The Meditations
When you have finished reading this chapter and watching the videos, do the following meditations by reflecting on the quotes drawn from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings. During the meditation session, you can re-read the related section of the chapter to refresh your memory. Try to make the meditations as personal and meaningful as possible.
To qualify for the Certificate of Achievement, each meditation session should last a minimum of half an hour. Start the session with a short bodhichitta motivation and, if you like, do some preliminary prayers. End the session with some dedication prayers. Spend at least 20 minutes of the session doing the actual meditation.
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To qualify for the Certificate of Achievement, keep track of the meditations you do using the Personal Log. Then, when you finish the entire module, tick them off in the Checklist for the Certificate of Achievement.
Meditation 1: Blame the Self-Cherishing Thought
LE LÄN THAM CHÄ CHIG LA DA
Put all the blame on one.
When any problem arises, immediately, without the delay of even a second, blame the one. Who is “the one”? It is your own mind. From where hell and enlightenment, samsara and nirvana, and everyday happiness and problems come is your mind. All that you experience comes from your mind, your own mind, your self-cherishing thought. So “Put all the blame on one” means put all the blame for anything you dislike, for any problem, for any undesirable thing, on your self-cherishing thought. (Lama Zopa Rinpoche)
Meditate on how your self-cherishing thought is to blame for any problem you have ever experienced, are experiencing, and will experience.
(To qualify for the Certificate of Achievement do this meditation at least one time.)
Meditation 2: Think of Everyone as Kind
KÜN LA KA DRIN CHHE WAR GOM
Meditate on everyone as kind.
In reality you should meditate only on the kindness of others. Think that all your happiness, past, present, and future, came from sentient beings and then meditate on their kindness. That’s the practice. That is the practice. You understand? Only when you practice this is there real peace and happiness in your heart, and not only satisfaction but also fulfillment. (Lama Zopa Rinpoche)
Meditate on how others are kind in that they are the source of all your past, present, and future happiness.