Lama Zopa Rinpoche full length teachings

10 Episodes
Subscribe

By: Lama Zopa Rinpoche

This podcast brings to you the teachings given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in full length. Our current focus for new episodes lies on older teachings by Rinpoche that have not been published in video yet as well as major retreats that Rinpoche had led over the years. These episodes are mostly unedited in terms of content but often improved in terms of sound quality. See their video counterparts on our RAN page at fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/

16 Freedom From The Preta And Animal Realms 16-Apr-2004
#16
Yesterday at 6:00 PM

Lama Zopa Rinpoche begins with a recap of the previous session’s topic: to always live life with a bodhicitta motivation. He cites the Kadampa geshes, who say that if we don’t do this, life will be a never-ending confession. This is because without bodhicitta, our mind will be self-centered and this causes other negative emotional thoughts (anger, attachment, jealousy, etc.) to arise. Then, we will engage in negative karmas, and our vows will degenerate.

Rinpoche says that keeping the mind in the motivation of bodhicitta is like the sun shining in our life. It makes our...


15 The Preciousness Of Human Life 16-Apr-2004
#15
04/18/2025

Lama Zopa Rinpoche begins with a reminder about the previous session’s discussion of how beneficial it is to recite the Buddha’s past bodhisattva life stories. He also talks about Lupa Rinpoche, a Nepalese lama who inspired many people to do nyung-näs and made a Dharma law that people could not kill animals in his past life.

Regarding the Buddha’s past bodhisattva life stories, Lama Zopa Rinpoche suggests that they need good chanting. In that way, it would appear in the public’s view like singing a song and become even more inspiring. Rinpoche also sugg...


14 The Buddha’s Past Life Stories 16-Apr-2004
#14
04/11/2025

This session begins with the Guru Puja offering practice, prayers, and mantras. During the recitation of the tong-len prayer, Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises us to pause and go over the outline of the bodhicitta techniques (either the seven-point cause and effect method or equalizing and exchanging the self with others). Rinpoche says that since bodhicitta is the most precious wish-fulfilling thought for oneself and others, it’s important to briefly meditate on bodhicitta in this way.

Rinpoche also recommends reciting the Buddha’s past bodhisattva life stories after doing the Guru Shakyamuni Buddha mantra and meditation. Rinpoche then...


13 The Steps On The Path To Enlightenment 15-Apr-2004
#13
04/04/2025

Lama Zopa Rinpoche defines each of the three capacities of lamrim practitioners: lower, middling, and upper capacity beings. He advises that if we are only seeking happiness for this life, then we haven’t even reached the first capacity. Rinpoche stresses that such a person is not different from animals. Even animals are expert at seeking the happiness of this life by killing or cheating to get food. So, now, in this very lifetime, we must attempt to be in this group of capable lamrim practitioners.

Rinpoche reminds us that this doesn’t happen without causes and cond...


12 Advice On Prayers And Offerings 15-Apr-2004
#12
03/28/2025

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the Guru Puja prayers and offerings. He begins by reminding us to cultivate the special bodhicitta motivation and visualize offering all the extensive offerings in front of us as well as those in all the FPMT center gompas worldwide. By offering these on behalf of every sentient being to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, it becomes a very powerful puja for all sentient beings.

Rinpoche also explains that if a family member has passed away (or is in the process of dying), it’s very good to make offerings on their behalf. He de...


11 Purifying Negative Karma 15-Apr-2004
#11
03/14/2025

In explaining the general confession, Lama Zopa Rinpoche says that there are two types of regret. One type is useless because it only brings suffering; the other is positive as it leads to happiness. For example, if you feel regret after having done a virtuous action, it decreases the merit. Conversely, if you feel regret about a non-virtuous action, it weakens the negative karma. So, one way to purify negative karma is by regretting negative actions. Another method of purification is to look at the emptiness of each negative karma. These negative karmas do exist, but not in the...


10 Making Merit And Rejoicing 14-Apr-2004
#10
03/07/2025

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains that any happiness—temporary or up to enlightenment—depends on merit. Therefore, merit is incredibly precious. Rinpoche urges us to rejoice and feel happiness in our heart by recollecting all our past, present, and future merits. Each time we rejoice, the merit doubles. We should also rejoice in others’ merit. If we rejoice in the merits of a being whose mind is lower than ours, we collect double the merit that they collected. However, if the being’s mind is higher than ours, we collect half of their merit. Rinpoche gives the example of rejoicing in a bod...


09 Extensive Offerings 14-Apr-2004
#9
02/28/2025

Lama Zopa Rinpoche discusses the extensive offerings that are being made at FPMT centers around the world and explains how to make charity by offering these on behalf of all sentient beings. In this way, every single offering becomes an offering from every single sentient being and they all gain merit. So, this becomes a great puja for the happiness of all sentient beings.

Rinpoche says that each offering has ten benefits, but depending on which offering is made, the result is slightly different. He gives the example of incense, which has the particular result of pure...


08 Lama ChöPa Prayers, Visualizations, And Offerings 14-Apr-2004
#8
02/21/2025

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the Lama Chöpa prayers, visualizations, and offerings. He mentions that this sort of explanation is not common within the Tibetan tradition, but for Westerners, he wants to provide some detail. Rinpoche says that the essential point is faith. If the prayers are recited with deep devotion, they become powerful. In this way, any mantra or prayer contains the complete path to enlightenment, and we receive all the blessings and realizations. Rinpoche gives the example of the refuge prayer. He says that when it is recited with devotion, it contains the 84,000 teachings of the Buddha. O...


07 Meditating On Emptiness 13-Apr-2004
#7
02/14/2025

Lama Zopa Rinpoche takes us through a meditation on emptiness. He explains how everything appears inherently existent but is merely labelled by the mind and doesn’t have even an atom of true existence from its own side. Using various examples (the self, the five aggregates, actions, objects, phenomena, forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, colors, samsara, nirvana, lower realms, upper realms), he explains how they are all merely imputed by the mind. Nothing exists inherently. In emptiness, even emptiness itself doesn’t exist. Even the mind that is imputing the phenomena is also merely imputed by the thought. From...