Kopan Course No. 41 Teachings by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the 41st Kopan Course December 2008 Archive # 1746 Lightly edited by Gordon McDougall © Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche 1 Contents LECTURE 1 ................................................................................................................................................ 5 GREETING STUDENTS ....................................................................................................................................... 5 DHARMA IS THE CURE TO OUR BEGINNINGLESS DELUSIONS ...................................................................................... 6 THERE IS NOWHERE IN SAMSARA THAT IS NOT SUFFERING ....................................................................................... 8 BODHICITTA AND RENUNCIATION ..................................................................................................................... 10 BECOMING ENLIGHTENED TO GUIDE EVERY SENTIENT BEING .................................................................................. 12 THE GRADUAL PATH OF THE THREE CAPABLE BEINGS ............................................................................................. 15 THE I IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ........................................................................................................................... 16 FOOD OFFERING AND DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... 17 LECTURE 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 18 THE BENEFITS OF THE BODHICITTA PRAYER ......................................................................................................... 18 WE CAN’T HAVE COMPASSION AND HARM SOMEBODY AT THE SAME TIME ................................................................ 19 THE INFALLIBLE PATH ..................................................................................................................................... 20 THE LABEL DEPENDS ON THE BASE .................................................................................................................... 23 THE SUBTLE OBJECT OF REFUTATION ................................................................................................................. 26 DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................................ 30 LECTURE 3 .............................................................................................................................................. 33 MEDITATION IS NOT ENOUGH, WE NEED PURIFICATION, MERIT AND DEVOTION ......................................................... 33 ENLIGHTENED, WE CAN DO PERFECT WORK FOR OTHERS ....................................................................................... 35 TANTRA IS THE QUICK PATH ............................................................................................................................. 37 REALIZATIONS WILL TAKE TIME ........................................................................................................................ 38 WITH BODHICITTA WE ONLY CHERISH OTHERS ..................................................................................................... 39 FOOD OFFERING AND DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... 40 LECTURE 4 .............................................................................................................................................. 41 THE BENEFITING OF CHERISHING OTHERS: TONG-LEN ........................................................................................... 41 THE BENEFITING OF CHERISHING OTHERS: GESHE CHEKAWA PRAYS TO BE REBORN IN HELL ........................................... 42 THE BENEFITING OF CHERISHING OTHERS: TSIMBULWA CARRIES THE LEPER ............................................................... 43 THE BENEFITING OF CHERISHING OTHERS: ASANGA SEES MAITREYA ........................................................................ 45 THE BENEFITING OF CHERISHING OTHERS: THE BUDDHA PULLS THE CHARIOT IN HELL .................................................. 48 THE BENEFITING OF CHERISHING OTHERS: TONG-LEN CURES DISEASES ..................................................................... 49 THE BENEFITING OF CHERISHING OTHERS: NO SATISFACTION UNLESS WE CHERISH OTHERS ........................................... 51 REQUESTING PRAYER TO THE LINEAGE LAMAS .................................................................................................... 53 HOW THE GURU MANIFESTS TO GUIDE US .......................................................................................................... 55 REQUESTING PRAYER TO THE LINEAGE LAMAS (CONT).......................................................................................... 56 THREE CRITERIA OF HOW THINGS EXIST .............................................................................................................. 58 ORAL TRANSMISSION OF LAMP FOR THE PATH .................................................................................................... 60 DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................................ 67 DO TONG-LEN WHEREVER YOU SEE SUFFERING .................................................................................................... 68 LECTURE 5 .............................................................................................................................................. 70 RECITATION OF THE HEART SUTRA AND REQUESTING PRAYER TO THE LINEAGE LAMAS ............................................... 70 DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................................ 71 LECTURE 6 .............................................................................................................................................. 72 SUTRAYANA AND MAHAYANA FIVE PATHS .......................................................................................................... 72 A BUDDHA MANIFESTS IN WHATEVER WAY MOST BENEFITS SENTIENT BEINGS ............................................................ 73 WE BELIEVE IN APPEARANCE, THE OMNISCIENT ONE DOESN’T ............................................................................... 76 2 SEEING THINGS AS LIKE A MIRAGE ..................................................................................................................... 79 LOOK AT CAUSATIVE PHENOMENA AS STARS ....................................................................................................... 80 DON’T GET ANGRY AT THE STICK ...................................................................................................................... 81 THE HARMER IS ONLY THE OBJECT OF COMPASSION .............................................................................................. 83 CAUSATIVE PHENOMENA ARE LIKE AN ILLUSION ................................................................................................... 85 CAUSATIVE PHENOMENA ARE LIKE A WATER BUBBLE ............................................................................................ 87 CAUSATIVE PHENOMENA ARE LIKE A DREAM ....................................................................................................... 87 CAUSATIVE PHENOMENA ARE LIKE LIGHTNING ..................................................................................................... 88 CAUSATIVE PHENOMENA ARE LIKE A CLOUD ........................................................................................................ 88 DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................................ 90 LECTURE 7 .............................................................................................................................................. 92 LECTURE 8 .............................................................................................................................................. 92 REQUESTING PRAYER TO THE LINEAGE LAMAS: THE THREE KADAMPA GESHE GROUPS ................................................ 92 WE CAN HELP BUT OTHERS MUST CREATE THE CAUSE OF THEIR OWN HAPPINESS ........................................................ 95 NONVIRTUOUS MOTIVATION CAN NEVER BRING PEACE ......................................................................................... 99 DEDICATION .............................................................................................................................................. 100 LECTURE 9 ............................................................................................................................................ 101 THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD HEART .............................................................................................................. 101 BEN GUNGYAL AND HOLY DHARMA AND WORLDLY DHARMA ............................................................................... 102 ZINA, RINPOCHE AND BUXA .......................................................................................................................... 104 ZINA AND DARJEELING