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 7: Repaying the Kindness, Generating Loving Kindness

So this time I must repay their kindness. Especially I have this time the opportunity to do that. This time is my turn to help. In regards to how to repay kindness, giving food and shelter and so forth, these things, giving external means, external things, it is good but it does not solve their problems. That alone doesn’t solve their problems. They themselves have been in their past life wheel turning kings, or kings in Deva realm, kings in human realm. They had all the power and wealth. They had numberless times. Born king numberless times and all this wealth and power numberless times but that didn’t help them. That didn’t make them to be free from samsara, free from delusion and karma. So that’s why they’re still suffering.

So, therefore, the best way to repay kindness is by Dharma. To reveal Dharma to them first I myself should practice Dharma. The only means, which liberates sentient beings from samsara, from delusion and karma, is by only Dharma. And to that, first I myself should practice to realise path to liberation and enlightenment – the lam-rim. So, therefore, the practice of lam-rim – listening, reflecting, meditation, practice lam-rim. Trying to achieve lam-rim realisations based on living in ordination or living in lay vows, which is protecting karma, which is the fundamental practice of Dharma – foundation of realisations, source of all the happiness. This is the best way to repay kindness.

In Hong Kong, the famous producer of CDs, Chinese person, he asked me question that whether he should have a child or not. He didn’t have child yet. He asked me whether to have child or not. (You need to do operation to the door. He’s a Doctor from Italy, always does operation, so I’m just joking – operation on the door.) His mother died, I think, this year. Is that right? He loved so much – he did his best to help for her rebirth. So he asked me whether to have a child. Ya. Ya. Some student suggested that idea to make prayers on CD, various prayer practices. So I did that. And one famous singer there, Chinese, some short prayer, make tape of mantras to make CD to help Maitreya Project, the 500 feet Maitreya statue.

However, so this person asked me that question that time. So I said you must have a very clear goal before you have child. You must have clear direction with the child’s life. You must aim the child to be source of happiness, peace, for all, for the whole world. If you’re going to make child you should have that aim – to bring up the child with a good heart, loving kindness, compassion, all this, universal responsibility, feeling responsible for all sentient beings happiness – to grow up the child that way. That child, you should have aim, main aim, should be child becomes source of peace and happiness; can give so much peace and happiness to the world. So should have like that, clear direction of life.

Then, this way, if you attempt that way then, it’s worthwhile. Otherwise, put so much – I don’t remember the other part I mentioned. Sacrifice so much, suffer so much, put so much effort, work so hard for the child then child, with all the sacrifices, dedication, not only life but material, all this, then child not beneficial for the world. I don’t remember exactly what I mentioned but, anyway, it means it doesn’t even bring peace in the family. Peace and happiness is not even in the family. What it does is only harm, harm to others. No education of good heart, not giving education of good heart. Then, of course, family suffers, children suffer, life ends suffering. Life continuous suffering, ends with suffering – but this is only talking this life.

So, therefore, in our daily life when somebody angry to you, or mistreat, when they harm you, even one year, even one month or year, aim to practice patience – to not get angry and practice patience. That makes meaning. That gives meaning to the life. Even one time practising patience that makes your life worthwhile. That makes parent’s life worthwhile, who sacrificed their life for so many years, since from the mother’s womb, and from there, for so many years. So it gives meaning to their life. All the suffering they have gone through, worry, fears, all the exhaustion, all the troubles they have taken, it gives meaning to their effort, to their life. All this what they did to you, it gives meaning to this. And whenever you practice not to harm others, it gives meaning to the parents – all that sacrifice their life, as well as the material, all the worry, fears, how many they suffered it gives meaning to their life.

Whenever, with a sincere heart, compassion, loving-kindness, helping others, benefiting others, makes your life meaningful and gives meaning to your parents, all the suffering what they experienced for you.

So, then, no question meditating on lam-rim, that’s the best thing in the life; meditating on renunciation, bodhicitta, emptiness – no question. In the daily life trying to live the life as much as possible in lam-rim - bodhicitta, emptiness, renunciation; best one, guru devotion. Makes twenty-four hours of life most practical and meaningful, no harming others, only benefiting others.

So every minute, every second you are becoming closer to liberation, to enlightenment. By living your life with mindfulness in these things, even if you don’t have actual realisations, at least with this attitude, lam-rim, every day, every hour, every second, you’re becoming closer and closer to liberation and enlightenment. That means every day, hour, minute, second, you are closer to bringing the numberless sentient beings, including your parents, to enlightenment. You become closer to that aim, the main goal of the life.

Otherwise, then we are born just to cause suffering to others. We are born just to cause problems to parents, torture the parents, harm other sentient beings with anger, self-cherishing thought, dissatisfied mind, desire, jealous mind – all those negative emotional thoughts.

Everyday, whenever you practice virtue, whenever you’re able to practice one virtue, unmistaken cause of happiness, whenever you’re able to practice that virtue - that gives meaning to your parent’s life. All the sufferings they experienced, difficulties they experienced for you, makes worthwhile.

Therefore, with body, speech and mind, everyday, every hour, every minute, every second, we should use as much as possible to practice virtue – body, speech, and mind. For example, even when you do prayers, when you recite mantras – I mean there’s mental recitation. I’m using...

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...so virtue, your mind is completely in virtue but if you verbally if you recite, Om Mani Padme Hum, Om Vajra satto samaya... Vajrasattva mantra then your speech is also collecting merit, double merit, so makes your life more worthwhile and gives more meaning and makes more worthwhile your parents life as connected to you; that is an example.

So in our daily life to be kind to others, that is very basic, to be kind to everybody. Not only the friends, not only the person who likes you, not only the person who helps you. Even the person who criticises you, who mistreats you, as well as strangers who do neither, to be kind to everyone. Even to the animals like that I think that is really the most wonderful life. To practise that, including the animals, insects, to all the living beings to treat everyone well, that is the most wonderful life. To serve that way as foundation as lam-rim practise, lam-rim meditator, is a foundation, lamrim meditator, practitioner of Mahayana teaching. So that is what should be done to repay kindness of your parents. Kind and respect to everyone and that should be the fundamental practise, that should be the fundamental practise.

So now, I think I told that man, that producer also, I think I told him, all these problems in Columbia, so much violence for so many years, so many people get killed every week, every day in Columbia, I’ve been there once. So the students told me the family member can be killed anytime, they said so much violence and how say stealing, confiscating, so much violence happened and I mentioned, I was telling that there is a need, education, special education in school, good heart, especially education to develop good heart, loving kindness compassion, universal responsibility. The children in the school they need this, special education, there in the school not only education at school should be education of this at home by the parents. Both places also at home they should be educated by the parents. That means they themselves have to become example not only saying words. Not only the words, but they themselves have to be inspiring example to the children so that is how by giving them special education, training, and then all the children may not be able to practise, transform their minds, but maybe from 100, 50 or maybe a quarter of that can do.

However, so the problem of country may not be solved right now but gradually through this education good heart at school and at home, by the parents, so gradually bring the country peace, less violence because the future say peace and happiness to end the present future of the country, peace and happiness depend on the present children. So more, anyway how many children being trained in good heart then less violence in the country.

So I thought to mention that, as well as in United States very young little boys shooting, killed many people in schools and other places and then Government become puzzled that doesn’t know whether to allow people to have guns. They talked for months and months. I watched TV one night, the Senator, very important people talking about these matters about guns, I don't remember I never, somebody I think there was nobody who mentioned about the mind, good heart, how everything depends on the mind, controlling the mind with good heart. Nobody mentioned that in those hours, who talked about, allow to have gun or not have gun. So like that.

As Shantideva, the great bodhisattva Shantideva, whom, when Geshe-la gave teachings he quoted many teachings on bodhicitta from there, many benefits. So Shantideva, great Bodhisattva, mentioned that, I don't remember word for word:

“Once your mind, once your inner enemy delusion is subdued, tamed, tamed, once it is destroyed then its like you have destroyed all your outside enemy.”

Once your inner enemy delusion is destroyed is same like you destroy once all outside enemy. Once destroyed your inner enemy the anger, you have no enemy outside. Once you don't have anger you have no enemy outside, you cannot find any enemy outside. You don't have enemy, you don't see enemy outside, once you don't have anger. If you have anger, the minute anger comes you see enemy outside, you find enemy. So usually… if you don't have anger unless you have enemy, once you allow to rise anger then you are creating, you are making enemy, then you see enemy outside, that anger, because you allow arise anger, then that anger to see, project enemy, that person projects on that person enemy, that's how you see enemy.

Shantideva gave this example, if you are wearing shoes which are leather, you have leather on your feet, shoes that are covered by leather then its like having covered the whole ground, the whole earth by leather. So wherever you walk, wherever you go, on the ground, mountain, no thorns go into your feet. No thorns go inside. So all of this, so is like your feet are very small, compared to the earth, your feet very small but if you have leather wherever you go no thorns go inside, into your feet. So the whole ground covered by leather, the whole ground is covered by leather is like that. So Shantideva gives this example. So like that no matter how many weapons you have, no matter how many weapons, atomic bombs even atomic bombs how many one has they cannot give harm, cannot give dangers to others. Once you don't have anger however many weapons you have they don't become dangerous for others, so like that.

So when I started living in United States needed car to travel, Roger very excitedly bought one car, what was name of car? Dodge. I think one student has parent who do this business, friend I think, his friend helped I think so the price or something.

So, I was staying at Vajrapani, not at the Centre itself, in California, Vajrapani Centre, what’s the name of the area? Santa Cruz, in the bush . So one student house not at the same suburb but near the centre, one student house, so was staying there, because is easier to travel with American passport than Nepalese passport. So Roger bought a car so excited to show me the car he bought, I didn’t go down to look. So next morning, late morning, went out and saw the car.

Anyway, I tried to think this is for sentient beings tried to think this car belongs sentient beings but of course did not continue, didn't last, tried to think this belongs to them, its their car its helpful, at time when you think that, but doesn't last. So I have advertisement on car, people have advertisement cars, buses, so advertised on car "no anger no enemy." Best sign on side of car “no anger no enemy.”

There is a big wheel by side of car so its Om Mani Padme Hum . So then I wrote Om Mani Padme Hum in Tibetan - is also English? Just Tibetan, should be English also, maybe that next time. Anyway, so in Tibetan Om Mani Padme Hum and with prayer that “anyone who see this car, touch, remember, think about, talk about this car, may everyone be free from all the problems and develop compassion and achieve enlightenment.” Then this side there is message that His Holiness usually says “my religion is kindness.” Then I added the word "others." Then other side message says, "cherishing others is source of all happiness" so that is the bodhicitta, advertisement for bodhicitta.

Then in the front of the car… because we drove from Vajrapani to Geshe Sopa’s place, so many animals where there are farms or certain area, certain area of farms, there are so many insects bang on the car, so many died. So we stopped and I did a lot of light offerings for them, made prayers for them, all those insects, flies.

So anyway I was thinking how to make a means to not happen that. I thought it might help to put something around on the front of the car, some plastic, I don't know name for that, so the wind, the air pushes up, so insect won’t bang on the window, the glass. So anyway in front there is Medicine Buddha mantra on piece around. I think on the front of car there is glass, on that full of mantras, full of very powerful mantras maybe one is missing there but many powerful mantras; Medicine Buddha, OM MANI PADME HUM; by seeing that it purifies one hundred thousand eons negative karma and many powerful, other powerful mantras. Anyway, hoping that… anyway the benefits are that the any wind touches those mantras, insects land on that, touch on the mantra, wind, dust, rain, touch mantra and goes away. Touch any being their negative karmas get purified and they get higher rebirth. So these mantra have power, so many benefits. They should be written on the glass where they bang, where they crash but of course that would be difficult could not.

So, anyway, so main point car is advertising, above, Chenrezig in centre, other side "if no anger then no enemy" in centre is compassion Buddha picture. So that people who to get also message to their mind, but also positive imprint by seeing compassion Buddha.

So what happens when you drive the car in the road people read the back side, who are driving behind read letters backside then they come round to see the driver. Many people try to see the driver, who is the driver? I think I also saw one or two person maybe upset. I think there might be more, problem is more extremist person thinking. I suppose they know Buddhist car , not only the message but also there are many buddhas around the car. , There is 35 Buddha, you know for prostration. , then there is White Tara, Shakyamuni Buddha, big one. I think maybe Lama Tsongkhapa I'm not sure anyway there are many buddhas around. So I am sure there are some people know this is buddhist.

Anyway, now going back. Then, generate loving kindness (yi.wong.kyi jam.pa). The affectionate loving kindness, feeling most dear, feeling other sentient beings most dear. By that explanation. So all these most kind mother sentient beings, one’s own kind mother sentient beings, what they want is happiness but they don't know what is cause of happiness. What they think is cause of happiness is actions done this life, actions this life, this life works, actions done with anger, attachment, particularly clinging to this life, actions done with three poisonous minds. These actions they think this is real cause of happiness but this is totally wrong, it is only cause of sufferings. Actions done with anger, actions done with attachment clinging to this life, the ignorance.

So as Nagajuna said (Tib?), "actions born from anger, ignorance, attachment are nonvirtue; from that then all the suffering transmigratory beings arises."

So that means actions with this attitude are nonvirtue. So therefore… they believe what is cause of happiness is this, actually all cause of suffering. So therefore result no way there is no happiness so this is the situation. You can see how they are suffering not understanding karma, so lack of understanding karma, ignorant in understanding the karma, reincarnation these things.

So, now, like this and totally ignorant of problem and cause of happiness and the unmistaken cause of happiness the unmistaken cause of happiness, the virtue, they run away from that. The actual cause of happiness they run away from that and even they create some virtue, cause of happiness, but they destroy with anger, heresy, they destroy the virtue like that. So any action like that.

And the sentient beings they are devoid of, like the lower realm beings especially, lower realm hell, hungry ghost, animals even the deva, humans they are times devoid of temporary happiness, even those who have temporary happiness, the upper realm beings, they are devoid of ultimate happiness liberation from samsara. So… and no question they are devoid, all the sentient beings are devoid of peerless happiness, full enlightenment, including the arhats who achieve, are free from samsara, devoid of peerless happiness the full enlightenment.

So then think, how wonderful it is if all my kind mothers sentient beings have happiness and cause of happiness, how wonderful it is. So you see already by meditating on kindness you have realisation that all the sentient beings are mother, kind since beginningless rebirth. This realisation that they are so precious for you in your life in ones life for you, every sentient being, all these numberless sentient beings so precious; you have this base.

So now, of course, how mother want her child to be happy you can understand that so like that so here you have strong wish, intense wish, that so much you want all these numberless sentient beings… you feel how wonderful if they have all this happiness including the most important peerless happiness of full enlightenment. Then, “I will cause this to happen.” When you take responsibility on you on yourself to cause that then that becomes great loving kindness, when you take responsibility on yourself that becomes great.

Now similar then… so there you see you want them to be happy to have all this happiness, how a mother to her child happiness, highest happiness, what she knows knowledge, education, what she has whatever highest happiness she wishes that child to have right now, so strong. So like that, same all sentient being to have all the happiness up to enlightenment. Then you want, you yourself want to do that.

Then next, all sentient beings what they do not want do not like is suffering but they constantly, as I mentioned before, they constantly create the cause of suffering, they are ignorant of the cause of suffering and constantly create the cause of suffering. They run, keep busy running, keep busy creating cause of suffering in everyday life. Keep busy, run to create the cause of suffering; that is what they do all the time.

Then how mother feels her child is sick; nothing else to think about except the child to be free from their sicknesses. Or the child fell down in fire nothing else in her heart only that child be saved from the fire, from being burned in the fire. So like that compassion you feel this towards all the numberless sentient beings, feeling so unbearable the suffering. Then, think “how wonderful if all the sentient beings, all my kind mothers are free from all the suffering, and causes. How wonderful is that.” Then, “I will do it by myself,” taking responsibility on yourself, “I will do it, I will cause them to be free from the suffering.” Whenever you take responsibility on yourself then that compassion becomes great compassion.

Then after that, after those realizations, then the special attitude, in Tibetan called (lhag.sam), special attidude. The attitude of taking responsibility completely on oneself, that is lhag.sam.

So when anybody, in the daily life if there is hard work to do then you tell the person “I will do it.” There is some difficult thing to do hard work to carry then that time you offer yourself I will do it take responsibility on yourself. So that attitude is lhag.sam; rather than letting the other person to suffer, the other sentient being suffer in hardship, take it on yourself; let the other person have happiness. So here same like this.

Now here mother who has been kind, did everything for you, now she is in danger to be attacked by tiger or something. Then the daughter or the son stands over the tree or on the roof, singing; you sing song rather instead of helping the mother who is in danger of attack by the tiger. You climb tree and sing song; maybe not dancing but singing. Anyway, how that is cruel, how that is so selfish, so cruel! The mother who did everything to you now she needs help, her life is in danger to be attacked by tiger. This is just example. She need help, but because you are not in danger then you sing song you are not in danger you are happy because you yourself are not in danger, you don't help the mother, you don’t save the mother from danger. How cruel that is, how selfish that is.

Like that same oneself has met the blind leader virtuous friend and have wisdom eye knowing dharma, karma, lam-rim so the mother sentient beings devoid of blind leader, virtuous friend, spiritual master, showing the path to liberation, then they are possessed by the spirit possession of delusions ...

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