His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Puja Teachings – August 24, 2025

His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne and expounded on “Scroll 32, ‘Chanding Paramita’(Chapter 10, section 2)” of The Mahayana Sutra of the Bodhisattva Treasury of the True Dharma Taught by the Buddha.

After Rinpoche instructed the monastic disciple to lead the assembly in reciting the Refuge Aspiration Prayer, the Sevenfold Offering Prayer, the Sutra of Recollecting the Three Jewels, the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, and the Prayer to the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones, Rinpoche recited the Six-Syllable Mantra for a long while. The assembly felt their chakras vibrating intensely, and their bodies grew warm, and saw Rinpoche’s body and the Mandala emitting a golden light, and the place was filled with a rich and wondrous fragrance; with afflictions calmed, all were able to single-mindedly receive Rinpoche’s incomparably wondrous and pure Dharma teachings.
 
Then, Rinpoche bestowed the precious Buddha teaching.
 
Sutra: ‘ There are sentient beings whose disposition attains with Dānapāramitā (Puja teachings index 15). There are sentient beings whose disposition attains with Śīlapāramitā (Puja teachings index 16). There are sentient beings whose disposition attains with Kṣāntipāramitā (Puja teachings index 17). There are sentient beings whose disposition attains with Vīryapāramitā (Puja teachings index 18). There are sentient beings whose disposition attains with Dhyānapāramitā (Puja teachings index 19). There are sentient beings whose disposition attains with Prajñāpāramitā (Puja teachings index 20).’

Sentient beings refer to all living beings. Here, it refers to those in the virtuous realms. Whatever Dharma methods they cultivated in past lives, or in this very life, will certainly be attained with them—only a matter of when. Shakyamuni Buddha explained this in detail, for each being has different inclinations: some delight in cultivating compassion, others in Dānapāramitā (Puja teachings index 15), and so forth. Thus, they will attain more strongly with certain Dharma methods. In this life, if one continues to cultivate any of the Six Paramitas diligently, one will surely attain them. To attain means that you can apply these methods to benefit yourself, to benefit others, and to bring about real results.

Sutra: ‘There are sentient beings whose disposition is grounded in great maitri. There are sentient beings whose disposition is grounded in great karuṇā.’
 
These two lines indicate that some sentient beings regard compassion as the primary cause of their practice. That is, the direction and Dharma methods of all their cultivation are based upon compassion. As explained before, maitrī and karuṇā are two distinct things. Therefore, the Buddha here speaks of them separately, not as compassionate, but as maitrī and karuṇā individually.
 
The meaning of maitrī is to exchange one’s own good resources for the negatives of sentient beings. In Vajrayana, there are specific Dharma methods dedicated to this exchange. The technique is that when one has accumulated sufficient merit and resources and has vowed to practice the Bodhisattva path, one’s own merit can be offered in exchange for all obstacles and hardships that sentient beings face in their practice of Buddhism. As stated in the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows, the Bodhisattva can help Buddhist practitioners overcome every kind of obstacle, beginning right from the cause. If, at the very outset of practicing the Buddha Dharma, one does not take great maitrī as the cause, then one can only progress as far as the state of an Arhat, or even fall into the path of Asuras or the Ghost Realm. Thus, the cause, which is why one embarks upon learning Buddhism, is crucial.

One must be clear about this cause. Do not practice merely for the sake of small personal matters, such as illness, misfortune, or family poverty. These are simply the results of one’s own past karma. If one continues to hope that practicing will change or overcome such things, then one has not engaged in the Six Paramitas mentioned earlier, nor cultivated maitrī. In that case, one will not attain with the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or sentient beings.
 
Many people think that if they recite every day, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will come to help them. It’s not gonna happen. If the methods you practice are not the same as those taught by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, you will not attain with them. Do not assume that merely striking the wooden fish, reciting sutras, meditating, prostrating to the Buddha, or even chanting mantras and doing visualizations will suffice. If you are not cultivating according to the Six Paramitas taught by the Buddha—if you have not practiced maitrī and karuṇā, but only keep asking for things for yourself—then you will not attain with the yidam, the guru, or with sentient beings.

What does it mean to be not attainable? It means that you are only practicing a little of the good fortune of the Human and Heaven Realms. In future lives, you may be reborn as a human, or perhaps as some fortunate animal that people find very cute and lovable—but you will not be liberated from birth and death. This is why, before every empowerment during the pujas, the question is always asked: What is your motivation for attending the puja? In other words, what is your cause? If you yourself cannot be clear about this cause, and you think that practicing the Dharma is only to seek freedom from your own suffering, then please do not come! Since your suffering is the result of karma accumulated over many lifetimes, it has nothing to do with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. To learn Buddhism is to seek not to create new causes of suffering, so that in the future there will be no retribution of suffering. That is why we say, ‘May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.’ To be free from suffering means to no longer engage in the actions that produce it; to be free from the causes of suffering means to generate no longer the karmic retribution that brings suffering about.

Many of you keep hoping that learning Buddhism will solve all your current suffering. If you practice with this intention, you will never truly progress. At most, you may cultivate the good fortune of the Human and Heaven Realms, but you will never be in attainment with the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or yidams! Even if you chant every day, prostrate every day, it will not bring attainment. Never tell Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara that you are suffering; first free yourself from suffering, only when you are no longer suffering can you generate a sincere vow to practice diligently. If you tell others this, they might be moved, but telling me this is useless, because I have experienced much suffering myself and have never asked Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara to quickly end my pain to settle my mind and practice diligently. Making myself money soon so I won’t worry about finances; improving my body condition so I don’t constantly fear illness; wanting cancer cells to practice with me so I won’t suffer—these are all nonsense! They have nothing to do with the Six Paramitas, or with practicing maitrī and karuṇā as causes, as taught in the sutras.

Among this group of male disciples, not a single one is genuinely practicing. The individuals who come seeking The Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro, and to whom I have actually transmitted teachings, are mostly women; not one is male. When I refuse them once, they often do not come again because they feel embarrassed. They think that their lack of practice is the reason I did not transmit the Dharma to them; we’ll see what happens later. In the past, when pursuing a woman, even after being rejected many times, one kept trying until one succeeded. That is why the sutras say that in the Age of Dharma Decline, there are many female practitioners and fewer male practitioners. The sutras also say that practicing Buddhism is a great man’s deed—but many of you male practitioners have nothing to do with that! Even though some female practitioners have implored twenty-one times, I did not grant them. Slowly, over time, The Glorious Jewel may become a Buddhist Center for female practitioners—I do not know. Looking at these male disciples, they practice as if half dead. On the surface, they seem to believe in Rinpoche, but observing their practice shows whether they truly have faith—clearly, they do not. Everyone is extremely subjective, thinking, ‘I have done nothing wrong, I am practicing, I am fulfilling it.’ According to the sutras, none of you is actually attained.
 
Why did the guru not transmit the Dharma? Because you are not in attainment. Female disciples come to implore—some for twenty-one times, or eighteen times, have you done that? You come only three or four times and then dare not come again, why? First, you are afraid of embarrassment; Second, you worry about having to offer more, while also worring about paying mortgages, tuition, rent—where could you get that much money? You think that you can deal with it later, as long as nothing happens to you, you’ll have a chance to implore Rinpoche after you retire. But by the time you retire, I may no longer be here.
 
So this passage of the sutra is not as simple as you think, the Buddha tells us that in this life, one will come into attainment, and that is absolutely due to what was done in past lives. In terms of the present, what is the reason for your practice in this life? If you have this cause, you will certainly attain the Dharma method. Suppose you cultivate great compassion, relatively speaking, sentient beings will have a kind heart toward you—they will reach attainment because your behavior toward others shows no aggression. Why do you end up arguing with others? It is because you have not practiced, have not cultivated the Six Paramitas, and have not been willing to make offerings. You are reluctant to give here, hesitant to do that, and seeking only the blessing of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. I have been expounding the Ratnakuta Sutra for many years; I never said that Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara would protect you, I only told you to practice, but you have repeatedly refused, especially the male disciples. Therefore, next Saturday, do not all rush to implore for the Dharma, I will not transmit it, especially as I will be at the monastery next Saturday.
 
There are sentient beings whose disposition is grounded in great karuṇā. Karuṇā means cultivating a Dharma method with the aim of helping sentient beings be freed from the suffering of reincarnation—this is why it is called karuṇā.

Sutra: ‘There are sentient beings whose disposition is grounded in great joy. There are sentient beings whose disposition is grounded in great giving.’
 
This joy is not the ordinary sense of happiness. In the sutras, joy refers to the joy of breaking free from reincarnation. The practice of kindness, compassion, joy, and giving is the most fundamental way to break free of the four forms. Following this is ‘There are sentient beings whose disposition is grounded in great giving’. If you cannot bring joy to sentient beings, then you yourself will not experience joy. The most vital joy for beings is not in satisfying small desires, but in being freed from the suffering of reincarnation, which gives rise to true joy. For example, when many people receive my blessing after death, their facial appearance immediately becomes joyful, this is great joy, for they know that Rinpoche has helped them and that they will not fall into the Three Evil Realms.

If Rinpoche has not cultivated great joy, then even giving blessings would be of no use. But once Rinpoche has blessed the deceased, even if the family members merely recite my name or visualize me, they can witness the face of the deceased change instantly. How can such a change occur? After death, the muscles no longer move, the nerves no longer function—how could the mouth close or take on a smiling expression? It is because the deceased gives rise to great joy, they realize they have been rescued.
What is meant by great joy is the ability to liberate sentient beings from the ocean of reincarnation. It is not simply a matter of talking about Buddha Dharma, reciting sutras, or comforting—that is not great joy. A guru who has truly cultivated kindness, compassion, joy, and giving must possess the ability to transfer consciousness. At the very least, they must have mastered Phowa, and all Dharma methods of transferring consciousness become successful. Many of you here have lost family members, and you have experienced that as long as Rinpoche bestows blessings—or even when my name is called, or my image is visualized—the appearance of the deceased changes immediately. Isn’t that true?  (Many of the attendees reply: Yes!) So many have passed away? (Everyone laughs.) This is what is meant by kindness, compassion, and joy—the deceased themselves recognize it. 
Giving does not mean practicing directly on the sentient beings, but rather practicing oneself. It means the practitioner must be able to let go of everything, where does this come from? It comes from the practice of Kṣāntipāramitā(Puja teachings index 17) and from the perfection of Dānapāramitā(Puja teachings index 15). For example, yesterday—how much money did I return? (A monastic disciple replies, ‘Report to Rinpoche, a lot.’) That is giving! Giving is truly not easy, but Rinpoche simply lets it go. Why? Because when a guru accepts offerings, it must not be with eyes lighting up at the sight of money, or with the heart clinging to wealth. Rather, one must accept offerings in accordance with the giver’s circumstances. Yesterday, someone even mortgaged her house and borrowed money in order to make an offering. I told her, ‘No, take it back.’The intention alone is enough! Yet there are gurus who would take it anyway. This is giving. 
Why is it that Rinpoche can remain unconcerned about reputation— it is about giving. Why can Rinpoche remain unshaken, no matter how people insult or mistreat me—that too is about giving. Not long ago, one disciple’s husband passed away, and I personally covered the funeral expenses. I also supported her daughter’s living costs from childhood up until high school. Yet suddenly, she stopped coming, for reasons I will not mention here. If I had not cultivated great giving, my mind would have been filled with murmurs and discomfort, but I let go. Since she considered something else more important than the Dharma, I let it go. In fact, in Hevajra it is said: With those who have no fate, do not continue having any dealings ; with those who have a fate, invite them to come. So, you men—be careful. You are quickly becoming without a fate connection to me because you do not implore for the Dharma, do not cherish the Dharma, and do not seek to obtain it. Instead, you only hope for Rinpoche’s blessings. Each of you already has a house to live in, but none of you has ever mortgaged your house to make offerings to me. Yesterday, someone did so—not for herself, but for her husband. I do not ask you to do the same, but it makes me feel that you men are not wholehearted. I truly do not know what you are practicing. You do not cultivate the Six Paramitas, nor kindness, compassion, joy, and giving. You do not uphold the Five Precepts or the Ten Virtuous Actions. Then what exactly are you practicing? Simply trying to be a ‘good person’? But one does not need to learn Buddhism to be a good person. Just follow basic ethics and moral conduct, and that already makes you a good person. Many of you are simply fooling around and wasting your days.
 
Kindness, compassion, joy, and giving are exactly what the Diamond Sutra refers to when it speaks of breaking free of the four forms—humanness, sentient beings, self, and time. The Diamond Sutra itself does not explain how to break these forms, but in the Ratnakuta Sutra it is taught that only through cultivating kindness, compassion, joy, and giving can these four forms be broken free. Why must these forms be broken? If one clings to them, it means one has not understood the true essence of the Dharma, and thus one cannot truly practice or realize it. Many people think learning Buddhism is simply for the sake of peace and safety, that is acceptable, but it only makes them believers, not practitioners who are cut out for learning the Buddha Dharma. Such people will not connect with the guru, the yidam, or the Dharma protectors. Even if you practice the Dharma Protector of Achi every day, since you have not cultivated these foundations, the protector will not attain with you. She may help with small matters, but not with your practicing. Many of you recite daily without really understanding what the Dharma text says. The Dharma text of Achi clearly instructs that you must practice. You refuse to practice, believing that simply reciting her mantra is already practice, it is not! Therefore the mindset is so crucial, in doing the very same act, if the mind shifts even slightly, the result will be completely different. The outer form of the practice may be the same, but if the mindset is different, the outcome will not be the same.

The distinctive feature of the Buddha Dharma is that it teaches us to train our own mind. Every week when I expound the sutras, it is for the sake of changing your mind and your way of thinking, so that you do not live like a vulgar person in this world. If you insist on living merely a worldly life, the outcome will not be good. Yesterday, a disciple returned from the United States. Ten years ago, I saw her in India, she was young and beautiful, and many men pursued her. When I saw her again after ten years, I thought she was a random middle-aged woman—because she chose to live a worldly life. When you live only for worldly life, the virtuous cause to learn Buddhism, virtuous karma, and good fortunes will naturally diminish. Does this mean that living a worldly life is inherently wrong? The sutras do not say one cannot live as a worldly person, but if in this very lifetime you aspire to liberation from the cycle of birth and death, then you must place emphasis on the Dharma. When confronted with worldly matters, as for myself, I am able to let them go, but I will never abandon the Dharma. For you, however, it is the opposite: when faced with worldly matters, you think that it doesn’t matter, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are still there, I’ll take care of my affairs first and return to the Dharma later. But when you finally turn back, a hundred years will already have passed. Do not harbor the deluded thought that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will forgive you, or that the Dharma Protectors will come to help you, they won’t! The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas never punish anyone, so there is no such thing as forgiveness. It is entirely your own matter. If you do not turn toward the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, then you will not be attained with them.
In the practice of Vajrayana, every day I must visualize offering my wisdom, my light, and my merit to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for their blessing. Thereafter, I radiate that light throughout the ten directions, so that all sentient beings may receive the aid of the Dharma and be able to practice. Yet how many truly receive it? I do not know—only the Buddhas know. Why is it that not so many beings can receive it? Because their motivation in learning the Dharma is mistaken, their path is misguided; therefore, they do not come into attainment. It is precisely because the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center and the Monastery are so pure that the good fortune of the Dharma can be cultivated here, and that you disciples have been able to live safely and peacefully for decades. But this does not mean you have truly practiced, without me, none of this would remain. I can even predict that if one day I am no longer here, this Buddhist Center will surely close—because you are not here for genuine practice, only to attend a gathering or a talk, you leave feeling comfortable for the day, but do you actually apply it? No. When I look at these male disciples, more and more I see they do not resemble true men. What kind of man has no perseverance to keep imploring for the Dharma? There was a disciple’s son—I forget whose—who implored to come to the pujas for more than ten times. Because he persisted, at the very least showing faith, I finally granted it to him. But you, who think your face is too thin, that you cannot bear to be admonished by Rinpoche—why remain here at all? Just withdraw instead. Why are you men so obsessed with saving face? I do not understand. Living like this in the world is no different from living as walking corpses: only eating, sleeping, working, earning money, and paying the mortgage, until life ends.
Do not think you have learned the Dharma, or just because today you have practiced The Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro, that this is enough. Without the guru, nothing can be accomplished. Thus, kindness, compassion, joy, and giving are not something you can achieve merely by talking about them. They must arise from the very moment you attend the puja, from the very cause and decision you set at that instant. From that starting point, the cultivation of kindness, compassion, joy, and giving truly begins.

Sutra: ‘Furthermore, some sentient beings have the inclination to the Mahayana as their cause. Some sentient beings have the inclination to the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle as their cause. Some sentient beings have the inclination to the Śrāvaka Vehicle as their cause. Moreover, for these sentient beings, the power of all their virtuous causes is complete and brings fulfillment. And the power of all their virtuous fate is complete and brings fulfillment.’

Some sentient beings achieve success in their practice because the power of all their virtuous fate is complete. That is why, the last time I reported to His Holiness about having many people’s help while constructing the monastery, he told me: ‘The power of your virtuous fate is complete; you have attained accomplishment.’Why do you encounter so many obstacles in daily life and in your Buddhist practice? It is because you have not cultivated virtuous fate with others. Cultivating virtuous fate does not mean giving money or providing help. Virtue means having no intention to harm others, even if someone makes a mistake, you may take action, but your heart must not wish them harm. Instead, you should guide them to understand what they should not do. Simply put, leave a way for them to walk back—you cannot try to annihilate them completely. When the virtuous fate and power are fully developed, naturally, people will support you in your endeavors. You may even have disciples or believers.

In this lifetime, I have gone out to propagate the Dharma without ever doing any advertising, as everyone knows very well. Now, seeing many others advertising, I feel quite saddened, because they have not read the sutras. If they read this passage, they should realize that the power of their virtuous fate is not yet complete. If it were complete, people would attend the puja without any advertising, wouldn’t they? (Everyone replies: Yes.) Rinpoche has held the grand pujas for over ten years without any advertising, relying entirely on you to spread the word. Sometimes it seems strange—you speak, and even people who are not familiar with you still come. It is not because you speak that they come; it is because the presiding guru’s virtuous fate is complete, and thus his practice bears fruition, since it is for the benefit of sentient beings. You all know that I have held the grand pujas without charging a single cent—isn’t this for the sake of sentient beings? (Everyone replies: Yes.) Even well-known figures are not allowed to give speeches on stage. Even if political figures want to attend, I say they are welcome, but they must sit from start to finish. Often, they do not come. Why not? Because in a few hours, they can accomplish many things elsewhere. This proves that Rinpoche does not rely on any external power, social connections, or the fame of others to hold a puja. When I held the first grand puja, I had no certainty whether it could be successfully conducted. If only a mere one or two thousand people had attended, would you have called it shameful? It was a test of whether I had cultivated the power of virtuous fate—and the results showed that I had. I continued successfully for thirteen consecutive years. Why did I stop holding them? Because the expenses were too great, and I did not want my disciples to continue spending such money, so I stopped. Now, I hold the puja at the monastery.
So this proves it, go home and think about it—if you casually make a phone call, does someone immediately come? But no matter how hard you try for other matters, they won’t come, right? You might ask someone to go listen to a concert, and they say they are busy, yet for the puja, they come. It is not that they wanted to attend this particular puja. Instead, it depends on whether the presiding guru is attained with the yidam. When the attainment is there, beings who have formed a fate connection with the yidam in past lives will come. This line demonstrates whether the presiding guru has fully cultivated the power of virtuous fate.
Certain sentient beings have fulfilled an unvirtuous fate, and as the power of such a fate reaches attainment, this sentient being will be reborn in an inferior family.  In ancient times, and even in modern days, for someone born in an impoverished family, learning Buddhism would be a complicated matter. Of course, there are exceptions, such as the Six Patriarch (of Chan) Huineng, whose family had no money but was one of excellent scholarship. However, his family members died early on, so he was brought up in a monastery, which is also the manifestation of his fate power. 

The point here is, if you are born into a family in which you could not be exposed to Buddha Dharma during this lifetime, even if you are exposed to Buddhism, you would not have the chance to listen to or learn Buddha Dharma. For instance, a deceased disciple of mine instructed her husband to let their child learn Buddhism, but her husband refused to let the child learn Buddhism. From the point of view of Buddhist sutra, this is to be born in an inferior family, which prohibits their children to learn Buddhism. An inferior family is not necessarily defined by poverty; instead, it lacks the good fortunes, merit, fate, and virtuous roots that enable the next generation to learn Buddhism. 

If one has achieved sufficient virtuous fate, then this sentient being will attain some power of virtuous fate in their future life, and will then be reborn in a superior family. The key point of superiority is whether one had the fate to learn Buddhism, even wealthy families, or as superior as a president, may not have the chance to let their offsprings learn Buddhism; it is useless no matter how much wealth one possesses if there’s no chance to learn Buddhism.  
 
Sutra: ‘Further, the mind of this sentient being is pure, (but it is) not his practice of skill that is pure.’ 

These two sentences are very special. Further, the mind of this sentient being is pure. This sentient being has practiced so that his mind became pure, meaning he possesses very few distracting thoughts; furthermore, his mind is pure. It is not his practice that is pure. Some people can make Buddhist statues that look very dignified, not because of their skillful practice, but rather because their heart is pure. Therefore, he can make Buddhist statues, or some can paint Tangkas, which look very dignified and will spur joy in the viewer.  
 
Sutra: ‘Perhaps the practice of skill of this sentient being is pure, (but it is) not his mind that is pure.’ 

Perhaps some people, some sentient beings, may have good and pure skills, but their minds are not pure. 

Sutra: ‘Perhaps, the practice of skill of this sentient being is pure, and his mind is also pure. Perhaps, the mind of this sentient being is impure, and his practice of skill is also impure.’ 
 
Apart from talking about our skilled craftsmanship, these sentences can also be used to describe those who practice the Bodhisattva Path—the way in which one practices the Bodhisattva Path is pure and skillful. Skillful means that he can point out the issues of sentient beings very clearly. Conversely, some people are born with a gift to paint beautifully or have very skilled craftsmanship, but this is not because their skills are pure, but rather because their hearts are very pure. Some sentient beings may have very pure skills, but it isn’t because their mind is pure; he has merely learned very purely, but it isn’t the mind of this sentient being that is pure. Therefore, with the slightest impurity of mind, his skills will change. 
 
Sutra: ‘Sariputra. These various sentient beings’ roots have acted upon wisdom as a result of the heart in the past. Like the wisdom in attainment with the Dharma I speak of. This is what’s called the power of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s knowledgeof others’ minds.’ 

These sentient beings must have, in the past, acted upon wisdom as a result of the heart. This doesn’t mean practicing the Bodhisattva Path with one’s knowledge or experiences, but instead, to practice the Bodhisattva Path with wisdom. Like the wisdom in attainment with the Dharma I speak of.  It is just like the wisdom that is in attainment with Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings. 
 
This is what’s called the power of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva’s knowledge/wisdom of others’ minds.” It can also be said that this Bodhisattva Mahasattva possesses the wisdom of mind-reading.  Shakyamuni Buddha explains the wisdom of others’ minds this way, in that one doesn’t simply acquire such capacities through chanding (Puja Teachings Index 6), performing repentance rites, or prostrating to Buddha. It must be through continuous cultivation and honing by experience to see whether his heart is pure; only then do skills become pure.
 
For instance, I built a monastery, and everyone who visits says it is pure because I had a blueprint before construction, including details on how things needed to be done. Obviously, I was not the one doing the physical construction, but because my heart is pure, I requested that things be done in a certain way, so naturally, the work done is pure. For instance, I decided not to have any grand donors, not to allow lantern-lighting (for a fee), not to have concession stands, not to have a large kitchen to cook for everyone, not to provide accommodation; this is all due to the purity of the heart, and naturally the monastery I’ve built enable others to feel the purity, do you understand? 
    
The meaning of this passage spoken by Buddha is: pure skills and practices can be learned; if you follow a good master, you may be able to learn a set of skills, but your heart may not be pure. For example, when building the monastery, I did not understand the construction methods, but when mistakes were made, I always knew because they were not pure, but I am. Further, there was even one instance where the contractor was cutting corners; his employee sent a text message to our company to report the matter. If that informant had not reported the matter, I would never have known, so you merely donate money but have done nothing at all.  
 
What would you all have done? You would have immediately gone to him and scolded him. However, Rinpoche’s skills are pure, so a meeting with all the contractors was held, during which we informed them that an inspection would soon be conducted. We hope that none of you have been cutting corners; if there are instances of such, you have one week to report back. It will be fine as long as you rectify the issue; however, if we discover any corner-cutting, then I’m afraid that will be a problem. I did not go; Disciple-Wei went to the meeting, and when he was about to drive off, the head workman of the corner-cutting contractor stopped his car and admitted that he had done it. If this head workman had not admitted to his mistake, we would absolutely not have known of the matter because this thing is buried under ground, so he had to rebuild it completely. 
 
This incident is entirely in accordance with the content of the sutra mentioned earlier—I have cultivated and achieved virtuous fate, and my building of a monastery is also a form of virtuous fate. Because I never took a single penny, nor did I advertise, nor did I shake up the entire religious community by publicizing my monastery, so Aṣṭasenā and the Dharma protectors have continued to help me. If this person had not spoken up, since the thing he built is buried underground and nothing happened after the construction was completed, no one would have known. However, if something did happen, it would have been a dreadful thing —almost the entire building would have had to be torn down. Can you tell the difference between being in attainment and not? Thus, none of you is in attainment. I can teach many Dharmas and methods of cultivation just through building a monastery, and this all comes from Rinpoche’s practice. Just because you have money does not mean you can make a monastery. I picked out many mistakes/problems—why did I pick them out? Because my heart is pure, the monastery is naturally pure as well. Because the heart of the abbot guru is pure, the monastery he builds will be pure and entirely devoid of any commercial atmosphere, and we accept whatever amount you make as offerings. How can it not be pure this way? You might ask, would the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas find it agreeable? Of course they would! Would it be in attainment? Of course, it’s in attainment.  Would the Dharma Protectors come? They will come! Need I even plead? 

Why do you come to plead but to no avail? Look at yourselves; do you possess the purity and reverent heart towards the guru? No! You male disciples should all go home and have a good cry! You act as if you are for real in coming to learn Buddhism from me, but after hearing this passage, you should feel ashamed and embarrassed! And you call yourselves real men! 
 
Sutra: ‘Moreover, he has the power to know the heart of others. Should this sentient being act upon the causes of offerings, one should in the future receive the fruit of offerings.’
 
Why do some people know the power of knowing the minds of others? Because this sentient being has made many offerings. Haven’t I made many offerings? (The assembly replies: Yes.) Therefore, a believer came yesterday, and I scolded him to tears because I knew what his wife was thinking about. I told him two things that only the two of them knew about, but not their bedroom affairs, don’t misunderstand—just something that only the two of them knew about. The moment I spoke about it, he burst into tears and became convinced. If I did not possess the power to know the heart of others, how could I convince him? How could I enable him to listen and believe in Buddha Dharma? He came with a a let’s-give-it-a-try attitude , but how could he know I am so capable, and the mention of these two things knocked him out like two punches, and he broke into tears immediately.  I needn’t say much; just hitting the mark twice was enough; it wouldn’t be worth any money if I said too much. Where does this come from? Offering, giving. 

Why do we need to make offerings? Because when you are able to give, you can let go of many things in the heart, and naturally, you become pure. Why is it that the six paramitas teach us to make offerings first? Many people think that they have to give money, and if one doesn’t give money, one cannot learn Buddhism, so they want to save some for their own funeral. Yesterday, a disciple came to make an offering, and she gave me a pack of offering money as thick as a pillow. But I only took half. Why did I only take half?  Although he gave me money as thick as a pillow, he was still not willing to give more, but because he had the heart to make an offering, I took half and let him keep the other half. Therefore, by giving back the offering, I was making an offering yesterday.

To make offerings is not because anyone wants your money, but instead it’s a Dharma for cultivation. For instance, when Rinpoche holds concerts, some people have never attended a concert in their entire life; however, when they come to my concert, they are delighted. Is this not allowing them to have a heart of joy? (The assembly replies: Yes.) Isn’t this a form of making offerings? (The assembly replies: Yes.) And yet you still calculate penny for penny with me. Some people are not willing to learn Buddhism; they cannot understand, and you cannot ask them to come, but there must be a way to make them feel joyous, and to let them have a different view on Buddhism so that he does not think that Dharma is a form of superstition and endup saying a lot of things that they shouldn’t say. These are all Rinpoche’s well-intentioned and heartfelt efforts. Every step is a form of cultivation as well as practicing the six paramitas. 
 
If I did not make offerings, I would not know the heart of sentient beings. Regarding the believer, whose wife was lying in the hospital, I could not have gone to the hospital and asked her to tell me her thoughts. Her doctor said she was in a coma, and her husband said the same But I could tell them things that only the couple knew, that is, the power of knowing the hearts of others.
 
Why must I expound about the power of knowing the hearts of others, because as this sentient being often sews the cause for making offerings, he should in the future receive the fruit of offerings. Therefore, in the future, he will definitely reap the benefits of his offering, which means that he will never be without money, will not die in poverty, and it will be impossible for someone not to help or support him. Making offerings doesn’t necessarily generate money back; it could be other things, but it is all under the aspect of wealth. For instance, to build the monastery. And had he not in the past lives and this life made so many offerings, the monastery that he built could not have received so much help from others. Help did not mean that they greenlighted everything I needed done, instead, what would have taken the government one month, they completed in ten days, which is also a good deed. 
 
For instance, Rinpoche made offerings to the two villages down the lane, and since then, they have stopped disturbing us. You attend the puja feeling very relaxed and convenient since the buses can be parked right at the gate. When those buses were waiting for you at the entrance, someone went and reported them, so the buses received parking tickets. However, the drivers all paid the fine themselves; no one asked me for the money. I have dealt with the matter, and they will no longer be fined.  
 
Next month, we will have the Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness. I have paid an old woman from the Ku village to make 1,000 rice cakes to offer in front of Amitabha Buddha, and after the offering, we will distribute one rice cake to every person in the village. (The assembly claps.) There’s none for you, no need to clap! The foundation will provide the money. Rinpoche is someone who habitually makes offerings, and everything I do, I think of how to make offerings, how to bring joy to sentient beings. You, on the other hand, make offerings to Rinpoche and think Rinpoche must treat you well, and give you things; that’s different from my point of motivation. And because we made offerings to people in these two villages, wouldn’t they support us in the future? Of course they will. That is the fruit of offering. Although it isn’t much money, the most important thing is the heart of making the offerings. You have not learned the slightest bit from me.
 
I am going to scold you again; no one goes to my shops to make some offerings. It’s always the same small group of people. Especially those male disciples, where have they been? Are you all so busy? Each of you only has one wife, so where has all of your time gone? Rinpoche speaks to the female disciples : If your husbands have taken refuge under me, you must strictly investigate why they do not go to my shops. Where have they been? You must report to me. (The assembly laughs). You must be more thorough and rigorous in your investigations. Why is it that your husbands never go to my shops? Do they not have money? You can come to me, and I’ll give them money. Does the food taste bad? I’ll work on it until the food tastes delicious. Next time, I might place a camera at the door so I can see who goes to the shop, and I will take a look and register. I’m just kidding!  

Sutra: ‘Furthermore, sentient beings with the fate of cultivating pure precepts, receive fruit of pure precepts in the future life.’
 
He abides precepts in a pure way in this life. The definition of being pure is that one follows precepts, the Five Precepts, the Bhikkhu Precepts, the Bhikkhuni Precepts, the Shami’s Precepts, and the Bodhisattva’s Precepts,  it isn’t for the purpose of bettering oneself; do not have such a concept. Having such a concept is impure. Abiding precepts is to help oneself to reach the pureness of mind, body, and speech. We do not know how to let the mind, body, and speech of ourselves become pure. Therefore, Shakyamuni Buddha has established Precepts, telling us by doing so, our mind, body, and speech will become pure. Thus, ‘Do not do any evils, do all the virtuous deeds, and eventually one’s mind becomes pure naturally.’was stated at the time of taking refuge. You abide by precepts in this life, it is not for the sake of becoming better, children will listen to your words, and your wife will love you by taking refuge and abiding by precepts. If one, with this mindset, the precepts are not pure. What will happen if the precepts are impure? It is the fruit from abiding by precepts in a pure way that will not emerge later on. If one abides by the precepts in a pure way, the precepts one abides by in the future life naturally will be pure; naturally one obtains the pure Buddha Dharma, able to meet a pure guru, and able to receive pure teachings to practice Buddha Dharma. Therefore, everyone, remember this clearly, abiding by precepts, it is not for one to become better or from the fear of being punished. 
 
Precepts are to teach us not to live whatever we want and indulge ourselves every whim as if an ordinary person, since we are learning Buddhism; because by doing so will lead us fall into the Three Evil Realms. Thus, as we abide by the precepts, we should be clear that it is for assisting us to let our body, speech, and mind become pure; this is called pureness of the precepts; otherwise it is not. When asking you to be a vegetarian, many say they could not, and some say by doing so one will become better, these notions are wrong. Being a vegetarian is to let you reduce the chance to commit killing other sentient beings and the precept of not killing is then abided by purely. Many people say that Vajra practitioners eat meat; It’s still not possible now for me. For, if I eat fish, what I spit out is still a dead fish. If what I spit out is a live fish, then I will eat it. When that time comes, don’t be surprised and say that Rinpoche has magic. (Everyone laughs.)  

Sutra: ‘Furthermore, sentient beings with the fate of cultivating Kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17), receive fruit of Kṣāntipāramitā ( Puja Teaching Index 17) in the future life. ’
 
The sentient beings with the fate of practicing Kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17) in this life, in the future, will obtain the fruit of Kṣāntipāramitā  (Puja Teachings Index 17). Previously, I explained,  Kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17) did not mean not being angry if you were being hit or scolded by others. The most difficult part comes when you have fame and fortune, how do you hold on to your mind not to change. It means during the course of learning Buddhism, due to starting to act virtuous, and the evil cease to function, one feels that oneself become better; upon such thought rises, there will be no cultivation of Kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17). Without cultivating Kṣāntipāramitā  (Puja Teachings Index 17), it is impossible for one to be liberated from reincarnation in this life. Since the evil did not add up, the force of it will reduce a bit, even halt. The force of virtue will increase, and this is how one feels become better. In fact, it’s not that one becomes better, it is just that the evil side stays still, and it does not mean unexistent. Upon one rises the mind of arrogance and pride, the evil side will head towards one in a fast way. 

The previous sutras stated this, and so was the Ratnakuta Sutra. If one who cultivates the path of Bodhisattva gives rise to arrogance, all the merit will be gone. Therefore, remember this, especially those male disciples, why did they not come to implore Dharma? How can they implore the Dharma with arrogance, laziness, a sense of shame, the thought of not being able to achieve, when they themselves are very busy with 8 or 10 hours of work, and have no money to make offerings. How can they implore the Dharma? (Rinpoche instructs the disciple who incharges that if there are male disciples who come to implore Dharma in the coming two months, no acceptance of their registration, especially for those who have taken refuge for a long time. They will come earlier to implore if they want and will not wait until now. Disciple who is in charge replies: Yes.) 
 
Sutra: ‘Furthermore, sentient beings with the fate of cultivating Vīryapāramitā ( Puja Teachings Index 18), receive fruit of Vīryapāramitāin ( Puja Teachings Index 18) the future life. ’

One learns Buddhism in a way of being very lazy, idling, or not diligent means no cultivation of Vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18) in the previous life. Rinpoche cultivates in a more diligent way in this life, and that is because I cultivated in my previous life. Why I scold you, force you, and ask you to leave all day is to urge you to cultivate Vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18). I stated very clearly at the time when one takes refuge, when you do not practice the Dharma the guru transmitted, it is slacking off. If you are slacking off, the power of the guru’s protection will be gone. Let me emphasize once again, when you do not practice the Dharma I transmit, it is called slacking off. For example, I keep urging you to use The Thirty-Seven Practices Bodhisattvas to examine whether the body, speech, and mind do wrongs every night. When you do not execute, then it is slacking off. A person who slacks off is not able to receive the blessings from the guru. Keep on going to not obey! Does it really work? It truly works. The Thirty-Seven Practices Bodhisattvas is taught by the Buddha, but you are reluctant to do so; and yet, thinking you are a disciple with the notion that it will be sufficient by just practicing the Dharma Protector; and none of the Dharma that I taught is being practiced. This is slacking off, and no cultivation of Vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18). Without Vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18), then there will be no fruit of the Vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18). Why didn’t they (male disciple) implore the Dharma? It is because there is no practice of Vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18) among them. 

Do not have a mindset that learning Buddhism is to do whatever you like. You can give up the certificate of taking refuge and become a believer. I will still allow you to come, and will not ask you to leave. Since one received the certificate, it states very clearly in there: Commit no negative acts, and do all good deeds. You, however, are just the opposite of the statement, Commit all evil deeds, and do no good deeds. Since I asked you to examine whether your behavior is virtuous or not, why didn’t you listen to my words and do so?  Would it really make a difference if it only took five minutes? Last week, I had urged you about this, and this week, once again, I urge you. Why do I keep on urging you? Because there are still many people who do not put it into practice, especially those whose hair is completely white and those who are too fat and need to lose weight but are not doing so. The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, apart from the behavior you have, words you speak, the most important of all is your mind, your thoughts. Do your thoughts conflict with the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas or not?  If it conflicts with the practices, it is wrong, and you are not a disciple of Buddha. How many of you are able to accomplish? You did not practice diligently. So, do not complain that Rinpoche does not transmit the Dharma. You do not practice diligently and think it is called cultivation by just reciting 1000 or 2000 times of the Great Six-Syllable Mantra. In that case, Rinpoche does not need to cultivate anymore. What’s the purpose of doing so? Since I recite such a large amount. 

The more I expound the Ratnakuta Sutra, the more fear you grow. Nobody expounds the Ratnakuta Sutra elsewhere, and it is because, upon expounding, you will find out how it actually is and how troublesome it is to learn Buddhism, and no one wants to learn it anymore. I am not afraid of you not learning Buddhism. My only fear is that you fall into the Three Evil Realms. When I taught you, and yet, you do not listen, still doing things that you shouldn’t do, when you fall into the Three Evil Realms, it is none of my business.  

Sutra: ‘Furthermore, sentient beings with the fate of cultivating Dhyānapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 19), receive the fruit of Dhyānapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 19) in the future life. ’
 
This sentient being who cultivated is with the fate of cultivating Dhyānapāramitā (Puja Teaching Index 19) in the past life will surely obtain the fruit of Dhyānapāramitā (Puja Teaching Index 19). Therefore, if one, during the course of cultivation, no matter one recites the mantra and sutras, prostrates to Buddha, or sits with chanding (Puja Teaching Index 6), one’s mind can not be settled down, it means there was no cultivation of Dhyānapāramitā (Puja Teaching Index 19) in the past. Therefore, we must cultivate Dhyānapāramitā (Puja Teaching Index 19 ) in this life. 

Sutra: ‘Furthermore, sentient beings with the fate of cultivating ultimate wisdom, receive the fruit of ultimate wisdom in future life.’
 
What is so-called ultimate wisdom does not mean you are smarter than others. The wisdom Buddha speaks about is Śūnyatā (Puja Teaching Index 21), and it does not refer to the human brain, thoughts, or experiences; rather,  it is something that is irrelevant to human beings. You will not be able to understand what is called wisdom, nor to know what is called wisdom, if you do not follow the lead and instruction of a guru. If one does not cultivate wisdom, one will not be able to obtain in the future life. Why does one need wisdom? If one does not cultivate wisdom today, but only cultivates good fortune, without the wisdom to practice in the future life, it is very dangerous. If one possesses wisdom but without good fortune, practicing is also very dangerous for one. Having good fortune but without wisdom, one will never obtain any achievements. Having wisdom but without good fortune, one will be wildly arrogant, prideful, and not be able to obtain any achievements. We say that cultivating both good fortune and wisdom simultaneously, among the Six Paramitas, the first three are to cultivate good fortune, while the latter three are to cultivate wisdom. 

The Six Paramitas are not necessary only for those who vow to become Bodhisattvas to cultivate. In the Human Realm, if one wants to be liberated from life and death, and go to Amitabha Buddha’s place, one needs to start to cultivate the Six Paramitas. Here, it states very clearly that without cultivating this, one will not be able to obtain this in the future life. Since one is not able to obtain this, even if I really do send you to Amitabha Buddha’s place, you have to start from the beginning, and it costs lots of time to do so; it is not just with one, two, ten, or a hundred years, but rather, it is a very long time. Therefore, one should cultivate in this life, and it does not matter what kind of achievement one attains, but start to cultivate. You keep refusing to cultivate; for example, these male disciples refuse to cultivate Kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teaching Index 17). So, in their next life, no fruit of Kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teaching Index 17) will they receive. It is because they are arrogant, thinking themselves to be without any mistake, Rinpoche does not empathize with them, and thinks that since they implored the Dharma but received no permission, then so be it. Alright then, so it will be. It would really be just it. You think that by just sitting over there and listening to the Dharma, one will reach enlightenment? If so, I do not need to retreat anymore. You are more capable than me. 
 
Sutra: ‘Furthermore, sentient beings with the fate of cultivating Mahayana, receive the fruit of Mahayana in future life. ’
 
He, in this life, possesses the fate of learning Mahayana, and will obtain the karmic fruit of Mahayana in the future life. It’s as if in this life of mine, I was never exposed to Hinayana Buddhism, naturally I never saw the Agamas Sutra and the Saṃyuktāgama Sutra of Hinayana Buddhism. What I read in this life are all sutras of Mahayana; What I have learned are all Vajrayana and Mahayana. I cultivated in such a way in my past life, so, naturally, I will do so in this life; and will not encounter those ones, those that I do not have a fate to encounter. Even the monastics who practice Hinayana, I have never encountered them; although he was very famous, I did not have the fate to meet him. This is the fate from the past life. Therefore, in this life, I am able to meet His Holiness, it is definitely that I have already cultivated the Vajra in the past lives; so I was able to meet him in this life. Had I not cultivated, I would not have been able to meet him; this is because there is no such fate exists. 

In this life, you are able to meet me, this must be that you’ve been used to being scolded by me in past lives and, now, here you come again. (Everyone laughs.) With so many Buddhist monasteries, you do not go, and yet, come to my place to receive scolding, hit, and a variety of ways, changing from one to another. This is your fate. Do not complain, okay. One day, if you leave, it is also your fate, and has nothing to do with me. Therefore, Rinpoche taught you very clearly, this is what Shakyamuni Buddha spoke of. If you do not seek and implore for the Buddha Dharma, that means, in the past, one did not seek and implore for the Buddha Dharma. Just because you want it doesn’t mean you will be able to obtain it. All of this comes from the fate of oneself in the past lives. Since one is without such a fate, in this life, one cultivates this fate well, and does not wait until the next life.
 
The meaning of Buddha Dharma is that everything in this life is the fruit one obtains from the fate that one had done in the past. Therefore, if one wants the future life to be different from this life, one needs to lay this fate well; in the next life, one is able to obtain good fruit. If one did not lay good fate in this life, there will be no good fruit in the next life. This is for sure. It is the theory of cause and effect. But you do not believe. Even though Rinpoche is able to help you to transmit your consciousness, letting you not fall into the Three Evil Realms, if you do not make offerings in this life, there will be no fruit of Dānapāramitā (Puja Teaching Index 15). If you do not cultivate many virtuous fate in this life, will you be able to be reborn in a noble race? No. Because you do not cultivate in this life. 
 
This passage from the sutra is to tell you, it is okay that one didn’t cultivate in the past life, do it immediately in this life, do not wait. There is no time for you to wait. Because with a blink of an eye, decades have passed; people die, returning to the start. It is because Rinpoche had cultivated all of what was expounded above, Rinpoche is able to cultivate this life. So, there is no need for others to force me and remind me; I just keep doing it over and over. How about you? No matter I use tricks, coaxing, hitting, scolding, or asking one to leave, one still remains unmoved. You are harder to liberate than a rock. If one keeps speaking to a rock over and over, it might move. There is a Koan in Chan Buddhism that a person speaks to others, but none of them listen, so he speaks to a rock. At the end, he speaks to a degree that the rock moves a bit.   
 
You are just being too ‘Human’. So human, extremely. The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows states that among the universe, it is the human dwellers on Earth, are the most difficult to liberate, because they are being ‘ obstinate, conceited, difficult to subdue, and difficult to tame’.  My Buddhist Center has clearly fulfilled this passage, especially these male disciples. I can not understand where the male traits of them are? Today, I will end my teaching here. (Everyone says thank you to Rinpoche together.) There is no need to say thank you. If you do not do and listen to the words, it is no use thanking me. In fact, this will harm me. When you say ‘thank’, this word, I owe you a favor again. You have to do it. Once again, I remind you, tonight, if you do not take out the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas and examine yourself, the Dharma protector will let you have stomach; I will perform the Dharma and tell Dharma Protector Achi today. As for the male disciples, I will let them get up to pee all night long. How about this? ( Everyone laughs and replies: Okay!) 

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Updated on August 27, 2025