this life, then you are not you are not any of those so you are not any of those Lamrim practitioner, the capable beings. You’re not any of those special, the low capable being, middle capable, high capable.
You’re not in any of those. You’re not in that category. So here, you’re just an ordinary being, only able to seek to prevent the problems of this life and achieve happiness of this life. And not even so not nothing different from the animals, insects, worms. Nothing nothing different.
So that so they were now here. The so, therefore, now this practice is very very important. The whatever activity one does, then do this with the with the bodhicitta, you know, thought benefiting others. So like this, the person seeking liberation and enlightenment, then that per that that person then needs to collect, meditate, and purify with with so many ways, methods. You see?
So the now the the way to do this, the method is then the omniscient one is, you see, so, say, so skillful in the mean in the method, and had great compassion, the guru Śākyamūni Buddha. Therefore, even in our daily life, so while we are doing activities. By the way, the means to collect merit, Buddha has shown means to collect inconceivable and un unimaginable merit. So to help even those people who have lower attitude. Then, say, lower say, those who are those who are say, lower attitude or the lower say.
Yeah. Lower attitude. So those who do not have bodhicitta, whose attitude not bodhicitta, you see. So the the lower, like, seeking even dharma, but seeking yeah. But seeking ultimate liberation for oneself, seeking happiness in future lives.
I think, of course, no question about, you know, seeing happiness this life. You see? So the low those lower see, I say, lower the lower-minded beings, and not just the bodhicitta, this method is revealed. This method is revealed. Let’s mention that.
Mhmm. So so now here, during this retreat particular and, of course, normally, if one can do that, of course, unbelievable. But the specific thing about here, this is in the the two practice here, mindfulness practice is there. Then when one get up in the morning, then the minute when you wake up, then you see to think to generate bodhicitta that may all sentient beings be waking up from the this ignorance. You know, wake up from the ignorance of sleep.
You can say that. Then then the minute when you wake up, just think that. Then when you get up, then from bed, then to think, may I he said, may may I achieve Buddha’s holy body? Say I’m sorry. I missed that.
May I say, may all sentient beings achieve Buddha’s holy body. So when you get out, putting on that. So when you dress when you dress, then you should think, may all sentient beings wear the dress of moral conduct, with shame and shyness? So the Tibetan word and tell you So one is the reason from oneself, that is shyness, then they’re shy. One is the reason of others, and then shame.
So if they shy shy and shame, then you are careful in your say, you are careful, say. You see, to not harm other sentient beings. You know, they say, to, say, to benefit of other sentient beings and even one even one unable to benefit, at least not harm others. You know, they so so to not say, to not carry the karma, see one. Careful not creating the karma or make mistakes.
So this could relate to us, know, shy the shyness and the shame. So in the see, part relate can be related to part of the vows, but this includes the Prātimokṣa vows, you see, like that. So so may all sentient beings wear the dress of shyness and shame. So that means you see them become, say, very mindful and see, I like that. So careful.
Do not yeah. See. Do not engage the opposite of these vows. See. Clean downfalls, gross or subtle, and so forth.
You see? So always always mind is abiding, you see, you know, I see, to do to do thing to engage things, what can be what should be done, right, and what should be done. And then, see, to abandon what see, what’s what’s that we should not be done. So that That oh, I mean, other things when I think when I open the eye, when I wake up in the morning, thought so I mentioned to tell the motivation this morning. You see, begin the the very beginning of the day, you see, the the attitude.
But I’ve also one can think that, oh, again, you know, I feel this great happiness. Oh, I didn’t die. I’ve been out of last especially last night and to be a human being again today. I would be a human being. How?
You know? So how this incredible this. Then then then the So purpose of my life is to benefit others. Freedom from the samsaric to bring them in the full enlightenment. Bring them to liberation So therefore, to live the life of bodhicitta.
The Which means that means, you know, you can live a life for others. Whatever you do, you’re gonna do for others. You’re live by with you know, I’m gonna live my life with Buddhism if if you connect that. Mhmm. Mhmm.
You get up when you get up, you want to yeah. See. See. Good. I’m gonna get up to to work for sentient beings.
So is it to benefit sentient beings? I think that or the the, you know, liberate the going to liberate the from saṃsāra. So think like that. Bring to enlightenment. So can think However, you see, whatever activity that’s related to the dedicated person, I think that that’s the that’s the key thing.
So the one one one dress, The other so one can do prayer like this, dedicate person living. And also I’m gonna put the other thing is I’m gonna put this dress to see to to be able to obtain say, to be able to obtain happiness, for others’ sake. So it means that one’s a servant. One’s up as servant, father’s name. So when I put this dress, I’m gonna put this dress, not as not for your own happiness, but for others’ sake.
Then when you put when you put a belt around, belt or whatever, you know, that ties, makes tight, you know, belt or zip zip or whatever. Anyway, when you put it when you pull belt around, then and may all sentient beings, mental continuum be bound may all sentient beings’ mental continuum be bound with the three higher trainings, higher training of the morality, higher training of the concentration, higher training of wisdom. Why higher? Because of refuge. They make special.
By having by having refuge, you see, in the heart. By having refuge in the total the two cause, at least I would the less the less follow-up the lesser followers, the less Mahāyāna path, you see, at least took refuge with the two causes of refuge, fear, the genuine fear of one’s own saṃsāra, discovering the own nature of suffering, then faith to be Dharma Sangha, that they have the qualities and power to to to, say, save oneself, liberate oneself from saṃsāra. So then then with those two causes, then totally relying upon with the mental factor, totally rely upon the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, that is the refuge. And so