This teaching was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Lama Tsonkhapa Institute in Italy as part of the Ganden Lha Gyama retreat between September 3-30, 2004.

00:00:01 Before beginning a deity retreat, generate the proper motivation. Remember the impermanence of life by reflecting on how great beings of the past have passed away, leaving only their teachings and stories behind.

00:16:57 No matter who we are, we will definitely die, perhaps even today. Use this awareness of impermanence and death to abandon negative karma and practice virtue.

00:37:00 If we died last night without having purified our negative karma, we would be reborn in the lower realms. The wise thing to do is to practice Dharma - abandoning non-virtue and creating virtue to achieve happiness in future lives up to enlightenment.

01:07:11 When generating the motivation for retreat, think that the purpose is to achieve enlightenment in order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering. Make the determination to practice with bodhicitta.

01:45:48 The actual instructions for beginning the retreat: 1) Refuge and bodhicitta, 2) Guru yoga, 3) Mandala offering, 4) Vajrasattva purification, 5) Actual deity practice. Remember that yourself, the action of meditating, and the object of meditation are all empty of inherent existence.

02:24:04 Within the refuge and bodhicitta prayer, one is practicing the three principal aspects of the path - renunciation, bodhicitta, and the right view of emptiness. This is the essence of how to practice during the retreat.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

This teaching was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Lama Tsonkhapa Institute in Italy as part of the Ganden Lha Gyama retreat between September 3-30, 2004.

00:00:00 Preliminary prayers by students.

00:15:25 As realizations of the three principal aspects of the path are dependent on the root, the realization of the guru devotion, the guru yoga, Rinpoche will teach on Calling the Guru from Afar before going over the commentary to the Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga.

00:28:48 Rinpoche mentions how important it is to correctly devote oneself to the guru and refers to the eight advantages of correctly devoting to the virtuous friend and eight shortcomings of having made mistakes in the relationship with the virtuous friend outlined in the Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand.

00:34:40 Rinpoche teaches on the preciousness of perfect human rebirth. When people face unbearable problems, they may wish to be animals like dogs or butterflies, thinking those lives are free of suffering. But if their body actually started transforming into an animal, they would panic, unable to handle the loss of human abilities like communication and freedom.

00:51:29 Rinpoche tells about his first teachers in Solu Khumbu.

01:06:48 Rinpoche tells about his experiences in Buxa and how he met Lama Yeshe. The Lam Rim Chenmo says that the definition of a disciple is the one who is devoting to the guru and the definition of a guru is the object to whom one is devoting. Rinpoche adds that according to Choden Rinpoche, from the teacher’s side there also has to be the recognition that this is a disciple.

01:08:20 Rinpoche tells about His Holiness Serkong Dorje Chang.

01:16:26 Dedications prayers.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

This teaching was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Lama Tsonkhapa Institute in Italy as part of the Ganden Lha Gyama retreat between September 3-30, 2004.

00:00:36 Rinpoche emphasizes the urgent need to receive funding to complete the Maitreya Project statue and benefit sentient beings.

00:02:24 Rinpoche discusses the importance of supporting Sangha in various monasteries around the world by providing facilities, education, and food.

00:03:19 Building holy objects in different parts of the world is as an easy way to help sentient beings purify negative karma, collect merit, and achieve realizations on the path to enlightenment.

00:04:04 Rinpoche expresses the wish to establish more beneficial hospitals and social services for the elderly, similar to successful projects already underway in Australia.

00:07:01 The importance of Universal Education is discussed, especially in countries with a lot of violence. Rinpoche praises an existing project in India that has been very beneficial in developing students' minds.

00:10:38 Urgent social service needs in Mongolia are highlighted, such as providing food and shelter for the homeless. Establishing good monastic education with qualified teachers is also a priority to help revive Buddhism in Mongolia.

00:15:37 In conclusion, Rinpoche emphasizes that the real aim is to bring temporary and ultimate happiness to all sentient beings. He encourages everyone to pray and dedicate their practice for the success of these vast projects to illuminate the minds of all beings.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

This teaching was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Lama Tsonkhapa Institute in Italy as part of the Ganden Lha Gyama retreat between September 3-30, 2004.

00:00:54 Lama Zopa Rinpoche introduces Calling the Guru from Afar, a profound text by Phabongka Rinpoche that contains lamrim and tantric path.

00:02:53 Without a guru, one cannot achieve realizations and enlightenment, even if one knows many texts by heart. Devotion to the guru is the cause of receiving blessings and attaining realizations.

00:11:51 When devotion is lost, it becomes difficult to benefit the mind and have realizations, even from hearing Lamrim teachings. Devotion needs to be stable and established by reasoning.

00:19:09 The objective of one's life is not just happiness for oneself, but to achieve enlightenment in order to enlighten all sentient beings. This is the greatest profit and success.

00:27:46 Lama Zopa explains the yoga of eating - making offerings with each bite of food and meditating that oneself and the food are empty. This becomes a means of collecting extensive merit.

00:40:57 In reality, despite the diversity of phenomena, everything is empty. Things function while being empty. Our basic meditation should be on emptiness.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

This teaching was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Lama Tsonkhapa Institute in Italy as part of the Ganden Lha Gyama retreat between September 3-30, 2004.

00:01:57 It is extremely important to practice Guru Yoga, which involves developing compassion, power, and wisdom. This enables one to do perfect work for all sentient beings.

00:27:23 By doing Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga practice, one establishes the root of all goodness and collections of merit in this and future lives up to enlightenment. It makes one's listening, reflecting and meditation practice very effective.

00:48:45 The Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga practice helps one retreat from negative actions of body, speech, and mind. Keeping the mind in renunciation, bodhicitta, and right view also helps retreat from negativities.

01:05:05 In Tantra, one practices the path that harmonizes with the four purified results - purified place, body, enjoyments, and deeds. By visualizing these now, one collects unimaginable merit and quickly progresses on the path.

01:28:28 In Tantra, one's mind simultaneously focuses on the deity's holy body (method) while understanding its emptiness (wisdom). This unified practice of method and wisdom is extremely powerful for quickly achieving enlightenment.

01:42:33 The four classes of Tantra - Kriya, Charya, Yoga and Anuttarayoga, were taught by the Buddha to utilize attachment in the path to enlightenment according to the practitioner's capacity. The highest class, Anuttarayoga, enables achieving enlightenment most quickly.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

This teaching was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Lama Tsonkhapa Institute in Italy as part of the Ganden Lha Gyama retreat between September 3-30, 2004.

00:00:00 Rinpoche leads the motivation and protector prayers.

00:26:00 Rinpoche gives a commentary on a quote from Lama Tsongkhapa about giving up the essenceless activities, like casting the husk, and practicing Dharma.

00:51:00 Rinpoche explains the meaning dag nyen - all sentient beings being one's kin.

00:57:35 From beginningless rebirths, every sentient being has cherished us more than themselves, especially when being our mother, suffering numberless times for our well-being, happiness, and even our education, creating so much negative karma due to not having Dharma wisdom. Even those who abuse us in this life have done this numberless times, and they continuously suffer in the lower realms without even one second of freedom from samsaric suffering, so we must generate compassion and loving kindness towards them.

01:36:15 All the Buddhas and bodhisattvas whom I pray to, follow, who inspire me, all the rest of the Mahayana path realizations come from suffering sentient beings.

01:50:50 Rinpoche leads the analytical meditation on taking responsibility to free suffering sentient beings and generating bodhicitta.

01:54:10 Rinpoche explains the importance of Highest Yoga Tantra in achieving enlightenment.

02:19:50 According to Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, integrating Chakrasamvara, Guhyasamaja and Yamantaka makes it possible to achieve enlightenment quicker.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

This teaching was given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Lama Tsonkhapa Institute in Italy as part of the Ganden Lha Gyama retreat between September 3-30, 2004.

00:04:23 Lama Zopa Rinpoche thanks the organization and Lama Tsongkhapa Institute for providing the facilities and course.

00:08:46 To achieve enlightenment, we need to engage in both study and retreat. Dromtonpa explained, “While I am listening, I am reflecting. While I am reflecting, I meditate.” Listening, reflecting, and meditating should be practiced without separation.

00:16:15 Without learning and explanation, there is nothing to meditate on, except delusions. The more we practice, the more powerful our actions become to benefit others.

00:22:48 Even with intellectual understanding we can benefit so much, but especially if we have realizations, we are able to offer very deep benefit to others.

00:24:54 The meaning of "transmigratory beings": all those sentient beings who are transmigrating to one of the six realms under the control of karma and delusion.

00:42:43 If it was only up to the compassion and power of the Buddhas, there would not be a single suffering sentient being left. Sentient beings need to make effort from their side to change their karma.

00:59:14 The best way to benefit sentient beings is by learning and practicing Dharma - stopping non-virtuous actions and engaging in virtuous ones. This enables us to give others the ultimate benefit.

01:01:45 Even just by educating others in the Four Noble Truths, we can offer incredible benefit and lead them to ultimate happiness. This is the best solution and our contribution to world peace.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

Lama Zopa Rinpoche continued his video teachings on thought transformation from Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore in August. Here is a summary Thought Transformation video #132, offered on August 14, 2022: Make your suffering into the best happiness, Rinpoche urges us. All of the pain we face in life came from our mind—our self-cherishing thought with attachment, anger, and ignorance harmed others and now we experience the evolution of that. We can use our pain as a cause to achieve enlightenment, not only for ourselves like taking drugs for our benefit alone, but for all sentient beings. This is so important to write down and remember every day. When something undesirable happens, remember this. Whether physical or mental pain—we can make it into the best happiness by enjoying it. Every single suffering of all sentient beings we take onto the path of enlightenment. This makes life so happy.

Whenever we see a suffering sentient being we can do this, we can practice tonglen, by sincerely taking on other sentient beings’ suffering and giving our happiness to them in return. Each time we do tonglen, we collect more merit than the sky and become closer and closer to enlightenment, and more and more distant from samsara.

The goal is to experience the suffering of sentient beings so that they become enlightened, free from samsara. While there is pain, death, relationship problems, etc., we experience it for all sentient beings, for them to be free from suffering and achieve enlightenment.