Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Online Advice Book
Health :
Operations
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Advice for Operations
| Unbearable Pain | |
| A student wrote saying his mother was in unbearable pain, needing an operation. She had terrible pain in both sides of her waist, in the bones and spine, so that she could neither sit nor sleep, day or night. It was too much pain for her to bear. She could not eat or do anything, just cry about the pain. | |
I'm very sorry to hear of your mother's situation. I checked, and it is important that the following are done. It would be good to have the operation, but you need to do the following immediately:
1) Medicine Buddha puja by Bati Khamtsen at Sera Je Monastery. I have sent the request to them already.
2) Lu zong: Ask the geshe at your center to do it.
3) I will do a puja for her today.
4) Tong-len practice: I and others here will do this for her and you also.
| Car Accident | |
| A student who had been in a very severe car accident was about to have another operation so she could walk, and wrote to Rinpoche to ask for advice. | |
My very dear Emma,
Thank you for your kind letter.
These things are very important to do before your operation on 20 May:
1) Take a long life initiation. It is very important that that this happens BEFORE the operation. It is best if the Rinpoche you know, who is at your center, can do it, if not then Geshe-la can do it.
2) One hundred and ninety long life tsa-tsas are being made for you before the operation. The Sangha are doing this here.
Before the operation, on the 20th, somebody needs to go over the Vajrayogini self-initiation next to you. The person can read it and you can either recite as much as you can, or listen to it as much as you can. Try to do it. The main thing is the four initiations and to take the bodhisattva and tantric vows again. This is very important. You must do this to make your vows pure again, so that what has been broken is restored. It is very important to think that you have received the vows. If you can, listen to the prayers, and see if you can repeat as the other person recites. If that is hard, then you can recite them mentally as you hear the person reading. Then think that you have received the bodhisattva and tantric vows completely.
When taking the four initiations, meditate as much as you can on those, especially that all the negative karma collected since beginningless time (and then specifically according to each of the four initiations) is completely purified. Ask the person to read the four initiations slowly. Especially think that one’s negative karma is purified—generate strong faith in that. First, one particularly thinks that negative karma related to the body (killing, etc), collected since beginningless time, is purified, and that you are completely purified and have achieved the Vajra holy body. You receive permission to meditate on the generation stage. You have left the potential to receive the result: nirmanakaya, on your mental continuum.
Then the next initiation—the secret initiation—purifies negative karmas of one’s speech (lying, etc) collected since beginningless time, and you are completely purified and have achieved the Vajra holy speech. You have permission to meditate on the impure and pure illusory body. You have left the potential to achieve the result: sambhogakaya, on your mental continuum.
The next one is the wisdom initiation, to purify negative karma of mind (ill will, etc), collected since beginningless time, and you are completely purified. Generate strong faith. It is good to remember negative karma also collected with your guru, and this is completely purified. You achieve the Vajra holy mind and have permission to meditate on clear light. You have left the potential to achieve the result: dharmakaya, on your mental continuum.
Next is the word initiation, to purify general and subtle stains of body, speech, and mind, and, in particular, subtle dualistic view, collected since beginningless time. All of these are purified and you are completely purified. Generate strong faith. You have permission to meditate on the path of unification. You have left the potential to achieve the unified state of Vajradhara.
These are the main points to include during the four initiations, while they are happening. You can try to meditate and think in this way. Then you have no worries at all. Even if the operation is not successful, then you go to a pure land or receive a perfect human birth.
Also, this way, any broken samaya and negative karma collected since beginningless time, especially heavy negative karma collected with one’s guru, such as non-devotional thought, harming the holy body, etc, are all purified. This is the most important thing, to purify one’s samaya. That is the best way to die.
When you go for the operation, with your mind in bodhicitta, it is very good if you are able to do tong-len on the way. The main refuge should be bodhicitta, and think His Holiness and Amitabha are as one on your crown, and the main object of refuge. Then do tong-len to experience all sentient beings’ pain, even death, by yourself. Let them all be free from death and all sufferings. Generate the wish. If you can, think this way, without clinging to your family, etc, or any things, and mainly do bodhicitta and tong-len. The main thing is that there is nothing to worry about, and no clinging to sentient beings. On your crown is His Holiness in the aspect of Amitabha Buddha.
Before you have the injection (anesthetic), it is extremely important that your last thoughts be virtuous. This is so important, in case something happens, for your future rebirth, and, no question, for going to a pure land. So, it is very important to put a lot of effort into this. If you can concentrate on Amitabha Buddha above the crown of your head, then see your consciousness (see it as a bright white/red drop) in your heart, and looking up into Amitabha’s heart, your consciousness goes into Amitabha’s heart. If you can do that it would be great. This is a great preparation to go to Amitabha pure land. Your consciousness absorbs into Amitabha’s heart.
In the pure land all the trees, petals of the flowers, and leaves are all making the sound of Dharma, the teachings of Buddha. Even the sound of the wind is Dharma, the wind blowing in the trees. Also, all the birds are making the sound of pure Dharma. All the trees are wish-granting trees, the ground is lapis lazuli, very blissful, everything is wish-fulfilling, and there is no suffering. This is regarded as a very special, most profound way to die, a self-supporting death according to His Holiness. It is a great way to die, and even if one doesn’t die, it is very powerful.
Go to the operation with bodhicitta, and, if you can do po-wa, make your mind one with Amitabha Buddha, then go to the pure land. This can be your last thought, and before that do the self-initiation. Amitabha is on your crown and you are looking up, like looking up an upside down trumpet, with the bottom part open, up to the crown, straight down the body, closer to your back, made of light, in the nature of light (this is important). Then, shoot one’s consciousness to Amitabha pure land, first to Amitabha’s heart, so your consciousness, in the nature of light (red light), goes up to Amitabha’s heart, through the chancel, which completely hooks your consciousness. It shoots up and you make strong prayers to be reborn in Amitabha pure land, so as to be able to liberate sentient beings. Make very strong prayers to Amitabha, so that he completely hooks your consciousness in one second, heart to heart, it absorbs into Amitabha’s heart, and takes you to the pure land. Then, you are born in a lotus and receive teachings from Amitabha. It is also helpful when you are doing this to make sure no thought of anger or attachment comes up.
If death happens during the operation, then your work is done. If you don’t die, then it is excellent practice, and if you do it with bodhicitta, then it makes your life most beneficial.
I am very happy that all the students made prayers for you and recited the Diamond Cutter Sutra. When I heard about your accident, it was totally unimaginable. This was the first and only time I have asked all the students to make prayers like this. Many students have passed away but I haven’t asked before; it didn’t happen.
Please do everything with a bodhicitta mind, all the time, as much as possible.
I am making prayers for you.
With much love and prayers...
| Bad Knee | |
| A student who had very bad knees needed an operation and wrote asking for advice. | |
Dear Robert,
The operation on your knee should be done before the 10th of December. Generally, it is not an easy operation. The result won't be much more improvement than it is now, but I want to be democratic, and do as you feel.
The following pujas should be done at Sera monastery in the Lama Yeshe khamtsen:
Gyeshi: once
Sherni du dok: three times
Ask your family and friends to read the Golden Light Sutra before and during the operation.
Of course, I will make prayers for you. My wish is that you are not in samsara but be enlightened now.
With much love and prayers...
| Operation | |
| A student wrote to Rinpoche asking for advice as to whether to have an operation. | |
I checked again regarding the operation and it still doesn’t look good. If you organize for Boudha stupa to be whitewashed, and offer a new umbrella and decorations for the stupa, then the operation comes out as very good.
I do this offering twice a month and one of my assistants at Kopan organizes it, so if you contact my assistant at Kopan, you can organize it with him. It would be better to do it soon.
| Whether to Have an Operation |
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| A student who had broken her back in a car accident wrote to Rinpoche asking for his advice as to whether or not to have an operation. Medical opinion was divided on whether she should have the operation or not. | |
Dear Gerry,
I hope this finds you well. According to my observations, the operation has a small benefit. However, having the operation as well doing the following pujas would be good. These are the things that should be done prior to the operation:
Namgyal Tongchu
16 Arhant puja. Please pray to the 16 Arhants for quick success.
The naga incense puja needs to be done at least twice by the geshe at your Dharma center.
Please practice Lion Faced Dakini daily until you are better.
Visualize doing prostrations to the 35 Buddhas five times each day. If you can, hold your hands in the mudra of prostration while you recite the names, and visualize making the prostrations with hundreds of bodies.
They should not to do the operation on the day "la." The geshe at your Dharma center can check this for you.
You can request the 16 Arhant puja to be done by Nalanda Monastery and you can request Namgyal Tongchu from Kopan Monastery. In both cases, please explain clearly your situation and what the operation is for.
