View and Search Online Advice Book
Below is a listing of advices in the Online Advice Book. They are sorted and grouped by the date posted on our website, with the most recent additions showing first. You can enter a keyword to search for advices containing that term.
Advices posted during the month of November 2023
In this letter, Rinpoche explains to a student why it's important to practice Highest Yoga Tantra, in order to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.
Advice to a student on why it’s important to bless the speech.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this commendation of a new book by His Eminence Chöden Rinpoche and praised his qualities.
Rinpoche gave this advice regarding students who had taken one lama as their guru, but then criticized and talked badly about that lama.
A student had received lifetime practices from Rinpoche but at the time Rinpoche had advised a Highest Yoga Tantra deity did not come out as their yidam (personal deity) and to check again after six months. This is Rinpoche’s reply to...
Rinpoche sent this advice to a nine-year-old child who had been coming to the local Dharma center.
Rinpoche advised a student with prostate cancer to do Most Secret Hayagriva practice every day.
A student had fractured his shoulder bone and three ribs. He asked Rinpoche what pujas he should do and for a blessing so that he would get better.
Advices posted during the month of October 2023
A student wrote that they were struggling with depression and feelings of guilt.
A student who was in hospital with leukemia asked Rinpoche for health advice.
A tribute to E. Gene Smith, a respected scholar who worked tirelessly throughout his life to preserve and disseminate the Tibetan Buddhist canon. He was responsible for saving thousands of rare and important texts and making them accessible...
In this letter to a group of Russian students, Rinpoche advises how to circumambulate holy objects with body, speech and mind.
This advice was sent to a student who wrote to confess some negative actions at their local center.
This letter was sent to a student experiencing many obstacles. Rinpoche had previously suggested becoming ordained.
A student requested a prayer or practice to help relieve their spinal pain. They had spinal stenosis as a result of vertebral disc degeneration.
A fortune teller had predicted many imminent disasters related to fire in that year (2016). Rinpoche checked and advised these practices.
Rinpoche sent this card to a center director, thanking them for benefiting the center and sentient beings.
A student with bipolar disorder asked Rinpoche for advice on practices that could help.
Rinpoche gave this advice about practicing at the correct time during lunar and solar eclipses.
Advices posted during the month of September 2023
A student who had translated Rinpoche’s teachings and books was having health problems, including issues with their eyesight and possible paralysis on one side of the body. In this long letter, Rinpoche explains how to transform problems by...
A student wrote that their goal was to attain lamrim realizations and to focus on calm abiding and mahamudra. The student asked Rinpoche if it would be best to retire soon so they would have more time for retreat and practice.
A student had been diagnosed with cancer at the base of their tongue and was undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment. The student asked if Rinpoche could recommend prayers and mantras which would be beneficial at that time.
Rinpoche wrote this message in a visitor’s book after seeing a human body exhibition in New York in 2009.
A student asked Rinpoche about doing a six-month calm abiding (Tib: zhinä; Skt: shamatha) retreat. Rinpoche suggested 100,000 Lama Chöpa tsog offerings, to purify and collect merit.
Rinpoche sent this letter to a student who asked for advice on what retreat they should do.