04 Chenrezig and Gelongma Palmo: Beings of Compassion 20-Apr-2003

Lama Zopa Rinpoche pays homage to Chenrezig (The Compassion Buddha) and Gelongma Palmo, a fully ordained nun who embodied the qualities of the three-time buddhas and had a deep understanding of the past, present, and future. In a blissful realm, a unique lotus was discovered, and the holy child, Chenrezig, was found inside. Chenrezig made a vow to lead all beings to enlightenment and emitted beams from his holy body, liberating beings in the six realms. However, feeling overwhelmed by the suffering of sentient beings, Chenrezig's commitment wavered, causing his holy body to crack. Amitabha Buddha descended, blessed the pieces, and transformed them into eleven faces.Gelongma Palmo, the daughter of the king of Orgyen, renounced worldly life and became a fully ordained nun. She excelled in the five knowledges and strictly upheld her precepts. Due to past karma, she developed leprosy. In a dream, she was advised to practice Chenrezig, which reduced her pain. However, she eventually grew bored until, in another dream, Manjushri advised her to practice Chenrezig and gave her a pill symbolizing attainment.After taking the pill, Gelongma Palmo's infections disappeared, and her sickness gradually healed. By reciting the short and long mantra of the Compassion Buddha and performing nyung-nä, she completely healed her sicknesses within a year. Through her loving-kindness and compassion, she gained control over the ten guardians and eight nagas, who became Dharma protectors.Lama Zopa Rinpoche shares stories of the extraordinary effects of reciting OM MANI PADME HUM, such as the purification of negative karma and the generation of blessings for oneself and others. He also shares stories about the lineage lamas of the Chenrezig practice.There is a special connection between the Compassion Buddha and the Tibetan people. Historically, Chenrezig has been a special deity for Tibet. Nowadays, Western people also have a close connection with Chenrezig as many of them receive teachings and guidance from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is considered an incarnation of Chenrezig.Reciting mantras like the Eleven-Face mantra and OM MANI PADME HUM, even once, can purify heavy negative karma, and regular recitation can have immense benefits, including purification and the generation of blessings that can extend to future generations. Reciting the mantra while swimming in water can purify the negative karma of the animals living in the water. This teaching was given at Institut Vajra Yogini, France as part of a Four Kadampa Deities Retreat from April 18 to May 11, 2003. You can see all the teachings from this retreat here: https://fpmt.org/media/streaming/teachings-of-lama-zopa-rinpoche/4-kadam-deities-2003/