Bodhgaya Teachings: 2006 (Audio and Unedited Transcript)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India 2006 (Archive #1588)

Days 1-3 of teachings given at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, December 26-31, 2006. Included are a Maitreya Buddha puja, teachings and meditations on Maitreya, and oral transmissions of the Maitreya mantra, Maitreya prayer and King of Prayers.

Click on the audio links to listen to that portion of the teaching and read along with the unedited transcript. You can listen to Days 4-6 here.

Day One: Maitreya Buddha Puja Part D

[Rinpoche continues the Maitreya Puja.]

So I just thought to mention this. So here, each section begins extensive offerings, the eight offerings then these five types of desire enjoyments, the offerings, then the eight auspicious, the seven royalty, the offerings, then eight auspicious, eight substances, then there’s more additional offerings. So it’s similar to when you offer a long-life puja to the lamas, to the guru, so all those offerings that usually offered long-life puja, passed through, so it’s the same here. So many times I though that when we do the thousand offerings to Maitreya Buddha, there should be all those offerings, like we normally offer long-life puja, [a couple of words missed] offerings to the guru, so those robes and begging bowl and all this, all the ______, the ________ and, so eight substances and eight auspicious signs, so like the long-life puja, same, so always had this in mind, so when we do a thousand offerings to Maitreya Buddha, to set up all these sets of robes and all the offerings arranged. Then also can be performed then according, then like the long-life puja, so all set up there then one person can offer at the altar, I mean in front of Maitreya Buddha according to the words, each stanza of offering, then pass each offering to, offer to Maitreya Buddha.

So the prayer is here, so it will be, of course, you can perform there already from the beginning, perform at the altar, that’s one way you can do. But otherwise, just like exactly the long-life puja, all these offerings can be passed, put, offered to Maitreya Buddha. So I think that’s, in the future, to arrange all this, that, I think, is extremely good. That’s how Lama Tsongkhapa did in Lhasa. Lama Tsongkhapa rebuilt one Maitreya Buddha statue, I don’t remember now, called, it has a particular name, Jampa something, one particular name, I’ve forgotten now, don’t remember at this time, right now, there’s one particular name. So I didn’t get to see when I was in Lhasa, but Lama Tsongkhapa rebuilt this and that time Lama Tsongkhapa offered all these sets of the hat, robes and the begging bowl, all the, which has signification to preserve Dharma, spread Dharma, so all that, it has signification. So why Lama Tsongkhapa did that, why made that offering, all those offerings is to, the teaching of the Buddha, which is vinaya teaching, which is defined by vinaya teaching existing in the country, in the world, in the country, so it seems that making those offerings to Maitreya Buddha statue it helped the teaching of the Buddha to last a long time. So this, in the near future to do extensive Maitreya offering, so with all the things, that would be very, very good one, with the eight auspicious, eight substances, all that, like the long-life puja, similar. [pause]

[Rinpoche continues the Maitreya Puja.]

So we already did the Thirty-five Buddhas and the general confession and, the confessing downfalls and general confession we already did, so [pause], so from here we [turning pages] so we just do the abbreviation.

[Rinpoche continues the Maitreya Puja.]

So this is the last, we can do seven limb before, which is the last part. So, completed.

Now next, the mandala offering.

[Rinpoche continues the Maitreya Puja.]

So this request you can read in English, the last part of the request.

[The group reads in English.]

[Rinpoche continues the Maitreya Puja.]

So we read this in English, from the beginning, [?Tibetan] from there we read in English complete.

[The group reads in English.]

So, it’s very important teaching here, especially the last part. “Please grant me blessings that the perfections of this life, to realize that there’s no essence, it’s impermanent, it has no essence, like the water dew on the grass, on the plants.” So water dew, drops, has no essence and it drops, it doesn’t last on the plant, it drops any time, so like that, the perfections of, including this life and the perfections of this life, body, possessions, so forth, all the things, reputation, all the things, surrounding people, so forth, so asking to grant blessings that no essence, impermanent nature and no essence, and then like the water dew on the plants.

Then next one is, This body has freedom and endowments, which is found just once, about one time, and then this, always to make this meaningful, asking to grant blessing for that.

And then the next one is very important one, even these perfections of this life, this body and possessions, all this, surrounding people, these friends and so forth, even one has obtained with so much effort, even these are obtained with so much effort but you have to leave everything, you have to definitely leave everything, and [Tibetan] then, non-attached to the material receiving and all the respect and those, service and respect, all those phenomena, all those things, being detached to those things and then, one-pointedly, all the time, one-pointedly to practice the holy Dharma, that which brings happiness beyond from this life, that which brings happiness all the time, beyond from this life up to enlightenment, all the happiness in all the future lives then including liberation from samsara, enlightenment, so that which is Dharma, that which is only Dharma. So, asking to grant blessings to be able to practice one-pointedly this only holy Dharma, that which you can accomplish all the happiness, happiness beyond from this life up to enlightenment, all the happiness, that includes temporary and ultimate, liberation, enlightenment.

So please read the Foundation of Good Qualities in English.

[Rinpoche continues the Maitreya Puja.]

So we can recite the mantra. Nectar beams emitted from Maitreya Buddha, entered in one’s own body and mind, purified all the defilements, negative karma, receiving all the qualities, and as well as that ?emitted to all the hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras, all the intermediate stage beings, and they all are purified at the same time. Then think also then, received all the qualities at the end.

And then you can also think, reciting mantra for all the hell beings, you are reciting this mantra for all the hell beings and all the hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras, intermediate stage beings, for all the sentient beings you are reciting them and they are hearing your mantras and they are purified, they are also actualizing the path contained in the mantra, so all Maitreya Buddha’s qualities. So with that meditation, we recite the mantra.

[Recitation of Maitreya Buddha mantras.]

[Rinpoche continues the Maitreya Puja.]

Now, so please read in English, from the beginning read in English, the whole rest.

So where we stopped the chanting, so continue there, from that, same prayer.

[Rinpoche continues the Maitreya Puja.]