Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

Because we rely on the methods revealed by Buddha – the path to liberation and enlightenment – we naturally take refuge in the Buddha.
– Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains why we take refuge in the Buddha. Rinpoche then chants a prayer asking for blessings of the lineage lamas, followed by recitation of The Foundation of All Good Qualities, a lamrim prayer by Lama Tsongkhapa. These teachings were given by Rinpoche at the Thirty-third Kopan Meditation Course, held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 2000. You can follow along with the transcript on our website.

The ego, this self-cherishing thought, the ego is much more harmful than all the atomic bombs that are in the world because atomic bomb even if it explodes, if you have bodhichitta it doesn’t cause you to be reborn in the hell realm, lower realm.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains how Shakyamuni Buddha was just like us until he changed his attitude from ego to bodhichitta and explains how the ego causes more harm than even the most powerful weapon and must be abandoned. Rinpoche gave this teaching during the 33rd Kopan Meditation course in 2000. You can follow along with the transcript on our website. 

By training the mind in patience, it leaves a positive imprint on your mind. Then later you find it easier for the mind to be patient and more and more difficult for the mind to get angry. It’s the same with self-cherishing or bodhicitta. Whichever way one trains the mind, one can become more easily habituated towards that mind even in this life.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the difference between the mind and the body, engages in debate with the students on this difference, and ends by offering the proof of reincarnation by habituation. These teachings were given by Rinpoche during the 29th Kopan Meditation Course, held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 1996. You can also read along with the transcript on the LYWA website.

Happiness comes from a positive attitude and action motivated by that.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
This month on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive podcast, Lama Zopa Rinpoche answers a student’s question about the relationship between the mind and the heart when practicing bodhichitta, how to be authentic in the practice of compassion, and where to locate happiness. This teaching was given by Rinpoche in 1990 in Boston, Massachusetts and was hosted by Kurukulla Center. You can also watch Rinpoche give these teachings on the LYWA YouTube channel.

The meditation practice is like the seed. The actual body of meditation, the practice, that is like the seed and purifying the hindrances and the accumulation of merit are like the soil and water.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains why we must prepare the ground of our mind with merit accumulation and karmic purification so that the seeds of our practice of listening, contemplation, and meditation can grow into realizations on the path to attain enlightenment for the sake of all mother sentient beings. These teachings were given by Rinpoche at Manjushri Institute, Cumbria, England, August 16-24, 1979.

Even giving just one single tiny grain of rice to one single sentient being will accumulate infinite merit when you are motivated to give by the precious wish to attain enlightenment to benefit numberless sentient beings.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche discusses the power and importance of the precious bodhicitta during teachings on Geshe Langri Tangpa’s Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, given at Manjushri Institute, Cumbria, England, August 16-24, 1979. Read along with the transcript on the LYWA website.

 
 
 

Every single phenomena is like that. There’s merely gathered, the base to be labeled, then due to that, then mere imputation, then only after that, then you have that appearance.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
In these teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche given during a lamrim retreat held at Vajrapani Institute in Boulder Creek, California, from August 20-23, 2006, Rinpoche explains how everything we experience is merely imputed by our minds by using the example of a child who is too young to speak. If a child doesn’t know the name of something, does it exist? You can follow along with the transcript here.

On August 11th, 2019, Tenzin Ösel Hita participated in the ongoing series “Taste of Buddhism” offered by FPMT center Tse Chen Ling in San Francisco. Tse Chen Ling describes Ösel as “a radical free-thinker, former monk, filmmaker, and musician who is highly gifted at sharing the essence of the Dharma and how it can be infused in modern daily life.” In this frank and open talk, Ösel shares his thoughts on the role of Dharma in the modern age and his experience navigating life as the recognized tulku of Lama Yeshe. This podcast is an edited excerpt; you can watch the entire unedited talk here: https://www.facebook.com/TseChenLingCenter/videos/2458303330927855/?t=801

Tenzin Ösel Hita gives a talk on “How to overcome limitations to find our real potential” at the Center for Wisdom and Compassion in Copenhagen, Denmark on February 11, 2017.
Read the talk at http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/how-find-our-real-potential
Learn more about Ösel at http://www.lamayeshe.com/teacher/tenzin-osel-hita

Sometimes uncontrollable anger arises and uncontrollable self-cherishing thought arises, self-concern, anger, pride also, but then sometimes it makes you aware there’s choice. There’s choice. You can choose.
Listen to a public talk by Lama Zopa Rinpoche on how to bring peace and happiness to oneself and others, given at Conway Hall, London, England on July 10, 2014. Read along with the transcript and more at http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/taking-care-mind-audio-and-transcript

On March 12, 2014, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche ascended Vulture’s Peak, Rajgir, India, to give a transmission of the Vajra Cutter Sutra to a group of students. Rinpoche began by reading out a Dedication Prayer by Mipham Dawa Rinpoche, then, after the sutra transmission, Rinpoche led students in a meditation on emptiness. Read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/meditation-emptiness-vultures-peak-audio-and-transcript

Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of Lama Yeshe, gave this talk during the 45th Kopan Lamrim Course at Kopan Monastery in 2012. Ösel covers many lamrim topics such as guru devotion, Dharma, the sufferings of samsara, our five senses and love, all from a contemporary viewpoint. You can also read along to the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/teachings-45th-kopan-course-audio-and-unedited-transcripts.

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this Dharma talk in Madrid, Spain on June 10, 2009 and explains how compassion is our best and most reliable friend and will never cheat us, that compassion is the most powerful purification we can practice and that compassion should be our practice in every moment of our everyday life.  Read along with the transcript of this talk at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/compassion-creates-cause-success

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this talk in Madrid, Spain on June 10, 2009. The teaching includes a commentary on the visualization of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), the Buddha of Compassion, and group chanting of OM MANI PADME HUM mantra. Rinpoche also explained the benefits of compassion and the laws of karma. Read along with the transcript at http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/compassion-real-answer-audio-and-unedited-transcripts

So now you have to understand, purified completely one negative karma. What does it mean? What does it mean? Now, it means a lot to you. Do you understand? Unbelievable. The four suffering results. You don’t experience at all. Wow! Can imagine? So, like that we have to understand what it means.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches about all the aspects of our karma including its emptiness at a Mani retreat held at the Institut Vajra Yogini, France, in May 2009. Read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/how-purify-negative-karma

An excerpt from a series of teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche given in 2009 in Singapore. Follow along with the unedited transcript and listen to more of this teaching at http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/inspiration-kopan-courses.

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this Dharma talk prior to a refuge ceremony at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, on January 18, 2009. Rinpoche discusses the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in taking responsibility for preserving and spreading the Buddhadharma. Other topics in this teaching include the kindness of all sentient beings, the benefits of offering, and how the Dharma center helps with Dharma practice. Read along with the transcript at bit.ly/The-Kindness-of-His-Holiness-the-Dalai-Lama

This teaching is excerpted from Lecture 10 of the 41st Kopan Course held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in December 2008. In this section of the teaching, Lama Zopa Rinpoche discusses the great meaning of the precious human rebirth, with reference to a verse from Calling the Guru From Afar, and the story of Milarepa, who achieved enlightenment in one brief lifetime. You can read along with the unedited transcript here www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/basic-philosophy-buddhism-part-two

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave these teachings in June, 2008 at the White Eagle Conference Center in Crestone, Colorado. This podcast presents the first session in this four day teaching series. In this session Rinpoche explores why we suffer, how to find the I that causes us to suffer and why we need to practice the Dharma right now. Read along with the transcript on our website here- https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/mahamudra-teachings-and-medicine-buddha-teachings-audio-and-unedited-transcript

From the lam-rim teachings Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave at Guadalajara Mexico in April, 2008. You can follow along with the transcript and listen to the entire series of teachings at lamayeshe.com/article/teachings-guadalajara-days-1-4-audio-and-unedited-transcript.

Excerpted from a commentary and oral transmission by Lama Zopa Rinpoche of the Golden Light Sutra given at Maitripa Institute in Portland, Oregon on the 2nd and 3rd of November 2007. You can also read and listen to the entire unedited teaching at lamayeshe.com/article/golden-light-sutra-portland-or-audio.

Excerpted from a commentary and oral transmission of the Golden Light Sutra given at Maitripa Institute in Portland, Oregon on the 2nd and 3rd of November 2007. See http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/golden-light-sutra-portland-or-audio for the entire teaching.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this commentary and oral transmission of the Manjushri-nama-samgiti in September 2007. For a commentary on the practice see http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chanting-names-manjushri-manjushri-nama-samgiti-audio.

This is a recording of an Animal Blessing given at Kurukulla Center, Boston, MA in July 2007. For the 2nd part of this recording go to http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/teachings-boston-audio.

From the introductory teachings Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave during a Sanghata Sutra commentary and oral transmission given in Taiwan in 2007; listen to the entire teachings here.

An excerpt from teachings before a Mitrugpa Initiation given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Taiwan 2007. Follow along with the unedited transcript and listen to more of this teaching at http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/mitukpa-initiation-part-two-what-dharma.

These teachings were given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, December 26-31, 2006.  The selection begins with a question and answer between Rinpoche and students on the nature of the mind followed by a discourse by Rinpoche on the nature of samsara.  You can also read along with a lightly edited transcript of these teachings at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/day-six-nature-samsara

It is huge, it is most profound meditation, of the most important meditation, just thinking meaning of existing, or just thinking meaning of dependent arising, just that word, think meaning, meditate on meaning of dependent, then meditate on meaning of arising without many words, that’s just, say, the two truths are there.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche praises the ultimate wisdom, the Prajnaparamita, the Wisdom Gone Beyond. This wisdom goes beyond the path, the result and the very nature of reality itself. Rinpoche leads us through the steps of how to apply these profound teachings to our appearances and experiences. These teachings were given during a lamrim retreat held at Vajrapani Institute in Boulder Creek, CA from August 20-23, 2006.

This talk was given during a Long Life Puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche in June 2006. Follow along with the unedited transcript at http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/how-fpmt-and-centers-benefit-others-audio-and-unedited-transcript.

This is a talk Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave at the opening of the new Vajrayana Institute in Sydney Australia in 2006, in which he talks extensively on the benefits of dharma centers.

This talk was given at Tara Institute, Australia in 2006. Listen to the rest of the series and follow along with the unedited transcript at http://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/qualities-bhumis.

A talk by Lama Zopa Rinpoche given during teachings entitled “Why We Need a Spiritual Path” at Tara Institute in Australia, 2006. Follow along with the unedited transcript and listen to the entire teaching here.

A short teaching from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on how we can maintain a harmonious workplace. Excerpted from teachings on the power of compassion given in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 14, 2006 and organized by Kasih Hospice. You can read the edited transcripts of this entire teaching at lamayeshe.com/article/power-compassion.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches on the best attitude to have during all the work we do. Excerpted from teachings on the power of compassion given in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 14, 2006 and organized by Kasih Hospice. You can read the edited transcripts of this entire teaching at lamayeshe.com/article/power-compassion.

These teachings were given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the 28th Kopan Meditation Course at Kopan Monastery, Nepal in December, 1995. This is the first talk on compassion and includes discussion of the mantra of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. You can read the transcript of this talk here.

These teachings were given at Kopan Monastery, Nepal in December 1995.

 
Compassion should be at the heart of our life, at the center of all our relationships and in all our practices.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives the transmission of the mantra and dharani of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion and explains why reciting these mantra helps us to develop compassion from the center of our heart for all beings and especially for those we see as the enemy. Rinpoche illuminates how the path to enlightenment depends first on developing immeasurable compassion for each and every being. These teachings were given by Rinpoche during a Maitreya puja at Shakyamuni Center in Taichung, Taiwan, in March 2007. You can follow along with the transcript on our website.

If you don’t practice Dharma, don’t learn Dharma, don’t meditate, if you don’t pray to have realization of the path to enlightenment, at least even the path to liberation, if you don’t do that then so many sentient beings have to suffer for you to live, for your happiness, it is so unimaginable, unbearable, so unbearable.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Everything we do to keep this human body alive inevitably harms other sentient beings and thus accumulates negative karma. Rinpoche describes this harm and the incredible power of the object to quickly accumulate huge amounts of positive merit. Contemplate how this power of the object can help us accumulate more than enough positive merit to offset the constantly accumulating negative karma of living. May we accumulate more than enough positive merit to quickly and more quickly constantly progress on the path to enlightenment for the sake of all mother sentient beings. Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this Dharma talk prior to a refuge ceremony at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, on January 18, 2009. You can read along with the transcript on our website.

 

Manjushri bodhisattva is the highest manifestation of being, the embodiment of all knowledge.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
The Ārya-mañjuśrī-nāma-saṅgīti (Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri) consists of 160 verses and mantra sentences, condensing an enormous tantric lore. Listen to Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting the Ārya-mañjuśrī-nāma-saṅgīti in Tibetan. Rinpoche recorded this recitation in 2006, and asked for the recording to be made available for anyone to listen at any time during their day. Rinpoche also suggested to play it loudly so that animals and others nearby can hear it, and thereby benefit from it as well.
Recently His Holiness the Dalai Lama has offered us all the precious advice to recite Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri continuously for a few months, for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s reincarnation. Thus all students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche are requested to please recite Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri as much as you can, continuously, starting now. You can download the English translation of Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri and read His Holiness’s letter of advice on the FPMT website.

The incredible, unbelievable, most unbelievable, no words, how most important to generate bodhicitta, can you imagine?
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche celebrates the power of bodhicitta during teachings given by Rinpoche at the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive home office in October 2012. Rinpoche was in town to attend the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to FPMT’s Kurukulla Center in Boston, Massachusetts. You can read along with the transcript here.

It is amazing how even within a minute, even in each second, eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, wow, what you can do with this precious human body by understanding and practicing the Dharma.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche celebrates our perfect human rebirth and encourages us to bring every single moment in our life into the path to enlightenment. Rinpoche gave these teachings prior to a chöd initiation at Maitripa College, Portland, Oregon, in June 2009. You can read along with the transcript on our website.

So we’re going to destroy, to totally cease, make it completely non-existent, this enemy, this inner enemy, this delusion, this demon, this self-cherishing thought that harms, that has been harming you, torturing you, and all the time, giving you problem all the time, even this life.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives this introductory teaching during a lamrim retreat at Vajrapani Institute in 2006. In this session Rinpoche impresses upon us the urgent importance of concentrating all our efforts on realizing the stages of the path to enlightenment for ourselves and all sentient beings. Read along with the transcript on our website.

You can’t attain the path just by knowing the words. You have to practice.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche reminds us that we can’t expect to just press a button, say a few words and become enlightened. After all we have accumulated countless causes of suffering during countless lives over countless eons. Even Shakyamuni Buddha himself demonstrated facing many hardships for the sake of enlightenment. We must also expect hardships while practicing Dharma with all our heart.
Rinpoche gave these teachings in June 2008 at the White Eagle Conference Center in Crestone, Colorado. Read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/day-three-part-b-bearing-hardships-lama-atisha

The basic Buddhist philosophy is that everything comes from karma which comes from your mind, from your intention.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains how imprints condition our mind to project karmic appearances upon everything we see, hear, smell, touch and taste. By changing our mind, we can change our experience. This short teaching by Rinpoche is excerpted from Lecture 10 of the 41st Kopan Course held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in December 2008. You can read along with the transcript on the LYWA website at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/basic-philosophy-buddhism-audio-and-unedited-transcripts

When we protect our mind, we protect our life.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
These teachings were given in June 2008 at the White Eagle Conference Center in Crestone, Colorado. Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains that when we practice a positive attitude, the good heart, we cause ourselves and everyone around us to be happy and healthy. Rinpoche notes that the good heart is so powerfully protective that a person doesn’t necessarily need a Buddhist motivation for their actions to become Dharma. You can read along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/day-one-part-b-positive-attitude-taking-care-yourself-dedications

So whatever happens, whatever is happening around, around you, your heart has peace.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
In this month’s podcast, Lama Zopa Rinpoche leads us in the vajra practice of Chenrezig. Rinpoche begins by chanting Om Mani Padme Hum slowly and powerfully. Within that resonance Rinpoche teaches on how to maintain the vajra visualization of Chenrezig where method and wisdom are unified in one mind. Rinpoche also touches upon the vajra method of hearing all sounds as mantra and then leads the group again in chanting Om Mani Padme Hum, this time using the kind of chanting Rinpoche says he would hear his mother use at Lawudo. While chanting Rinpoche repeatedly pauses to refresh the visualization of Chenrezig on the crown of all sentient beings to whom the practice is dedicated. After ending this session of chanting while visualizing mindfully, Rinpoche returns to analyzing the emptiness of Chenrezig and helps us see how true existence looks when it is projected on that visualization.
Listening to this experiential teaching will both increase your knowledge of the ultimate view and deepen your practice of Chenrezig for the benefit of all. Rinpoche gave this talk in Madrid, Spain on June 10, 2009. You can follow along with the transcript at https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/chenrezig-visualization.

 

When you look at people, when you relate with them, if you look at their mind and how their life is motivated, you can see how much they’re suffering and you feel unbearable.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Please enjoy another extract from a series of teachings prior to a chöd initiation given by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maitripa College, Portland, Oregon, in June 2009.
In this extract, Rinpoche shows us how to examine each of our regular daily activities and to see whether we are motivated by Dharma or, as is more likely, motivated by worldly goals. We might not like what we find but at least we know enough to look because we have met the Dharma through the kindness of our gurus.
Rinpoche reminds us that the vast majority of people living in the world all around have not met the Dharma like we have. They have no idea that their endless efforts to find happiness are only creating more causes for even more suffering. Contemplating their situation intensifies our practice of compassion for them and our engagement with bodhicitta for their sake.
Here is the transcript for those who like to read along-> https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/dharma-daily-life

Devotion is like the mother. From the mother comes many children, then grandchildren, then all the generations. Like that, from devotion all the qualities come, the realizations and all the qualities. From devotion comes the understanding of Dharma words and then the realization of their meaning. From devotion so many qualities come, and also with devotion you are able to protect those qualities.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
These teachings were given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, between December 26-31, 2006. Rinpoche describes the mystery of the guru deity and discusses the importance of guru devotion in developing all the qualities on the path to the enlightenment. Those who live their lives infused with devotion can progress much more quickly than by intellect alone. Rinpoche then illustrates this phenomena with engaging stories from his youth. You can read along with the transcript by visiting https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/day-four-meaning-guru-devotion