Teachings from Guadalajara: Days 1 - 4 (Audio and Unedited Transcript)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Guadalajara, Mexico, 2008 (Archive #1700)

Days 1-4 of an eight-day series of lam-rim teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Guadalajara, Mexico, in April, 2008.  You can listen to days 5-8 here.

You can also read an edited version of this series here, and listen online to the public talk that Rinpoche gave prior to this series.

Day 4: Dedications

Okay, so, just mention, then we are going to do prayer, King of the Prayer, okay.

So the, , so Kopan Monastery, yes, so that’s right, so the Rinpoche, Penor Rinpoche, who is the head lama Nyingma, he was giving teachings down there, in the small Kagyu monastery. So he was telling his disciples, he was telling his disciples the five colored relic means achieved Buddha’s five wisdoms, wisdom of accomplishment or mirror-like wisdom or wisdom of equanimity, discerning wisdom, all these. So, anyway, I’m not sure what the five are. So he was telling them these five Buddha’s wisdoms, that means Geshe Lama Konchog enlightened and have achieved the five wisdoms, so, he was telling to his students during the teaching.

But I think it’s also explained in the Kagyu the, their tantric path, very high tantric path, it talks about these five colors. One very high lama came from Tibet, he was telling me, during His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings he was sitting next to me, so he was explaining about that, it’s in the texts. So he was going to show me but it didn’t happen.

So, anyway, just, I didn’t make very clear at the end, means completed the path, you finished the work, the Dharma practice.

So, anyway, many years ago when Geshe Lama Konchog was at Kopan, so there was a lot of rain one day, lot of rain came, so there was old gompa. So outside there’s see steps, there’s one square step, in front of the Tara statue which is under the bodhi tree. So, so much rain. So then Geshe Lama Konchog fell down, he fell down very heavily. I may have heard in my room upstairs, he fell down very heavily, but his mind was so happy, so happy, he fell down very heavily, he fell down, wet, the steps, anyway, very heavily, but his mind is so happy. He thought that my obstacles, when he fell down, he immediately thought he received my life obstacles on him, so happy, unbelievably happy.

So that, now, he put, so, I’m just using this as an example. He put a positive label, he didn’t put a negative label, he put a positive label so he was so happy. When he fell down, his body and, so anyway, so, he became so happy, so he was happy. So, that experience for him, so happy, so his, that present mind came from that, way of thinking, even though he fell down, all that, body heavily banged on the cement, floor, so like that example.

So I think we better stop here. If we can do King of Prayer that will be so great.

So all the people who every day, you never know what happening, so many get killed in Tibet, so, also as well as Chinese, then all the people who died in the war, different parts of the world, then your own, any family members passed away, and any students who passed away up to now, in the organization. So, those who died, those who are living, everybody, or sick in the hospitals, at home, so everybody, young and old, everybody, ?for/all their benefit, okay, all sentient beings to achieve enlightenment. Okay? You can start to read. So today I brought my text.

[Group recites together the King of Prayers.]

Dedicate. Names here [Rinpoche reads out the names]. So we give all the merits, collected by reciting the King of Prayers, then, Due to all the past merits from beginningless rebirth, okay, then the three time merits collected by oneself, the three time merits collected by all sentient beings, especially bodhisattvas, and also buddhas, then all the merits they have collected from their own side, okay, so that, so, give, we give all our, all the past merits, present merits, today what we have collected, by reciting the King of Prayers, all the merits we give to them, okay, we give it to all of them, those who are sick, those who have died, okay, whose names I’ve read, so give it to them, okay.

Then there’s also more names [Rinpoche reads more names]. So, we chant OM MANI PADME HUM, a mala for them, okay? [Rinpoche recites Chenrezig verse in Tibetan.] So you visualize Thousand-Arm Chenrezig, and nectar emitted and purified them and all, as well as all sentient beings: hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras, including oneself, all people, particularly them, okay, whose names read, those who are sick, who died.

[Rinpoche leads group in chanting OM MANI PADME HUM.]

Think, all the sentient beings’ negative karma completely purified, all the numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras, then particular those who are sick, that all their negative karma, their sicknesses, spirit harm, negative karma, defilements, all completely purified. So make that strong prayer to Chenrezig, and those whose names are given to me, all those who died, same, then, immediately get liberated from all the sufferings and reincarnate in a pure land where they can be enlightened or receive a perfect human body, by meeting a perfectly qualified Mahayana guru, Mahayana teachings, may they achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. So, from deep down from your heart request to Chenrezig. [pause for meditation]

Those who are living ones then able to, by getting better then, then able to immediately actualize guru devotion, the three principal paths, common path, then uncommon two stages, in this very lifetime.

Then due to all the three time merits collected by me, three time merits collected by others, all sentient beings, particularly bodhisattvas, then all the buddhas, due to all these merits to happen like this, all this what you have prayed for them.

Then same, all the students who have passed away in the FPMT up to now, any benefactors, all those who bear so much hardship doing service to this organization, to benefit others, and serve the teaching of Buddha, all those who have passed away, so to happen the same thing.

Then all the rest of the sentient beings those who are living and died, those who are sick, get recovered, then actualize bodhicitta, most meaningful life, achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible, same. And those who died, also same, to be born in the pure land where they can get enlightened, or receive a perfect human rebirth, meet a perfectly qualified Mahayana guru, Mahayana teachings, and achieve enlightenment, may they achieve enlightenment as quick as possible.

So you pray, so then, the Chenrezig melts into light, absorbed center of the two eyebrows, then, blessed your body, speech, and mind, you can think that. Those who haven’t received great initiation. And those who have received initiation, then you can think, highest tantra initiation, then you can absorb through the crown, okay, like that.

So now the Medicine Buddha, okay, seven Medicine Buddhas, constantly nectar beams emitted, purified them, all sentient beings particularly those who are sick and those who have passed away, okay. So you make strong prayer to achieve Medicine Buddha, okay. I will recite the name. If you are able to recite, you recite, otherwise, you pray to Medicine Buddha, that all purified, okay, those people who have died, immediately to be born in a pure land where they can become enlightened or receive a perfect human rebirth, and then achieve enlightenment quickly by meeting the Dharma, okay.

[Rinpoche recites the name of the first Medicine Buddha seven times.]

So, Tsen Leg Pa, whatever prayer you have done, may it be ripened to me and all sentient beings, and all these people who have passed away, okay, also who are sick. And whatever I pray may it be actualized immediately. So pray, so those people who have passed away, whose names were read, immediately to be born in a pure land where they can be enlightened or receive a perfect human body, and meet a perfectly qualified Mahayana guru, Mahayana teachings, and achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.

And Tsen Leg Pa fully accepted your request, and very happily then absorbs to the next one.

[Rinpoche recites the name of the second Medicine Buddha seven times.]

Whatever prayer you have done, then, may it be ripened to, may it be actualized immediately to all sentient beings, myself, to all sentient beings, and then especially these people whose names read, all those who died and sick, okay. Whatever prayer I do may it be actualized immediately.

So we do the same requests as I mentioned before for those people.

[Rinpoche recites the name of the third Medicine Buddha seven times.]

Whatever prayer you have done, then, in the past, may it immediately be actualized immediately to me and all sentient beings, especially these people who passed away, or who are sick. Whatever prayer I do may it be actualized immediately.

[Rinpoche recites the name of the fourth Medicine Buddha seven times.]

Whatever prayer you have done in the past, may it be actualized immediately to me and all sentient beings, especially these people who have passed away, and who are sick. Whatever prayer I do may it be actualized immediately.

[Rinpoche recites the name of the fifth Medicine Buddha seven times.]

Whatever prayer you have done in the past, may it be actualized immediately to me and all sentient beings, particularly those, these people who have died and those who are sick. [pause] Whatever prayer I do may it be actualized immediately.

[Rinpoche recites the name of the sixth Medicine Buddha seven times.]

Whatever prayer, __________, you did in the past, may it be actualized immediately to myself and all sentient beings, especially these people who have passed away and those who are sick. Whatever prayer I do may it be actualized immediately.

[Rinpoche recites the name of the seventh Medicine Buddha seven times.] [pause]

Guru Shakyamuni Buddha.

[Rinpoche recites the name of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha seven times.]

Whatever prayer you have done may it be actualized immediately to me and all sentient beings, especially these people who have passed away, and who are sick, and whatever prayer I do may it be actualized immediately.

So their negative karmas are totally purified, okay, all the defilements, those who are, sick people and those people who died, same. Then think, you think the Medicine Buddha, and then the you think absorbed within them, all those people, sick and those who died, then become totally enlightened ?in that.

Due to all the three time merits collected by me, and the three time merits collected by others, may the bodhicitta be actualized in the hearts of oneself and in the hearts of all sentient beings, okay, all the students, all the benefactors, all those who, so many of those who sacrifice their lives to the organization doing service to sentient beings, teaching of Buddha, in different parts of the world, so many, then, so, those who rely upon me, whom I promised to pray, whose names were given to me, in all their hearts, in the hearts of all the leaders of the world, in the hearts of all the different religious people, not only Buddhist but all the other different religions, in all their hearts, bodhicitta to be actualized, and in the hearts of all sentient beings, okay, without delay even a second.

Jang chhub sem chhog rin po chhe…. Gang ri ra wäi khor wä zhing kham dir….

[Students chant long-life prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Tibetan.]

The prayer for fulfilling His Holiness’s holy wishes, so read that. Those ?that ?find the English can be translated into Spanish or the Mexican language.

[Rinpoche chants the prayer for fulfilling HHDL’s holy wishes in Tibetan.]

Je tsün la mäi ku tshe rab tän ching….

Now the prayer for all other gurus.

Due to all the past, present, and future merits collected by me, and the three time merits collected by others, that which exists, but which is merely labeled by mind, may the I, who exists, but is merely labeled by mind, achieve Lama Tsongkhapa’s enlightenment which exists, but which is merely labeled by mind, and lead all the sentient beings who exist, but who are also merely labeled by mind, to that Lama Tsongkhapa’s enlightenment, which exists, but which is also merely labeled by mind, by myself alone, who is also merely labeled by mind.

[The students chant in Spanish.]

Chhö kyi gyäl pa tsong kha päi…. Dag dang zhän gyi dü sum dang….

We dedicate the merits that, one’s own merits, the merits of all sentient beings, and the bodhisattvas, and then including bodhisattvas, all the buddhas, may the Lama Tsongkhapa’s teaching may it be complete, general teachings of Buddha, particularly Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings may it be completely actualized within one’s own heart, one’s own family members, and in the hearts of all of us here, and in the hearts of all the students in this organization, and in the hearts of all the benefactors, anyone who helps the organization, in all their hearts and then so many in different parts of the world who sacrifice their lives, bear so much hardships for the organization, doing service to the organization, to benefit other sentient beings, teaching of Buddha, in all their hearts, to be actualized, and then in the hearts of all those who rely upon me, whom I promised to pray, whose name is given to me, in all their hearts, and in the hearts of everybody in this world to be completely actualized. Then may it flourish forever in this world, and spread in all the directions.

So good night, good morning.