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.

00:00:07 Lama Tsongkhapa practiced Dharma and completed the path, unstained by the three types of worldly dharma: black worldly dharma, mixed worldly dharma, and white worldly dharma. This means unstained by attachment clinging to this life, unstained by self-cherishing thought, and unstained by ignorance, the concept holding true existence. Each time we rejoice, we create the cause to have Lama Tsongkhapa's qualities.

00:21:32 When saying "Lama Tsongkhapa", one must remember it refers to the oneness of the lama and Tsongkhapa. If only thinking of Tsongkhapa, it does not become Guru Yoga. By looking at Tsongkhapa as inseparable from one's guru, one is able to see all of Tsongkhapa's qualities and activities as the guru's.

00:32:01 The absolute guru is the dharmakaya, the primordial holy mind, which has no beginning, no end, and pervades all existence. The absolute guru takes the form that you have the karma to see and to communicate with, that is the conventional guru.

00:52:19 Rinpoche tells about his first retreat in Tibet focused on Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga.

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 gives an extensive teaching on benefits of offerings. As taught by Manjushri to Lama Tsongkhapa, the quick path to enlightenment involves purifying obstacles, collecting merit, and one-pointedly requesting the guru’s blessings, and even offering one flower to a Buddha leads to the entire path to enlightenment and continues to bring benefit endlessly.

00:46:33 A life without compassion, even with a human body, is empty. Therefore, regardless of one’s level of Dharma knowledge, compassion is the most important practice, as it brings happiness to all beings and naturally fulfills one’s own wishes up to enlightenment. Rinpoche also emphasizes the importance of wisdom and demerits of self-cherishing.

02:06:40 Rinpoche continues teaching on the benefits of offering practice and leads an extensive offering practice and gives commentaries on how to do it step by step.

03:02:15 Rinpoche leads the practice of rejoicing in the realizations of Lama Tsongkhapa.

03:06:50 Rinpoche continues leading Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga and ends with extensive dedications.

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.

00:00:01 Our delusions have no beginning, so we cannot expect to achieve realizations or enlightenment quickly or easily. No one achieved enlightenment without hardships, without practicing three types of patience. We must plan to practice for many lifetimes.

00:42:38 There is a big difference between experiencing hardships to practice Dharma, which leads to happiness, versus experiencing temporary pleasure that results in future suffering.

00:45:44 We have died numberless times working for delusions. Even if we have to die practicing Dharma, it is worthwhile and completes our life meaningfully.

00:50:04 We are extremely fortunate to have met the Dharma. If we don't practice and spend our lives following delusions, our lives will finish sadly.

01:13:09 It's very important to make our decisions in life with Dharma wisdom rather than ignorance. This makes a huge difference in the results we experience from life to life.

01:29:32 Rinpoche gives a commentary on blessing the speech practice.

01:56:55 Rinpoche teaches on how to relate to criticism and praise. If words affect one easily, and one's life becomes up and down, that means one is not practicing the right view.

02:06:45 Rinpoche continues giving a commentary on blessing the speech practice.

02:32:53 Students recite prayers.

02:49:15 The benefits of reciting Maitreya Buddha mantra. Students recite Maitreya Buddha mantra.

03:00:40 Dedication 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.

00:00:01 Lama Zopa Rinpoche guides Lama Chopa practice.

00:09:15 Rinpoche guides taking refuge in the Guru and three precious gems to be protected from the sufferings of samsara and the lower realms. One should generate bodhicitta to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

00:13:02 Rinpoche leads the motivation for the practice of Lama Chopa.

00:26:25 The prostration section of the seven limbs involves guru devotion meditation. The extensive and deep way to think of the guru’s kindness is to think of how the guru is guiding you, liberating you from all the sufferings of samsara, and bringing you to enlightenment.

00:50:48 An important practice from the seven limbs is rejoicing, feeling great happiness in all the merits collected from beginningless rebirths by oneself, sentient beings, bodhisattvas, and buddhas. Rejoicing creates the cause to achieve those same qualities and realizations.

01:08:16 Rinpoche guides the visualization of receiving the qualities and wisdoms of the Guru, such as profound wisdom, clear light wisdom, and debating skills. These enter oneself and all sentient beings, purifying obscurations and negative karma.

01:13:27 The section on the Guru's qualities is very important. Rinpoche recites these qualities extensively in Tibetan. It is better to read this section in one's own language to understand the meaning.

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.

00:00:01 Generate strong regretfulness to make negative karma thinner and limit its power. The more regretfulness generated, the more negative karma is purified.

00:01:09 Phenomena affect each other through dependent arising. Reciting the names of the 35 Buddhas has the power to purify many eons of negative karma due to the Buddhas' compassion and prayers.

00:04:12 The purpose of one's life is to free all sentient beings from suffering and its causes, and lead them to enlightenment. Therefore one must purify defilements and achieve enlightenment.

00:06:02 Even one negative karma of killing can lead to endless suffering results unless it is purified. There is no way to relax without purifying negative karma.

00:13:07 When blessing offerings, visualize that through the power of mantra, each Buddha receives limitless skies of offerings, making even one offering very powerful and meritorious.

00:21:24 There are two ways to purify negative karma during the confession prayer - generating regret and looking at the emptiness of each negative action. Using emptiness makes the purification practice extremely powerful.

00:56:54 At the end of any purification practice, meditate that in emptiness there is no creator, action or negative karma created. Then dedicate the merit while maintaining the awareness of 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.

00:00:01 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/