Kopan Course No. 33 (2000): Audio and Unedited Transcripts, Continued

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Kopan Monastery, Nepal. (Archive #1257)

The following are excerpts of the teachings given by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche at the Thirty-third Kopan Meditation Course, held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 2000. Included is an oral transmission of the Medicine Buddha mantra and portions of the Diamond Cutter Sutra.

Lectures 6-10 are below; the first five lectures can be found here. You can also read the entire lightly edited transcript here.

Day 10: The Power of Mantras, Oral Transmission Continued

[tape change]

...that which causes you to reincarnate in all the eight hot hells, there are eight major hot hells, so your negative karma which causes you to reincarnate and experience all the eight hot hells get completely purified by going just one time around. This is due to the power of that mantra.

There is another mantra, Stainless Beam deity's mantra, if you have that mantra inside then you offer bell to the stupa then any birds and dogs, any people in that area who hear sound of bell that is offered to stupa, all their negative karma, killed father mother, arhat, caused blood Buddha, disunity among the Sangha, all those five uninterrupted number negative karma get completely purified. Even the birds, animals in the area, whoever hears the sound of bell offered to stupa which contains this mantra.

There are many powerful mantras, such unbelievable benefit for the sentient beings who see, who circumambulate, who touch, make offering so incredible benefit to the sentient beings, to their mind, so brings them to enlightenment. The holy objects stupa and statue, these things, without words, without need to talk, Dharma, in silence, you liberate, by actualising these holy object in silence, without any talk you liberate so many sentient beings by purifying their negative karma, save them from the lower realms every day, so many sentient beings. Then liberate from samsara by actualizing the path, then bring them to enlightenment. So every day you are able to benefit through these holy objects so many sentient beings, without words. Even they come as tourist, as animal or touch stupa or go around or whatever even receiving shadow from the stupa on their body they get purified.

So I was talking about even printing this, even printing this text so because of shortage of merit you have a lot of difficulties in your life, so it helps to make your life easier by collecting a lot of merit then this is an essential method.

(Tibetan chanting)

Wherever this text is in your house where this Diamond Cutter Sutra text is then all the devas, suras, those devas they come to worship, those worldly beings, it becomes a holy place for those beings to worship, your place, your house, become holy place where those other beings come to prostrate, circumambulate, becomes like stupa, your house, your place due to the power the blessing of this text.

(Tibetan chanting)

It says that son or daughter, anybody, how many Mount Meru, the largest mountain, Mount Meru, so how many Mount Meru there is in the world, of the three great thousand of three thousand, great thousand of three thousand - this universe, so one thousand universe so then you count that as one, like that then you make another thousand, from that thousand you make one thousand. Then the second thousand, with that you make one thousand, so then three thousand. So that great thousand of three thousand universe, how many Mount Meru there are, that many piles of seven types of jewels, gold, silver, all the things then you make offering, might be Buddha, then that much merit; and you memorise one verse, one stanza, oh no sorry, one verse, just only one verse which is four words from this Prajnaparimita text this one and then reveal to others, the merit is hundred times so much times more you collect than the previous one, than that much wealth make offering.

(Tibetan chanting)

This is the mantra of the Diamond Cutter Sutra.

I don't remember 100 per cent, I have received the Diamond Cutter Sutra oral transmission from Geshe Sengye Rinpoche, a Mongolian Lama Lharampa Geshe from Tibet. He was the Abbot of the Sera Monastery in Tibet, Sera Me and Je. Usually they are separate but after Mao Tse Tung died there was some freedom given to have monastery, to have some monks, not like before total freedom but some monks, to have some activity. So that time they appointed, because so many monks, they had to engage, they were forced, under threat of danger to their life, they were forced to kill animals, goats, forced many things to do so the all the monks they have high respect to Mongolian Geshe Sengye. So he became abbot for number of years in Tibet. He came twice Dharamsala and here. I took teachings for about two months our Sera Je College deity most secret Hayagriva, all the different practice of teachings, took three volumes by Khalka. Khalka is one Lama of Mongolia who is like Dalai Lama for them. Three volumes, then two volumes by 5th Dalai Lama and received initiation few times here and in Dharamsala that initiation, so at Tushita I received from Geshe Sengye Rinpoche the oral transmission of this.

The mantra, I am not 100 per cent sure whether I have lineage or not but anyway I just read for positive imprints. By reciting this mantra then same as you recited the mantra 90,000 times.

Namo bhagawati …… etc.

There was one person from Indonesia, one businessman, he totally lost his business, was in very heavy state. I met him at the airport when I was going to Singapore the previous time. So I did checking so it came out very good to pick up his business, to develop, to recite. One way is you read all this text Prajnaparimita but another way you can recite the mantra of those texts, you can recite those mantra. Like here there is mantra of Diamond Cutter Sutra, you can recite and unbelievable merit, purification. Even for business you need to purify your negative karma, even for success business, even success of this life, like business, whatever, when you have difficulties even for that you need to purify negative karma. That is the best solution and collect merit which is the only way you can have success.

Merit, if you don't have merit, then no matter how much you are smart, no matter how much you have studied economics, no matter how much you are smart, it doesn't work, no matter how much you try it doesn't work, nothing will happen, how much you have degree, it won't work, from university, it doesn’t work, you have to have merit. So therefore any project, success.

So I gave him the mantra, there is mantra of all the Prajnaparimita teachings. So I gave the mantra to recite, anyway there is quite good mantra to recite. Anyway the problem, he has problems, anyway its up to him whether he accept or not, I just gave him. I think he actually did it, he actually recited and his business picked up. Then he actually did it, did what I said, then I heard his business improved. So however you need purification and you need quite a lot of merit; reciting this text, mantra does that.

(Tibetan transmission)

So this oral transmission of the mantra of the dependent arising.

I did Vajrasattava mantra also last night, oral transmission. I was supposed to give initiation last night. I think I was supposed to do many things last night including enlightenment, billions of things anyway. Even though it didn't happen but quite happy, able to give refuge precepts and also talks, very important subject for foundation, otherwise not stable.

So those who intend to take Vajrasattva initiation and want to do retreat still can do even though I didn't give initiation but I did the lung which you need so those who intend to retreat are most welcome, extremely, most welcome, those who plan to retreat.

That is one thing we should do immediately, purification, most important is purification. So if you die today you need to purify negative karmas. That is the immediate solution, Vajrasattva retreat. One time you do big number purify so much all the past, that's very important, then continue every day some practice.

It is good that, this one month meditation course, coming here this one month meditation course, I am not sure whether get another chance like that, you can't say in your life, in our life there is another chance like that, it's not sure you can't really say so definitely one now. So therefore it is good to follow all the programmes, good to follow the schedules, to do everything, try to be here for all the programme, meditation and talks.

People put a lot of effort climbing Mount Everest, which is nothing, they spent millions of dollars to climb Mount Everest just to get the reputation, just some dry name, they put so many millions of dollars. However many hundred thousand dollars, which is totally meaningless. People spend so much money and effort many years, whole life put effort in things which is totally meaningless just totally negative karma because the motivation is just attachment, nothing, totally wasted all the money, totally waste all life put so much life for so many years.

So you see like that in the world so many people, human beings received precious human body but totally wasted by doing meaningless actions. So it is very important here, path to enlightenment, you work, even you die for that, even died by doing prostrations to Buddha but by practicing Dharma if you die it is worthwhile. So far how we died, died by creating negative karma for meaningless work, we died for meaningless work, so many times we died by doing meaningless works. So by practicing Dharma we die by doing, like nyung-näs, Compassion Buddhas' retreat, the two days very intensive retreat, very powerful purification, collect unbelievable merit. Even we die by doing that practice, anyway until we reach the level of path where you overcome death, where you no more experience death, until that we have to die anyway. So dying by practicing Dharma, dying for sentient beings rather you die for yourself, than die, anyway die for all sentient beings. You see die to spread Dharma, to liberate sentient beings, to bring them to enlightenment. However, by practicing Dharma we die, that is extremely worthwhile, anyway you have to die. Bearing hardships to meditate on lam-rim we die, extremely worthwhile way of dying. So anyway like that. Even caused life danger it is very worthwhile.

Therefore very important this one month to try hard. Doesn't matter whether you believe or not just learn it, you have to learn it, if you learn if you have understanding, then you can analyse, that's my point, therefore should listen to teachings. Last night, night before I was talking about karma, I think there are more men, less women in the dining room, there are more men there, talking. When I went there after teaching I saw more men, I didn't see many women there. I think very important teaching the karma, change the mind, change action.

Even the one chance you have here, if you waste your life going around, instead of attending the teachings, going around outside, so then even the chance, the one chance we have, if you do that when you going to change your life, when you going to change your mind, when are you going to have real spiritual progress, when are you going to develop your mind in path to enlightenment?

At the moment we don't know how precious it is, we don't know it takes time to realise, to discover, need a lot of merit, so much merit. Here there is a lot of logics, somebody who knows about reincarnation, about this, that there are so many logics to prove but that alone very, need to know but that alone, for some people still that is not enough, that alone is not enough. From that person's side need to purify the mind, until you don't purify the mind it's like the mirror covered by dust, the dirt on the cloth, there is nice beautiful painting on the wall covered by dust you can't see it. You need clean that. So no matter how sharp logics to prove things like that for some people that is not enough, from that person's side need to purify the defilements, if there is no purification no matter how sharp it is it won't effect that person's mind. So you need to practice purification. Then you can view inside, discovery, then things can happen, you can see beyond otherwise blocked, like wearing dark glasses, dark glasses that can't see anyway like that so like this.

Another thing is this, general advice for life. Those who want to, after doing the course then you want to continue meditation everyday life, so usually the question what to do, you are going back to the west. My suggestion is that it is extremely important to continue. Even though the main practice is to meditate on the lam-rim, to study lam-rim and to meditate on lam-rim that is the main goal of the life. The foundation that is… generally in the text, advice, after, first analyzing, then after one has found spiritual master, guru, then correctly devoting the virtuous friend with thought and actions. On the basis of that then meditating and study lam-rim, practice lam-rim and to have realisation of lam-rim, Three Principle Path, after that the two stages. That is the main goal of the life and its best way to serve, the deepest, most profound way to serve other sentient beings.

Even though there are many other social services, giving food and clothing so forth this and that, deepest one is yourself train in the path, so that you can liberate from the suffering of samsara and bring them to enlightenment. However, based on the good heart, practice the good heart not harming other sentient beings, and on top of that benefiting others. On the basis of that then study, especially lam-rim and meditate. To make successful your realization, the listening, reflecting, meditation practice, to have realisation of lam-rim, to be successful, to be able to complete that depends on merit, collecting much merit and purifying the obstacles and receiving blessings of the guru in one’s own heart. That depends on guru devotion, practice of guru devotion, guru yoga. So therefore you need these other practices.

Just reading texts and just meditating what I can do all those others, not possible because for the seed to grow up, produce plant, food everything you need water, soil you need many things so exactly same, to develop the realisation in the mind up to enlightenment you need all these conditions, receive blessings, like water, blessing of the guru in heart by doing guru yoga, guru devotion practices, then those practices of purification and practices of collecting merit. You need those things. From refuge, bodhicitta all that, six preparatory practices, including the seven-limb, also mandala offerings, requesting, all those things.

Therefore I wrote one book daily meditation. There is Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, simple, but it explains the meanings how, why, each practice why, so it doesn't appear as ritual. What people think of rituals, doesn't, without knowing what it is for and without knowing how to practice and without knowing why, so this is some explanation for somebody who wants to do meditation every day, a beginner, and also having done the course, weekend course, whatever it is.

Then also Karen, who led the meditation course for so many years, didn't travel much outside to give teachings like some other nuns but she just did here for so many years, who collected many, many experiences and herself did the practice. She made one book I think everybody probably knows so that is extremely good how to meditate on lam-rim, actual how to that, quite short but yet very effective. So that is very good, that is good for both new beginners and also those heard lam-rim teachings before, everyday life meditation, so that's very good. So you see this book, daily meditation has this preliminary practices you need those things.

So the first thing in the morning you wake up then if you can, if possible first thing you can think of emptiness.There are different verses, different quotations like that. Usually in the tantra practice, you go to bed by meditating on emptiness, if possible clear light meditation, like that, but also when you wake up you rise up out of emptiness, for tantra practice, when you practice tantra, lower tantra, higher tantra same, generally same, emptiness. So first thing you think of emptiness. There are verses recited by dakinis to you then that persuades you to wake up. Then they are persuading to practice lam-rim, free from samsara, to achieve enlightenment, then by practicing Vajarayana to achieve full enlightenment. Practitioners of tantra, who practice what you are supposed to do according to commentary, the daily life, so they are like that.

So anyway, first thing, you can use the different quotations, verses, very effective quotations from different teachings. One day you can do the meditation on dependent arising, meditating on emptiness by using the logic how everything is dependent arising. Because there are aggregates therefore I exist, merely imputed by the mind. When you think of that then you know that there is no I on the aggregates, aggregates are not I, there is no I on the aggregates, it is clear. Then like that, starting from the aggregates down to, as I mentioned, particles, all that, split seconds of consciousness, all that, -------- all like that, mere name. So everything doesn't have slightest inherent existence from own side, everything totally empty so starting with I, then aggregates, each of aggregates, so meditate dependent arising. You can do that, depending on your time.

Then think, “rest of day I am going to practice mindfulness in that way, form, sound, smell, taste, rest of the day life to practice mindfulness.” So everything like this, with I, how you discovered the I, when you think of dependent arising, so everything what you see, hear, is merely labelled by mind because of the base, so, it is not there. That is not the label and it is not there. So all the rest of the phenomena, whatever you see, hear, everything is just like that. So everything merely labelled by mind - practice mindfulness. So then when you think of that in your heart get the idea things are empty, not like this, everything is something solid appearing from there, everything is empty. So try to get the idea in your heart, everything empty. Then by thinking merely labelled by mind, not like this, all this are total opposite, empty. So mountains, everything, when you look outside everything empty.

Then the next day you can do that, similar but more meditating on the form, sound, smell how they are subtle dependent arising, merely labelled by mind. Then rest of the day also mindfulness as much as one can.

Then next day, morning you begin, the hallucination, mindfulness on hallucination, looking at hallucination, mindfulness on the… looking as hallucination that which is hallucination. When you think of the I, there is I real one appearing from there, so this is up to your mind, merely imputed I, then when it appears back, it appears back it as not merely labelled by mind, so there is a projection from the negative imprint from ignorance there is a projection...