Chenrezig Mantra (Audio and Unedited Transcripts)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Singapore, January 1993. (Archive #899)

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained the meaning and the benefits of reciting OM MANI PADME HUM, at these teachings in Singapore in January 1993. Karma and purification are also taught, and an oral transmission of the long Chenrezig mantra is included. 

Click on the link above to listen to or download these teachings.

Results of Negative Karma

The experiencing the result similar to the cause is, so even one was born as human being, then having a very short life, that being, even one is born as human being, but one dies in mother's womb, whatever, due to different conditions, due to abortion or so forth, different conditions, dying in mother's womb, then even child time, so like that, not having long life, being killed by others and so forth. However, whatever condition, disease, whatever it is but having short life.

Then creating the result similar to the cause. So again, when we are born as human being, we do the same thing again because of the previous imprint, past life negative karma, imprint, so again one does the killing.

Then, that killing has again, killing that is done, the killing that which become non-virtue, again that has four suffering results. So it goes on and on like that, so without end. As long as we do not change our mind, as long as we do not practice Dharma, as long as we do not transform our mind, which stops our negative action, which stops the negative actions, as long as we don't practice Dharma, then it goes on and on like that.

So this creating the result similar to the cause one experiences doing the action again. Again that has four suffering results, then there is creating result similar to the cause, then again that has four suffering results. So, it goes on and on without end. Like this, we experience endless suffering of samsara.

So, according to Western psychologist or scientist, so the term that they use is instinct. They don't talk about the imprint, they don't talk about karma, due to past karma, they don't talk about that, left imprint in the mind, planted seed on the mind, they don't talk about that. So term what they use is instinct. So, they appear, for example, a child who naturally does killing, likes to kill or a child who does, who naturally is very compassionate, wants to help people, animals, who cries, the child who cries by seeing animals suffering, being attacked by other animals, or human being, seeing a person that is tortured, or having problems, one child being beaten by somebody, then this child who is very compassionate, by seeing that, other child is being beaten by parents, or by other people, then the child feels unbearable, then cries, so feeling compassion. Even a child, young, very small time, feeling like this.

So however, that the doing action of, the negative karma of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, those non-virtuous actions, engaged, uncontrollably doing these things, so that is, according to what the Buddha explained, or according to the reality, is the imprint left on the mind by the past karma. But according to Western psychologist or scientist, they use the term instinct.

Why the Western scientist, psychologist don't, who haven't studied Buddhism, those who do not, haven't learnt meditation taught by Buddha, so they are still developing, they haven't completed understanding about the mind. They are still learning. They haven't completed learning about the mind. So that's why they don't talk about karma, they don't talk about the imprint left by karma, these things, then experiencing the result, experiencing the imprint in this life. So reincarnation, these things, so they don't talk about, up till now.

So now the second one, the stealing. What makes the action of stealing negative karma, cause of suffering, is again by those negative thoughts. First the self-cherishing thought, then those other negative thoughts.

So the complete action of stealing has four suffering results. So ripening aspect result, rebirth in lower realms, hell, hungry ghost, animal, depending on how heavy it is. And then possessed result, even when one was born as a human being, then one is born in the place where there is less crops, scarcity of food. The crops, fruit, so forth, the crops, they are not growing, even you plant but they are not growing. And then, even they grew, the fruit, fruit and those the result whether it’s corn or fruit, whatever, even if it grew, but they are rotten. They get rotten, they are eaten by insects. You cannot really use, you cannot really eat. And then that famine, drought, no rain, the crops get destroyed, even start grow but get destroyed by the weather, the climate and, or either too much rain then destroys the crops. Then even the crops grew, but they become dry or become non-existent, get destroyed, water flood or eaten by animals or whatever. So all these problems, famine, drought, so forth all these are the result of stealing, negative karma of stealing, possessed result.

And then even when one was born a human being, then one also experiences the, experiencing the result similar to the cause, that other people steal one's own wealth, one’s own possessions, other people confiscate, even you didn't do any mistake but other people take, confiscate or blame or take it away or steal, like this. That is the experiencing the result similar to the cause.

Then again due to the imprint of past negative karma then doing the stealing again, so that is creating the result similar to the cause. So in other words, that we are losing our, other people taking away our, one's own possessions, confiscating, however, all these things are the negative karma of stealing.

So next one is negative karma of sexual misconduct, it becomes negative karma by, it’s made negative karma by these negative thoughts, including the self-cherishing thought. So that complete action has four suffering results. Ripening aspect result, rebirth in one of those lower realms, and the [pause], ah, before mentioning this...

So poverty, person who is poor, in the means of living, poverty in material, that, like the South Africa where there's ?Somalia or whatever it is, where there is a lot of poverty, many, it was so many millions are dying of starvation, some years ago. So however, many of these things, all these poverty is a result of stealing, experiencing the result similar, the result of the negative karma of stealing.

So that life, this poverty life can change, can be stopped only by purifying the negative karma of stealing. By purifying and by stop creating the negative karma of stealing, by stopping creating the negative karma again, with these two solutions then their life can be improved. So same thing to us, for our life success, it is the same.

So now the experiencing the result similar to the cause of sexual misconduct, so that is that the husband, the wife is incompatible to the husband, that the wife doesn't have the same wish as the husband. So opposite thinking, then unable to control, disharmony. And same thing, if oneself is the wife then husband having the opposite thinking, opposite wishes. So then the disharmony, doesn't think the same way as one think, doesn't have the same wish. So the then unable to, ?incompatible, unable to control, disharmony, these things happen.

Then, the separation, then whether it is wife or husband, one's own companion, take, possessed by other person, get possessed by other person, that doesn't own, doesn't belong to oneself, get possessed by others. So this is the experiencing the result of the negative karma of sexual misconduct.

Then creating the result is the same, doing again. Then possessed result is, even when one is born as a human being, then being born in a place where it is very dirty, filthy, muddy places. So in our life, when we, time to time, very clean place, very beautiful place, beautiful part, with many flowers, with many beauty, very clean, but from time to time, we reach in a place very filthy, very dirty, muddy, so the unpleasant part, this muddy, filthy, dirty place is the possessed result of the negative karma of sexual misconduct.

So now, so it's very good to recognize when we are experiencing these problems, it's very important to relate to karma, rather looking for the blame from outside, rather looking for the cause of the problem outside.

So that, as long as we look the cause of the problems outside, we cannot solve our problem, life problem, that way we cannot solve our life problem and only it makes life more confused. It makes us to continuously create the problems, more confusion. So if we remember that time when we experience these problems, if we can remember that this is the result of the past karma, the negative karmas of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, so whatever these problems that I mentioned now, so every time if we are able to relate one's own mind, this problem came from one's own mind, immediately if one can refer to one's own mind, the karma, so this way our mind has more peace, the feeling of the, there's not so much, the feeling of the problem, “I have this problem,” it becomes lighter. When we think, “This is my karma, this is the result of my past karma,” immediately you feel better, lighter. But as long as we think, as long as we point outside, this problem came from outside, we put the blame on others outside, then the problem, the mental pain is much greater. This way, however, instead of solving the problem we are creating continuously problem by harming others, like that.

Then after that, I explain the telling lies, then the three negative karmas of mind, then go back to the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM .

So same thing, even somebody is doing, even somebody is angry to oneself, even somebody is doing black magic to oneself, what makes, if you, from one's side, if one hasn't created the negative karma to receive the harm, to receive black magic, to receive, the other person who is giving harm, now if from one's own side, if one hasn't created the cause, negative karma, to receive that harm, then no matter, even all sentient beings are doing black magic to oneself, you can never receive harm from them. So if from one own side, if one has created the cause, negative karma, to receive harm then that even spirit or human being, whoever, even the fire, water, air, earth, one receives harm from them.

So, for example, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was about to achieve enlightenment, at dawn time, so the many millions of maras, they were trying to attack Buddha, by throwing many weapons, but because Buddha is completely free from all the delusions and karma, ignorance, anger, attachment, all the delusions, free from all the obstacles, even the subtle obscurations, so there's no cause from Buddha's side to receive harm. Therefore, even the many millions of maras, they try to attack Buddha, by throwing various weapons, the thunder, dropping thunder bolts or throwing many weapons, but those weapons get turned out in flowers. So Buddha's holy mind by living in the loving kindness, without even a slight movement, so, how many millions of them try to attack, throwing weapons but never, it didn't interfere to Buddha, didn't even cause to move Buddha's holy body. So like that.

So from our side, if we don't have the cause, negative karma, nobody can give harm to us, you can never receive harm from anybody.

From our side if we don’t have created negative karma, such as the telling lies, stealing, nobody can cheat us. We don't experience somebody telling lies to oneself, somebody cheating us.

So, that, I mentioned stealing, but that is mainly the result of telling lies, somebody cheating us.

So now, the negative karma of, stealing which becomes negative karma has four suffering results. So ripening aspect result, rebirth in the lower realms. Then even one is born as human being, the possessed result to do with the place, so if one is doing business, that if one is doing farm, farm work, then you never, unable to develop the work, the farm, that difficult to achieve, difficult to succeed the work. And, what one expects doesn't happen, one get cheated. And, so having many fears, having many dangers and fears, having many cause of dangers. And so if one is running a hotel, not receiving people, guests, to eat food, to come to stay.

So if one is doing business, even transportation then not finding travelers, not finding people to travel. So, even if you have shop, but not receiving people to buy. So all these things, not having success, all these things are the possessed result of telling lies.

So then, experiencing the result similar cause doing the telling lies again, creating result similar to the cause, doing the telling lies again. Then experiencing the result similar to the cause, that being cheated by others.

That other people they believe, even you tell the truth, other people believe that you are telling lies. So things like that. You have no choice, somehow the person has fixed mind, believes that what you are saying is complete lie. So things like that.

Now, the negative karma of the mind, heresy, this has four suffering results. So ripening aspect result in the lower realms, the hell, preta, animal, one of these realms. Then possessed result, when one is born as human being, then being in a place, place where one lives, if there is oil, if there is oil coming, then the production is decreased, is stopped. Or if there's gold, there used to be gold, but when you come to stay in that place, then there's no more gold producing, coming from that ground, place. So those treasures coming out but even if there used to be treasure, but those treasures, but when you come to live that place, then doesn't come out, doesn't produce any more.

Then, appearing the place, things unclean, dirty. Appearing things as pleasant, that which is suffering but appearing as pleasant, reality is suffering but appearing as a pleasure. Dirty but appearing as clean. Something which is dirty but appearing as clean. So like that.

And then when one has problem, one could not find refuge, somebody to guide you, you cannot find refuge, somebody to help you, to guide you, to protect you. And could not find place, when one has problems, some danger, could not find place where you can be free. So things like that. So these are the possessed result of heresy.