Garchen Teaching Archive
Teachings on Guru Yoga
Teachings Overview
In January 2009, Garchen Rinpoche gave six days of teachings on Guru Yoga and the practice of Lama Chöpa. Click on a chapter title below to view an individual video or set the player to play continuously from one video to the next.
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Table of Contents
- I. The Guru’s Qualities
- 01-The Lama and the Buddha
- Rinpoche introduces the terms lama and buddha and describes the connection between them.
- 02-Three Kayas, Three Jewels, and Three Roots
- Rinpoche explains the qualities of the Buddha's Three Kayas according to the Vajrayana, and how to view the guru as the embodiment of the Three Kayas, Three Jewels and Three Roots.
- 03-Faith, Confidence and Devotion for the Guru
- Rinpoche explains the qualities of faith, confidence and trust, as well as how to view the lama and other phenomena and experiences according to the Vajrayana view.
- II. The Practice of Lama Chöpa
- 04-The Importance and Benefits of Lama Chöpa
- Rinpoche explains that all practices are contained within the practice of Lama Chöpa and how the practice brings great benefits, leading us to recognize our own true nature.
- 05-Refuge and Motivation
- Rinpoche begins the commentary of the Lama Chöpa practice, beginning with refuge and establishing motivation to cut through self-grasping, the root of suffering.
- 06-Blessing the Offerings
- Rinpoche explains the way to understand offerings and how to offer skillfully.
- 07-The Generation Stage
- Rinpoche describes why and how to practice the tantric Generation Stage and how to have it color our everyday life.
- 08-Jigten Sumgön and the Field of Accumulation
- Rinpoche elaborates on the Field of Accumulation, including Jigten Sumgön, the yidam deities, Three Jewels, and the Dharma protectors, as well as an explanation of samaya.
- 09-Prostration
- To assist in the cultivation of faith, Rinpoche elaborates on the qualities and great kindness of the gurus and how to approach the practice of prostrations.
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- 10-Offerings
- Rinpoche explains the various objects of offering as the natural expression of bodhichitta and instructs on the benefits and how to offer with body, speech and mind.
- 11-Q&A #1
- Questions include the source of bliss while reciting mantra; offering of mental afflictions; teachings on emptiness; and other clarifications and explanations.
- 12-Mandala Offering
- Rinoche speaks on self-grasping, love, compassion, and the outer, inner and secret mandala offerings.
- 13-The Seven-Limb Prayer: Introduction
- Rinpoche introduces the Seven-Limb Prayer, the antidote to the afflictive emotions.
- 14-The Seven-Limb Prayer: Prostration
- Rinpoche describes faith, the physical, verbal and mental prostrations, and liberation from suffering. He also gives a brief commentary on the practice of the prayer wheel.
- 15-The Seven-Limb Prayer: Offerings
- Rinpoche elaborates on the primordially pure outer, inner, secret, and suchness offerings, imbued with the qualities of wisdom and compassion.
- 16-The Seven-Limb Prayer: Confession
- Rinpoche explains the accumulation of karma, the dangers of anger, and confession of misdeeds as purification: “...afflictive emotions are like wood and mindful awareness is like fire.”
- 17-The Seven-Limb Prayer: Rejoicing
- Rinpoche explains rejoicing in the activities of enlightened body, speech and mind.
- 18-The Seven-Limb Prayer: Request to Turn the Wheel of Dharma
- Rinpoche explains the benefits of supplicating that the wheel of Dharma be turned.
- 19-Q&A #2
- Rinpoche addresses questions including lamas taking consorts, cultivation of faith, the inseparability of one's mind and the mind of the guru.
- 20-The Seven-Limb Prayer: Request to Turn the Wheel of Dharma Part 2
- Rinpoche continues his explanation of the request to turn the wheel of Dharma, describing the different vehicles and capacities of beings.
- 21-The Seven-Limb Prayer: Request Not to Pass into Parinirvana
- Rinpoche breaks down the phrase: "Remain in the nature of three vajras."
- 22-The Seven-Limb Prayer: Dedication
- Rinpoche explains how to seal virtuous action by dedicating the merit from conventional and ultimate perspectives, teaching extensively on the nature of mind.
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- 23-Offering Homage and Praise
- Rinpoche gives commentary on offering homage and praise to the spritual teacher.
- 24-Q&A #3
- This session's questions include using another's body as support in practice and wrong view towards the guru.
- 25-Request to Dispel Darkness and Realize the Nature of Mind
- Rinpoche explains the meaning of the unelaborated nature of mind.
- 26-Concluding Prayers: Part 1
- Rinpoche comments on the concluding prayers, beginning with the guru as the "essence of the blessings of the body, speech and mind of all the Victorious ones", additionally describing bodhichitta, the five elements, the winds and the three kayas.
- 27-Q&A #4
- Rinpoche addresses topics such as sustaining mindfulness between meditation sessions, the om ah hung vajra recitation, intoxicants and their effects on the body's channels, and nonduality.
- 28-Concluding Prayers: Part 2
- Rinpoche continues his commentary on the concluding prayers, with an emphasis on the nature of mind.
- 29-The Four Empowerments
- Rinpoche explains the intent behind the four empowerments and the benefits of bodhichitta.
- 30-Dedication
- Rinoche describes dedicating the practice on both conventional and ultimate levels and how to use the practice of the four empowerments.
- III. The Samadhi Empowerment
- 31-Commentary
- Rinoche explains in detail how to practice the four empowerments.
- 32-Oral Transmission
- Rinpoche offers an oral transmission of the Samadhi Empowerment.