Lama Zopa Rinpoche gives the oral transmissions of the long and short Namgyalma mantras and the Twenty-one Taras’ praise.

Next, Rinpoche discusses how the first realization of lamrim is to switch from thinking about the happiness of this life to thinking about future lives. This transformation is achieved by training the mind in the eight freedoms, ten richnesses, impermanence, the sufferings of the lower realms, refuge, and karma. In this way, the happiness of this life becomes unimportant because there’s no attachment to the four desirable objects (pleasure, material gain, praise, and good reputation). When there’s attachment to these objects, there’s no inner peace and happiness because you never get satisfaction by following desire. While the mind is totally overwhelmed by attachment, there’s no space for loving kindness and compassion. At that time, the mind is not thinking about impermanence and death. Moreover, it obscures one from seeing the ultimate nature of the I, the aggregates, and phenomena.

Rinpoche says that until we have the realization of renunciation of samsara, we have to meditate on true suffering and the cause of suffering. This becomes the preliminary. Afterwards, the thought to free others from samsara arises, which makes it easy to generate compassion. From this, great compassion arises, and this leads to bodhicitta. However, if renunciation to one’s own samsara is not felt strongly, then you won’t have much thought of becoming free from this. Then, there’s no real feeling of deep compassion; it becomes just words. Then, bodhicitta—the thought to achieve enlightenment for them—also becomes just words.

From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.

Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/