Lama Zopa Rinpoche full length teachings

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.
00:00:01 Rinpoche tells about the meaning of negation in the Heart Sutra. "No" doesn't mean that things do not exist, it is negating the way phenomena appear - as truly existent from their own side. Understanding this point helps not to fall into extremes of nihilism and eternalism.
00:10:05 How to avoid the mistake from the very beginning of your analysis by identifying the correct object of refutation - gak-cha.
00:33:00 Phenomena exist, but they exist in mere name, merely imputed by mind. They do not exist from their own side.
01:04:00 From the I down to the split seconds of consciousness, all phenomena exist in mere name, merely imputed by mind. Without mind labeling them, they cannot exist.
01:27:00 When meditating on emptiness, if fear arises, that is a good sign - it means your meditation is harming the object of ignorance, the root of samsara. One should go through the fear, not stop the meditation.
01:48:00 The word "Ah" in the Heart Sutra is like an atomic bomb that destroys the hallucination of true existence projected onto all phenomena by ignorance. It shows phenomena are empty of existing from their own side.
02:24:00 When reciting the Heart Sutra, one should apply it to one's own problems and sufferings, meditating that they are empty of true existence. This becomes a powerful puja to pacify obstacles.
02:30:00 Rinpoche explains that Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche used to recite Extensive Dispelling of Hindrances after the Heart Sutra as a way of pacifying all obstacles for the teachers, students, and Dharma centers due to sickness, spirit possession, unfavorable conditions, past karma, and immediate conditions.
02:37:30 The group recites Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga and Rinpoche leads the extensive offerings practice and dedications.
Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

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.
00:00:01 To receive the jenang (permission to practice) of a deity from the four-class Tantra, one needs to first receive the initiation of that class of Tantra.
00:06:31 Even though one has received a precious human body, it can be stained by desire, carelessness, laziness, sleep, gossiping, and seeking offerings and respect. This leads to wasting the precious human body on meaningless activities.
00:10:34 To take the essence of the perfect human body, one must train well in the gradual path of the lower, middle, and higher capable beings.
00:11:51 All sentient beings have been one's mother countless times in past lives, but due to taking rebirth, they are unable to recognize each other. Generating love and compassion for them, one should strive to achieve enlightenment for their benefit.
Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

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.
00:00:01 The Migtsema prayer, composed by Lama Tsongkhapa, is the king of prayers that embodies the essence of the 84,000 teachings of the Buddha.
00:33:40 At Lama Tsongkhapa's birthplace Kumbum, a tree grew from his birth blood with 100,000 images of Manjushri and mantras on its leaves, indicating he is the emanation of Manjushri.
00:37:44 Before Lama Tsongkhapa's birth, his mother dreamt of a Chinese monk from Wutai Shan (Manjushri's holy place) dissolving into her, signifying that the child is Manjushri's emanation.
00:49:50 In the tradition of secret mantra, one must accept that all the buddhas are one mind. The previous lama of Sägyu tantric college added the line about Vajrapani to Migtsema and it became a five-line Migtsema. Gyalwa Ensapa’s disciple wrote the nine-round migtsema.
Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

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.
00:00:01 Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the meaning of protector prayers and the motivation for doing protector prayers dedicating them for success in Dharma activities around the world for benefiting sentient beings.
00:11:04 The fundamental Buddhist philosophy is that happiness and suffering are created by one's own mind, not by others. One has complete freedom to stop suffering and achieve happiness up to enlightenment by changing how one thinks.
00:23:05 Dharma centers play an important role in world peace by educating people about the mind, karma, compassion, and thought transformation.
00:42:10 By practicing thought transformation (lojong), one can transform all obstacles and problems into causes for enlightenment. If you are happy, practice Dharma, if you are unhappy, practice Dharma.
01:00:00 Centers benefit sentient beings by teaching lojong.
Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

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.
00:00:01 The mind is obscured by many superstitious thoughts, like attachment, anger, and self-cherishing, which are based on grasping at an exaggerated object.
00:06:47 While everything is empty of true existence, the ignorance projects true existence onto phenomena, like wearing colored glasses that make everything appear a certain color. We then allow our mind to believe this hallucination is real.
00:14:52 Realizing emptiness helps generate strong compassion for sentient beings, seeing how they are suffering due to being ignorant of the way things actually exist. Their suffering comes from wrong concepts and mistaken ways of thinking.
00:22:24 Realizing emptiness doesn't contradict bodhicitta, but rather makes one generate stronger bodhicitta. The positive thoughts like compassion and bodhicitta are not caused by or based on the ignorance grasping at true existence.
00:26:20 Reciting Calling the Guru from Afar. The way to clean away the superstitious thoughts is through guru devotion - making requests to the guru from one's heart. One should strive to devote to the guru with the nine attitudes, such as viewing the guru as a buddha, following the guru's advice, and seeing the guru's actions as perfect and so on.
00:36:30 Lama Zopa Rinpoche leads the recitation of Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga, offering of a short mandala, and recitation of Migtsema mantras.
00:51:35 The group recites the Lamrim prayer from Lama Chopa.
00:59:05 The group recites the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation and other prayers from Lama Chopa.
1:23:32 Lama Zopa Rinpoche leads the protector prayers and dedications.
02:08:55 Lama Zopa Rinpoche tells about Geshe Lama Konchog's Life. Dedication prayers.
Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/