10 Making Merit And Rejoicing 14-Apr-2004

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains that any happiness—temporary or up to enlightenment—depends on merit. Therefore, merit is incredibly precious. Rinpoche urges us to rejoice and feel happiness in our heart by recollecting all our past, present, and future merits. Each time we rejoice, the merit doubles. We should also rejoice in others’ merit. If we rejoice in the merits of a being whose mind is lower than ours, we collect double the merit that they collected. However, if the being’s mind is higher than ours, we collect half of their merit. Rinpoche gives the example of rejoicing in a bodhisattva’s one day of merit, in collecting half of that merit, we collect the equivalent of 13,000 years of merit in just one second.

Then, by dedicating our merit to achieving enlightenment for all sentient beings, it becomes the cause to achieve this. Otherwise, it would only become the cause of happiness in our future lives and liberation from samsara.

Rinpoche emphasizes that this merit must be collected yourself; it doesn’t come from outside. It depends on your own positive mental attitude. Rinpoche explains that ordinary people believe happiness and suffering come from outside, but this is totally mistaken. Even though there are external conditions, these are not the main cause. The main cause of happiness and suffering is our own mind.

In explaining the concept of merit making, Rinpoche delves into a side story about the Maitreya Buddha project in Kushinagar. He describes how His Holiness the Dalai Lama did a divination to determine the place and type of statue. He also details his trip to the holy mountain of Sipri in Tibet, where he accepted the task of reviving the hermitages and building another Maitreya statue.

Rinpoche contrasts the happiness of people in remote villages in Tibet to the sorrow of millionaires in the West. He explains that the villagers have a rich inner life and experience so much peace and happiness in their minds, whereas many millionaires have no satisfaction. To get satisfaction, one must let go of the chronic disease of the mind: the painful mind of grasping to this life. Rinpoche reminds us that this life is very short and has very small pleasures compared to the happiness of all future lives. So, by practicing Dharma and letting go of clinging to this life, you have peace in your heart. Like the sun shining happiness in your life, you have freedom from the prison of attachment.

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/