Lama Zopa Rinpoche Essential Extracts

Rinpoche explains that Lama Tsongkhapa asked Manjushri “what is the quickest way to actualize realizations on the path to enlightenment?” Manjushri replied that there are four things. First, purify the obscurations. Obscurations can be purified because they are not in the nature of the mind. The mind’s true nature is buddha nature; it is completely empty of existing in the wa

Working for a company focused solely on money, even making a billion dollars a day, is nothing compared to the merit we create by helping people practice Dharma and by fulfilling the wishes of our guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche says. Rinpoche recalls the story of Lama Atisha checking on the realizations of three disciples. He found that the ones who served as his cook and translator had

When one is upset or afraid—and also happy—remember bodhichitta so life is not wasted and everything we experience is dedicated to others, Rinpoche advises. When we recite mantras with a bodhichitta motivation, it becomes the cause to achieve enlightenment. Afterward, dedicate the merits for oneself to achieve enlightenment for all sentient beings, so that the merits become unc

When we or others are experiencing sickness and pain, or obstacles of any kind, to recite the Heart Sutra while remembering that these obstacles are empty of existing from their own side is a powerful meditation for pacifying obstacles. The essence of Buddha’s 84,000 teachings is emptiness, which Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains, is set out in the Essence of Wisdom, also know as the H

The Buddha said that we get exactly the same merit from making an offering, no matter how tiny, to a statue or painting of the Buddha as we would from making an offering to the actual Buddha. How can we maximize our offerings to be of most benefit? Rinpoche says that even if we have nothing more than a clean bowl in which to offer water—we can visualize this offering as nectar, s

Rinpoche discusses the meaning of “pores of the guru” as expressed in the section on the guru’s qualities in Lama Chopa. Pores of the guru not only refers to other disciples of our own guru, but also to their family and animals. All of these pores are a higher object of offering than the numberless buddhas, Dharma, and sangha and the numberless statues, stupas, and scriptures

To practice the paramita of patience, we need someone who makes us angry or doesn’t give us what we want. Practicing the paramita of patience enables us to achieve enlightenment. Therefore, the person who makes us angry gives us enlightenment and then we are able to bring numberless sentient beings to enlightenment as well. In this way, we can see the kindness of the person who m

Even the most mundane activities of daily life provide us the opportunity to practice Dharma, Rinpoche says. While we are working, being busy, or even arguing with someone, part of the mind can recognize that what appears to be real is actually a total hallucination. Truly existent I and other people are not there but appear to be real due to our ignorance. To prevent this, we must

It is impossible to escape problems while suffering in samsara, but we can utilize any disturbing experience in the path to enlightenment. Rinpoche explains how we can take on any suffering and use it to destroy our ego and self-cherishing thought. This makes it possible to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings and then bring them to enlightenment as well. When we practice lojo

The guru is the essence of all buddhas, Rinpoche reminds us. Therefore, everything the guru does is the holy actions of all the buddhas. It is essential to remember these two things, otherwise we can view our guru as an ordinary being when anger, attachment, or heresy arises, and we can destroy our happiness—right up to enlightenment—by believing they are making mistakes. In re