Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 83-minute teaching from Taiwan, Lama Zopa Rinpoche focuses on the merit dedication that concludes the Guru Puja practice, emphasizing that genuine visualization and contemplation matter far more than recitation alone. He walks through the seven techniques of mind used in bodhicitta meditation, then shows how to dedicate resulting merit for oneself, family, students, those who sacrifice their lives serving sentient beings through the organization, and all sentient beings—requesting never to be separated from Mahāyāna dharma. He explains why this dedication surpasses even Samantabhādra’s Prayer, clarifies that different versions of the Guru Puja are acceptable, and stresses that authentic engagement matters more than rigid form. Practical wisdom on staying awake during retreat practice runs throughout, grounded in an understanding of emptiness.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2005 06 12 2 TWN S.C. 12TH JUNE05.mp3
UUID: 8447aa23-f3e2-4f37-9382-296a111c29ba
Teacher: Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1
Collection: z Taiwan (Lama Zopa Rinpoche 1)
Date: 2005-06-12
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 83.5 minutes
Words: ~1,424
So with the mandala offering, if you don’t visualize if you don’t if you don’t have meaning, don’t visualize, then you don’t get you don’t get all those extensive benefit having extra offer of mandala, whole entire universe for that. All those objects, you see. So, yeah, mandala offering just become only words. So that’s That defeats the purpose. English.
The the the last part there. Recitation two times. Yeah. The next time, Is that is that? Alright.
Momo. Do the the edge at the at the nine-line sūtra. Okay. Where it says general compassion, like how mother loves her beloved child. Then to like that, which a general compassion towards all the things, ask for blessing and blessing for that.
So here, there’s there’s no mean, there’s no so there’s not something normally done, but Mhmm. I thought, stop here. Stop here. A little break here, then you maintain on the seven techniques of mind, cause and effect. Just go over the outline.
Because meditation of bodhicitta is very precious. Talk from your mind, bodhicitta is very precious, so you take an opportunity. Just a break, then go over the outline of the yeah. I mean, how not just words, but the feeling, you know, the outline. Seven, the techniques of mind cause and effect.
So here’s the the eight verses total of one. One day, then another day, then the end of the Guru practice, the Buddha, to be like Buddha, the thought transformation practice. So this dedication which comes before the aspiring prayer, that’s got a very special dedication, more special than by Samantabhādra, enlightened, the great Samantabhādra. I mentioned that it’s more this is this contains contains even more prayer, which is not contained in the King of Prayers. So this regard is more special than the King of Prayers.
This dedication is very important. So when we do this, not enough just to ever recite the words, but we must think, we must meditate. So then this way, then we are able to we are able to dedicate the merits in this way. We put all the merit together and then my me and myself, not only did it for myself. Me and myself, once family members, include the one’s family members, all all the students that benefit those in the and all those who give up their life in service to sentient beings through the organization.
Those who have sacrificed their life to organization and redeem all and all the sentient beings. Maybe never be never be separated from Mahāyāna Dharma always in all in all the future lives. Never separate the holy beings, so many things that yeah. They’re virtuous friend. Okay.
Reveal the complete path in not only in this world, Mahāyāna teaches. Only that, but Mahāyāna teaches and perfectly qualified. The And then being conducive, being in the perfect environment, family, then Buddhists who support you to practice Dharma, not who are against it. Then in the in the areas, in the the say, that which is, say, devoted to Dharma, who support to practice Dharma, so so such an environment. Then the healthy place, so also help not a harmful place.
When you manage it, not a harmful, healthy place. Then I have the having collect merit, having done prayer. So all the success depend on depend on these things, development in the path to enlightenment. So to never separate away from from Mayan Tamil. Then to be able to so so this one self and family everything there all doesn’t then able to complete the to able to train the mind in the and enable to as far as to utilize the Dharma as good as possible.
So, if we did dedicate like this for the family, so forth, all the sentient beings then So we did the Puja for them, for your own family and all sentient beings. So, whatever in our daily life, whatever practice we do, being a Buddhist at the end, to take it like this, then we become puja for every day for your family. And then another person whom you want to pray for and puja for all sentient beings. May my, my members, they know, that’s really the benefit of this organization and also develop their lives in the organization. Think all that is what is in the mind.
May we is it may oneself and all, this everything else, in all the lifetimes, able to meet or only perfectly qualified Mahāyāna guru in all the lifetimes and to be able to see only enlightened being from each sentient being’s side, and also our side. And to do only action most pleasing the holy mind of virtue and from each side in all the lifetimes. And to be able to fulfill the holy wishes, the virtue friend immediately, in all the lifetimes to be like that. These are the part of three times merit gathering, three times merit gathering, others may ever offer. We will discuss the benefits of the by the same dedication from now on in all the in all the lifetimes.
These are the past. Are the past. Present, which are made to go to benefit and dedicate to others. That which that which do not exist from their own side. That I who do not exist from their own side.
Empty. It’s you. They would that was that was enlightenment. That was also empty from the side. Lead all the sentient beings also empty from their own side to that enlightenment, and that enlightenment was also empty from its own side.
General Samantabhādra’s dedication may be spread in all the direction, may be in this world. Complete enlightenment of our family members, in the hearts of all the student benefactors. So, give up their lives, the organization, in all their heart, in the hearts of everyone in this world in this very lifetime. One hundred thousand times. And whatever plan we do to succeed, To be exercised, then we recite the Buddha’s name once, then also the that particular Buddha that brings, say, auspiciousness, the prayers that we do.
Then you teach in Chinese. The the Chinese, the last part. Good morning. So it’s good it’s good to know. When you do when you do Guru Puja, not necessarily always have to do the same chanting that we normally do in the full days.
You can do always you can do this is not a fast one. This is this is this is because of the time, you can do fast, middle I mean, long, middle, whatever. There are many selections. There are many choices for you. It doesn’t have to if you do Guru Puja, it has to be something or it’s one fixed thing.
Chanting is not necessarily the normal chanting that one has to do that way, not necessarily. There’s always choice, you know, This whether to include the Chinese or not. So anyway, kind of time or whatever. You know, whatever is best for the best, we can do the prayer. So not necessarily always a fixed idea of the Lama Chöpa.
The the chanting. I don’t mean leave the prayer. I don’t mean leave prayer and some leave some prayer and no chanting. That’s why chanting. So can do it even much faster than this.
Yeah. What would you know? So I can can do remind. So when you get up, what do you think? When you get up now, what do think?
Already mentioned before. So you should get you should copy if you haven’t got, you should copy it in your book and must should use the right way especially when you retreat. I mean, normal life and that, you know, I mean, much can be done. But I mean, if you have to do that, it’s unbelievable. So it’s good.
It seems like some people are doing prostrations. So, everyone is falling asleep in in a can’t you know, can’t do your teachings, can’t do practice, and I think in other ways in time, it’s good to do prostrations. At least we have the teachings. But you need to, you try to meditate and also you have the teachings. Maybe that’s to not waste time.
It was like when I fall asleep. Not during not during practice, can’t hear teachings. Then So I must get up very fast once or twice then. Then I thought so many people will be sleeping tomorrow. I must get up very fast.
Many many many of you might be Including myself.