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 for the practice.

00:18:15 Rinpoche leads the practice of Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga.

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

From one hell being I receive all my numberless past happiness, present happiness and future happiness, as well as all the realizations of the path, including enlightenment, so this one hell being is the most precious, most kind one in my life. That this one hell being is suffering in the hell realm even for one second is, for me, like it is suffering for eons—it’s so unbearable. I must liberate them from the suffering of samsara, and particularly the hell realm suffering, without even a second’s delay, by myself alone.

Now, the beings who are suffering in the hell realm are numberless, and they are the ones from whom I have received all my past, present and future happiness, including enlightenment: everything. They are the most precious, most kind ones in my life. So, because they are numberless, it is much, much more unbearable for me. I can’t bear to let them suffer even for one second. I must liberate them from all the suffering of samsara, and particularly the hell realm sufferings, as quickly as possible and bring them to full enlightenment by myself alone.

One preta being is so kind. From that one preta being I receive all my numberless past, present and future happiness, including all the realizations of the path and enlightenment. It’s the most precious, most kind one in my life. That one preta being suffering even for one second is like it is suffering for eons—it’s most unbearable. So, I must liberate them without even a second’s delay and lead them to enlightenment by myself alone. I must liberate them from the suffering of samsara, and particularly the preta realm sufferings, and bring them to enlightenment by myself alone.

And there are numberless hungry ghosts, from whom I receive all my happiness of the three times, including enlightenment, so the are the most precious, kindest ones. Numberless of them are suffering, so it is much, much more unbearable. I can’t stand it even for one second. I must liberate them from all their suffering and its causes, the general sufferings, and particularly the preta realm sufferings, and bring them to enlightenment as quickly as possible by myself alone.

One animal is so kind and precious in my life. From that one animal I receive all my past, present and future happiness, including liberation and enlightenment.

Their suffering in the animal realm even for one second is like they are suffering for eons—it’s most unbearable for me. I must liberate them from suffering, and particularly the animal realm suffering, and bring them to enlightenment without even a second’s delay by myself alone.

Now there are an uncountable number of animal beings, and from each of them I receive all my past, present and future happiness, as well as all the realizations of the path, including liberation and enlightenment. They are the most kind, most precious ones, and numberless of them are suffering, so it is even much, much more unbearable for me than before. So, I must liberate them from all the suffering of samsara, particularly the animal realm sufferings, and bring them to enlightenment as quickly as possible by myself alone.

One human being is so precious and kind in my life. From that one human being I receive all my numberless past happiness, all my present happiness and all my future happiness, all the realizations of the path, including liberation and enlightenment. I receive everything from them. They are the most kind, most precious one. Their suffering in the human realm even for one second is like they are suffering for eons.

It’s mentioned in the teachings that this is how arya beings feel about the suffering of change. They see it as unbearable suffering, like having a hair in their eye or an infected wound. An infection can be so sensitive that even being touched by a small thing is very painful, unbearable. That is how arya beings see the suffering of change, the temporary samsaric pleasures; they see them as unbearable. It depends on an individual being’s mind, how much they see samsaric pleasure as being in the nature of suffering, but generally it seems to be real happiness.

However, in the view of arya beings or of those who have realization of renunciation of samsara, samsaric pleasure is seen only in the nature of suffering. This is especially so in the view of arya beings, who see it as unbearable. Except that our mind is hallucinated and we believe it to be real happiness; otherwise, in reality, it’s how an arya being feels or how a buddha sees it. It’s only suffering; it’s totally suffering.

So, their suffering even for a second is like they are suffering for eons. I must liberate them from the general suffering of samsara, and particularly the human realm suffering, and bring them to enlightenment without even a second’s delay by myself alone.

Now there are numberless human beings, from each of whom I receive all my past, present and future happiness, as well as the realizations of the path, liberation and enlightenment: everything. They are the most kind, most precious ones, and there are numberless of them, so it is much, much more unbearable for me. I must liberate them from all the general suffering of samsara, and particularly the human realm sufferings, without delay even a second. I must liberate them as quickly as possible by myself alone.

It is the same with the sura beings. One sura being is the most kind, most precious one in my life. I receive all my numberless past happiness from that sura being, as well as my present and future happiness, realizations of the path, liberation and enlightenment. I receive everything from that being, so they are the most precious, most kind one. But their experiencing the general suffering of samsara, and particularly the suffering of the sura realm, even for one second is, for me, like they are suffering for eons. It is most unbearable. So, I must liberate them from all the general suffering of samsara, and particularly the sura realm suffering, without even a second’s delay and bring them to enlightenment.

Now, there are numberless sura beings from whom I receive all my numberless past, present and future happiness, realizations of the path, liberation and enlightenment: everything. They are the most precious, most kind ones in my life. Now there are numberless of them, so it is much, much, much more unbearable for me; and I must liberate them from all the sufferings of samsara, and particularly the sufferings of the sura realm, without even a second’s delay and bring them to enlightenment as quickly as possible.

Now it is the same with the asuras. One asura is also the most precious, most kind one in my life, from whom I receive all my numberless past, present and future happiness, realizations of the path, liberation and enlightenment. They are the most precious, most kind one in my life. Their experiencing the suffering of samsara, particularly the suffering of the asura realm, even for a second is like they are suffering for eons. I must liberate them from all the sufferings of samsara, particularly the asura realm sufferings, and bring them to enlightenment by myself alone.

Then, there are numberless asura beings, from whom I receive all my past, present and future happiness, realizations of the path, as well as liberation and enlightenment: everything. They are the most precious, most kind one. There are numberless of them who are suffering, so it is much, much more unbearable for me. I must liberate them from all the suffering of samsara and its causes, and particularly from the asura realm suffering, without even a second’s delay.

It is the same with the intermediate state beings. One intermediate state being is the most precious, most kind one in my life. I receive all my past happiness from them, as well as my present and future happiness, the realizations of the path, liberation and enlightenment. I receive everything from that intermediate state being. Their experiencing the sufferings of samsara, particularly the sufferings of intermediate state beings, even for one second is like they are suffering for eons. For me, it is most unbearable. So, I must liberate them from the general suffering of samsara, particularly the sufferings of the intermediate state beings, and bring them to enlightenment as quickly as possible.

Then, there are numberless intermediate state beings, and it is the same: they are the ones from whom I receive all my happiness of the three times, including the realizations of the path, liberation and enlightenment. They are the most precious, most kind ones in my life, and it is much, much more unbearable that there are numberless of them who are now suffering. So, I must liberate them from the suffering of samsara, particularly the intermediate state suffering, and bring them to enlightenment as quickly as possible.

So, I must free all the sentient beings from all their suffering and its causes and bring them to enlightenment by myself alone. I must bring them great bliss, the state of buddhahood. Therefore, I must achieve full enlightenment. And therefore, I’m going to meditate on the profound path, the yoga of the guru-deity.

Now, with that thought, read the prayer. [Ven. Sarah reads LC 5-6 in English.]

All the refuge merit field then absorbs to the Buddha, then Buddha, by melting into light, absorbs to you. You then generate into Yamantaka if you have received a Yamantaka great initiation. If you haven’t received Yamantaka initiation, but you have received the great initiation of another Highest Yoga Tantric deity, you can visualize yourself as that deity.

You then send beams to all the place and all the sentient beings. The place becomes the mandala and all the sentient beings become the deity. They are then absorbed, and you meditate on the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya. As a special practice in the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, you begin the sadhana with a brief meditation on the three kayas, which makes preparation, or builds the potential, to purify ordinary death, intermediate state and rebirth and ripens the mind to actualize the path-time three kayas and actually cease the cycle of ordinary death, intermediate state and rebirth, and which plants the seed to achieve the result-time three kayas.

Begin the prayer. [Ven. Sarah: Can Rinpoche please lead the chanting?] [Rinpoche chants LC1, LC7-LC14]

The second stanza, this is according to Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo’s the way of, the tradition, reciting the second stanza first, then the first stanza after that.

[Rinpoche chants LC16, LC15, LC17]

When’s breakfast time? [Ven. Sarah: That’s page 29.] Breakfast time? [Ven. Sarah: We’ve got six more minutes.] Six more minutes? Six more minutes, to liberate.

So can you read in English? [LC18-22]

Offerings. [Ven. Sarah: What does that mean, Rinpoche?] Huh? [Ven. Sarah: What does that mean?] [Ven. Sarah: Does that mean breakfast?] No, offering breakfast.

Generate bodhichitta, then bless the offerings, the breakfast. Generated breakfast into omelet and pizza. So, what is not there, transform into different food. Anyway, I’m joking. Transform into the food what you like.

Anyway, so purify in emptiness, as it is empty. Then, oceans of nectar, the Highest Tantra ?nectar, if you have received a great initiation. Numberless and then offer to, along with all the offerings in different places and all the FPMT Center gompas then all the offerings here, nature of infinite bliss.

Offer to the Guru Puja merit field. First offer the gurus, by thinking their essence is all the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, all the ten direction holy objects, generate infinite bliss. Prostrate to them.

Offer towards all the Guru Puja merit field, generated infinite bliss, by thinking their essence, all their essence is guru, prostrate to them, offer numberless oceans of nectar and all the rest of the offerings, which is nature of infinite bliss, towards all the ten direction Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, by meditating their essence is the root virtuous friend from one’s own side. Prostrate with the two palms together towards all of them.

Make oceans of numberless nectar offerings, food offerings, as well as all the rest of the offerings, towards all the ten direction statues, stupas, scriptures, all the other forms of holy objects. Generate infinite bliss within them.

Numberless oceans of nectar food make charity to every hell being, every hungry ghost, every animal, every human being, every sura being, asura being, intermediate stage being. They all fully enjoyed, liberated from all the sufferings, by actualizing the path, ceased all the defilements, they all become enlightened in the deity that one practices. If one has visualized Yamantaka then they all become Yamantaka.

So we collected so many times limitless skies of merit within this minute, all the past, present, future merits collected by me, three-time merits collected by others, then may oneself, one’s own family members and all the students, benefactors and all the rest of the sentient beings, may we, then numberless sentient beings who died, suffered, created negative karma, who worked for the long run evolution of this food, then especially including them, may we never be separated away from the Triple Gem, always collect merit by making offering, receive the blessing of the Triple Gem, that which is the realizations from guru devotion up to enlightenment, and especially bodhichitta and clear light, may it be actualized within all of our hearts without delay even a second. And especially in the hearts of those numberless sentient beings, who died, suffered, created negative karma, worked for this food.

La ma sang gyä la ma chhö

De zhin la ma gen dün te

Kün gyi je po la ma yin

La ma nam la kyab su chhi (3x)

The Guru is Buddha. The Guru is Dharma.

The Guru is also Sangha.

The Guru is the creator of all [happiness].

In all the gurus, I take refuge. (3x)

Dag sog nam kyi deng nä jang chhub bar

Gyi dang gyi gyur ge wa chi sag pa

Zhing dir je tsün dam päi zug kyi ku

Gyur me dor je tar tän tra shi shog

By the collection of whatever virtues I and others have done

And shall do from now until enlightenment,

May all be auspicious holy, perfect, pure one,

For your body of form to remain in this land, immutable like a vajra.

Three time merits collected by me, three time merits collected by others, which are empty, may the I who is empty, achieve Lama Tsongkhapa’s enlightenment, which is empty, and lead all the sentient beings, who are empty, to that enlightenment, which is empty, by myself alone, who is also empty.

Jang chhub sem chhog rin po chhe

Ma kye pa nam kye gyur chig

Kye pa nyam pa me pa yi

Gong nä gong du phel war shog

May the precious supreme bodhichitta

Not yet born arise.

May that arisen not decline,

But increase more and more.

Gang rii ra wä kor wäi zhing kham dir

Phän dang de wa ma lü jung wäi nä

Chän rä zig wang tän dzin gya tsho yi

Zhab pä si thäi bar du tän gyur chig

In the land encircled by snow mountains,

You are the source of all happiness and good.

All-powerful Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso,

Please remain until samsara ends.

I dedicate all the merits in the same way the three time buddhas dedicate their merits.

Chhö kyi gyäl po tsong kha päi

Chhö tshül nam par phel wa la

Geg kyi tshän ma zhi wa dang

Thün kyen ma lü tshang war shog

For the Dharma king Tsongkhapa’s

Way of Dharma to flourish,

May all signs of obstacles be pacified

And all conducive conditions be complete.

Dag dang zhän gyi dü sum dang

Drel wäi tshog nyi la ten nä

Gyäl wa lo zang drag pa yi

Tän pa yün ring bar gyur chig

Due to the two types of merits

Of the three times of myself and others,

May the teachings of the victorious one, Losang Dragpa,

Shine resplendent forever.

[short mandala]

[Ven. Sarah begins short LZR long-life prayer]

Doesn’t need, that doesn’t need, doesn’t need. Doesn’t need. Breakfast! Enjoy! Bliss out, bliss out. Okay.