Readings for LOP discussions at Kadampa Center
Use the links and transcripts below to watch Lama Zopa Rinpoche give a teaching. You can follow along by reading the text provided.
December 14 session: EMPTINESS vs. NIHILISM
Video Clip Location: 2016-08-16 19.30 LZR Light of the Path ENGLISH, 22:34
https://youtu.be/EHebOqX6W0o?t=22m29s
Transcript Location: 16 August 2016, 7.30 PM session, bottom of page 27
Many, I don't know, just, many when they meditate on emptiness they say that nothing exists. Do you understand? Nothing exists. So you are not meditating on emptiness, you are meditating that things don't exist even in mere name, doesn’t exist nothing, doesn’t exist. Sorry to say this. I’m sure I do that a lot, I think I do that a lot if I don't check well, I think when I meditate I do that normal mistake, even in mere name doesn’t exist, complete nihilism, emptiness meditation that is nihilism. You understand? Remember this, when you meditate on emptiness whether you are meditating on nihilism or not, make sure, keep in mind, write it down. This is a suggestion bringing up my own mistakes, whether it is really meditating on emptiness, whether meditating on nihilism or not, you have to check. The Prasangika view of emptiness has to be unified with dependent arising and dependent arising has to be unified with emptiness, that is the Prasangika view, that is the way to realization emptiness, the Prasangika view of emptiness, right view, of renunciation, bodhichitta, and emptiness, it is right view.
December 7 session: GURU DEVOTION
Video Clip Location: https://youtu.be/VJNaIcI9WA8?t=1h7m50s
2016-08-24 16.00 LZR Light of the Path ENGLISH WITH TRANSCRIPT, 1:07:50
Transcript Location: August 24, 2016, 17:40, page 210
Then another quotation, I think this is from a tantra text, Yeshe Gyatso, Oceans of Transcendental Wisdom, (Rinpoche recites in Tibetan), so what it is saying is (Rinpoche recites in Tibetan), “A disciple who is expert in the activities of the guru, it is much more, it is unbelievable, much more meaningful than somebody prostrating to numberless past, present, future buddhas, for how long? Ten hundred thousand, a million, ten hundred thousand million eons, and on top of that six hundred, ten hundred thousand and then on top of that six hundred eons, one million and six hundred thousand eons prostration to numberless past, present, and future buddhas, for that many eons, you understand? So this who is expert in the activities of the guru, means fulfilling the guru’s wishes and advice, is expert in the activities of the guru. This is unbelievable, his life, his actions, is sooooooooooooo much more meaningful, beneficial, than the person who does to numberless past, present, and future buddhas, three times means numberless, prostration one million eons and on top of that six hundred thousand eons prostrates to them. Then it says, if you complete the guru’s wishes, what the guru asks you, if you complete the guru’s, what is advised by the guru, if you complete that then all what you desire for, all that you wish for, all that you wish gets succeed, so that means up to enlightenment. Not only temporary, it includes even enlightenment. Happiness of future lives, liberation from samsara, enlightenment, like that, including that. (Rinpoche recites in Tibetan) You will achieve pagtumepa, unfathomable merits, you get unfathomable merits.
November 30 session: BODHICHITTA MINDFULNESS
See flier- “Cultivating Mindfulness of Bodhichitta in Daily Activities” from FPMT
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTED VIEWING: Talk at the LOP Retreat by Ven Sarah Thresher on Boddhicitta Mindfulness
From Lama Zopa Rinpoche during LOP:
Video Clip Location: https://youtu.be/i_iuSYe7sWk?t=1h39m20s from 2016-08-19 16.00 LZR Light of the Path ENGLISH
Transcript Location: 19 August 2016, 4.00 PM Session, pages 105-106.
Walking meditation. Maybe dying meditation!
18:02
Maybe today we will do kindness of sentient beings, but the past one is very good, impermanence and death, even relating to the breath, finishing a certain number of breaths in your life, certain number of years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, running all the time, finishing, running all the time continuously. I didn’t mention the second, the essence, there is a certain number and they run so fast toward death, so fast going to the lower realms, going to the hell realm so fast, then cannot benefit others, cannot benefit you, cannot practice Dharma, so much suffering. That is so good, very, very good meditation to inspire to practice Dharma, then when you come down death can happen any moment, so good, the question is nothing can benefit at death time only Dharma, so this mindfulness meditation.
Today the kindness of sentient beings. I must tell this, the world should get this, I’m telling this. When you go up think of kindness of sentient beings, then when you go down… Okay, the first one is kindness. So aaaaaaaaaaaall the past, present, and future up to enlightenment, all, future life happiness, ultimate happiness, freedom from samsara, all the three times happiness, yours, came from, received from every hell being, hungry ghost, animal, human being, sura, asura, and intermediate state being, so like animals, every ant, every mosquito, every maggots, every slugs, anything you see, even animals, every time, your three times happiness, past, now, future, is from every sentient being, wow. So wow, wow, wow. How that happened, how that happened, all your past, present, and future happiness is action of buddha, came from your good karma, and your good karma is action of Buddha. Buddha has two actions, one is in sentient beings, one is in their own mind, within them, two actions. All good karma that you have, virtuous minds, are all Buddha’s actions, so came from buddha, buddha came from bodhisattva, bodhisattva came from great compassion, great compassion generated by depending on obscured suffering sentient beings, great compassion generated by depending on obscured suffering sentient beings, so from every obscured suffering sentient being, great compassion is generated. Then from there, bodhichitta, from there bodhisattva, from there buddha, from there buddha’ action, from there good karma, from there your three time merits, so all your three time merits are totally from everyone, every sentient being. So that is sooooooooooooo, unbelievable, most unbelievable, most unbelievable, most unbelievable kind, most unbelievable, most unbelievable kind and most unbelievable precious, every sentient being we see, six realm sentient beings, every sentient being is most kind, most precious, most dear, your most dear one, everyone is most dear one including your enemy, who you call enemy, who you discriminate as enemy, who you discriminate is harming me, whether harming or not, everyone of them is your wish-fulfilling, everyone is your wish-fulfilling, everyone is your wish-fulfilling, everyone is your wish-fulfilling. I think I might have mentioned already before, even Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in who you take refuge to be free from lower realm suffering… Your wish-fulfilling, today that. So important. Walking up, that is the meditation.
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, you understand, we take refuge in them to not be born in lower realms and to get higher rebirth, to be free from samsara and achieve ultimate happiness, to be free from lower nirvana and achieve full enlightenment, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha on who we rely even that came from every sentient being, the mosquito that bites you, the flea who bites you, somebody who is angry at you, who scolds you, who beats you, numberless buddhas come from each sentient being, every sentient being, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in who you take refuge comes from every sentient being, every ant, insect, bird, whatever, bird, cat, dog, people, from every sentient being. So kindness, not by qualities, that is the Buddha, but by kindness. When you come down think they have not received perfect human rebirth, haven't met Buddha Dharma, all these teachings, haven't met perfectly qualified Mahayana guru revealing the unmistaken path to enlightenment, but I have met these, therefore I must repay the kindness, repay the kindness, I must practice Dharma, must actualize the path, lamrim, in my heart to free them from lower realm suffering, to free them from suffering and bring them to enlightenment. When you come down think that. So go walk. Maybe some people have to eat dinner who haven't taken precepts, okay. Okay. Thank you.
There will be a break November 23 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
November 16 session:
Video Clip Location: August 17, 2016, after 6:39 p.m.
2016-08-17 05.30 LZR Light of the Path ENGLISH, 1:00:16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn2kEUMIdzQ
Transcript Location:August 17, 2016 [Exalted Stainless Beam Totally Pure Light Mantra]
p.42-
NAMAh NAWA NAWA TiINÄÄN / TATHAAGATA GANG GAA NAM DIIWAALUKAA NÄN / KOTINI YUTA SHATASAHA SRaa nÄN / OM BOBORI / TSARI NITSARI / MORI GOLI TSALA WAARI SWAAHAA(a few times)
When it stops is NÄN but in middle is NAM. I received the lung from Kyongla Rato Rinpoche or Dagpa Rinpoche, who was abbot of Sera Me, he passed away maybe a year ago. Now this one. There is difference of one syllable, OM THRI… before mentioning that. NAMA NAWA has incredible benefits. Padmasambhava relic has mantra, it is so meaningful, incredible purification by seeing it, touching it, remembering it, if you recite this, it is mentioned there in English?
(Time stamp 1:00:16)
If you recite this whatever, seven times or 21 times, whatever, that day animals, ants, ants I’m not sure but animals, dogs, cats, people anyone who hears your voice it purified five heavy negative karma without break, even other negative karmas, light ones, lighter negative karma and then heaviest ones, heaviest one is negative karma collected with guru, breaking samaya, anger or heresy, give up, after Dharma connection you give the guru up, but five heavy negative karma without break, killed father and mother of this life, killed arhat, caused blood to flow from buddha, caused division in sangha, if you recite this mantra even once anyone who hears your voice it purifies the five
P. 43
heavy negative karma without break, no question of ten nonvirtues, anyone who hears your voice if they have committed five heavy negative karma without break, all or one, it gets purified. That is one of the powerful benefits, you have to remember that, it is very important. If you are talking to somebody or reciting mantra, if they hear your voice it purifies their heavy negative karma, anyone who hears your voice.
There will be a break Nov. 2 and Nov. 9 while Visiting Teacher Jonathan Landaw is here.
October 26 session:
Video Clip Location: August 26, 2016- 8 pm
2016-08-26 19.30 Lzr Light of The Path English With Transcript, 37:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-8OigBvBhQ
Transcript Location: August 26, 2016- 8 pm,page 274
Here [How To Make Your Life Most Beneficial for Sentient Beings, Even with Your Speech], everyday life speech, generally whatever you do action of body, speech, and mind, whatever you do it affects other sentient beings, animals and people, whatever you do with body, speech, and mind, negative or positive, positive it has positive effect to others, also their actions of body, speech, and mind become positive towards you, then you are happy. You see? Like that, negative, selfish mind, anger, and attachment, pride, and so forth, you do negative toward others, you speak, you don't respect, you speak rude to others, the mind is selfish, motivation is selfish, you don't think of others’ happiness, you don't think of kindness of others, as I mentioned how precious, most kind, most dear, your wish-fulfilling this person, this animal, this insect, you don't think that, then you speak rude, no respect, so whatever you do with body, speech, and mind, no respect, rude, unpleasant, then it creates in others’ mind unpleasant, negative, so then they do back negative actions of body, speech, and mind to you, so it is a circle. Every day is like this, you have to understand that. Depends on how you look at sentient beings, if you look at with loving kindness or compassion, or with negative mind, kind of pride, so right away there is an effect, you have to recognize, you do action of body, speech, and mind, rude, that brings unhappiness, not good to others, everyday life, even with animals, hah.
Handout: “How to make your life most beneficial for sentient beings, even with your speech”
Then if you also recite one thousand om mani padme hum mantras every morning, seven generations of your family will not be reborn in the lower realms. Moreover, when other sentient beings see you, even in places where there are many other people, just by seeing you their negative karma will be purified. Also, when you die and your body is cremated, if the smoke from the fire touches any sentient being, human, insect or whatever, it purifies their negative karma and helps them not be reborn in the lower realms.
October 19 session:
Video Clip Location: 2016-08-23 16.00 LZR Light of the Path ENGLISH, 1:13:42
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEbIbU1ewZ0
Transcript Location: August 23, 2016- pp. 188-189
P. 188
Rinpoche: [1:13:42] “I won’t let, you have to be strong, you have to make yourself strong, today whatever happens, this life or today, whatever happens I won’t let my mind be fussy.”
P. 189
Student: Sensitive.
Rinpoche: Sensitive, maybe. Not exact word. Anyway you understand, so fussy, sensitive, I won’t let my mind to go like that. In the morning you have to motivate, you have to make yourself strong like this, like that. Always you have to have that motivation, otherwise, if you don't have that maybe only simple, maybe only very small one you can, like I said transform into path to enlightenment, but when bigger can’t do, or sometimes even small ones you miss and can’t get done. The method is from morning you PREPARE yourself to be strong. That you need. I won’t let my mind become fussy.” Like that. There are two minds, not looking for comfort, not attractive, desirable, then you change unfavorable conditions into desirable, positive, by thinking of the benefits you see positive, nothing comfortable, desirable. Then with these two thoughts, which are very different from normal people in the world, oh, then the problem cannot,you can ride on the problem, the problem doesn't ride on you. Similar, also death, you can ride over death. You are not controlled by death. Many problems like that. You have control over them. You ride over the problem, not you are overpowered by the problem, not that. Like that. So, I’m sorry, so therefore, when we practice we have to practice from small problems, unfavorable conditions then you get developed more and more and then even middle, then after some time even the higher you can transform into the path to enlightenment. In this way, with lojong, with a positive mind again whatever you see, whatever you hear, whatever you smell, taste, everything is positive. Other one is so selfish mind, this one is bad, then everything turns out negative. Now here with lojong, living life with bodhichitta, then everything positive, whatever appears, hear, smell, taste, everything is positive, everything is happy, your whole life whatever happens it makes you happy. Oh, like that.
(Time stamp: 17:50)
I already explained. Think this, Kadampa geshe, Karag Gomchung said this (Rinpoche recites in Tibetan), there is thirty-six, I don’t know, for each stanza at the end there is ang, the advice, I received the lung of that from Kyabje Trulshig Rinpoche in Boudha. It is said, one way of looking at as positive even present small suffering purifies past negative karma, purifies past negative karma. Because of that, (Rinpoche recites in Tibetan) in the future what happens? There will be happiness. Therefore, ang, rejoice, therefore rejoice in the suffering, therefore rejoice in suffering that you are experiencing now. So, even though, I don’t know, whether you have cancer, whatever problems you have, whatever unbearable thing happens, in this way your mind is always happy.
