Chapters 1-4 of Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Teachings

[Note: The full practice for taking the eight Mahayana precepts can be found in the booklet supplied with this module of Living in the Path. If you are taking these precepts for the first time and wish to receive the lineage of the precepts from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, first recite the “Preliminary Prayers” on pp. 27–33 of the booklet, and then complete the remainder of the practice by watching Video 4: “Actual Ceremony for Taking the Precepts” and repeating the words of the ceremony after Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as indicated below.]

(duration: 38 minutes)

Transcript of Video 4: “Actual Ceremony for Taking the Precepts”

(You can read the transcript of the video below. Alternatively, you can read the same transcript alongside the video by clicking here to download it or view it in a separate window.)

Do three prostrations. (Stand up and do three prostrations to Lama Zopa Rinpoche visualized as Guru Shakyamuni Buddha.)

Here, it involves visualizing the lama [as Guru Shakyamuni Buddha]. This is because the eight Mahayana precepts come not from sutra, but come from Kriya Tantra. That is why they involve avoiding black food,^[1] because in Kriya Tantra the emphasis is on keeping the body clean, so that the mind becomes without obstacles, clear for meditation. So that is why avoiding black food. Kriya Tantra is outer yoga. Why the eight Mahayana precepts…. The pratimoksha vows don’t involve that, but that is why the eight Mahayana precepts involve avoiding eating black food, because from where they come is Kriya Tantra.

Visualize the lama as Shakyamuni Buddha, then think you are taking the precepts from him, also the buddhas and bodhisattvas surrounding him.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

Prayer for Taking the Precepts

CHHOG CHU NA / ZHUG PÄI SANG GYÄ DANG / JANG CHHUB SEM PA / THAM CHÄ /  DAG LA GONG SU SÖL /

Maybe we will do the English first.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

All buddhas and bodhisattvas / dwelling in the ten directions, / please pay attention to me.

Then also if there is a lama there:

LOB PÖN GONG SU SÖL
   Master, please pay attention to me.

That is not in English there. It is here in the Tibetan, but not in the English. It is not written in the English.^[2] If there is a lama then you have to say LOBPÖN GONG SU SOL. LOBPÖN is the guide of the disciple, the preceptor or guide of the disciple leading in the path to liberation. You are asking him to pay attention.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

LOB PÖN GONG SU SÖL
   Master, please pay attention to me.

So that one. We will read the English.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

Just as / the previous tathagatas, / foe destroyers, / perfectly completed buddhas, /
who, like the divine wise horse / and the great elephant, / did what had to be done, / performed actions, /
laid down the burden, / subsequently attained their own welfare, / 
completely exhausted the fetters to existence, /
and had perfect speech, / well-liberated minds, /and well-liberated wisdom, /
for the welfare of all sentient beings, / in order to benefit,/ in order to liberate, /
in order to eliminate famine, / [in order to eliminate war, / in order to stop the harm of the four elements,]

War is not in the original prayer, but I thought it was very good to mention. I added it because there is so much war happening, so taking the eight Mahayana precepts is the antidote to that.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

in order to stop / the harm of the four elements, /

So that is another one that is added. In particular in California, sorry, in the United States there are so many fires. In one year it happens so many times, fire, then in particular California, that is one place. And also it happens in Australia, but I think a little bit less than in the United States. It is to help that. So we extend the purpose of taking the eight Mahayana precepts, so it becomes very, very good. The government doesn’t have to ask you, “Please do this”; you just do it with a good heart. It doesn’t depend on the government asking you and paying you money for that.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

in order to eliminate sickness, /
in order to fully complete / the thirty-seven practices harmonious with enlightenment, /
and in order to definitely / actualize / the unsurpassed result of perfect, / complete enlightenment /
perfectly performed / the restoring and purifying ordination; /
similarly, also / I, who am called / 

Please mention your name.

from this time / until sunrise tomorrow, / for the welfare of all sentient beings, /
in order to benefit, / in order to liberate, /
in order to eliminate famine, / [in order to eliminate war, / in order to stop the harm of the four elements,] / in order to eliminate sickness, /
in order to fully complete the thirty-seven practices harmonious with enlightenment, /
and in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result / of perfect, / complete enlightenment, /
shall perfectly undertake / the restoring and purifying ordination. / 

[Repeat a second time after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

All buddhas and bodhisattvas dwelling in the ten directions, / please pay attention to me. /
Please, Guru, pay attention to me. /
Just as the previous tathagatas, / foe destroyers, / perfectly completed buddhas, /
who, like the divine wise horse / and the great elephant, / did what had to be done, / performed actions, /
laid down the burden, /  subsequently attained their own welfare, / completely exhausted /  the fetters to existence, /
and had perfect speech, / well-liberated minds, / and well-liberated wisdom, /
for the welfare of all sentient beings, /
in order to benefit, / in order to liberate, /
in order to eliminate famine, / [in order to eliminate war, / in order to stop the harm of the four elements,] / in order to eliminate sickness, /
in order to fully complete the thirty-seven practices / harmonious with enlightenment, /
and in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed / result of perfect, complete enlightenment /
perfectly performed the restoring and purifying ordination; /
similarly, also I, who am called / [say your name],
from this time until sunrise tomorrow, / for the welfare of all sentient beings, /
in order to benefit, / in order to liberate, /
in order to eliminate famine, / [in order to eliminate war, /  in order to stop the harm of the four elements,] / in order to eliminate sickness, /
in order to fully complete the thirty-seven practices harmonious with enlightenment, /
and in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result / of perfect, complete enlightenment, /
shall perfectly undertake / the restoring and purifying ordination. /

So, the third time you become Tibetan!

[Repeat the third time after Lama Zopa Rinpoche this time in Tibetan:]

CHHOG CHU NA ZHUG PÄI / SANG GYÄ DANG / JANG CHHUB SEM PA / THAM CHÄ / DAG LA GONG SU SÖL /
   All buddhas and bodhisattvas dwelling in the ten directions, please pay attention to me.
LOB PÖN GONG SU SÖL
   Master, please pay attention to me.
JI TAR NGÖN GYI / DE ZHIN SHEG PA / DRA CHOM PA / YANG DAG PAR / DZOG PÄI SANG GYÄ /
   Just as the previous tathagata, arhat, perfectly completed buddhas,
TA CHANG SHE TA BU / LANG PO CHHEN PO / JA WA JÄ SHING / JE PA JÄ PA /
   who, like the divine wise horse and the great elephant, did what had to be done, performed actions,
KHUR BOR WA / RANG GI DÖN / JE SU THOB PA / SI PAR KÜN TU JOR WA / YONG SU ZÄ PA /
    laid down the burden, subsequently attained their own welfare, completely exhausted the fetters to existence,
YANG DAG PÄI KA / LEG PAR NAM PAR DRÖL WÄI THUG / LEG PAR NAM PAR DRÖL WÄI SHE RAB CHÄN / 
    and had perfect speech, well-liberated minds, and well-liberated wisdom,
DE DAG GI / SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ KYI / DÖN GYI CHHIR DANG / 
   for the welfare of all sentient beings,
PHÄN PAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG / DRÖL WAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG /
   in order to benefit, in order to liberate,
MU GE ME PAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG / NÄ ME PAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG /
   in order to eliminate famine, [in order to eliminate war, in order to stop the harm of the four elements,] in order to eliminate sickness,
JANG CHHUB KYI CHHOG KYI CHHÖ NAM YONG SU DZOG PAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG / 
   in order to fully complete the thirty-seven practices harmonious with enlightenment,
LA NA ME PA / YANG DAG PAR / DZOG PÄI JANG CHHUB / NGE PAR TOG PAR JA WÄI CHHIR /
   and in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result of perfect, complete enlightenment
SO JONG / YANG DAG PAR / DZÄ PA /
   perfectly performed the restoring and purifying ordination;
DE ZHIN DU / DAG [ming] 
   similarly, also I,  

Please mention your name.

ZHE GYI WÄ / KYANG /
   who am called [say your name],
DÜ DI NÄ ZUNG TE / JI SI SANG NYI MA MA SHAR GYI BAR DU / 
   from this time until sunrise tomorrow,

So generally it depends on… It says “until sunrise,” so it depends on how you think, [whether] sunrise means light, until light comes at your place, until light comes at your place, or sun rises, there is no light at your place, not complete light, but the sun rising in the world, in the world, maybe in the country. Even if there is no light at your place, but the morning already started from east, all the stars, the brightness of the stars is gone, that is the very beginning of the morning. The very beginning of the morning. From the eastern side, if you look to that side, there is a little bit of white started, that is the very beginning of the morning.

So if you think, like Nyung Nä, when you do Chenrezig retreat, Nyung Nä, if you think that is sunrise, if you define it like that, the very beginning of day, if it is already the next day, so if you think in that way then you can have food and drink. It depends on how you think, having light at your place. If for Nyung Nä, if you think in that way, then you can have drink and food earlier, drink and food earlier, rather than many hours later. This helps people to not get too tired so much. If it is easier, then they get inspired to again do Nyung Nä in the future. If it is in a group do like that, but if it is yourself... But if you are leading a group, it is just to help the people for it not to become too difficult so that they will do Nyung Nä again. Khari Rinpoche, the great bodhisattva or yogi, the lama who founded the monastery down below Lawudo, when he does Nyung Nä, three o’clock, everyone had to get up at three o’clock in the morning. He stood outside, even though old aspect, but he stood outside the gompa and when the monks and nuns came in, he gave them brown sugar, a big brown sugar cut in pieces, with water then he gave in the hand of each person, then they had to eat that while their stomachs, they didn’t have water or food since yesterday, no water, no food. Rinpoche gave like that then they had to… They said sometimes they would vomit after that. Then they served tea and thugpa at three o’clock. Rinpoche said that it was so that it made people find Nyung Nä easier so they would be able to do many Nyung Näs. This is according to Khari Rinpoche, but of course at three o’clock it doesn’t start. I think, I noticed that around four o’clock, starts the white from the east. The brightness comes and the stars are gone around four, or after four. But that was according to Rinpoche’s own technique.

Now I forgot where I stopped. (Ven. Steve tells Rinpoche where he stopped: NYI MA MA SHAR GYI BAR DU.)

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

DÜ DI NÄ ZUNG TE / JI SI SANG NYI MA / MA SHAR GYI BAR DU / 
    from this time until sunrise tomorrow,
SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ / KYI DÖN GYI CHHIR DANG /
   for the welfare of all sentient beings,
PHÄN PAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG / DRÖL WAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG /
   in order to benefit, in order to liberate,
MU GE ME PAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG / NÄ ME PAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG /
   in order to eliminate famine, [in order to eliminate war, in order to stop the harm of the four elements,] in order to eliminate sickness,
JANG CHHUB KYI CHHOG KYI CHHÖ NAM / YONG SU DZOG PAR JA WÄI CHHIR DANG /
   in order to fully complete the thirty-seven practices harmonious with enlightenment,
LA NA ME PA / YANG DAG PAR DZOG PÄI JANG CHHUB / NGE PAR TOG PAR JA WÄI CHHIR /
   and in order to definitely actualize the unsurpassed result of perfect, complete enlightenment,
SO JONG / YANG DAG PAR LANG WAR GYI O  
   shall perfectly undertake the restoring and purifying ordination.

Then I say TAB YIN NO, then you say LEG SO. “This is the method” and you respond, LEG SO, yes.

TAB YIN NO
   This is the method.

You say:

LEG SO
   Excellent.

Think that you have received the eight Mahayana precepts from the lama that you visualized as Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and then all the buddhas and bodhisattvas. You must make a strong determination, “I have received the eight Mahayana precepts, the reviving and purifying ordination, the eight Mahayana precepts.” Okay?

Just as the foe destroyers / of the past have abandoned all misconduct / of body, speech, and mind, / such as taking the lives of others, / so shall I / for the sake of all beings, / abandon for one day / these wrong actions / and devote myself / to the pure practice of the training.

“Just as the foe destroyers of the past have abandoned all misconduct,” I think “abandoned all misconduct” it says, it means from now on I won’t do, for this one day, from now I won’t do killing, SOG CHÖ is killing. In English it says, “Just as the foe destroyers of the past have abandoned all misconduct,” so it doesn’t follow the Tibetan.^[3]

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

Commitment Prayer to Keep the Precepts

DENG NÄ SOG CHÖ MI JA ZHING
   From now on I shall not kill.

“From now on I won’t do killing.”

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

ZHÄN GYI NOR YANG LANG MI JA
   I shall not steal others’ possessions.

means “I won’t take also the possessions of others.”

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

THRIG PÄI CHHÖ KYANG MI CHÖ CHING
   I shall not engage in sexual activity.

“I won’t also do the sexual act.” Here in the eight Mahayana precepts, it means any sexual act.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

DZÜN GYI TSHIG KYANG MI MA O
   I shall not speak false words.

“I won’t tell also lies.” It seems the English here becomes very different.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

KYÖN NI MANG PO NYER TEN PÄI
   I shall avoid intoxicants,

So then after that, KYÖN NI MANG PO NYER TEN PÄI. Aleh. The translation of the Tibetan comes only now here: “From now on I shall not kill. I shall not steal others’ possessions.” It’s kind of… I don’t know where the other part comes from in English.^[4]

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

KYÖN NI MANG PO NYER TEN PÄI
   I shall avoid intoxicants,
CHHANG NI YONG SU PANG WAR JA
   From which many mistakes arise.

“I will abandon chang, alcohol, completely, from where many mistakes arise.”

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

THRI TÄN CHHE THO MI JA ZHING
   I shall not sit on large and high seats and beds.

THRI TÄN CHHE THO MI JA ZHING,“I won’t sit on thrones, large, high,” all that. Like that, to not get pride or those things, expensive, like tiger skin, leopard skin, or yeti skin. I am joking “yeti skin.”

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

DE ZHIN DÜ MA YIN PÄI ZÄ
   I shall not eat food at the wrong times.

To not eat food at the wrong time, so the sun, what? Clockwise, it is after twelve o’clock, right? After twelve, but by the sun is what time?

Ven. Steve: Midday.

Rinpoche: One o’clock?

Ven. Steve: Yah, here it is 1:15.

Rinpoche: By the sun? 1:15? Okay. So that is noontime by counting the sun. So it depends whether you follow the clock or whether you follow the sun. By following the sun, if we follow the sun, so we are going to follow the sun, right? We are going to follow the sun, so noon is that. Not eating after noon, the point is that. Before that, you can eat at anytime.

DE ZHIN DÜ MA YIN PÄI ZÄ, DRI DANG THRENG WA GYÄN DANG NI.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

DRI DANG THRENG WA GYÄN DANG NI
   I shall avoid perfumes, garlands, and ornaments, 
GAR DANG LU SOG PANG WAR JA
   As well as dancing, singing, and so forth.

DRI is “scented smells,” THRENG WA is “malas” or “ornaments.” It is not something that you usually wear for practice, but something not for Dharma, something to do with attachment, you can’t wear that.

GAR DANG LU SOG PANG WAR JA, dance, singing songs, but when we do practice, when we do chanting for Dharma, the motivation is different from singing songs. Generally speaking, by the motivation, it is different.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

JI TAR DRA CHOM TAG TU NI
   Just as the arhats
SOG CHÖ LA SOG MI JE TAR
    Never kill and so forth,
DE ZHIN SOG CHÖ LA SOG PANG
   So too shall I abandon killing and so forth.  
LA ME JANG CHHUB NYUR THOB SHOG
   May I quickly attain supreme enlightenment.

“The arhats always do not engage in killing and so forth, I also will abandon killing and so forth. May I quickly attain enlightenment.

[Repeat after Lama Zopa Rinpoche:]

DUG NGÄL MANG THRUG JIG TEN DI
   May I free this world, disturbed by much suffering,
SI PÄI TSHO LÄ DRÖL WAR SHOG
   From the ocean of existence.

“May the living beings be liberated from SI PÄI TSHO, the oceans of samsara.” “This world” can be a place or it can be, JIG TEN, “depending on JIG, change,” “depending on change.” “Change” refers to the aggregates. Depending on change; “change” refers to the aggregates. The aggregates are in the nature of change, JIG TEN.

DUG NGÄL MANG THRUG, so many sufferings, like a cyclone, so much suffering.

Mantra of Pure Morality

Now, the mantra for reviving and purifying, making the precepts pure. This is one of the methods to be able, if you are living a lay life but lay life living in five lay vows, or four or three or two, whatever number of precepts you are living in of the pratimoksha, the eight Mahayana precepts or the pratimoksha vows, which are taken until death, so to be able to keep pure it helps if you recite this mantra. The people who are living ordination, the monks and nuns who are living in ordination, then reciting this mantra is one help to be able to live purely in the vows. It makes morality pure. In the morning, if you do prostrations by reciting the Thirty-five Buddhas, then at the end you can kneel down and you can recite this twenty-one times or seven times, whatever.

[Repeat the mantra after Lama Zopa Rinpoche three times:]

OM AMOGHA SHILA SAMBHARA / BHARA BHARA / MAHA SHUDDHA SATTVA PADMA VIBHUSHITA BHUJA / DHARA DHARA SAMANTA / AVALOKITE HUM PHAT SVAHA

I did it three times or two times?

Ven. Steve: Three.

Rinpoche: Okay. Now we will do it together.

OM AMOGHA SHILA SAMBHARA / BHARA BHARA / MAHA SHUDDHA SATTVA PADMA VIBHUSHITA BHUJA / DHARA DHARA SAMANTA / AVALOKITE HUM PHAT SVAHA

Are the twenty-one finished? I’m not sure.

Ven. Steve: Four more.

Rinpoche: Oh, I see. My finger went very fast.

OM AMOGHA SHILA SAMBHARA / BHARA BHARA / MAHA SHUDDHA SATTVA PADMA VIBHUSHITA BHUJA / DHARA DHARA SAMANTA / AVALOKITE HUM PHAT SVAHA 

Prayer to Keep Pure Morality

Due to all the past, present, and future merits collected by myself, the numberless sentient beings, and the numberless buddhas, may I be able to complete the paramita of morality without mistake, pure and without pride.

THRIM KYI TSHÜL THRIM KYÖN ME CHING
   By abiding in faultless morality of the Dharma rules,
TSHÜL THRIM NAM PAR DAG DANG DÄN 
   Completely pure morality,
LOM SEM ME PÄI TSHÜL THRIM KYI
   And morality free from conceit,
TSHÜL THRIM PHA RÖL CHHIN DZOG SHOG
   May I complete the perfection of morality. 

Dedications

Due to all the past, present, and future merits collected by oneself and the three times merits collected by others, may bodhichitta be actualized in one’s heart and in the hearts of all sentient beings, without the delay of even one second. And in whose heart bodhichitta has been generated, may it increase.

To Actualize Bodhichitta

JANG CHHUB SEM CHHOG RIN PO CHHE
   May the precious supreme bodhichitta
MA KYE PA NAM KYE GYUR CHIG
   Not yet born arise.
KYE PA NYAM PA ME PA YI
   May that arisen not decline,
GONG NÄ GONG DU PHEL WAR SHOG
   But increase more and more.

For the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

GANG RII RA WÄ KOR WÄI ZHING KHAM DIR
   In the land encircled by snow mountains,
PHÄN DANG DE WA MA LÜ JUNG WÄI NÄ
   You are the source of all happiness and good.
CHÄN RÄ ZIG WANG TÄN DZIN GYA TSHO YI
   All-powerful Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso,
ZHAB PÄ SI THÄI BAR DU TÄN GYUR CHIG
   Please remain until samsara ends.

For His Holiness’ Wishes to be Spontaneously Fulfilled

TONG NYI NYING JE ZUNG DU JUG PÄI LAM
   Savior of the Land of Snow teachings and transmigratory beings,
CHHE CHHER SÄL DZÄ GANG CHÄN TÄN DRÖI GÖN
   Who extensively clarifies the path that unifies emptiness and compassion,
CHHAG NA PÄ MO TÄN DZIN GYA TSHO LA
   To the Lotus Holder, Tenzin Gyatso, I beseech –
SÖL WA DEB SO ZHE DÖN LHÜN DRUB SHOG
   May all your holy wishes be spontaneously fulfilled.

Due to the past, present, and future merits, may all the father and mother sentient beings… Due to all the three time merits collected by oneself and others, may all the father and mother sentient beings have happiness. May the three lower realms be empty forever. May all the bodhisattvas’ prayers succeed immediately.

PHA MA SEM CHÄN THAM CHÄ DE DANG DÄN
   May all father and mother sentient beings have happiness,
NGÄN DRO THAM CHÄ TAG TU TONG PA DANG
   And all the lower realms be empty forever.
JANG CHHUB SEM PA GANG NA SU ZHUG PA
   Wherever there are bodhisattvas,
DE DAG KÜN GYI MÖN LAM DRUB GYUR CHIG
   May all their prayers be fulfilled.

Due to the three-time merits collected by me, the three-time merits collected by numberless sentient beings and buddhas, which exist but do not exist from their own side, which are totally empty, may the I, who exists but does not exist from its own side, who is totally empty, achieve Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, which exists but does not exist from its own side, which is totally empty, and lead all sentient beings, who exist but do not exist from their own side, who are totally empty, to that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, which exists but does not exist from its own side, which is totally empty, by myself alone, who exists but who does not exist from its own side, who is totally empty.

[End of Video 4: “Actual Ceremony for Taking the Precepts”]