My very dear one,
First thing in the morning please recite these mantras:

• Mantra for Blessing the Speech.
• Mantra to Multiply Virtue. This increases the effect of merit created that day. If this mantra is recited seven times, whatever virtue is created that day will increase 100,000 times, according to the Sutra of the Wheel of Complete Dedication.
• Mantra to Bless the Rosary. This increases the power of the mantras you recite by one hundred sextillion times. This is according to the Unfathomable Mansion of Increasing Jewels.
• Mantra to Bless the Feet. By reciting this mantra seven times and blowing on the soles of your feet or shoes, then however many creatures die that day under your feet will get reborn in the deva Realm of the Thirty-three. This is according to the Manjushri Root Tantra. This mantra is very good to do if you have a lot of ants on the floor in your house or if you have to walk on the grass or beach where there are many tiny insects, crabs and so forth; if you have to walk in places where there are many tiny creatures. Also, if you have to drive somewhere in your car you can recite this mantra and blow or spit on each tire of the car, wherever the tire will be touching the ground. Don’t misunderstand this and think that when you have recited this mantra then you can walk or drive over insects. Don’t misunderstand this, and don’t run with ignorance.
• Mantra of the Exalted Completely Pure Stainless Light. It’s important to know the benefits of this mantra and to recite it.
• Mantra Taught by Buddha Droden Gyälwa Chhö. It’s important to know and to have the benefits of this mantra, not just the mantra,

[These six mantras can be found in The Method to Transform a Suffering Life into Happiness (Including Enlightenment).]

Then set your motivation for the day using the bodhisattva attitudes.[You can find the text here.] You can do an elaborate motivation or the short one, but the main thing is to generate the motivation.

The main motivation in your life should be bodhicitta. This is the main motivation because it is the cause of enlightenment. This motivation should be not only for Dharma practice but also for any activity you do—eating, walking, sleeping, going to the toilet—to make all your activities become Dharma, the cause of enlightenment.

After that you can recite Calling the Guru from Afar, either the short or long one. Or you can do another lamrim prayer.

Then start Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga or another guru yoga practice. You can use that practice as a basis for your lamrim meditation. Before Lama Tsongkhapa absorbs into you, this is when you stop and do a direct meditation on the lamrim, so it is within the Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga.

Do the meditation so as to produce the experience, then after that, produce effortless experience and realization. Effortless experience and realization are the same. Whatever your level of mind, stabilize that, and meditate using mind training.

The main lamrim text for you to use is Manjushri’s Own Words [The Sacred Words of Manjushri; Tib: Jam päl zhal lung] by the Fifth Dalai Lama. This is the main text for you to use to meditate on the lamrim and understand it. It doesn’t mean you can’t read other lamrim books, but it just means this is the main one.

There is also one lamrim text called Zhamar Lamrim,¹ a famous Gelug lamrim, not the Kagyu Zhamar. This text was written by a teacher of one of the Dalai Lamas. I don’t think it is translated into English, but maybe in the future, when it is, you can get it. It could possibly be translated but I haven’t seen it.

These two lamrim texts are the basis for your learning and study. To begin with, study them every day, which means reading through the text slowly and relating it to your own life.

Once you finish the text then start again and in this way you will gain understanding. If you can, read it four times, mainly to develop understanding, then start to do meditation, first applying effort by following the outlines that I have put together.

These are mantras for success:

• Great Increasing Jewel
• Mantra Without Attachment [from the Golden Light Sutra.]

If you can, recite these two mantras each day for success, not only temporary success, but mainly for success in attaining enlightenment. They will also be good for the success of your business.

What makes your life most meaningful is meditation on the lamrim, and to live your life with bodhicitta motivation. This is the best.

With much love and prayers,

Lama Zopa

Notes

¹ Zhamar, also called Amdo Zhamar (Wylie: a mdo zhwa dmar), is a tulku lineage from Amdo, Tibet. The fourth lama in that tulku lineage, Gendun Tenzin Gyatso, was a preceptor of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and has a nine-volume collected works. One of those texts is a lamrim text, known colloquially as Zhamar Lamrim. This was one of eighteen texts included in the Jangchup Lamrim transmissions given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in south India. Translations in various languages can be found here. You can read more about Amdo Zhamar Pandita here. [Return to text]