Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Spiritual Director of FPMT

Lama Zopa Rinpoche's
Online Advice Book
For more advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on a wide range of topics in the form of short talks and letters go to - Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

Current Advice | Advice by Topic

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This page is updated regularly.

Current Advice

Benefits of Regular Sur Offering Practice

Sur offering is a practice which Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised FPMT centers, projects, services and study groups to do regularly. In December 2010, Rinpoche mentioned just a few of the benefits of doing Sur practice:

"[You will have] success to be born in a pure land. Also whatever work one is doing will be successful, will not have obstacles.

So for centers this is exactly what they need, to have all success and not have obstacles.

Then, if possible, the offering can be big*.

Trijang Rinpoche once mentioned that someone who did Sur practice and didn't recite the mantra to actually make the offering to the pretas saw the pretas very close by, smelling the offering, but not able to eat it. So it is very important to recite the offering mantra, so that pretas are able to receive the offering."

*The Sur offering which is made for Rinpoche to offer is huge. Rinpoche uses about 2 kilograms [4.5 pounds] of flour each night; it may be one of the biggest Sur offerings in the world!

Rinpoche's commentary on Sur practice and the actual practice text itself

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Advice by Topic

Animals | Buddha Multiplying Days | Centers and FPMT Organization
Death | Holy Objects | Natural Disasters
Peace in the World | Practice and Practical Advice | Protection from Harm | Retreat
Sickness | Shugden (Dholgyal) Advice | Sutras - various

Conseils en français (Advice in French)

Animals

• Bird Flu (Nov 2005)
• How to Benefit Animals
• Request to stop animal sacrifice in Nepal (Nov 2009)
• Liberating Animals Practice
• Sign 'Please Don't Hunt'
• Turkeys - Help Them on Thanksgiving

For more advice from Rinpoche on this subject in the form of short talks and letters, please go to Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

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Buddha Multiplying Days

• Days of Miracles
• Practices for Lama Tsongkhapa Day
• Practice on Saka Dawa

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Centers and FPMT Organization

• Attitude For Offering Service
• Benefit of Centers
• Benefits of Working for Dharma Centers
• Collect Merit So Easily at the Center
• Dharma Centers - Why Do They Exist
• Dragons at the Doors of Centers
• FPMT Education and Organization
• Gong to Call All Buddhas & Bodhisattvas
  Drawing of Gong »
• How Fortunate and Happy We Are!
• How to Practice: Advice to a Study Group
  This is a condensed advice for each of us on how to practice for our entire lives.
• How to Rejoice about Hardships Borne Working for the Center and Thanks
• Incredible Benefit Offered by FPMT Centers, Projects and Services
  
• Lama Zopa's Letter to New Center Director and Study Group Coordinator (Nov 5, 2009)
• Need for Organization
• Remembering the Kindness Prayer (Rinpoche would like this prayer used throughout the organization. The prayer should be done following the Prayer that Spontaneously Fulfills All Wishes (Tong nyi nying je ....) at the end of dedication prayers)
  Prayers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibet  (for those without Prayer Books)
• The Purpose of the Center Building
• The Real Professional
• Sangha are the Heroes
• Service as a Path to Enlightenment
• Successful Service due to Guru Devotion
• Sur Offering

For more advice from Rinpoche on Centers and the FPMT Organization in the form of short talks and letters, please go to Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

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Death

• Essential Practices for the Time of Death
• How to Make Your Possessions Meaningful
  A4 Version
  Letter Version
• The Liberation Box, Tools for a Fortunate Rebirth
• Methods to Counteract Spirit Harm
• Request Prayers for the Dead

For more advice from Rinpoche on this subject in the form of short talks and letters, please go to Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive - transitions and Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive - health

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Holy Objects

• Benefits of Having Many Holy Objects
• Benefits of the Prayer Wheel
• Prayer Wheel card for display
• Essential Mantras for Holy Objects 
• Holy Relics
• Mantras for Microfilm
• Why Holy Objects are Precious and Wish-fulfilling

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Natural Disasters

• To Control Earthquakes and the Four Elements
  
• For All Affected by Earthquake and Tsunami  
• Practices for Protection from Radiation 
• Disasters of the Elements
• How to Stop Rain
• Practices for Burma and China (2008)

For more advice from Rinpoche on this subject in the form of short talks and letters, please go to Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

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Peace in the World

• Support His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibet - advice given March 27th 2008
• Recite the Golden Light Sutra for peace in the world - advice given May 7th 2007
• Advice specifically for Iraq and “for people who desire peace for themselves and for others”, given June 28 2004
• For World Peace - advice given after Sept 11th 2001
• Avoid Negative Rejoicing - advice given after Sept 11th 2001

 

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Practice and Practical Advice

• Attitude to Have After Being Robbed
• Avoid the Ten Non-Virtues
• Benefits of Chenrezig's Mantra and How to Practice with a Prayer Wheel
• Bodhisattva Attitude: How to Dedicate Your Life to Others
• Bodhichitta Mindfulness
• Buddhist Marriage Ceremonies
• Compassion is of the Utmost Need - Ten frame-ready quotes on compassion
• Daily Taking and Giving
• Don't Waste your Perfect Human Rebirth
• Driving - The Wheel of Sharp Weapons of My Negative Karma When Driving
• Eliminating Obstacles (Guru Rinpoche prayer)
• Financial Anxieties - Put in Perspective
• Heart Advice of Achos Rinpoche, with commentary from Rinpoche
  Letter Version
  A4 Version
• How to be a Real Professional (Excerpt from How to Be a Real Professional)
• Importance of Meditation
• Most Important for Success
• New Students and Prisoners
• Ordinary Life Actions - Make Them Meaningful
• Pacifying the Date of Cutting Hair
• Parenting - Advice for parents
• Prayer Book Updates: Essential Buddhist Prayers Volumes 1 & 2 and Retreat Prayer Book Updates
• Real Chöd Practice
• What Students Need to Do; 2010
  “Within the FPMT organization we are doing well studying the words. Now students need to experience the lam-rim.”   

For more advice from Rinpoche on this subject in the form of short talks and letters, please go to Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

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Protection from Harm

• The Liberation Box, Tools for a Fortunate Rebirth
• Namgyalma Card and Amulet
• Samantabhadra Protection
       Carte de protection de Samantabhadra en français
• Short Consecration Ritual
• Sutra of Golden Light & Vajra Cutter for wearing
• Tashi Tsegpa: to dispel all inauspiciousness
• Vairocana Protection

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Retreat

• Benefits of Retreat on Lam-Rim
• Checklist of Practices Rinpoche Recommends for Retreats
• Good and Bad Days for Fire Puja
• Retreat Places - Purpose Of

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Sickness

• Counteract the SARS virus
• Practices to do for Contagious Diseases
• To protect from cancer, swine flu as well as new diseases
• Using Sickness For the Path

Shugden (Dholgyal) Advice

• Collection of Advice Regarding Shugden (Dholgyal)
  English
  German
  Spanish

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Sutras - various

• Amitayus Long Life Sutra -Various Languages
• Entering the Great City of Vaishali
  Letter Version
  A4 Version
• Golden Light Sutra -Various Languages
• Heart Sutra
  Letter Version
  A4 Version
• Sanghata Sutra -Various Languages
• Vajra Cutter Sutra -Various Languages

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