Is Lama Chopa a good beginner Gelug practice?

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Dharmalight889
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Is Lama Chopa a good beginner Gelug practice?

Post by Dharmalight889 »

I watched a video by Ven. Yonten and she talked very highly of Lama Chopa. I found this PDF from FPMT (https://shop.fpmt.org/Lama-Chopa-and-Ts ... _1949.html) and was wondering if this is a good practice to recite as a new Gelugpa?
VolkerK
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Re: Is Lama Chopa a good beginner Gelug practice?

Post by VolkerK »

The "Guru Puja" - "Lama Chopa" in Tibetan - is a tantric practice from the annuttara-yoga tantra (unexcelled or unsurpassable yoga tantras, highest yoga tantra) in the Gelug tradition, of making offerings to the spiritual master Je Tsongkhapa or your own root guru every two weeks and includes a review of all the points of the combined sutra and tantra path to enlightenment. The text was compiled by the first Panchen Lama, Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen, as a preparatory exercise for Vajrayana Mahamudra. If a teacher or experienced tantrika is present, you can also participate in the ritual, but you should not practice it alone if you do not have any initiation into annuttara yoga tantra. so i have learned it from my guru.
Kai lord
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Re: Is Lama Chopa a good beginner Gelug practice?

Post by Kai lord »

Lama Chopa is being regarded as a cycle of practices based on the innermost secret teaching of Manjusri directly given by the latter to Tsongkhapa using pure visions.

In fact, the practice of Lama Chöpa is the most skillful way to combine the practice of the three main deities of the Gelug tradition namely Yamantaka, Guyhasamaja, Chakrasamvara and the practice is established on the firm foundation of guru yoga and guided by lamrim and lojong.

So should it be regarded as a beginner practice given its scope and complexity?
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Tsongkhapafan
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Re: Is Lama Chopa a good beginner Gelug practice?

Post by Tsongkhapafan »

Lama Chopa is a Guru Yoga practice of Je Tsongkhapa which is a Highest Yoga Tantra practice. A better practice for a beginner would be the Guru Yoga of the Segyu lineage, more commonly known as 'The Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land' which is a more general Guru Yoga that can be practised according to Sutra or Highest Yoga Tantra. It contains the famous Migtsema prayer:

Tsongkhapa, crown ornament of the scholars of the Land of the Snows,
You are Avalokiteshvara, the treasury of unobservable compassion,
Manjushri, the supreme stainless wisdom,
And Vajrapani, the destroyer of the hosts of maras;
O Losang Dragpa I request you, please grant your blessings.
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Konchog1
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Re: Is Lama Chopa a good beginner Gelug practice?

Post by Konchog1 »

The Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land should be done. Lama Chopa is also excellent if you have an annuttarayoga tantra empowerment.
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zerwe
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Re: Is Lama Chopa a good beginner Gelug practice?

Post by zerwe »

I was very drawn to Lama Chopa in the beginning of my practice too.

There is both a Sutra and Tantra explanation (commentaries) of this practice, but yes it is
much more aligned with Tantric practice and, so in many ways, there is an
entire side to it that you would not have access to or understanding of for some time.

In the beginning, depending on one's karma of course, even the concept of Guru devotion itself is
something that many struggle with developing some understanding of.

So, I would say find a teacher and, if this practice generates some kind of feeling it is
likely ok to explore it a little, but there are likely many other practices you would benefit from.

Shaun :namaste: :namaste: :namaste:
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